An immigrant life between Poland and America
When I look at the family history surrounding Bob Dylan, I find that some of the most compelling figures are not famous musicians, poets, or public personalities. They are the people who built quiet lives around work, migration, family, and survival. Isaac Noznisky was one of those people.
Isaac was born in Poland or Russia about 1890 or 1891, depending on documents. Different reports give his birth date as 25 April 1891 or 11 March 1890. He was born to Julius Noznisky and Bedand or Berdana. Her maiden name is unknown and multifaceted.
Isaac, like many Eastern European Jews, immigrated to the US to escape poverty, prejudice, and political unrest. About 1912, he became an American citizen. He lived in Kennett Square, southeastern Pennsylvania, in his early years.
One 1920 census entry listed Isaac as a blacksmith in Kennett Square. That job implies practicality and strength. Blacksmiths needed patience, precision, and the ability to heat and force resistant material. Those traits seem appropriate for an immigrant starting over in a new country.
Marriage to Bessie Levin
On December 21, 1922, Isaac married Bessie L. Levin in Philadelphia. Simon Levin’s daughter Bessie was born in Russia on 4 May 1903. She was twelve years younger than Isaac, and they lived in Pennsylvania before moving to Wilmington, Delaware.
Their family lived through a difficult time in American history. Their early marriage coincided with 1920s industrial boom, the Great Depression, and WWII uncertainty. They educated their children in Eastern European Jewish traditions while adapting to American culture.
Isaac and Bessie relocated to Wilmington in the 1930s. Isaac had a South Claymont Street scrap metal and garbage company. Working with scrap metal, machinery, discarded resources, and local trade was tough. Although unglamorous, it was necessary in an industrial metropolis.
A scrap business could be imagined as a kind of urban archaeology. Isaac dealt with the remnants of other people’s lives and industries, finding value in objects that others had thrown away. Through this work, he supported his family and established a recognizable place in the Wilmington community.
The Noznisky children
Isaac and Bessie had two children, Julius and Shirley. The age difference between them was considerable, with Julius born approximately sixteen years before his younger sister.
| Family member | Birth and death | Known details |
|---|---|---|
| Julius Noznisky | 23 October 1923 to 25 April 1990 | Son of Isaac and Bessie, later known as Jules |
| Shirley Marlin Noznisky | Born 28 October 1939 | Later known as Sara Lownds and Sara Dylan |
Julius, sometimes called Jules, was born in Delaware. He married Adele Flanzer in Wilmington on 21 November 1948. He remained connected to the Wilmington area and died there in 1990. He was buried in the Jewish Community Cemetery, where other members of the family were also laid to rest.
Wilmington is linked to later Noznisky family, notably 1956–2017 Jeffrey “Jake” Noznisky. He retired from Wilmington Trust and M and T Bank after serving in the Army. Family and obituary records list further Anne and Daniel relatives, although their ancestry is unclear.
Isaac’s younger child, Shirley Marlin Noznisky, would later become known to the world as Sara Dylan. Her life carried the family story from Wilmington into the center of American popular culture.
Shirley Noznisky becomes Sara Dylan
Shirley was born in Wilmington on 28 October 1939. She was still a teenager when her father died, an event that deeply altered the family. Around 1959, she moved to New York City, where she entered a very different world from the one she had known in Delaware.
Shirley was temporarily a Playboy bunny and model in NYC. Her husband, photographer Hans Lownds, was older and had been married twice. He suggested she change her name to Sara because another woman in his life was Shirley. She retained Sara.
Sara and Hans had a daughter, Maria, around 1961. After their separation, Sara worked as a secretary in Time Life’s film production division. Her quickness and resourcefulness impressed people working in the film world, including filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker.
Sara met Bob Dylan around 1964. They married on 22 November 1965. Dylan adopted Maria, and the couple had four children together: Jesse, Anna, Samuel, and Jakob. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1977, but Sara’s influence remained part of Dylan’s personal and artistic history.
Sara has kept a low profile. Compared to Bob Dylan’s fame, the Noznisky family’s reserve reflects their gentler nature. Isaac did not leave many letters, interviews, or professional accomplishments. His family link and life-changing contributions make him important.
Isaac’s death in Wilmington
Isaac died in Wilmington in November 1956. Accounts place the shooting on 18 November, with his death officially pronounced on 19 or 20 November. He was about sixty five years old.
A inebriated Eastern European immigrant shot him in the head. The event involved Isaac’s scrap business or a store. Isaac was killed while working in Wilmington, however details vary.
His death occurred when Shirley was about seventeen. The loss would have been especially severe for a young woman whose family life was already shaped by immigration, economic struggle, and the responsibilities of a small business household.
Isaac was interred in Wilmington’s Jewish Cemetery. Bessie died in Bellefonte, Delaware, on March 12, 1961, several years after him. The same cemetery buried her. Some accounts say Bessie had a stroke that left her helpless, and her extended family cared for her.
The connection to Bob Dylan’s family
Isaac Noznisky was Bob Dylan’s former father in law through his daughter Sara. He was therefore the maternal grandfather of Maria Dylan and the grandfather of Dylan’s four biological children through Sara.
Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota, on 24 May 1941. Isaac was not Dylan’s father, but their family histories shared essential features. Both Jewish families were Eastern European immigrants. Both remembered migration, adaptation, and cultural renewal.
Dylan spent his earliest years in Duluth before moving with his parents to Hibbing after his father, Abe Zimmerman, suffered polio. In Hibbing, Dylan grew up in a mining town surrounded by open pit mines, severe winters, radio music, and a small Jewish community.
He played rock & roll with the Golden Chords as a teenager before switching to folk. He briefly attended the University of Minnesota, played in Minneapolis coffeehouses, encountered Woody Guthrie, and relocated to New York in 1961. His contact with Sara years later connected the Zimmerman family of Minnesota and the Noznisky family of Delaware.
A family remembered through names
The spelling of Isaac’s surname varies widely. Records may show Noznisky, Noznesky, Nozvisky, Novoletsky, or similar versions. Such changes were common among immigrant families whose names passed through different alphabets, languages, clerks, and pronunciations.
That uncertainty doesn’t obliterate Isaac’s identity. It shows how hard it is to find family who immigrated to America. Isaac was born in Eastern Europe, became a citizen, married Bessie, worked in Pennsylvania and Wilmington, had children, died violently, and left a legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Isaac Noznisky?
Isaac Noznisky was a Polish or Russian Jewish immigrant who became a naturalized American citizen, worked as a blacksmith, and later operated a scrap metal and junk business in Wilmington, Delaware. He was the father of Shirley Marlin Noznisky, who became Sara Dylan.
When was Isaac Noznisky born?
Isaac was probably born around 1890 or 1891. Some records give 25 April 1891, while others list approximately 11 March 1890. His birthplace is identified as Poland or Russia in different records.
Who was Isaac Noznisky’s wife?
His wife was Bessie L. Levin, who was born in Russia on 4 May 1903. Isaac and Bessie married in Philadelphia on 21 December 1922 and had two children, Julius and Shirley.
What work did Isaac Noznisky do?
Isaac was identified as a blacksmith in an early census record. After moving to Wilmington, he ran a scrap metal and junk business associated with South Claymont Street.
How did Isaac Noznisky die?
Isaac was shot in Wilmington in November 1956. He was reportedly killed by a drunken fellow Eastern European immigrant. He was about sixty five years old.
How was Isaac related to Bob Dylan?
Isaac was Bob Dylan’s father in law. His daughter Shirley Marlin Noznisky later became Sara Dylan, who married Bob Dylan in 1965.
Who were Isaac Noznisky’s children?
Isaac and Bessie had a son, Julius “Jules” Noznisky, born in 1923, and a daughter, Shirley Marlin Noznisky, born in 1939. Shirley later became known as Sara Dylan.
Where was Isaac Noznisky buried?
Isaac was buried in the Jewish Community Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware. His wife Bessie and son Julius were also buried there.
