Wilhelmina “Minnie” von Wunderlich was born in Fairfield, Maine in 1868 when her parents were in the United States on business.  They returned to Germany. In the mid 1880’s Henrietta von Wunderlich left Hamburg, Germany with her two daughters, Minnie, and her younger sister, Zilla, and moved to Chicago. It was there that Minnie met Alick Rosenthal.  Minnie and Alick married in Petoskey in 1887.  The couple came to Petoskey from Charlevoix in 1894 where Alick worked with his father and his brother in their department store S. Rosenthal and Sons.  Mr. Rosenthal and his brother and father were pioneer local merchants in Petoskey dating back to 1879. After Alick’s death in 1939, Minnie served as president of S. Rosenthal & Sons until the time of her death.

     The Temple B’Nai Israel in Petoskey was founded in 1896 by a growing Jewish community. Minnie started a Sunday School for the children and Sister Organization for the women to help support the Temple. Minnie served as president of the Petoskey Temple Sisterhood.  She presided over the Sisterhood locally and was also active in the organization statewide. Minnie became an honorary and past president of the Michigan State Temple Sisterhood. She was the second to serve in this capacity as State President. 

    In other areas of the community, Minnie was involved in the Federation of Women’s Clubs, and a charter member of the Petoskey Women’s Club. Minnie and her younger sister, Zilla Goldstein, were active members of the Emmet County Suffrage Association. The June 6, 1916 Petoskey Evening News reported that the two sisters had traveled to Chicago to “the National Suffrage Convention there tomorrow.”

    Minnie and her sister were active in the Lockwood Hospital Auxiliary as well.  The Rosenthal family donated a room to the hospital in memory of Alick’s mother; and, Minnie and her younger sister sewed the layettes for the maternity ward. 

     Minnie was known by her family as the “consummate lady.” She and her husband, Alick, built their home on Michigan Street in Petoskey.