Showing posts with label Westmoreland County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Westmoreland County. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

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.
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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.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

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

Saturday, October 13, 2007

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.
 
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