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.

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!

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

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!

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