Vol. 77 No. 12-The Jewish Criterion– January 30, 1931- Page 25 (view issue)
Lillian Barniker, aged 16 years, daughter of Mrs. L.B. Cohen of 5626 Callowhill Street died on Monday, January 26. Surviving her, besides her parents, are a sister, Sadie, and a brother Jerome. Funeral services were held from the late residence on Tuesday, January 27, Rabbi B.A. Lichter officiating, and interment made at B’nai Israel Cemetery.
Vol. 77 No. 13-The Jewish Criterion- February 6, 1931- Page 25 (view issue)
To Our Dear Classmate, LILLIAN BARNIKER, Who Passed Away, Monday Morning, January 26, 1931
From this Earthly Garden of beautiful flowers, God in His Infinite Wisdom has plucked the fairest flower of all- a Lily- whose purity and grace He must have coveted. For he has seen fit to transplant her to His Heavenly Garden. Her likeness to a Lily was so obvious that her earthy parents named her The Lily. And she has indeed led the life of the purest of lilies.
Lillian Barniker our beloved president has been called to her last reward. She has left her Conformation Class a monument that time nor tide can destroy- a monument built of Good Works, on a foundation of virtue, ornamented with purity and grace.
We, the Confirments, extend to the bereaved family our deepest sympathy and our prayer shall be that God will give them strength to hear the heavy burden which He has laid upon them.
The 1930 Confirmation Class of B’nai Israel
BubbeWisdom 
Wow.
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You are named for her: Sarah Lillian
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Okay, but what’s the actual story? How did she die? How old was Nana? How was the family affected?
And what is the story for how you found this? The second link doesn’t work for me, but it seems like you searched for her on some CMU archive. Tell us more, please.
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I decided to write a story about your Nana, my mother, Sadye. She was four when her father died and 10 when her sister died. She never talked about Lily so I know very little. That is why I looked for her in the old Chronicle archives. It looks like my search has a time limit. If you want to see the actual listing in the paper you will have to enter Lillian Barniker and 02/06/1931 on this page:
http://ptfs.library.cmu.edu/pjn/search.jsp
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That seems really incredible and there must be a story there. She lost her father and sister at such a young age. How did her father die? That must have had a huge impact on her and her brother growing up. What did her mom do to support them?
I wonder if Bruce or Joyce knows more.
I searched for “Barniker” on the website and saw the Sadye and Howard engagement announcement in 1938. Says Sadye was the daughter of “Mrs. Ida Barniker Cohen, of Hobart Street”. So she must have remarried, right? Who was Mr. Cohen? And she lived on Hobart St?!?
I also saw a marriage announcement between Shapiro and Barniker families in 1927, with “Sadie” as the flower girl. The groom is “Jack Barniker, son of Mrs. Idah Barniker” (no husband mentioned). The rest of the names don’t seem to match up to me. Maybe Shapiro and Barniker were common names?
This archive searching is kind of fun…
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