Eunice Safer

Eunice Safer of Milwaukee died of natural causes on June 15, six days short of her 96th birthday.

Born in Russia, Safer immigrated to Milwaukee in 1923. She and her husband of 57 years, the late Oscar Safer, operated several small businesses in Milwaukee and Brookfield.

The couple’s businesses included the Chambers Food Market at Chambers and Holton Streets in Milwaukee and Food Horn at 138th and Capitol in Brookfield.

In 1961, around the time that dry cleaning technology developed, the Safers converted their store to a self-service dry cleaning business called the Safer Cleaning Center. Oscar Safer died in 1990.

In April 1989, Eunice Safer lost her right leg and hip to cancer. From then on she moved around in a wheelchair or using a walker, despite not having a prosthetic leg.

Safer was an active volunteer her whole life. During World War II, she rolled bandages for the military. She frequently volunteered at the Milwaukee Jewish Convalescent Center and at the Jewish Home, and continued to do so after the two merged to form the Jewish Home and Care Center.

As a volunteer with the Milwaukee Council of Pioneer Women (currently NA’AMAT USA-Milwaukee Council) she served food at the Holiday Folk Fair at MECCA (currently the U.S. Cellular Arena).

“She used to go around helping those people that really needed help, even though she was confined to a wheelchair,” said her son, Fred (Rena) Safer of Glendale. “She became quite a role model for a lot of people.”

In 1991, Safer was awarded the Kesselman Senior Service Award by the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, and in 1993 she won a volunteer award from the Wisconsin Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

Safer visited Israel more than 15 times, including five times after her leg was amputated. She was an avid reader, and participated in a monthly reading club with a group of mostly Jewish women for about 50 years, said Fred Safer. She also led a current events discussion group at the JHCC.

Safer was a member of Hadassah-Milwaukee Chapter, NA’AMAT USA-Milwaukee Council, the Jewish National Fund, Israel Bonds and the Congregation Beth Israel Sisterhood.

She is further survived by daughters Miriam (Jonathan) Gressel of Rehovot, Israel, and Phyllis Safer of Brooklyn, N.Y.; six grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were handled by the Jewish Community Funeral Home. Services were officiated by Rabbi Jacob Herber at Congregation Beth Israel on June 17. Burial was in Second Home Cemetery.

The family appreciates memorial contributions to CBI, JNF, Hadassah-Milwaukee Chapter, Na’amat USA-Milwaukee Council, the JHCC, or a charity of the donor’s choice.