Thursday, October 25, 2012

PHOTO OF THE WEEK (Week of 10/21/12) UPDATED INFO!

PHOTO OF THE WEEK
This photo is a unique photo for me as it ties in my mother's lineage to my father's lineage in previous generations.  Both my grandmothers appear in this photo, my paternal grandmother Estelle Ledney Adams is the female on the left and my maternal grandmother is on the female on the right, Mary Oschip Taczak.  My grandmother's were both, at one time, members and officers at St. John's Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church in Sharon, Pennsylvania.  I am not sure who all the gentlemen in this photo are or what the circumstances surrounding the photo are---if anyone should know, please click on this link for contact information and let me know! Contact me! Since this was posted, with the help from my mother and father, I was able to identify from the left, Ed Vavrek, Father Raphael Sotak, August "Augie" Vavrek, UNKNOWN and then of course my two grandmothers.  Both my father and mother recall that the event in the picture was the paying off of the mortgage of Saint John's Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church in Sharon, Pennsylvania.  The church originally had a 25 year mortgage and was built in 1938, so this picture was circa 1963. 
 
From left to right: Ed Vavrek, Father Raphael Sotak, August Vavrek, Unknown and then
Estelle Ledney Adams and Mary Oschip Taczak.
 

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

PHOTO OF THE WEEK (Week of 10/14/12)

PHOTO OF THE WEEK
This photo is of John Oschip, Piza (Turenchalk) Oschip and Demetrius (Metro) Oschip.  John (Janos) was Metro's father.  John came to the United States from the present day region of Podkarpackie, Poland, an area in Southeast Poland. He came to work in the Pennsylvania coal mines in the early 1900s but could not convince his wife to come with him.  He died some time after 1920 after going back to Poland.  Metro was also born in the Podkarpackie region, possibly more specifically Jaworzec, Poland.  Metro was "arranged" to marry Piza Turenchalk and did so on September 16, 1916.  Piza came to the United States from Jablonki, Podkarpackie, Poland when she was about 2-4 years old.  When she married Metro, she was only 12 years old.  Piza and Metro went on to have 11 children, the oldest Mary Oschip (my Gram) was born in 1917.  I have put together much of this information on my own, but had some details filled in by my wonderful Aunt Jean via a family history project she completed years ago!  Thanks, Aunt Jean!
 
Left to Right: John Oschip, Piza (Turenchalk) Oschip & Metro Oschip
Circa 1916-1920