The Sons of Andrew Piszczor Sr. & Anna Szczypta, Part 3

The year is 1967 and the brothers are posed in the drive of Joseph Piszczor (Pezar) in New Salem PA. Another 14 years have passed since the last brother group picture and this time the reason that brought everyone together is one on a sad note. The event is the passing and burial of their father, Andrew Piszczor, Sr., who died at the age of 80. So many members of the family showed that many of us were put up in the homes of neighbors for a few nights. This also meant the cleaning up and preparing the farm for sale outside the family.

(For those keeping score, from left to right: Walter Sr., Michael Sr., Jesse Sr., Andrew Jr., Joseph and John Piszczor)

Andrew Piszczor Sr. & Anna Szczypta - Anna passed away in 1962 just shy of her 83rd birthday. You already know what happened to Andrew Sr., he lived on the farm until his death with occasional visits to church and the Slovak Club.

John Piszczor - John's wife Ann Slosar passed away in 1957 in Cleveland area. By this time John left photography and had started his Real Estate business, building homes through out the south Cleveland suburbs. In 1959 he remarried in Cleveland to Amelia Bruscino.

Joseph Piszczor - Joe had worked his way up the union leadership ladder and was the local Mine Workers Union President. He and Helen had four grandsons now; three from Donald and Mary Ann (Donald (Dj), James and Steven) and one from Bernard and Martha (Bernard).

Andrew Piszczor Jr. - Andy and Helen moved to East Cleveland after he retired from coal mining and went to work for General Electric. They also had a granddaughter, Sabrina Sue Migyanko, from Betty Lou and Charles Migyanko.

Jesse (Hyacinth)Piszczor Sr. - Jesse and Josephine still lived in Cleveland. He had worked at the Old Mill Tavern with his brother Michael for years but recently started working at White Motors along with his brother Walter and his nephew Donald. They finally had a son, Jesse, Jr, in 1954 and a by this time Carol and David Latham gave them a granddaughter, Michelle Latham.

Michael Piszczor Sr. - Mike and Julia also continued to live in Cleveland. Mike now owned and operated the Old Mill Tavern. In 1956 they had a son, Micheal Jr., born in 1956 and a daughter, Barbara Ann, in 1958.

Francis Piszczor - Frank passed away in Painesville after battling cancer in 1958. Monica continued to live in Painesville with her daughters. She remarried in 1964 to John Lannen and moved to southern California. By this time there was one new granddaughter in her family, Charmain, form Paulette and Bernard Bullock.

Walter Piszczor Sr. - Walter stayed in Cleveland and married Margret Patrick in 1954. Between the 45th Anniversary in 1953 and 1967 they had five children; Marion (1955), Walter Jr. (1958), Matthew (1959), Marlene (1961)and William (1964). Walter was still working at White Motors.

The Sons of Andrew Piszczor Sr. & Anna Szczypta, Part 2

This is the next photo I have found that has most of the sons of Andrew Piszczor Sr. in it and it's a good place to review the time line. Everyone is gathered at the family farm in McClellandtown, PA for the 45th wedding anniversary of Andrew and Anna in 1953. It appears that Francis and Monica Piszczor were unable to make it but I suspect it was due to them expecting their second child right about then. (I know I'll have that confirmed very soon!)

So a lot has happen to the family in the past 13 years and sure it would have been even more hectic if some people didn't have to go and start a war. Let me tell you what I know and see if anyone else will have something to add:

Andrew Piszczor Sr. & Anna Szczypta - Not much changed for Andy and Anna during this time, just working the farm and going down in the mines while collecting more grandchildren.

John Piszczor - During this time John and Ann stayed in the Cleveland area. John by this time had begun his career as a photographer, moved to the southeast part of town on a large piece of land near what today is Solon and is running the Grand Studio on Broadway Ave. near E. 75th St.

Joseph Piszczor - By this time Joe and Helen had finished building their home in New Salem and had their third son, Thomas, in 1952. Joseph was well on his way working up the ladder in the Coal Miner Union.

Andrew Piszczor Jr. - Andy and Helen continued to stay in McClellandtown and working in the coal mines. They had a son, Lawrence, in 1944 but sadly he lived only for a year. Then in 1946 Daniel was born to them.

Jesse (Hyacinth)Piszczor Sr. - Jesse and Josephine remained in Cleveland and he was working for a steel manufacturing firm before he got his letter from Uncle Sam. He spent over two years in uniform and served in Europe and the Far East. After he was discharged he also became a photographer,working with John for awhile. In 1943 they had a daughter they named Carol. In 1953 moved to the east side of Cleveland and had a son who unfortunately died in child birth.

Michael Piszczor Sr. - I don't know much of what Mike did during this period besides satying in Cleveland; except that he also was called into the armed forces, serving in the Army during the war. He also married Julia Habrot in 1947.

Francis Piszczor - Frank and Monica also stayed in the Cleveland area and I believe they moved out to Painesville, OH by this time. Frank was working for Sealtest as a milkman. They did have two daughters during this time; Paulette in 1943 and Susan in 1953.

Walter Piszczor Sr. - Walter was born in 1924 and stayed in McClellendtown until he too was called up and served in the Army Air Corps in Europe as a navigator on light bombers. Shortly after being discharged he also found his way to Cleveland and may have been working at White Motors by this time.

The Sons of Andrew Piszczor Sr. & Anna Szczypta, Part 1

Might you be thinking I'm running out of pictures? I know I used this one before but I never explained it and it will allow me to roll into a nice storyline, so please hang with me here and watch how I ride.

This is the earliest family photo I found so far. It is just a wonderful happenstance that it is a family portrait. Andrew and Anna (Szczypta) Piszczor on the front porch with their six sons. I haven't seen this photo in over 10 years but I do know it was taken in 1921 in either Tarr or Mt. Pleasant, PA. There was nothing else on the photo noting why they were all dressed up for the photo. Allow me to set the characters of the story for you till about 1940 and you will see how they progress through the years in the next few posts:

Andrew Piszczor Sr. - Came to the U.S. in 1904 when he was 18. His father, Jakob Piszczor, had already been to this country and back to Poland at least once by the time he arrived so he must have had contacts in Tarr, PA. He was a farmer in Poland and was heading here to work in the mines at that time. Some time before 1908 he found his way to Chicago where his sister Antonia lived with her husband Jozef Basiorka, where legend has it he met his future wife in their apartment.

Anna Szczypta - She arrived from Poland in 1905 at the age of 25 and heading to Chicago to stay with her cousin. The hand writing on the manifest is quite illegible but it looks like a Jozef, which works with the story that she and Jozef Basiorka were cousins. This is why she was in that apartment when Andrew came to Chicago. How ever it happened something worked and they married in Mt. Pleasant, PA in 1908 and went on to raise seven sons.

John Piszczor - The oldest son was born in 1909. By the time he finished high school he knew he didn't want to work in the mines anymore and he rode the trains out to California for a short stay and returned to the Uniontown area and began as an apprentice to a tailor. Some where down the line he married Ann Slosar in the 1930s.

Joseph Piszczor - Born in 1911, Joe went into the coal mines and eventually worked his way into the Union hierarchy. In 1934 he married this girl down the road by name of Helen Schifko, remaining in the New Salem area. They had their first son, Donald, in 1935 and Bernard was born in 1940.

Andrew Piszczor Jr. - Andrew Jr. came into the word in 1912 and after high school he worked in the coal mines and had a second job also (I want to say it was the railroads, but I'm not certain.. anyone help me on this?) He went on to quite literally marrying the girl next door, Helen Sinko, in 1936. They also stayed right in the neighborhood through this time in New Salem and McClellandtown and had two daughters, Josephine Ann (better known as Josie) born in 1937 and Betty Lou in 1940.

Jesse (Hyacinth)Piszczor Sr. - This son of various first names that finally settled as Jesse was born in 1914. From what I know he was the athlete of the family, playing semi-pro baseball and football while in high school. He left the farm right out of school and headed to Cleveland to work manufacturing. It was there where he met and married Josephine Semik in 1938.

Michael Piszczor Sr. - After a well deserved break Michael was born on 1917. He found his way to Cleveland in the late 1930s and didn't find his someone special at this point.

Francis Piszczor - This Frank was born in 1919 and also followed the trail to Cleveland shortly after high school. But once there he didn't waste much time in finding a Cleveland girl, Monica Wolinski, and somehow convinced her to walk down the aisle with him in 1940.

Now at this time we are missing two sons; the first Francis Piszczor who lived only a very short time in 1918, reportedly contracting the Spanish Influenza and Walter Piszczor Sr. who will be making an appearance shortly....

Heard from Dj in awhile?

Well I have. For those not in the loop, Dj (Donald Joseph "Pezar" Piszczor) is the oldest son of Donald Piszczor and Mary Ann Rahija. I'm not really sure if he is a junior or not but sure he'll let me know after reading this. Most of us haven't seen much of him over the years since he became a big time executive chef living in various places throughout southeast Asia.

That's him and his wife Pilar Palma in the picture and I still haven't got all their children straight but I will! I believe they met when he was working in the Phillipines. We have been exchanging letters the past few months since he found me through the web site and he really enjoys this. The main reason for bringing him up is part of a note he sent to me about his family that I hope he doesn't mind me sharing....

"Just to broaden your genealogical tree a bit we’ve now relations by marriage all over Australia, in the Philippines and in Germany. Heck, we’ve even [have] an Aunt in the Vatican and a cousin who is a bigwig in Philippines politics and came close to winning the Presidency. I really like what you’re doing with the webpage. So much so that I’m finally going to try and put one up. .... this one will just focus on where Pi and I are living, traveling to, daily events, etc. Mostly to keep in some kind of contact with all of our families, especially nieces and nephews, whom we rarely get to see."

I hope he does it! This is one of the reasons I started doing this. (Besides, I always wanted to get back to Australia and now may have some one to see if I ever get to do that again!) When Dj gets his site going I'll have a link here so you can keep up with him!

The Old Mill Tavern, Cleveland, OH

This little, nondescript, two story building nestled next to the old #25 Fire Station at the intersection of Broadway Ave and E. 71st St was the Cleveland area family hub for nearly 30 years. Owned by Michael Piszczor Sr, it was worked at one time or another by many of the Cleveland Piszczors (fact is even I put a few days behind the bar). While the clientele was primarily mill workers, firemen and veterans; there where many a Saturday night the place seemed like a family party with a few odd strangers at the bar.

(That's Jesse Piszczor Sr. behind the bar at the Old Mill Tavern and Donald (Pezar) Piszczor just behind him)

There wasn't much to the place really; a long bar, 6' pool table, bowling machine (of which I was told I had a diaper change on a few times!), jukebox and boarding on the second floor. It wasn't that big either and the liquor and beer storage was somewhat like a small cave that you got to through a trapdoor in the men's room. But if you wanted to see family without dropping by some one's home on short or no notice this was our place. I have fond memories when I got transferred back to Cleveland in the 80's of stopping by the Old Mill at Midnight on a Saturday, either with my wife or on my own, and having a beer and playing pool with my Uncle Mike until closing time. Not an exciting life event but I miss those nights now.

More Surprises in that Forgotten box

While going though that old forgotten box I found some items related to my mother's (Josephine Semik Piszczor) side of the family. Now my mother's side of the family never spoke much of their family at all, so much less about her father's side of the family. About the only thing I knew about them is they came from some town within 50 miles of Krakow, my grandmother left the two oldest boys in Poland with relatives, these two uncles had 24 children between them and the Pope John Paul II was somehow a distant cousin!

Over the years I found some odds and ends like my grandfather Martin's death records (he died in 1942) and my grandmother's Victoria's death notice as well as both of their arrival records. Then a few weeks ago I came across this old newspaper article (see image). I remember when they came though they spoke no English and I had no clue of Polish, but they were amazed at life here in the United States.

So after 40 years I read the article and saw they came from a town named Sucha in Poland. But after a lot of searching of maps and on the Internet I could not find a town by the name of Sucha alone. I was stumped and set it aside until this week.

While going through that old box I found some old mail left behind after my mother death and noticed between all the legal papers an old letter in Polish, a Christmas card actually, complete with envelope with an address on it. What I made out for a town was 'Sucha Besk', so back to the Internet and tried that and after searching the returns I clicked on an entry from Wikipedia and up came the information I have been looking years for. The town name was changed in 1970 to Sucha Beskidzka, and it is south of Krakow and in the foothills less than 20 miles from Nowy Targ where the Piszczors are from!

So it's time for me to figure out how to write a letter in Polish and see if I get an answer!

There are always the chance for surprises

I am feeling like I accomplished some headway this week in searching family that I want to share. It developed out of that mystery box I found in the basement I mentioned last week.

For some background; I have been talking to Stan Kensic from California. I mentioned him before a few posts back. He is from Cleveland and his parents settled in the Uniontown area. He is searching on his Fudala roots and we found we both have tracked down a Fudala ancestor to the town of Witow about the same time; My grandmother Anna Szczypta, wife of Andrew Piszczor, grandfather was Maciej Fudala and Stan's great great grandfather was Jan Fudala (same generation if you're keeping score!). We talked about it and could not make a connection, for all we know they could be brothers. So in that box I found a copy of the translation of Anna's birth certificate and realized something I overlooked before, her godparents! It seems that Anna's godmother was Regina Fudala, wife of Jan Fudala! I sent a copy of it to Stan and waiting to hear what records he might have that could make a connection.

So if Maciej and Jan just happen to have been brothers that would mean that Stan and I (with all my other first cousins) are 4th cousins!

Anna Szczypta, Wife of Andrew Piszczor Sr

I was eight years old when she passed away. She was a sweet and loving woman who was able to make all of her grandchildren feel special. When I stayed over at their farm she used to wake me up to do the early chores with her. She taught me how to milk a cow and collect eggs in the chicken coop. I know she taught some of my girl cousins how to make cheese and butter, some pretty important stuff I would say! She also made wine with the fruit from the farm and kept eight Piszczor men in line! I remember that the only time I saw my grandfather Andrew weep was during her entire funeral.

Anna Szczypta was my fraternal grandmother born in Witow, Poland in 1879. Her parents, Jan Szczypta and Regina Sepek, were farmers and she had one brother by the name of Jan. While Jan stayed in Poland, Anna decided to come to America, arriving in 1905.

She appears to have met her future husband Andrew in America, even though they grew up within three miles of each other. This leads into the the romantic legend; that they met in the apartment of her cousin(?) in Chicago who just happened to be Jozef Baisorka. Who incidentally was married to Andrew's sister Antonia! (just to note, Anna's arrival papers stated she was going to stay with a cousin in Chicago who lived on 752 W. 18th St, but I make out the hand writing to confirm the name!) For whatever reason all four of them left Chicago and headed to Westmoreland county in Pennsylvania. It was there in 1908 that they married in Mt. Pleasant, again with misspelled names.

Anna had seven sons with Andrew (and one died who within his first year) and lived on their farm in McClellandtown for nearly 40 years. There are pictures of Anna the farm in a number of the online albums.
----------------
The Evening Standard (Uniontown, PA) Oct 30, 1962

PISZCZOR (PEZAR), ANNA M.

Aged 82, Footedale-Lambert Rd, died Sunday, October 28, 1962 at 11:40 a.m. in the Uniontown Hospital. Born November 11, 1879 in Poland, she had resided in the area for the past 47 years. She was a member of the St. Thomas R.C. Church, Footedale; St, Hedwig's Lodge 2234 ZNP and the Rosary Society of the church. She is survived by her husband, Andrew Piszczor Sr, and these children: John, Cleveland, O.; Joseph, New Salem; Andrew Jr., McClellandtown; Jesse, Michael and Walter, Cleveland, O.; 16 grandchildren; three great grandchildren; one brother, John Szczypta resides in Poland. She was preceded by a son Frank S. in 1958. Friends are being received at Vito P. DeCarlo Funeral Home until Wednesday. A Requiem High Mass will be chanted at St. Thomas R.C. Church, celebrated by Fr. Walter E. Iwaniski. Internment will be in the church cemetery. The Holy Name Society will recite the rosary Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock.

Just when you think you know someone...

I am named after my father, Jesse Piszczor. So you would think I would know his name. Granted, I never could find out why he was named Jesse or who he was named after. Now when I was very young I remember my grandfather, Andrew Sr., calling my dad by the name 'Jacek'. Slightly confused I asked him why he called him that and was told that was his name in Polish. Knowing that Stanislaw is Polish for Stan and Jan is the equivalent for John it made sense to me and I bought it. So I went for about 40 years thinking that if I was in Poland I would be called Jacek. But I never saw this in print anywhere.

As chance and the Internet would have it I happened across a fellow from Poland while doing some research by the name of Jacek. Cool! It was the first occurrence I had and I wrote him to confirm this name translation. He wrote me back and said, "Uh, I don't think so." What we figured out is that the English name for Jacek is Hershell (?!?) and there is no Polish equivalent for Jesse! Now I'm a bit confused, but what's new?

So a couple years later I finally am able to start searching U.S. Census records and of course working to find my dad and nothing comes up in the 1920 records. I try a different tack and search for Andrew and believe I found him, but going through the names of children I can't find my dad but the rest of his brother's names fit! But there is entry for a 'Jacuces' that is just about his age so it must be him! (Just to make it more interesting I discovered he is listed in this Ancestry.com database as James!)

Now if all this sounds banal enough I just happened to find my parents marriage certificate and my dad's baptismal certificate in a long forgotten box yesterday (which both will be their own blog entries soon!) and he is listed under another name, Hyacinth! Of course there is no English equivalent.... sure wish I knew about this years ago when I could have asked someone who might have knew what the hell was going on here while they were still alive.

(BTW-Just in case you're wondering, the earliest document I found with my dad listed as Jesse was Andrew's citizenship filling in 1924.)

Dorothy Basiorka, Daughter-in-Law of Antonia Piszczor

I can't recall ever meeting Dorothy but finding this notice I thought it well to share it on here....

Dorothy Basiorka, 42, of Greensburg RD2 (Brinkerton), died Monday, Dec. 16, 1996, at her home. She was born Nov. 8, 1924 in Greensburg, a daughter of the late Rosatio and Maria Pontario Zangla. She was a member of St. Stanislaus Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas S. Basiorka (1988) and three brothers, Carmen "Michael", John and Joe Zangla; (and) a sister, Ann Jansen. She is survived by a son, Thomas M. Zangla and his wife, Rose Ann; two daughters, Linda L. Basiorka of Corpus Cristi, Texas, and Mrs. Carol A. Forsyth and her husband Brain of Greensburg; a great-granddaughter Jessica C. Zangla; a brother, a brother, Frank Zangla of Alexandria, La; three sisters, Margret "Peggy" DiPetro of Pittsburgh, Josephine Zangla and Mary Elizabeth "Libby" Zimmerman, both of Greensburg; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Friends were received at Jay A. Hoffer Funeral Home, Norvelt. The Funeral Mass was held at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church with Rev. Nicholas Trongo as celebrant. Dorothy was interned at St. Stanislaus Cemetery.

Mystery Photo #3

I know what you're thinking, "Where do you find these things?" Well the boxws are deep! So the question is, "Who is this cheerful fellow?" By the look of the type of photo materials I'm guessing it has to be early 1940s or before. So I would guess it should be one of Joseph Piszczor's sons, either Donald or Bernie. The only note on the back of the photo reads "826 Elm St".

So anyone has any ideas about the child in the photo, the whwn and where?

Back to the Uniontown Area

As I wrote about earlier, we were able to get back to Uniontown for a weekend for the first time in over ten years. Knowing how spread out most of you have gotten I bet it's been even longer for many of the rest of us. While we were more focused on visiting and seeing some family sites we didn't do much sight seeing but we did take some pictures and wanted to put them out here just thinking you might just be curious about how much may or may not have changed.

Thee are more photos sitting in the web album.

That old Summertime

I was going to post this picture as another mystery photo until I scanned it and started to clean up a very dark picture. I knew the location since I was taken there a lot as a child (and on many an evening when I was in high school), that is the Hinckley Dam and Reservoir. It is and huge park roughly a half hour southwest of Cleveland and famous for the "Return of the Buzzards".

But back to the photo. Once I cleaned it up I got a good look at the faces and remembered my dad showing me this picture, so this is close to 30 years ago. If I recall correctly this is my dad's brother Joseph Piszczor (or Pezar) and the little fellow is his son Thomas. I'm betting that the good looking guy on the right is his middle son Bernard. If that is Tom there I would guess this was taken roughly around 1958/59.

Anyone who can confirm or correct this please leave me a comment and let me know.

Mystery Photo #2

This was a very small picture (about 1" x 2") found in the bottom of a box. It was almost totally black and I had to work this hard in Photoshop to pull the image out. So now, who are they and where? To me, the fellow front left looks very much like Joseph Piszczor. The only other clue, if you can call it that, is the sign reads "Nugrape" (Supposedly the best grape soda ever made)!

Any help or suggestions? If you got them just leave them in the comments.

Family Gatherings - Frank Piszczor's Birthday, 1958

Went and found another great photo in the boxes. You know, I actually have some vague memories of this get together. Granted I was 4 1/2 years old and don't recall any details as such, but I always loved going to my uncle Frank's and aunt Monica's home. I didn't recognize many of the people in it so I sent a copy to cousin Susan and she sat down with her mom, Monica, and figured most of them out. (So glad they did too, I couldn't even pick myself out correctly! I just happen to be between these two in the picture.)

Everyone gathered for my uncle Frank's 39th birthday. It was a somewhat somber occasion with Frank battling stomach cancer, passing away within a month of this picture being taken.

Listed below is what Sue and Monica identified. If you have any clue on who the unknown people are, catch any errors or remember the day let us know:

1 Ray Lewandowski
2 Maurice Mohney
3 Betty Lou Piszczor (Migyanko)
4 Ronald Lewandowski
5 Virginia Lewandowski (?)
6 Diane Lewandowski
7 Unknown
8 Carol Ann Piszczor (Latham)
9 Stella Mohney
10 Josephine Ann (Josie) Piszczor (Van Sickle)
11 Ruthie Sinko - (Newly identified!)
12 Josephine Ann Semik (Piszczor)
13 Walter Piszczor Sr.
14 Jesse Piszczor Sr.
15 Donald Piszczor (?)
16 Unknown
17 Unknown
18 Mary Ann Rahija (Pezar)
19 Monica Wolinski (Piszczor)
20 Jesse Piszczor Jr.
21 Susan Piszczor
22 Frank Piszczor
23 Paulette Piszczor (Ballock)
24 Unknown
25 Unknown
26 George Sinko

Here is a copy of the picture without the numbers!

Mystery Picture #1

While rumaging through some of the old photo boxes I found this sliver of a photo. No notes on it but my best guess is that these two are Carol Piszczor and Bernard Piszczor, probably taken around 1948 or 1949. If anyone can confirm or help identify them please let me know!

Pronounce it? I don't even know what it looks like!

I heard it a lot, most people gagging trying to pronounce the names of a lot of these towns I'm listing. I have a map in from of me at my desk for years that I still practice with when talking to others in doing the research. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was talking with Stan Kensic in trying to find a link between our lines and he has been there and still has trouble getting the towns right!

But one thing that Stan said to me just stuck with me; he told me how amazing it is that how much the area of Poland our families came from looks like the Uniontown, PA area. Granted we have built wider roads and McDonald's in Uniontown (but no real Starbucks yet! Anyone willing to invest in one with me?), but other than that it is like they just searched for a place to feel like the old home.

Well, as far as I know none of us have been back there but I have located some views of the area around the web. One I like is by Michelle Tibbetts, a U.S. missionary who appears to go to Poland on a regular basis. I just exchanged a few notes with her but you can see her pictures of the area at her SmugMug site.

The Fudala Surname Connection - for you Stan

In doing research on the family I have run into a number of very diligent researchers working hard to make connections on the Fudala family. Fact is there are more people researching the Fudala lines than any other family from our Nowy Targ region. So how do they connect with our family you ask? Anna Szczypta married Andrew Piszczor Sr and they were fruitful and mutiplied. Anna's parents from Witow were Jan Szczypta and Tekla Fudala! (Just in case any Fudala researcher happens to read this, Tekla's parents were Meciej Fudala ans Anna Kwak.)

I have gotten to know a few of these people but one in particular, Stan Kensic, stands out with a number of coincidences even though we haven't found a connection yet. First of all he is been to and very familiar with the Uniontown, PA area, and still has family there! Then it seems his grandparetns were married in the same church that Anna and Andrew Piszczir were married in, Transfiguration in Mt. Pleasant, PA. He also had the opportunity to visit our region of Poland where all our families came from! (He and I also share heart surgery experiences, who says it doesn't run in the family now!)

So with that I have made the effort to put out the Fudala information I have and hope we might be found by someone who can find our connection:

This name has a shrouded origin. There is no Polish root fud-, but in his book Nazwiska Polakow Polish surname expert Prof. Kazimierz Rymut mentions Fudala among several names common in Poland but actually of Rumanian origin, which lends some credence to the carpatho-rushyn theory of who originally inhabited this area. So it seems likely Fudala derives from Rumanian. Rymut does not mention the meaning of this root in Rumanian, but there are in Rumanian such words as fudul, which means "proud," fudulie, "pride, haughtiness," and a verb fuduli (a se) meaning "to bridle up, strut, flaunt.

Fudala: (e.g. Fudala, Fudale, Fudalak, Fudalej, Fudaley, Fedalewicz, Fudalowicz)

Date Name - Town - Event
1608 Fudala - Pieniąźkowice - Old Church Record
1631 Fudala - Bukowina - Birth
1632 Fudaley - Bukowina - Birth
1633 Fudalak - Baiły Dunajec - Marriage
1726 Fudalowicz - Nowy Targ - Birth
1739 Fudalowicz - Nowy Targ - Birth
1739 Fudalewicz - Klinkuszowa - Birth
1763 Fudałowicz - Nowy Targ - Birth
1763 Fudalewicz - Nowy Targ - Birth
1782 Fudalowicz - Nowy Targ - Birth
1786 Fudałowicz - Nowy Targ - Birth
1809 Fudalewicz - Nowy Targ - Registraton
1786 Fudala - N. Bystre - Birth
1788 Fudala - Rogoźnik - Birth
1790 Fudala - Czarny Dunajec - Birth
1792 Fudala - Dział - Birth
1793 Fudala - Chochołów - Birth
1799 Fudala - Witow - Birth
1803 Fudała - Nowy Targ - Birth
1805 Fudala - Stare Bystre - Birth
1808 Fudala - Podczerwone - Birth
1810 Fudala - Długopone - Birth
---- Fudala - Białka Tatrzańska - Registration
---- Fudala - Czarny Dunajec - Registration
---- Fudala - Ciche - Registration
---- Fudala - Długopone - Registration
---- Fudala - Dzianisz - Registration
---- Fudala - Konoiówka - Registration
---- Fudala - Międzyczerwienne - Registration
---- Fudala - N. Bystre - Registration
---- Fudala - Odroważ - Registration
---- Fudala - Podczerwone - Registration
---- Fudala - Ratułow - Registration

The Early Szczypta Records

The Szczypta name merged with the Piszczor when Anna Szczypta married Andrew Piszczor Sr in Mt.Pleasant, PA in 1908. Now they grew up less than 10 miles apart in in Poland but, according to the stories, met in the United States at her cousin's home. Her cousin was Jozef Basiorka who just happened to be married to Antonia Piszczor, Andrew's sister! (Just another link to connect!)

Szczypta: (Scipta, Scypta, Sczipta, Sczypciak, Sczypta, Sczypty, Szcipta, Szczipta) - a very small amount of an ingredient

Year Name - Location - Record Type
1620 Sczypta - Nowy Targ - Birth
1620 Sczypta - Szaflary - Marriage
1632 Sczypciak - Skrzypne - Marriage
1640 Sczypty - Nowy Targ - Residence
1650 Scipta - Nowy Targ - Birth
1652 Scipta - Nowy Targ - Birth
1684 Scypta - Zab - Birth
1778 Szczipta - Chochołów - Birth
1786 Sczipta - Witów - Birth
1786 Szczypta - Witów - Birth
1786 Szczypta - Wróblówka - Birth
1786 Szczypta - Wróblówka - Birth (b)
1787 Szcipta - Witów - Birth
1787 Szczipta - Witów - Birth
1787 Szczypta - Odroważ - Birth
1788 Scypta - Dzianisz - Birth
1788 Scypta - Witów - Birth
1788 Szczypta - Wróblówka - Birth (a)
1790 Scipta - Chocholów - Birth
1790 Szczypta - Wróblówka - Birth (c)
1807 Scipta - Witów - Birth
1809 Scipta - Dzianisz - Birth
------ Szczypta - Odroważ - Civil Registration
------ Szczypta - Podczerwone - Civil Registration
------ Szczypta - Stare Bystre - Civil Registration
------ Szczypta - Witów - Civil Registration
------ Szczypta - Wróblówka - Civil Registration
------ Szczypta - Załuczne - Civil Registration
(a) al. Galik
(b) al. Galus
(c) al. Kurasek

The Piszczor Surname - The Early Years

In an incredible stroke of luck for those of us Novy Targ area family history researchers, there is a reference guide in existence that can lead to the earliest known records!

This extraordinary book was published in 1970 by Jozef Bubak under the title of Nazwiska Ludnosci Dawnego Starostwa Nowotarskiego. Roughly translated it means "First Records (of the) Surnames (in the) old Sheriffdom of Nowy Targ". Except for a monastery, this area was a royal preserve until roughly 1600 when it was opened officially for settlement. It was comparable to the Old West in the U.S., before this time it was uninhabited except for some native mountain people, bandits and people basically trying not to be found.

So below are all the variants of Piszczor as defined by Mr. Bubak (admittantly, the people doing the recording were not the most literate, but more so than the people who went to them) and the first found records of the name:

Piszczor: (e.g. Picora, Piczka, Piczor, Piczora, Piczula, Piczulak, Piczura, Piscior, Piściorek, Piscor, Piscór, Pisčor, Piscur, Piscura, Pisczor, Pisczorzak, Pisor, Piszczar, Piszczór, Piszczorski, Piszczur, Pyscor) comes from the roots of the polish words pisc and piszcz - to shout out, piper, boastful, claimer.

Year - Name - Location - Record Type
1613 - Piczor, Marcin - Nowy Targ - Marriage Civil
1643 - Pisczor - Szaflary - Birth
1650 - Pisczor - Maruszyna - Marriage
1652 - Pisczor - Maruszyna - Marriage
1661 - Pisczor - Skrzypne - Birth
1668 - Pisczor - Skrzypne - Birth
1674 - Pisor - Skrzypne - Marriage
1679 - Pisczor - Szaflary - Birth
1690 - Pisczorzak - Olcza - Birth
1692 - Piczulak - Biały Dunajec - Birth
1705 - Pisczor - Olcza - Birth
1712 - Pisczor - Ludzimierz - Birth
1712 - Pisczor - Biały Dunajec - Birth
1712 - Piszczorski - Szaflary - Birth
1738 - Piszczor - Skrzypne - Birth
1769 - Piszczur - Skrzypne - Birth
1778 - Piczura - Zakopane - Birth
1786 - Piczura - Czarny Dunajec - Birth
1786 - Piczura - Stare Bystre - Birth
1786 - Piczura - Witów - Birth
1786 - Piszczor - Zakopane - Birth
1788 - Picora - Witów - Birth
1788 - Piszczor - Pyzówka - Birth
1789 - Picora - Witów - Birth
1790 - Piczura - Dzianisz - Birth
1790 - Piczura - Podczerwone - Birth
1791 - Piczula - Ciche - Birth
1792 - Piczura - Wróblówka - Birth
1793 - Piscur - Zakopane - Birth
1793 - Pyscor - Zakopane - Birth
1794 - Piscur - Zakopane - Birth
1795 - Piściorek - Chochołów - Birth
1796 - Piczura - Chocholów - Birth
1798 - Piscor - Zakopane - Birth
1798 - Piszczor - Nowe Bystre - Birth
1798 - Piscor - Nowe Bystre - Birth
1800 - Piczura - Wróblówka - Birth
1803 - Picora - Czarny Dunajec - Birth
1803 - Picora - Witów - Birth
1804 - Picora - Czarny Dunajec - Birth
1804 - Piczora - Ciche - Residence
1810 - Piczura - Dzianisz - Birth
1811 - Piscor - Obidowa - Birth
1816 - Piszczor - Obidowa - Birth
1818 - Piczura - Ciche - Birth
1821 - Piczka - Ciche - Birth
1822 - Piszczór - Obidowa - Birth
1825 - Piscór - Zakopane - Birth
1825 - Piszczor - Zab - Birth
1827 - Piszczar - Obidowa - Birth
1830 - Piscior - Obidowa - Birth
1832 - Piszczor - Zakopane - Birth
1832 - Piszczur - Zakopane - Birth
1834 - Piscura - Obidowa - Birth
1840 - Piszczór - Zakopane - Birth
1842 - Piszczur - Zab - Birth
1848 - Pisčor - Kościelisko - Birth
1849 - Piszczor - Kościelisko - Birth
1850 - Piscor - Kościelisko - Birth
------- Piszczór - Bańska - Civil Registration
------- Piszczór - Biały Dunajec - Civil Registration
------- Piszczór - Lasek - Civil Registration
------- Piszczór - Nowy Targ - Civil Registration
------- Piszczór - Obidowa - Civil Registration
------- Piszczór - Podczerwone - Civil Registration
------- Piszczór - Skrzypne - Civil Registration
------- Piszczór - Szaflary - Civil Registration
------- Piszczór - Zab - Civil Registration
------- Piszczór - Zaskale - Civil Registration

Where in the World did John Go?

About everyone I have talked to doing family research has run into this; just when you think you have a part of your family line figured out you're talking with the last person of a generation and out pops a name you have never heard of before. Who is this person and why has nobody ever mentioned them before? The inevitable answer is, "Well, no one ever asked about him before."

This happened to us, that is all of my cousins and I, at a family wedding about 12 years ago. I was showing my father's last surviving brother what I have documented on the family with this brand new software along with some old photographs I discovered and asking him if I had everything correct. Then while looking at one of the photos he says out of the blue, "Oh my, my uncle John used to take us there all the time."

Time out! Who is this 'Uncle John'? The only sibling of our grandparents we knew about was Andrew's sister Antonia and her husband Joseph Basiorka. So I asked, "Who was this John?"

"John was my father's brother. He had a son about my age also named Mike. I remember he was hit by a car about 1939 and hospitalized. I wonder what happened to him." That was it! I went around asking my cousins about this and this was news to them also. That's all I had to go on until late last year with the release of more documents on the Internet.

First, I finally found the 1910 census page for Andrew Piszczor Sr. It was blind luck following a hunch of where my uncle John was born in 1909 (East Huntington Twp, PA) and scanning pages until I noticed an Andrew and Anna together with a infant John. Of course the name was not correct (Pisczur!), I also noticed something I wasn't expecting; his father Jakob (who I never knew was in this country) and a brother John living with him! So now I knew for certain it wasn't the whisky talking that night, but what else about him?

Only other information I had to work with now was that he arrived in the U.S. in 1907. A few months later I was nosing about in the Ellis Island web site trying 'sounds like' searches and came across a Jan Piscur in 1907 from Ciche/Czar. Dunajec, Poland born about 1884. More than enough to to make me look into the manifest and saw his mother was a Kati Pisczur and he was going to Tarr, PA... where I knew Andrew lived at the time... to see his father Jakob Piscur! (Our last name was so messed with through the years)

So he was established and verified, but what happened to John after 1910? One rumor was he lived near his sister Antonia Basiorka near Greensburg, PA and searching there for him now. If anyone has any clues or information please pass it on to me.

Draft Registration Records

These are records that are just recently being released and published for WWI and WWII. What's nice in researching is they provide some exact information that can not be gleaned from census records, such as the address, employer, and physical features. (Not that they are all correct as you can see if look closely and Andrew's record!)

They are being released in a piecemeal fashion and I have found four so far: Andrew Piszczor Sr., Louis (Ludwik) Piszczor Sr., Joseph (Josef) Basiorka and Anton Wolinski.

Check in the album to read them all and I will add more as I find them!

Remebering Helen Schifko Piszczor (Boskovich)

This is MY Aunt Helen. A close friend to my mother Josephine and closest person I had as second mother into my teens. I stayed at her home quite often and going back there at any time is like returning home. She made that house a warm and welcoming place to anyone that had the chance to stop by. She was a person who talked straight to me but still allowed me space to be a bit stupid at times, though not enough space to really get myself hurt! My Aunt Helen was a generous person. I fondly recall the times she took me shopping in Uniontown when I was a child. She was enjoyable to be with even when she was laying down the law. She taught me a lot that I didn't even I realized I was learning until later in my life. I could also say she had the patience saint and strong willed, though when you come down to it you could say that about any the women who married a Piszczor.

Helen L. Piszczor Boskovich, 91, of New Salem, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 6, 2007, in the Uniontown Hospital with her loving family by her side.

She was born April 2, 1915, in Lamberton, the daughter of the late Frederick and Julia Kaminski Schifko.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Joseph Piszczor, her second husband, Frank Boskovich, son, Donald J. Piszczor, and brothers and sisters, William, Henry, Fred, Jr., Edward, Mike and Elmer Schifko, Martha and Elizabeth Schifko, Mary Kolinsky, Emma Olschesky and Margaret Trumpka.

Helen was a member of Saint Thomas Roman Catholic Church in Footedale, a lifetime member of the Loyal Order of Moose, a member of the former Saint Theresa Guild and Saint Thomas 55+ Club.

She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.

Left to cherish her memory are sons, Bernard F. Piszczor and wife, Martha, of New Salem, and Thomas S. Piszczor of Canonsburg; grandchildren: Donald Pezar, Jr. and wife, Pilar, James Pezar and wife, Rebecca, Steven Piszczor and wife, Toni, Joanne L. Watkins, Kim Croci and husband, Kevin, Bernard Piszczor and wife, Lauri, Jennifer Harvey and husband, Kenneth, Jr., Joseph Piszczor and Michael Piszczor; great-grandchildren: Jakob an Seth Pezar, Stephanie and Monica Piszczor, Bethany and Adam Croci, Sarah Piszczor, Megan Liptak and Kenny Harvey III; and many special nieces and nephews.

Burial: Saint Thomas Roman Catholic
Footedale, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA

You can view more photos of Helen by clicking here to see her album.

Holy Trinity Orthodox Cemetery List, New Salem

Just wanting to continue the head stone listings I aquired on our trip through the cemeteries where I knew I had relatives. This list is from the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cemetery on the south side of New Salem. I didn't get that many from this trip due to our time constaints and a long weekend. Like with the St. Thomas Cemetery I plan to get more informationon my next trip!

SURNAME GIVEN DOB DOD
BELLISH Andrew C. 3/19/1915 - 12/25/1975
BERDAR Frank Sr. 7/16/1915 - 1/23/1969
BERDAR Mary Tittnich 5/13/1923 - 4/20/2006
BERDAR Michael Charles 2/17/1947 - 8/28/2005
BRYAN Mike 1908 - 1976
ELISH Charles 12/28/1924 - 3/23/1944
KALLONICH Metro unknown - 1958
KARWATSKE Anthony S. 11/24/1924 - 1981
KARWATSKE Helen Sabo 4/24/1925 - 7/10/2005
KOTT Dora Stranak 9/15/1903 - 11/11/2004
KOZUP Andrew Jr. 10/22/1905 - 12/14/1992
KRINGETA Sophia Bryan 11/16/1916 - 11/26/2002
MAGDA Frank 6/6/1947 - 1/31/2006
MANZUK Andrew 11/18/1931 - 6/20/1982
MANZUK Anna Glagola 10/23/1913 - 7/15/2004
MARTINEWSKY Daniel unknown - 3/15/1970
MARTINEWSKY George unknown - 2/2/1960
MIGYANKO Alex 1888 - 1978
MIGYANKO Alex, Jr 1914 - 1998
MIGYANKO Anna M. 1915 - 1986
MIGYANKO Anna J. 1921 - 2001
MIGYANKO Catherine 1895 - 1962
MIGYANKO Charles 1913 - 1974
MIGYANKO Frank 12/12/1948 - 6/13/1992
MIGYANKO George 7/14/1922 - 5/3/1995
MIGYANKO John M. 1916 - 1989
MIGYANKO Kathryn 10/2/1939 - 3/1/1996
MIGYANKO Mary 1915 - 1986
MIGYANKO Nicholas 1926 - 1970
MIGYANKO Phillip 5/1/1939 - 2/21/1977
MIGYANKO Steve 12/31/1917 - 1/7/1988
MONESTERSKY Michael A. 12/2/1917 - 4/3/1976
MORTICHESKY Inez Lasagna 1/2/1925 - 4/5/2004
MORTICHESKY John C. 1918 - 8/15/1957
MOTIL Samuel Sr. unknown - 1/1/1959
SEVOLLA John J 10/31/1916 - 11/21/1986
SIDUN John 1/1/1927 - 1975
SINKO Frank P. 8/16/1927 - 6/7/1968
STROMICK Charles 12/24/1929 - 3/16/2005
VATERBACK Charles (Vasil Vorobok) unknown - 2/21/1965

St. Thomas(Tomasza) Catholic Cemetery List

Again I regress, but seeing how much I would be looking for listings like this for family research I decided to post the names I had of those interned at St. Thomas, so far Im at 164 names of those at rest here. Just wait until I get back to New Salem and take pictures of all of these.
But to those of my family that check in... I'm still scanning and adding to the photo albums!

SURNAME GIVEN DOB - DOD
? Audrey - 1914
ALBANI Christopher 7/20/1966 - 7/22/1966
AUGUSTINE Helen C Wojcik 2/19/1908 - 6/11/2006
BANASZAK Thomas W. 9/22/1934 - 8/19/1995
BEDOCK Walter E. 11/7/1920 - 1/29/1994
BEZILLA Joseph 3/19/1908 - 4/13/1965
BEZILLA Mary Radovich 10/13/1915 - 2/7/1979
BOBBISH Rosemarie Rondelli 10/31/1944 - 5/17/2007
BOLAS George J. 8/6/1922 - 5/22/1988
BOLAS Joseph B. 1/14/1921 - 1/14/1977
BOSKOVITCH Evelyn A. 1929 - 1967
BOSKOVITCH Faith Ann - 7/16/1964
BOSKOVITCH Frank W. 1913 - 1995
BOSKOVITCH Helen M. 1918 - 1995
BOSKOVITCH John J. 1888 - 1963
BOSKOVITCH John T. 1906 - 2002
BOSKOVITCH Mary L. 1915 - 1980
BOSKOVITCH Sophia A. 1892 - 1976
BOZEK Leo Peter 2/2/1926 - 9/1/1978
BURKE, JR. William 12/18/1923 -
CHRISTOBEK John A. - 5/6/1950
CLARK John P. 12/28/1927 - 11/17/1993
CORTES Joseph F. 5/28/1927 - 812/2005
CROUSE Joseph A. 11/2/1908 - 12/5/1979
CZUCHAN Edward W. 11/13/1923 - 11/30/1990
DEDO Peter P. 6/25/1921 - 6/26/1992
DOBEK Walter S. 2/7/1915 - 2/14/1969
DOUGLAS Mrs - 8/6/1919
DRZAZGOWSKI Louise 1930 - 2002
DRZAZGOWSKI William M. 1/16/1923 - 3/13/1983
DUNN, SR. Ronald A. 6/13/1941 - 2/12/1996
DUPEJ Stephen A. 4/14/1916 - 8/23/1991
FIGAS Andy J. 1/1/1909 - 11/23/1961
FRANCZYK Stanley A. 3/10/1920 - 4/21/1990
GAFFEY Joseph L 8/23/1923 - 11/13/1987
GAMON, JR. John P. 11/8/1918 - 1/2/1969
GEWAK John M. 9/3/1918 - 7/23/1944
GUSH Joseph J. 7/15/1917 - 6/16/1944
GUY Frank 4/11/1918 - 6/28/2005
HAJEC Martin - 7/4/1920
HAJEC William - 7/4/1920
HANUSHOCK William J. 9/29/1917 - 2/19/1970
HIXON James Thomas 12/22/1939 - 11/7/2005
HOIST John M. Jr. 5/5/1919 - 11/12/1986
HOIST Joseph W. 8/24/1908 - 11/22/1974
HOIST Sylvia A. 12/22/1916 - 10/6/2005
JACOBOSKY John 1915 - 1918
JACOBOSKY Victoria 1917 - 1918
JASIEN John V. 12/24/1915 - 4/12/2006
JASIONOWSKI Konstanty 1873 - 1928
KAPARIC George R. 4/22/1928 - 6/15/2006
KARLOWITZ Edward J Kindervater 6/6/1924 - 5/15/2006
KASOVICH Bernard S. 12/15/1925 - 1/14/1992
KASOVICH Edward S. 1/1/1924 - 4/7/1946
KAZMIERCZAK Joseph I. 11/25/1907 - 10/23/1979
KITTA Victoria R. 8/31/1909 - 8/19/2004
KNAPEZCZYK Stanley W. -
KOHA Andrew J. 12/24/1919 - 10/12/1944
KOIS Charles J. 1/28/1915 - 4/9/1993
KOLDYS Stanley -
KOZA Anna Chrzaszcz 7/4/1910 - 6/17/2004
KOZA Raymond B. - 12/31/1947
KRET Theodore 9/15/1913 -
KUBICA Edward A. 10/7/1995 - 10/27/1995
LAPENTA Dominick A. 10/25/1906 - 3/26/1991
LORENC Anton 7/31/1903 - 2/10/1904
MALACHIN Stanley J. 2/20/1917 -
MARKOVICS John - 7/31/1976
MARTO John 10/19/1908 -
MARVA Bernard P. 10/4/1928 - 7/1/1981
MICHALSKI Anthony S. 1/19/1924 - 3/16/2007
MICHALSKY Edward J. 9/12/1923 - 7/20/1985
MICHALSKY Ruth A. - Kakos 3/8/1923 - 8/15/2005
MIHALSKY Adolph 11/30/1929 - 10/19/1993
MINDEK Andrew J. 4/17/1932 - 4/1/1983
MOLEK Edward Steve Sr 10/20/1930 - 6/10/1988
MOLEK Robert J. 3/9/1932 - 7/18/1989
MOLEK, JR. John A. 9/27/1925 - 12/20/1944
NABOZNY Mary Kokesh 3/20/1909 - 4/2/2004
NABOZNY Thomas E. 9/3/1929 - 12/23/1980
NESNET John 1/20/1924 - 1/21/1988
NEUDSKY William - 12/9/1969
NOVAK John S. Sr. 4/17/1916 - 4/20/1993
OLEVENICK Marion J. 10/7/1907 - 12/6/1965
PIEKARZ Maryanna 1926 - 1940
PIEKARZ Michal 1928 - 1940
PISZCZOR Andrew J. 11/13/1886 - 06/26/1967
PISZCZOR Anna Szczypta 11/17/1879 - 10/28/1962
PISZCZOR Bernard 08/20/1940 - 10/03/2007
PISZCZOR Donald J. (Pezar) 11/23/1935 - 08/28/2005
PISZCZOR Francis 1917 - 1918
PISZCZOR Helen Schifko 04/02/1915 - 03/01/2007
PISZCZOR Joseph 02/15/1911 - 10/23/1971
PLEBAN Valentine - 9/21/1960
POLUCK Frank 10/24/1914 - 5/9/1942
PRINSKEY Edward 7/7/1926 - 7/1/1968
PRZYBYCIEN Catherine 1896 - 1970
PRZYBYCIEN John 1891 - 1962
PUDLOWSKI Ludwik 1884 - 1914
RADOVICH John A. 8/7/1912 - 5/2/1970
RADOVICH Stella Dolores 10/24/1919 - 8/17/2006
REPA Julia 12/25/1903 - 7/25/1904
REPA Władysława 1913 - 1918
REPARSKY Peter 9/10/1919 - 7/17/1978
ROSKY Felix T. 9/3/1918 - 3/22/2006
RUDZIENSKY Lois Jean 5/1/1944 - 1/12/1945
RUSSIN Franciscus - 1913
RUSSIN Josephine 1879 - 1930
SABALA Francis J. 11/12/1924 - 4/6/1972
SABALA John S. 5/7/1915 - 1/22/1943
SABARESE Margaret F 5/3/1922 - 5/9/2006
SABARESE William P. 8/5/1915 - 2/12/1973
SAGOSKY Peter 6/29/1918 - 5/12/1984
SAGOSKY Richard 9/17/1947 - 5/27/1983
SEBROSKY Andrew 11/10/1913 - 5/29/1980
SEFCHECK Walter J. 7/28/1924 - 10/24/1977
SHUBA Henry J. 3/13/1927 - 8/7/1995
SHUMAN Andrew P. Jr. 1/23/1949 - 3/5/1989
SHUTTY Joseph - 3/21/1972
SKOCHELAK Paul 8/8/1923 - 11/15/1989
SKOCZELAK Francis 10/12/1917 - 6/12/2006
SKOVRAN Andrew 6/26/1920 - 1/2/1993
SKROBACZ Michal 1892 - 1927
SLOAN Catherine - 4/12/1930
SMYTH, JR. Thomas J. 4/3/1910 - 7/1/1967
SODLOUSKI Stanley A. 1/1/1915 - 3/13/1947
SOFRANKO George M. 10/2/1937 - 1/30/1995
SOLARCHICK Alex 2/6/1932 - 5/16/1984
SOLARCHICK Lorraine Soblotne 10/16/1932 - 2/2/1996
SOLARCZYK Jozefa 3/16/1912 - 1924
SREDINSKI Josephine A. Kois 1/28/1919 - 9/22/2006
STANISZEWSKI Louise Molek 11/19/1915 - 12/21/2005
STANLEY Walter -
SULIK John J. 3/15/1915 - 10/28/1970
SULIK Michael J. 8/30/1925 - 5/20/1946
SULLIK John M. 3/14/1923 - 8/25/1946
SWITALSKI Frank J. 1/14/1927 - 10/20/1984
SYREK John N. Jr 10/20/2020 - 5/3/2000
SYREK Anna M. Matalik 10/8/1922 - 6/26/2006
SZCZEPANA J 6/10/1879 - 5/26/1926
SZCZYGIEL Ann D. 1914 - 2001
SZCZYGIEL Walter L. 1909 - 1981
TARRACE Joseph 12/7/1913 - 12/24/1915
TASSONE Casimo 4/12/1911 - 11/17/1912
THOMAS Albert J. 7/24/1923 - 5/5/1964
TIBERI Nello -
TOKISH Frances L. Guy 11/10/1929 - 8/25/2006
TROSIEK Michael M. Sr. 11/19/1921 - 7/17/1991
TULLEY George F. - 6/28/1974
VALIGURSKY Joseph J. 4/18/1920 - 9/2/1970
VARSHOCK Floyd 5/19/1918 - 12/11/1945
VARTO Theresa 1904 - 1905
VELOSKY Charles J. 2/11/1916 - 6/6/1944
VISH Mike J. 9/26/1910 - 2/6/1963
VOYTEK Andrew M. 11/30/1921 -
WIETZ Theodore t. - 1/1/1986
WOJCIK Edward C. 2/29/1920 - 1/8/2006
YOKOBOSKY Jerome 10/2/1952 - 6/5/2006
YURCZAK John F. 12/3/1914 - 7/22/1993
ZAVILINSKY Walter 1921 - 1928
ZAWACKI Charles B. - 7/11/1975
ZAWELENSKY Pete J. 5/9/1927 - 4/27/1995
ZUCHELKOWSKI Francis J. 5/16/1924 - 10/7/1992
ZUCHELKOWSKI Agnes C. - 6/28/2006

Migyanko - Holy Trinity Orthodox Cemetery, New Salem

Lest I not mention this, there was one other cemetery that Sandy and I stopped at. This was the picturesque hillside Holy Trinity Orthodox Cemetery. It was almost an afterthought, but when I was young every once in awhile we would attend this church with my uncle, Andrew Jr. As things happen my uncle Andy fell in love with this beautiful woman, one Helen Sinko, whose family just happened to be of the Russian Orthodox faith. Somewhat like in the movie 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (though I'm sure without all the hilarity) he loved her enough to accept her faith as his own. But I digress.

Knowing there probably was some connection to the family in there we searched about for the winding and hidden entrance until we found our way in. Unlike the St. Thomas cemetery, this is built right up the hillside without much of what you could call roads through it. By this time, after a long day and just recently having heart surgery a few weeks previously, this was not the time I would be roaming through headstones. But as fortune would have it as we drove around the small loop road that did exist I noticed a familiar name. Migyanko! I recalled that my uncle's younger daughter, Betty Lou Piszczor, married a Migyanko... Charles Jr. by name! Now I don't believe I've seen her since 1994, and that's partly my fault, so I think I best do something about that soon. As you will see in the album I did run across a grave site for a Charles and Mary Migyanko, so I wonder if I found his parents. Next time I will be certain to get a better picture overlooking the cemetery and how it just fits into the landscape.

Click here to see the Migyanko head stones I was able to document!

St. Thomas Cemetery - Footdale, PA Headstones

The one thing we did on our trip to the Uniontown area was to stop at the cemeteries where I knew we had family buried. As we stopped at the grave site of my grandparents, Andrew Piszczor Sr and Anna Szczypta, my wife Sandy began to notice some of the other headstones and was taken by all the unique Polish names that she saw. The next thing I knew we were wandering about the St. Thomas Cemetery in Footdale checking out the markers that caught our interest and taking pictures of them.

Of the family I know of buried there besides my father's parents are my aunt and uncle Joseph Piszczor and Helen Schifko; another uncle (the first Francis Piszczor) who died as an infant and buried in an unmarked grave from the 1918-19 Spanish Influenza; my cousins the brothers Donald Sr and Bernard Piszczor and Helen Schiko's second husband Frank Boskovich.

It was late and we only had two days so we only had about an hour but on the way home I thought about other family researchers that would have an interest in these grave markers. With that in mind I decided to place all the pictures we took in the photo album and plan on my next time back to take more in hope this can be helpful to others. Meanwhile I have begun to contact the church who has taken over care of the cemetery since the closing of St. Thomas and see if I can get the full list of those buried there and publish it here.

To see all the markers we recorded this trip come over to the album and see.

We all Started Small

I can't speak for everyone but it still challenges my paradigms when I see pictures of all these people that were older than me as I was growing up. My mind freezes when I'm typing the photo titles and find it odd to put "Sr." in there.

Hell, I'm baffled even looking at the pictures of my kids or even my own baby pictures. Digging through these boxes of old pictures I'm scanning and finding these just pictures has me looking at my grandchildren and wondering about how they are going to look like when they grow up.

So far I have about 16 and know I'm going to be adding more as I keep scanning. Now granted, there is a number of me and my sister, but until others help me out here with more from their collections it going to be just a bit biased. So get me your best to put in here!

Of course if you want to see all that I have come look at the photo album. Oh, and come back from time to time to see what else I uncovered.

Back on the old farm

Still scanning pictures and uncovered a little bound pack of photos taken at Andrew Piszczor's farm in McClellandtown, PA. I figure they were taken roughly 1958 by seeing the people in them and some of the vehicles.

So far I have eleven found photos of the farm from when Andy owned the place, but as I find more I will place them in the album. You can see them but clicking here!

Citizenship process, a load of information

Most of you have not seen these types of documents, but here are all the fillings submitted by Andrew Piszczor Sr. in becoming a citizen of the United States! He was in the country for 18 years before he began the process that took about three years to complete. (The story I was told by some of my uncles is the primary reason he became a citizen is he wanted to get some dogs and the State of Pennsylvania at the time would only issue dog licenses to United States citizens! Can't say if that's the truth or not, but knowing my grandfather I could believe it.)

Some interesting items of note is from all information I had about his home town being Ciche here he lists Czarny Dunajec, about six miles north; the family moved three times in those three years (Footedale, Prospect and McClellandtown); and in each document our name is spelled different!

I have a copy of all the documents in the photo albums (click here)....

Remebering Josephine Ann Piszczor

Josie was the second oldest cousin of the third generation of Andrew Piszczor Sr. and oldest daughter of Andrew Piszczor, Jr. A fun person to be around, I didn't get to know her as well as I would have liked to as she moved around the country with the work her husband, Irvin, had in the aeronautical industry. I used to mainly see her in passing through from Long Island and Louisville as well at family gatherings.


VANSICKLE, "JOSIE" A., 69, of Naples, FL, fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, June 24, 2007. She was born December 13, 1937 in New Salem, PA. She moved to southwest Florida the spring of 1995 and was an active member of St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Naples, FL.

Her brother, Daniel Piszczor; brother-in- law, Robert Benedek and a nephew, Charles Migyanko, III, predeceased her. Her beloved husband, Irvin; son, Jeffrey; and daughter, Jennifer Paplaczyk; grandchildren, Andrew, Amy, and Oliva Paplaczyk survive her. Also, a sister and brother-in-law, Betty Lou and Charles Migyanko; sisters-in- law, Sandy Willis and Barbara Benedek; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Carol and Dan VanSickle and brother-in-law, Cloyde VanSickle, survive her. Also nieces, Danielle Gundling, Sabrina Turpak, Tina Horvath, Sharon Wise, Lori Barr, Lee Anne VanSickle and Sarah VanSickle; and nephews, Maxwell and Ray Lee VanSickle survive her.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Saint Michael Orthodox Church, at the corner of Furman and Hikes Lane. Burial will be in Resthaven Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 4 - 9 p.m. Friday at St. George Chapel at St. Michael Church. Trisagion prayers will be said 8 p.m. on Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Josie's Memorial Fund for Beautification of the Church Interior of St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church, 2425 Rivers Road at Immokalee Road, Naples, FL 34120. Ratterman & Sons, 3800 Bardstown Rd. is in charge of arrangements. Published in The Courier-Journal from 6/27/2007

Remebering Donald Joseph Piszczor

Don was the oldest of the third generation of Andrew Piszczor Sr. Don was the one who taught me about house painting, or more accurately getting some paint on a house while I covered myself in it. I got to know him very well when he lived in the apartment upstairs of my parents house. He even "rescued" me from a Boy Scout reservation one time out of the blue and spirited me off to his home for one of the best meals I had in quite awhile. Even though he was about 20 years older we used to pal around after I graduated from college and was there whenever I came back east for a visit when I lived on the West Coast.

Don was not a shy fellow and was usually in the middle of the action at family gatherings; if you ever needed to find Don at a wedding you could find him behind the bar, being the bouncer or taking the cash during the Money Dance. He married Mary Ann Rahija of Akron, OH in April of 1957.

Donald J. (Pezar) Piszczor, age 69, of Rowes Run, (Redstone Township) Pa., formerly of New Salem, Pa., passed away peacefully Sunday, August 28, 2005, in Tara Hospital, at Brownsville, Pa., with his loved ones by his side.

He was born November 23, 1935, in McClellandtown, Pa., son of Helen Schifko Piszczor Boskovich and the late Joseph Piszczor.

Don was a member of the Saint Thomas Roman Catholic Church of Footedale, Pa., a former employee of White Motors, a retired employee of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Sheriff's Department, a member of Fairbank Rod & Gun Club and a former member of Newboro Indians Club.

He is survived by his mother, Helen Boskovich; his children: Donald J. Pezar, Jr. and his wife, Pilar of Malysia, James A. Pezar and his wife, Rebecca of Perry, Ohio, Steven C. Piszczor and his wife, Toni of Clayton, N.C., and Joanne L. Watkins of Orlando, Fla.; his fiance, Dorothy Ladina, and her daughter, Julann Onderko, and her husband, Joseph and their three children, Justin, Kayla and Moe, all of Rowes Run; his grandchildren: Jakob Pezar, Seth Pezar, Stephanie Pezar and Monica Piszczor; his brothers: Bernard F. Piszczor and his wife, Martha of New Salem, Pa., and Thomas S. Piszczor and his wife, Katherine of Washington, Pa.; and his nieces and nephews: Kimberly A. Croci, Bernard J. Piszczor, Jennifer L. Harvey, Joseph M. Piszczor and Michael R. Piszczor.

Finding These Distant Relatives

How do you find that information (or even the existence) about about your parents, parents parents that stayed back in Poland? In short a lot of research and luck.

The first place is to see if you can find that old family bible, which unfortunately in my case was given to someone after my grandfather's passing and we haven't been able to figure out to whom now 40 years on. If you are fortunate enough to have access to it it was a tradition to list all the family events (births, deaths, marriages, etc) on the inside covers.

There are great places to begin searching on the Internet, of course. The first I would recommend if you believe your forefathers came through New York the the Ellis Island web site (http://www.ellisisland.org/). It's free but you do have to register. There you can just begin typing in surnames at the very least and results will appear. Keep in mind that the more information you might have, such as year of arrival, will get you better results. But on the flip side you just don;t know how those registrars entered these eastern European names. I have found our name as Piszczor, Pescor, Piszczur, Piszcsor - just to name a few. When you locate someone you believe is in your line and select the entry you will first get a summary of general information, but you will also have access to a copy of the actual manifest!

This is the official record from the ship Captain of everyone aboard the ship. It will also tell you a bit about the person; the town they came from and a family member there, their final destination and who they plan to stay with. Be aware that most of these records go across two pages, so be sure to look for both!

Above is an example of the arrival of Andrew Piszczor Sr on the S.S. Wiemer in 1904. This is the first page of the record and he is listed on line # 7.

I continue next time with other places to search!

Family in the Military

We have had so many family members in the Armed Services and the list below is only who I know for certain. These are all from the list of relations I have in my database so some of these may be unfamiliar to many but still connected. I will be adding to this as I find them and please if you have any additional names please let me know:

U.S Army
Jess Piszczor Sr.
Mike Piszczor Sr
Bernard F. Piszczor
Bernard J. Piszczor
Josef Piszczor
David Latham
Anthony M. Semik
Robert C. Towner

U.S. Marines
Mike Piszczor Jr
Errik Piszczor
Francis Durtche

U.S. Navy
Carl Durtche Jr
Mary Semik
Teresa Durtche

U.S. Air Force
Kevin Croci
Walter Piszczor Sr (USAAF)
William J. Brundage (USAAF)

Polish Army in France (WWI)
(also known as Haller’s Army)
Wojciech Piszczor

There are a few pictures in the album at this time, but I know I have a few dozen in the boxes and will be adding them in the next few weeks.

Cousins and Removed - What does that mean

Here I am throwing names and family lines all over the place and I bet you might wonder from time to time; how does this person relate to me?

Don't be all confused about it because I was, and still am now and then! But is a fairly straight forward explanation.

At the basic; your cousin (or more formally FIRST cousin) is the child of your aunt or uncle who is a sibling of one of your parents.

If you have a child, your child is a SECOND cousin to your FIRST cousin's child.

If your cousin has a child, that child is a FIRST COUSIN ONCE REMOVED to you. (i.e. one generation removed from being a first cousin)

Now if your first cousin has a grandchild, that grandchild is a FIRST COUSIN TWICE REMOVED to you and a THIRD COUSIN to your grandchild.

If I can get all these lines connected somewhere we would have a 12th cousin somewhere and their grandchild would be a TWELFTH COUSIN TWICE REMOVED to you.

When I fill in more of the blanks someday I will have an example going here!

Old Group Pictures

I am sure you have these around; some general group shots you found that you don't know why or when they got together and just maybe you might know one or two of the people in the photo. Well I ran into a load of these and I'm putting them on line in the hope you can help.

Misc Group Pictures

Click the picture to see all of the photos I found so far...and I will be adding more as I find these in the stacks.

Obit Search Finds

I was scanning some old photos I uncovered of people I knew but not exactly when and why they all got together. Then on the last one I noticed a small pencil note that just said "John's wedding" and now I knew what it was but not when. So I began to search the Internet and came across a site that didn't answer my question but found a lot more information I wasn't expecting.

I stumbled onto the Cleveland Public Library Necrology File. It's the alphabetical card file containing local cemetery records and newspaper death notices gathered by the staff of the Cleveland Public Library. It is a bit hit and miss and only goes up to 1975 but it is a free public database. You can go to it by clicking here. (Just don't forget to come on back.

Here is a sample of hit I have of some of my family:

Id#: 0673911
Name: Piszczor, Frank S.
Date: Oct 14 1958
Source: Cleveland Press; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #145.
Notes: Piszczor, Frank S., age 39, Monday, Oct. 13, former residence, R.D. 1 Painesville, O., husband of Monica Helen, father of Paulette Ann and Susan Marie, son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Piszczor of McClellandtown, Pa., brother of John, Jesse, Michael, and Walter of Cleveland, Joseph of New Salem, Pa., and Andrew Jr. of McClellandtown, Pa. Friends may call at Mulqueeny Bros. Funeral Home, 99 E. Erie St. (Rt. 20), Painesville, 2-4, 7-9 Tuesday. Funeral Wednesday, Oct. 15, 9:30 a.m., St. Mary's Church. Burial All Souls Cemetery, Chardon.

Id#: 0673910
Name: Piszczor, Barbara Ann
Date: Oct 18 1973
Source: Plain Dealer; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #145.
Notes: Pisczczor. Barbara Ann Piszczor, beloved daughter of Michael and Julia Piszczor, dearest sister of Michael Jr., also survived by grandmother and aunts and uncles. Funeral Saturday, Oct. 20, 8:30 a.m. at Mosinski Funeral Home, 3675 E. 65th St. Services 9 a.m. at Holy Name Church. Interment Calvary Cemetery. Visiting Hours Thursday And Friday 2-5 And 7-10 P.M.

Id#: 0673909
Name: Piszczor, Ann
Date: May 18 1957
Source: Cleveland Press; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #145.
Notes: Piszczor, Ann, of 27699 North Miles Rd., beloved wife of John, daughter of John and Anna Gabick, sister of Mary Fabis, Vera Hodges, John Slosar, Margaret Marvnowski, passed away Friday, May 17, 1957. Funeral Monday, May 20, from the Mosinski Funeral Home, 3675 E. 65th St., at 9:15 a.m., St. Jude's Church at 10 a.m. Burial Calvary Cemetery.

Id#: 0717310
Name: Semik, Victoria
Date: Jan 23 1967
Source: Cleveland Press; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #154.
Notes: Semik. Victoria Semik (nee Zadora), age 78, formerly of Fowler Ave., beloved wife of the late Martin, dear mother of Stanislaw, Francisick, Nora Martinez, Josephine Pesczor(Piszczor), John, Walter, Joseph, Mary Durtche, Anthony and Helen Apone, grandmother and great-grandmother, sister of Mary Zadora, of Poland, passed away Saturday, Friends may call at The B. J. Rumplik & Son Funeral Home, 5337 Dolloff Rd., Monday 2-5 And 7-10 P. M., where services will be held Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 8:30 A.M., St. Stanislaus Church at 9 A.M. Interment Calvary Cemetery.

Id#: 0789252
Name: Wolinski, Eva
Date: Aug 23 1951
Source: Cleveland Press; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #168.
Notes: Wolinski, Eva, of 4025 E. 144 St., beloved wife of Anthony, dear mother of William, Sophie Betlejewski, Veronica Lewandowski and Monica Piszczor, sister of Joseph Lashinski, and grandmother, Tuesday. Funeral Saturday, Aug. 25, at 8:30 a. m., from Mosinski Corlett Funeral Home, 4035 E. 141 St., St. Mary's Church of Corlett at 9 a.m. Interment Calvary Cemetery.

Id#: 0789250
Name: Wolinski, Anton
Date: Aug 15 1957
Source: Cleveland Press; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #168.
Notes: Wolinski, Anton, of 20734 Bowling Green Rd., beloved husband of the late Eva., dear father of William, Sophia Betley, Virginia Lewandowski, Monica Piszczor and grandfather. Friends received at Mosinski Funeral Home, 4035 E. 141st. Funeral Friday, Aug. 16, at 8:30 a. m., Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 9 a.m. Burial Calvary Cemetery

The shortcoming is the search is based only on the deceased name and not any other names in the body of the obit. But then is is just another tool if you have leads in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

Frank Basiorka, son of Antonina Piszczor

I remember first meeting Frank Basiorka at my grandmothers' funeral, that of Anna Szczypta, back in 1962. He was my dads' cousin and that was a difficult thing to comprehend for an eight year old. From my view I had cousins and they were all, well, kids! But I do remember him as a nice, kind man and my father and Frank seemed to had a good time together.

Frank Andrew Basiorka passed away at 3am on the morning on 30 March 1995 at Green ville Regional Hospital at the age of 80.

Frank was born in Mt. Pleasant Township in Westmoreland County, PA on 7 Oct 1914, one of nine children of Josef Basiorka and Antonina Piszczor (Piscur).

He married Anna Elizabeth Smith on 29 July 1944. Anna passed away 4 Aug 1982. Frank remarried on 17 Aug 1985 to Jean Sutherland Leyden.

In addition to being a farmer he worked for over 20 years in the Westmoreland County coal mines and retired from the Greenville Steel Car Co in 1979 after 29 years of service.

At his death in 1995 Frank was survived by his second wife Jean, his daughter Anita Powell of Clarks Mills (PA); his stepson Patrick Leyden of Denver; his sister Catheryn Sroka of New Kensington, Pa; three grandsons; four step grandchildren and two step great-granddaughters.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Anna; his sister Mary Sczschowicz; his three grown brothers, James, Thomas and John Basiorka; and three infant siblings whose names I have yet to discover.

More old wedding Pictures

Came across a few vintage wedding photos I received from Jean Basiorka some years ago that I misfiled and need to get back to her. They all include Frank A. Basiorka, son of Antonia Piszczor and Josef Basiorka. Some may contain some other family members and if if you recognize anyone please let me know.

This one in particular is intriguing. (Click on the image to see full sized) The photography studio listed on the folder wedding picture is the East 71st St. Studio (later Grand Studio) from Cleveland, OH in the 1930s, but whose wedding? The Bride and groom look so similar to Helen Sinko and Joseph Piszczor from pictures of that era, but what would they be doing in Cleveland getting married?

What I know is that Frank A. Basiorka is top row, 2nd from left. The fellow 5th from left looks very similar to Jesse Piszczor Sr. but not certain. Anyone help?

Click here and see all I have on the web so far!

Pictures from Uniontown - The Piszczor Farm

This page will not mean that much to most people but to a small group of us this is where our fathers called home, the old family farm in McClellandtown, PA.

You can click here to go to the web page and to the photo album for the rest of the photos.

New descendant group - Joseph (Joss) Piszczor

Time to get a new descendant group on the site. I found a three generation line from a Joseph (Joss) Piszczor. I have not yet found what town he came from in Poland but he arrived in the U.S. about 1895 and was living in Chicago at 125(?) Augusta Ave. in 1920 with his wife Julia and five children. His grandson, Josef Piszczor, is the only member of the family I have so far found that had given his life in servie to his country.

To see what I have documented so far just click over to his page.

New documents on Jacob Piszczor of Ciche

Was rummaging around the library account and found some new documentation on one Jacob Piszczor, my Great grandfather. This was his third trip to the U.S. and he returned back to Poland some time after June 1910 (can use this date due to his listing in the 1910 census!).

You can catch up on what I have on Jacob and links to the documents at his page on the web site.

Sorry for the lag.. but have some sad news

Was sent back into the hospital last week for a few days but all looks well now and working to catch up on life things, so have not been able to build on the site for awhile. With me being home bound on doctor orders I should be able to spend more time on this.

On a sad note, while I was in the hospital Bernard (Bernie) Piszczor passed away. Bernie was one of my most favorite cousins, more like the big brother I never had. I loved the man even though I haven't been able to see him in over ten years. At least had the opportunity to spend some time with him and his family two weeks ago. I am just sad I wasn't able to attend his funeral due to my health.

Bernie was a fellow who always had time for you. When you were at his home you felt like you were the most important person there was. Restoring cars was one of his favorite hobbies. It was Bernie who taught my son Errik how to shoot a rifle, who went on to qualify Expert in the U.S. Marines.

His sister-in-law Mary Ann was kind enough to send me a copy of his obit that I would like to share with you:

10/05/2007
Bernard F. Piszczor

Bernard F. Piszczor, 67, of New Salem, Pa., passed away peacefully Wednesday, October 3, 2007, in his home with his loving family at his side, following a long and courageous battle with cancer.

He was born August 20, 1940, in New Salem, the son of the late Joseph Piszczor and Helen Piszczor Boskovich.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Donald (Pezar) Piszczor and his stepfather, Frank W. Boskovich.

Bernie was a member of St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church in Footedale. He was a welder with Boilermakers Local 154, Pittsburgh, for over 35 years, a former employee of Fruehauf Corporation, former co-owner of P-Zar's Bar and Grille, a member of General George C. Marshall AMVETS Post 103, Hopwood, Ridgeway Elks 872, The Rough Riders, Connellsville Slovak Club, Sons of Italy 231, Uniontown, and the Summit Mountain Early Iron Car Club. Bernie was an avid golfer, hunter and craftsman. He loved vacationing and spending time with his family and friends.

Friends will be received in DEARTH FUNERAL HOME, New Salem, Pa., on Saturday, October 6, 2007, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m., Sunday, October 7, 2007, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. and Monday, October 8, 2007, until 10:30 a.m. when prayers will
be said in the Funeral Home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. in St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church, Footedale, with the Rev. Father Peter Peretti as Celebrant.

Interment will follow in St. Thomas Church Cemetery, Footedale.
Wake Service will be held Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in the Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions
may be made to American Cancer Society and St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church.

Wedding Photos

Found a number of old wedding photos in the collection I have and started to scan them! If anyone might be able to identify some of the unmarked people in these I sure would appreciate it! You can see what I have on so far on the Wedding Photo page at the website!

More connected surnames added

Rough weekend but was able to update more connected surnames to the family. There is more to come but doing my best to grasp on to any sanity I may still have!

To see what is here so far just click over to the connected surname page at the Piszczor website!

New Photos added

Slowly but surely I'm getting more on here. Have got some pictures of the family gathering for the 45th wedding anniversary of Andrew Sr. and Anna Piszczor in 1953 (damn, that's a long time ago now that I think of it).

Eventually I'm going to organize all this in a better format but you can still see them in the photo section of the of the Piszczor web site.

New Documents

I'm not sure who all these people are and how they are related to everyone, but I have found a number of copies of documents concerning Piszczor and other related family members. These are copies of ship manifests of ships arriving in the United States, departure manifests from European ports and some other official papers I have come across.

It will take me some time to properly document and label everything but I will be adding daily. Just go to the Piszczor Pages: Document section of the web site!

The site is growing

Another five pages have been added to the Piszczor Genealogy site. I've also obtained a number of images from ship manifests from various sources that will be on the site soon. So come on over and take a peak!

Descendants of Jan Piszczor
Generation No. 1
1. JAN PISZCZOR was born Bef. 1840 in Poland, and died in Poland. He married DOROTA BRZUCHACZ. She was born Bef. 1840 in Poland, and died in Poland.
Child of JAN PISZCZOR and DOROTA BRZUCHACZ is:
2. i. JAKOB PISZCZOR, b. 1858, Poland; d. Poland.

Generation No. 2
2. JAKOB PISZCZOR (JAN) was born 1858 in Poland, and died in Poland. He married CATHERINA KOWALCZUK, daughter of JAN KOWALCZUK and ANNA ORSZULAK. She was born Abt. 1860 in Poland, and died in Poland.
More About JAKOB PISZCZOR:
Census: 05 May 1910, East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania
Immigration: First arrival 1904, returned to the US on board of the SS ‘Main’ that left Bremen, Germany on Dec. 16, 1909 and arrived in the US on December 28, 1909. He was going to Tarr, PA to join his son Jendrzej (Andrew)Children of JAKOB PISZCZOR and CATHERINA KOWALCZUK are:
3. i. ANDREW PISZCZOR, SR., b. 13 Nov 1886, Ciche, Nowy Targ, Galicia, Poland; d. 26 Jun 1967, Uniontown, Fayette, PA.
4. ii. ANTONIA PISZCZOR, b. 10 Mar 1884, Ciche, Nowy Targ, Poland; d. Pennsylvania.
5. iii. JAN PISZCZOR, b. 1884, Ciche, Nowy Targ, Poland; d. Pennsylvania.
iv. JOSEF PISZCZOR, b. 1891, Ciche, Nowy Targ, Poland.
PISZCZOR, Jozef, 16, laborer, arrived on Aug. 1, 1907 on board of the SS ‘Rhein’. His ultimate destination in the US is Tarr, PA where he is going to join his father Jakob PISZCZUR. Last residence before arriving in the US was with his mother Katarzyna PISZCZUR in Ciche.

Generation No. 3
3. ANDREW PISZCZOR, SR. (JAKOB, JAN)1 was born 13 Nov 1886 in Ciche, Nowy Targ, Galicia, Poland and died 26 Jun 1967 in Uniontown, Fayette, PA3. He married ANNE M. SZCZYPTA May 1908 in Transfiguration Church, Mt. Pleasent, Westmoreland, PA, daughter of JAN SZCZYPTA and TEKLA FUDALA. She was born 17 Nov 1879 in Witow, Nowy Targ, Galicia, Poland, and died 28 Oct 1962 in Uniontown, Fayette, PA.
Burial: Footdale Cemetary; Footdale, PA
Citizenship: 28 Apr 1922, Declaration of Intention #8069, Fayette Co., PA
Naturalization: 02 Oct 1924, Petition for Naturalization #5163, Fayette Co., PA
Citizenship: 09 Apr 1925, Became Citizen of the United States #2152484
Immigration: 10 Dec 1904, Departed Bremen, Germany abord Weimar
Had Blue Eyes and Brown Hair.
Occupation: Farmer, Coal Miner
Residence: 1930, German, Fayette, Pennsylvania4

More About ANNE M. SZCZYPTA:
Arrival: 28 Jun 1905, Ellis Island, NY USA aboard Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse. Bremerhaven-New York service.
Membership: St. Hedwig's Lodge 2234 ZNP
Funeral: St. Thomas R.C. Church, Footdale, PA
Residence: 1930, German, Fayette, Pennsylvania
SSN: Footdale Cemetary; Footdale, PA
Children of ANDREW PISZCZOR and ANNE SZCZYPTA are:
i. JOHN L4 PISZCZOR6,7,8, b. 22 Aug 1909, Mt. Pleasent, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania d. 29 Oct 1983, Warrensville Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio12; m. (1) AMELIA BRUSCINO; m. (2) ANN SLOSAR; b. 12 Aug 1912, Pennsylvania; d. 17 May 1957, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH.
Notes for JOHN L PISZCZOR:
Death date is also thought to be August 1, 1983
Buried at All Saints Cemetery in , Oh - Sec 16; Lot 1295; Gr 2
Occupation: Photographer, Builder / Contractor
Residence: Bedford Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States

Notes for ANN SLOSAR:
Burial: 20 May 1957, Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, OH
Buried at Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, OH - Sec 64, Lot 292, Gr 1
Occupation: Photographer

6. ii. JOSEPH PETER (PEZAR) PISZCZOR, b. 15 Feb 1911, Donely, Westmoreland, PA; d. 23 Oct 1971, New Salem, Fayette, PA.
7. iii. ANDREW THOMAS PISZCZOR, b. 21 Dec 1912, Footdale, Fayette, PA; d. 15 Jan 1993, East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
8. iv. JESSE (HYACINTH) J. PISZCZOR, b. 02 Aug 1914, E. Huntington, Westmoreland, PA; d. 20 May 1987, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH.
9. v. MICHAEL FRANK PISZCZOR, SR., b. 31 Aug 1917, Footdale, Fayette, PA; d. 06 Jan 2002, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio,
vi. FRANK(#1) PISZCZOR, b. 1918, Pennsylvania; d. 1918, Pennsylvania.
Died in infancy, Buried at Footdale Cemetary.
10. vii. FRANK STANLEY PISZCZOR, b. 19 Sep 1919, Footdale, Fayette, PA; d. 13 Oct 1958, Painesville, Lake, OH.
11. viii. WALTER CHARLES PISZCZOR, SR., b. 05 Jan 1923, Rocks, Pennsylvania; d. 25 Jan 1983, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH.

4. ANTONIA PISZCZOR (JAKOB, JAN) was born 10 Mar 1884 in Ciche, Nowy Targ, Poland, and died in Pennsylvania. She married JOZEF BASIORKA16 in Poland. He was born 17 Jan 1885 in Witow, Nowy Targ, Poland17,18, and died Jan 1963 in Pennsylvania18.
Jozef was a Miner. Had dark completion with brown hair and blue eyes; 5'6" and 178".
Immigration: 11 Jan 1905, Arrived New York City
Naturalization: 19 Aug 1920, Petition for Naturalization #3717, Westmoreland Co., PA
Other-Begin: Westmoreland County
Residence: 1930, Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania

Children of ANTONIA PISZCZOR and JOZEF BASIORKA are:
i. FRANK ANDREW BASIORKA, b. 07 Nov 1914, Mt. Pleasent, Westmoreland, PA; d. 30 Mar 1995, Greenville, PA; m. (1) JEAN SUTTERLAND; m. (2) FIRST SPOUSE.
12. ii. THOMAS S. BASIORKA, b. 15 Nov 1918, Briukerton, PA; d. 27 Apr 1988, Greensburg, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, USA
iii. JAMES BASIORKA, b. 16 Sep 1913, Briukerton, PA.
Residence: 1930, Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania
iv. CATHERINE (KATIE) BASIORKA, b. 09 Nov 1916, Briukerton, PA; m. SROKA.
v. JOHN BASIORKA, b. 22 Aug 1907, Tarr, PA.
vi. MARY BASIORKA, b. 03 Dec 1908, Tarr, PA; m. SCZECHOWICZ.

5. JAN PISZCZOR (JAKOB, JAN) was born 1884 in Ciche, Nowy Targ, Poland, and died in Pennsylvania.
Immigration: 06 Aug 1907, Arrived on SS Breslau
Child of JAN PISZCZOR is:
i. MICHAEL PISZCZOR.
nOTE: Auto Accident in Pennsylvania, was disabled

Generation No. 4
6. JOSEPH PETER (PEZAR) PISZCZOR (ANDREW, JAKOB, JAN) was born 15 Feb 1911 in Donely, Westmoreland, PA and died 23 Oct 1971 in New Salem, Fayette, PA. He married HELEN L. SCHIFKO 1934, daughter of FREDERICK SCHIFKO and JULIA KAMINSKI. She was born 02 Apr 1915 in Lamberton, Fayette, PA, and died 16 Mar 2007 in Uniontown, Fayette, PA.
Fairbank Rod and Gun Club
Messmore Rod and Gun Club
Burial: Footdale, PA
Loyal Order of Moose, Uniontown, PA
Polish Roman Catholic Union 228; Brownsville Junction, PA
Polish Club of Brownsville Junction, PA; President
UMWA Local 6548, Palmer, PA
Polish League of Fayette County (PA); Past President
Funeral: St. Thomas R.C. Church, Footdale, PA
Occupation: President, Local Labor Union -UMWA District 4
Residence: 1930, German, Fayette, Pennsylvania
Children of JOSEPH PISZCZOR and HELEN SCHIFKO are:
i. DONALD J. (PEZAR)5 PISZCZOR29, b. 23 Nov 1935, McClellentown, Fayette, PA; d. 28 Aug 2005, Brownsville, Fayette, Pennsylvania; m. MARY ANN RAHIJA, 12 Apr 1957, Christ the King Church - Akron, Oh.
Donald J. (Pezar) Piszczor - Herald-Standard (Aug/30/2005)
Education: 1955, Uniontown (PA) High School
Occupation: Deputy Sheriff
Residence: New Salem, Fayette, Pennsylvania35

More About MARY ANN RAHIJA:
Education: St. John College, Fenn College

ii. BERNARD F PISZCZOR, b. 20 Aug 1940, d. Oct 2007 New Salem, Fayette, PA; m. MARTHA L. WASHNOCK, 16 Sep 1961; b. 02 Mar 1941, Uniontown, Fayette, PA.
Occupation: Contractor
Education: 1959, Uniontown (PA) High School
Residence: New Salem, Fayette, Pennsylvania
iii. THOMAS S PISZCZOR, b. 26 Dec 1952, Uniontown, Fayette, PA; m. KATHERINE MCCARROLL, May 1976, St. Thomas, Footdale, PA; b. 20 May 1953, Washington, Washington, PA.
Education: 1970, Uniontown (PA) High School
Residence: Washington, Washington, Pennsylvania

7. ANDREW THOMAS PISZCZOR (ANDREW, JAKOB, JAN) was born 21 Dec 1912 in Footdale, Fayette, PA and died 15 Jan 1993 in East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio43. He married HELEN SINKO 14 May 1936, daughter of MIKE SINKO and ANNA. She was born 11 May 1914 in Footdale, Fayette, PA and died 25 Jun 1993 in Maple Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
Residence: 1930, German, Fayette, Pennsylvania

More About HELEN SINKO:
Residence: 1930, German, Fayette, Pennsylvania50,50

Children of ANDREW PISZCZOR and HELEN SINKO are:
i. JOSEPHINE ANN5 PISZCZOR, b. 13 Dec 1937, New Salem, Fayette, PA d. 2007; m. IRVIN E. VAN SICKLE, 31 Jan 1959; b. 12 Dec 1937, Hiller, PA.
ii. BETTY LOU PISZCZOR, b. 22 Mar 1940, McClellandtown, Fayette, PA; m. CHARLES MIGYANKO, JR., 11 Jun 1960; b. 15 Apr 1938, High House, PA.
iii. LAWRENCE ALEXANDER PISZCZOR, b. 02 Aug 1944, McClellandtown, Fayette, PA; d. 13 Aug 1945, McClellandtown, Fayette, PA.
iv. DANIEL THOMAS PISZCZOR, b. 23 Jul 1946, McClellandtown, Fayette, PA; d. Dec 2003, Cuyahoga, OH; m. SANDRA STORIS, 16 Apr 1966; b. 07 Mar.

8. JESSE (HYACINTH) J. PISZCZOR (ANDREW, JAKOB, JAN) was born 02 Aug 1914 in E. Huntington, Westmoreland, PA, and died 20 May 1987 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH. He married JOSEPHINE SEMIK 09 Jul 1938 in Washington, Washington, PA, daughter of MARTIN SEMIK and VICTORIA ZADORA. She was born 23 Oct 1914 in Johnstown, PA and died 23 Feb 1993 in Garfield Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio61,61.
Burial: Jun 1987, Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, OH - Sec 92, Lot 1612, Gr 2
Cause of Death: Acute Myocardial Infarction
Military 1: 04 Feb 1944, Entered Army, 23 Apr 1946, Discharged
Organizations: VFW 2361, Newberg Hts, OH; Past Commander
Church: Our Lady of Lourdes, Cleveland, OH
Occupation: Manufacturing, Club Manager
Residence: 1930, German, Fayette, Pennsylvania62,63,64

More About JOSEPHINE SEMIK:
Burial: Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, OH
Church: Our Lady of Lourdes, Cleveland, OH
Occupation: Housewife
Residence: 1920, Shade, Somerset, Pennsylvania

Children of JESSE PISZCZOR and JOSEPHINE SEMIK are:
i. CAROL A.5 PISZCZOR, b. 03 Nov 1943, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH, d.200x; m. GAITHER DAVID LATHAM, 30 Jun 1962, Our Lady of Lourdes - Cleveland, OH; b. Abt. 1942; m. (2) BILL CARVER, 1976.
Born: 03 Nov 1943, Evangelical Deaconeis Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio
More About GAITHER DAVID LATHAM:
Milatary: U.S. Army
Occupation: Truck Driver

ii. JESS(E) PISZCZOR, (JR), b. 31 Mar 1954, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio68; m. (1) SALLY ANN (TOWNER) SHAFFER, 09 Sep 1980, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California; b. 30 Mar 1954, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio; m. (2) SANDRA KAY BRUNDAGE, 23 Oct 1997, Columbus, Franklin, Ohio; b. 08 Oct 1957, Akron, Summit, Ohio.
1970, Awarded Eagle Scout Rank
03 Jul 1994, Disabled from closed head injury by Car while riding Bicycle
Education: 1990, Attended Xavier University - M.B.A. Program
Education: 1976, Kent State University, B.S. Journalism
Occupation: Telecommunications / Data Engineer, Sales
Residence: Westerville, Franklin, Ohio
More About SALLY ANN (TOWNER) SHAFFER:
Education: 1972, Kent Rosevelt High School
Education: 1974, Kent State University
More About SANDRA KAY BRUNDAGE:
Education: 1975, Revere High School
Education: 2000, Columbus State, Communications

9. MICHAEL FRANK PISZCZOR, SR. (ANDREW, JAKOB, JAN) was born 31 Aug 1917 in Footdale, Fayette, PA, and died 06 Jan 2002 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States of America. He married JULIA ANN HABROT 11 Jun 1947, daughter of STANLEY HABROT and MARY GUZIK. She was born 11 Apr 1921 in East Millsboro, Washington, PA.
Burial: 16 Apr 1942, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1946, Bartended for Gen. George Marshall (drank Old Granddad)
Born: 31 Aug 1917, Born at home (House #25)
Military: Entered Army, served in World War II
Occupation: Tavern Owner
Residence: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio77,78

Children of MICHAEL PISZCZOR and JULIA HABROT are:
i. MICHAEL FRANK5 PISZCZOR, JR., b. 02 Sep 1956, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH; m. THERESA BENKO, 28 Apr 1984, Parma, Cuyahoga, Ohio; b. 03 Jun 1956.
Military: U.S. Marines
Occupation: Aeronautical Engineer, NASA
ii. BARBARA ANN PISZCZOR, b. 06 Mar 1958, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH; d. 17 Oct 1973, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH.
Burial: 20 Oct 1973, Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, OH
Born: 06 Mar 1958
Occupation: Student

10. FRANK STANLEY4 PISZCZOR (ANDREW, JAKOB, JAN) was born 19 Sep 1919 in Footdale, Fayette, PA80,81,82, and died 13 Oct 1958 in Painesville, Lake, OH83. He married MONICA HELEN WOLINSKI, daughter of ANTON WOLINSKI and EVA WOLINSKI. She was born 1921 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH.
Buried All Saints Cemetery, Chardon, Ohio.
Worked for Sealtest as a milkman.
Residence: Lake, Ohio, United States

More About MONICA HELEN WOLINSKI:
Residence: 1930, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio87
Children of FRANK PISZCZOR and MONICA WOLINSKI are:
i. SUSAN5 PISZCZOR, b. 1953; m. (1) RICHARD KOTOWSKI; m. (2) PATRICK.
ii. PAULETTE ANN PISZCZOR, b. 17 Sep 1943, East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio; m. BERNARD BALLOCK; b. 05 May 1942, Philipsburg Centre, PA.
Born : Huron Road Hospital, East Cleveland, Ohio 17 Sep 1943

11. WALTER CHARLES4 PISZCZOR, SR. (ANDREW, JAKOB, JAN) was born 05 Jan 1923 in Rocks, Pennsylvania88,89,90, and died 25 Jan 1983 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH. He married MARGARET PATRICK 31 Jul 1954 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, daughter of JOSEPH PATRICK and MARY VRABEL. She was born 15 Jan 1926 in Akron, Summit. OH.
Burial: Calvary Cemetery - Cleveland, OH
Military: U.S. Army Air Corps, WWII
Residence: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States

Children of WALTER PISZCZOR and MARGARET PATRICK are:
i. BART (MARION) PISZCZOR, b. 11 Aug 1955, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH; m. JANE SOPKO, 19 Jul 1977; b. 22 Jan 1951.
ii. WALTER PISZCZOR, JR., b. 14 Mar 1958, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH.
iii. MATTHEW B. PISZCZOR, b. 05 Mar 1959, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH; m. GLORIA JEAN PARKER, 03 Sep 1988; b. 08 Feb 1952; d. 23 Sep 2002.
Residence: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio

iv. MARLENE PISZCZOR, b. 25 Nov 1961, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH; m. JONATHAN ANIELSKI, 09 Sep 1989, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH; b. 10 Jul 1959, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH.
Mayor: Walton Hils, Ohio97
v. WILLIAM PISZCZOR, b. 04 Nov 1964, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH; m. MARIA GARCIA, 21 Jun 1991; b. 20 Mar 1971.

12. THOMAS S. BASIORKA (ANTONIA PISZCZOR, JAKOB, JAN) was born 15 Nov 1918 in Briukerton, PA, and died 27 Apr 1988 in Greensburg, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United States of America. He married DOROTHY ZANGLA, daughter of ROSARIO ZANGLA and MARIA PONTARIO. She was born 08 Nov 1924 in Greensburg, Westmoreland, PA, and died 16 Dec 1996 in Greensburg, Westmoreland, PA.
Residence: 1930, Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania

More About DOROTHY ZANGLA:
Buried: St. Stanislaus Cemetery
Children of THOMAS BASIORKA and DOROTHY ZANGLA are:
i. THOMAS M. ZANGLA, m. ROSE ANN.
ii. LINDA L. BASIORKA.
iii. CAROL A. BASIORKA, b. Greensburg, Westmoreland, PA; m. BRIAN FORSYTH.