Longtime Iowa Jeweler Herman Ginsberg Dies at 99

Cedar Rapids, Iowa—Herman Ginsberg, a third-generation Iowa jeweler who spent 71 years behind the counter, died Sunday.

He was 99. 

Ginsberg Jewelers shared news of his passing Wednesday on Facebook. 

“Herman leaves behind an incredible legacy—over seven decades dedicated to the jewelry industry and a lifetime of kindness, wisdom, and passion for his craft. As a third-generation jeweler, he helped shape our family business and touched countless lives with his warmth and generosity,” the post states.

“He will be truly missed, but never forgotten.”

According to his obituary, Ginsberg was born Emil Herman Ginsberg on Jan. 15, 1926, in Sedalia, Missouri. 

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps after high school, serving as a corporal at Hobbs Army Airfield in New Mexico from 1943 to 1945. 

After he served in the military, Ginsberg attended the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in commerce in 1948. 

He started working at Ginsberg Jewelers as soon as possible, literally. 

As he tells it, Ginsberg went out to lunch with his family after his graduation ceremony, and after lunch, he started working in the store. 

For decades, he ran Ginsberg Jewelers alongside his father and brothers, and, at one point, the business grew to five locations in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa.

In a live oral histories event in 2018, which was recorded and shared on the Linn County History Center’s YouTube channel, the longtime jeweler told a holiday story many retailers can appreciate.

One Christmas, Ginsberg decided to take out a small ad in the local newspaper announcing that Ginsberg Jewelers would be open from noon to 4 p.m. on Christmas Day for “the real procrastinators.” 

“My wife didn’t like it, [and] none of the employees would come to work,” Herman recalled, so he headed to the store alone that Dec. 25.   

When he got there, there was a line of 10 to 15 people waiting at the door, and he said it turned out to be one of the best sales days he ever had. 

Ginsberg’s son, Steve Ginsberg, joined the business in 1993. Together, they navigated recessions and the 2008 flood that devastated Cedar Rapids.

A fixture in the downtown Cedar Rapids business community, Herman invested in and worked to sustain the area for years and was “deeply and personally” affected by the flood, his obituary states. 

He and Steve moved their store out of downtown Cedar Rapids and into a shopping center in 2009.   

Herman retired in 2019, and in 2024, Steve transitioned Ginsberg Jewelers to an appointment-only operation, closing the physical store.

Herman is survived by three children, Julie Brusen, Steve Ginsberg, and Tom Ginsberg; seven grandchildren, Robin Brusen, Sam Brusen, Jackson Bartelme, Lincoln Ginsberg, Harrison Ginsberg, Isabel Ginsberg, and Alexander Ginsberg; one great-granddaughter, Penelope Rose Brusen; one son-in-law, Karl Brusen; and two daughters-in-law, Leslie Hurtig and Lucy Harrington. 

He was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years, Phyllis Ginsberg, and two brothers, Stanley and Louis.

Services are scheduled to be held today at 1 p.m. CDT at Temple Judah in Cedar Rapids, with burial immediately following. A shiva will be held at the temple at 7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Temple Judah Foundation.