Julius Bass was born Iulii Grigor'evich Bass on December 24, 1896, in Mogilev, Russia, the son of Grigorii and Eva/Chava (Fieken) Bass. He had several siblings: Solomon (who remained in Petrograd, Russia); Joseph/Jossif born in 1893, and later married to Sara Frank; Olga/Golde who was born in 1895 (married Frank Rutkin); Sonia born in 1904 (married Samuel Pearlman, and later Ray Seelig); and Chava (Anna) born in 1906, (married Isadore Helfgott, and later Reuben Surasky).
Julius emigrated to the United States in 1914. His brother Joseph and sister Olga had already come here in 1911. His mother and the two younger sisters arrived in 1923.
Brother Joseph was the first to establish himself in Baltimore, Maryland, going into business as a grocer. Olga originally worked in the Bronx, New York as a dressmaker, but by 1920 she, and Julius were both living with Joseph and his wife Sara. Julius was employed as a "salesman" in a grocery store, likely working for his brother. After 1926 his mother- Eva, Sonia and sometimes Julius, were all established in a home on Belle Avenue in Baltimore.
A 1927 city directory shows Julius living on Park Heights Avenue, still in Baltimore, and working as a salesman (by 1930 he was selling insurance, rather than groceries). Around 1924 he was married to Zina Bugatch. The 1930 census showed the couple living on Park Heights Avenue with her mother, Anna, and her brother, Benjamin. Zina's family were also Russian immigrants, having arrived in the United States in 1922.
In 1937 the family lost its matriarch, Eva Bass. She was buried in the Hebrew Friendship Cemetery in Baltimore- where son Joseph and his wife Sara were also later laid to rest.
At the beginning of the U.S. involvement in WWII, in April of 1942 Julius and Joseph were required to register for the draft. At that time Julius was working for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. He didn't mention a wife, but gave his brother Joseph as "the person who will always know your address." He was described as, "5'4", 147 pounds, brown eyes, gray hair, and light complexion."
Julius Bass died July 27, 1990, aged 93, at the Hebrew Hospital Home, and was buried on Hart Island.
Sources: U.S. Social Security Death Index; U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 (Sonia); New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957; 1920 and 1930 U.S. Federal Censuses; U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989; California, Naturalization Records, 1887-1991 (Olga/Golde); www.findagrave; UK, Outward Passenger Lists 1890-1960 (Chava,Sonia,& Chava).