Part 1 - Ben Blaho has written a series of essays about his family history. I appreciate the historical references that are included in the stories. Ben told me that his family bought property - sight unseen - from a man who was selling to other Chicago families for Springdale Township. You can read in this essay about that purchase -
MEMORIES OF ANNA KAPUSTA ( MOMKA)
She was born Anna Nudzi and married Andreas Kapusta. Not much is known about her as it was never discussed. I was not born until 1935 and I do not know/remember anything about her until she was 85 years young so I will fill in what I was told by Mom and my siblings. By all accounts they were affluent, Because of what Mom told us in later years and by Documents found. Mom told me they lived in the village of Bella. They had hired men to work in the fields also take care of the animals. Her dad Andreas traveled with horse and wagon to sell his products. He went to other towns and villages in Slovakia. One of his products was selling lime. In my research I found documents dated 1885 through 1905 which show that he was also selling and buying produce in Russia. By all accounts he was a very successful merchant and business man. Mom talked about her mother that she had women helping her with the house work. And they had a big fire place with an oven in it to bake bread, also a large stone ledge big enough to lay on and take a nap. Mom remembered her dad being a very loving father that would sing hymns and other songs that he was a very happy man, and she missed him very much after his death when she was eight years old. Mom was too young to know many facts about her mother while living in Slovakia but Mom did share that her parents had eight children born. Because some died at early ages due to sickness and others drowning in a river or creek that ran through their property. Only three survived, a brother John, a sister Suzanne and herself. The year must have been 1909 when son John came home to visit from the United States. While he is home he talks his mother and Mary to come to America and live with him. So they make arrangements and aboard the ship S.S. PRINZ FRIEDRICH WILHELM SAILED INTO THE PORT OF ENTRY New York, New York on January 18, 1910 Per research by my niece Judy, she found the original ship’s manifest showing Anna Kapusta and Mary port of departure was Bremen and sailed on January 4 th 1910. They arrived at the Port of New York on January 18, 1910 and processed through Ellis Island on the 19th of January. They were headed for son John Kapusta, Box 418, Jeanette Pa. Anna Kapusta was 5 Ft. tall with brown eyes and brown hair. Mary was 4 ft.10 inches tall with brown eyes and brown hair. It also shows they arrived with $20.00 in their pocket and Anna Kapusta paid both of their passages. They live with John Kapusta until October 29, 1910 when Mary married Louis Blaho and mother Anna move in with the newlyweds after the reception and lived with them all her life until age 95.
They moved from Duquesne, Pennsylvania to Chicago later to Kaleva Michigan and in 1926 one last move to a farm in Copemish, Michigan and she lived there until sometime in 1953 when Grandma Kapusta was sick and had to stay in bed. While Mom was lifting her she injured her back or hip and no longer could lift Grandma so that is when Grandma was put into the Manistee County care home. At the time being a teenager I didn’t think much of it but now as I write this I feel bad for what Grandma went through. She is 93 years old, came to America at age 50 never learned to speak English always lived with my parents and we all spoke Slovak with her when she was able to talk. But she must have had a stroke or something as in those later years all she did was mumble and I did not pay much attention to her. When I was born Grandma was already 75 years old and as long as I can remember she
was old bent over and just there. When able she would help with picking pickles and beans and whatever she could do. Talking with my older siblings they had stories about Grandma when she was younger, as a very proper and proud lady, standing straight and tall, working in the fields, taking care of the cow’s picking up stones from the fields, helping mom in the kitchen and taking care of the children... Also very fussy about keeping herself and everything else very clean. So to think she had to be put into a nursing home where she knew no one and could not understand what the nurses were saying. Sometimes when I would take Mom to see her we would find her tied in a chair... What a sad sight as we would see her deterioration over the last two years of her life. Mom would have liked to take her home but there was no way to take care of her because by now she had to be lifted in or out of bed or the chair. It was on January 23, 1955 when she died at the age of 95. And is buried in the Cleon Township Cemetery, Copemish, Michigan.
FLASH BACKS a few of my personal memories: In 1937 dad buys a new car and Mom goes to Manistee to work, this helps pay for the new car, she lives there Monday through Friday comes home on the weekends. She cooks, cleans and gets ready for the next week. Grandma takes care of me but I’m too young to remember any of that. My memories start when she had health issues and is over 80 years young. She is bent over, could not stand up straight anymore and moaned a lot. She wanted to go home to Slovakia and would walk away. To calm her down I would get the car and take her for about a five mile ride then bring her back home. Today we would call it Alzheimer’s back then they said she is just getting old and thinks about her home in Slovakia before coming to America. You asked if we called her Momka. Yes we did I thought the word meant Grandma however after looking up how to spell grandma in Slovak it is Stara Matka. I will say we did say (Momka with a warm feeling)
IMAGINE: You are Momka living in Slovakia Andreas your husband is a successful merchant and life is very good, you are 44 years old when your husband dies. Your son John and daughter Susanna talking about leaving for America then leave. You must feel bad they are leaving and you may never see them again. How do you manage Andreas, took care of everything. You have ladies helping with the house work and men for the farm work how will I take care of everything? Now 6 years later your son comes home to visit and is talking you into coming to live with him in America that your life will be so much better. After he leaves you make arrangements for travel with your daughter Mary for a better life as promised you by your son. It is hard to leave your home and country but you do. And arrive in Pennsylvania January 18, 1910. You don’t know anyone but your son and his family. Then in October when your daughter is getting married which your son promoted also you are to move in with Mary and her husband. And you do immediacy after the reception and stay with them until age 95. In future years you move with them to Chicago and you find the big city life is nothing like the small county village you were used to. From Chicago you move to a meager life in Michigan to a 40 acre farm with only 3 acres of cleared land for crops and a three room house with an
unfinished attic. It hurts to see your daughter Mary and Louis struggle clearing the land and trying to farm and very little money. How you must feel you had everything in Slovakia now you are stranded on this unforsaken land and you cannot speak English to talk with the neighbors imagine the heart ache. You live through the bad times and good days just to end up in an elderly care home with people you do not understand or can’t talk with, living your last days until are 95. My question is how does this make you feel? Remember you never learned to speak English, you lived with your daughter & son-in-law. You helped clear farm land, you lived through the U.S. depression, the war years, food rationing by the government ,took care of grandchildren, worked on the family farm and never owned anything only the clothes that were bought or made for you. You never received money for your property in Slovakia because the communist controlled country would not let it be sent to America. Again how do you feel, I would like to know?
Part 1 - Ben Blaho has written a series of essays about his family history. I appreciate the historical references that are included in the stories. Ben told me that his family bought property - sight unseen - from a man who was selling to other Chicago families for Springdale Township. You can read in this essay about that purchase -
ReplyDeleteMEMORIES OF ANNA KAPUSTA ( MOMKA)
She was born Anna Nudzi and married Andreas Kapusta. Not much is known about her as it was never discussed. I was not born until 1935 and I do not know/remember anything about her until she was 85
years young so I will fill in what I was told by Mom and my siblings.
By all accounts they were affluent, Because of what Mom told us in later years and by Documents found. Mom told me they lived in the village of Bella. They had hired men to work in the fields also take care of the animals. Her dad Andreas traveled with horse and wagon to sell his products. He went to other towns and villages in Slovakia. One of his products was selling lime. In my research I found documents dated 1885 through 1905 which show that he was also selling and buying produce in Russia. By all accounts he was a very successful merchant and business man. Mom talked about her mother that she had women helping her with the house work. And they had a big fire place with an oven in it to bake bread, also a large stone ledge big enough to lay on and take a nap. Mom remembered her dad being a very loving father that would sing hymns and other songs that he was a very happy man, and she missed him very much after his death when she was eight years old. Mom was too young to know many facts about her mother while living in Slovakia but Mom did share that her parents had eight children born. Because some died at early ages due to sickness and others drowning in a river or creek that ran through their property. Only three survived, a brother John, a sister Suzanne and herself.
The year must have been 1909 when son John came home to visit from the United States. While he is home he talks his mother and Mary to come to America and live with him. So they make arrangements
and aboard the ship S.S. PRINZ FRIEDRICH WILHELM SAILED INTO THE PORT OF ENTRY New York, New York on January 18, 1910
Per research by my niece Judy, she found the original ship’s manifest showing Anna Kapusta and Mary port of departure was Bremen and sailed on January 4 th 1910. They arrived at the Port of New York on
January 18, 1910 and processed through Ellis Island on the 19th of January. They were headed for son John Kapusta, Box 418, Jeanette Pa. Anna Kapusta was 5 Ft. tall with brown eyes and brown hair. Mary
was 4 ft.10 inches tall with brown eyes and brown hair. It also shows they arrived with $20.00 in their pocket and Anna Kapusta paid both of their passages. They live with John Kapusta until October 29,
1910 when Mary married Louis Blaho and mother Anna move in with the newlyweds after the reception and lived with them all her life until age 95.
They moved from Duquesne, Pennsylvania to Chicago later to Kaleva Michigan and in 1926 one last
ReplyDeletemove to a farm in Copemish, Michigan and she lived there until sometime in 1953 when Grandma
Kapusta was sick and had to stay in bed. While Mom was lifting her she injured her back or hip and no
longer could lift Grandma so that is when Grandma was put into the Manistee County care home. At
the time being a teenager I didn’t think much of it but now as I write this I feel bad for what Grandma
went through. She is 93 years old, came to America at age 50 never learned to speak English always
lived with my parents and we all spoke Slovak with her when she was able to talk. But she must have
had a stroke or something as in those later years all she did was mumble and I did not pay much
attention to her. When I was born Grandma was already 75 years old and as long as I can remember she
was old bent over and just there. When able she would help with picking pickles and beans and
whatever she could do. Talking with my older siblings they had stories about Grandma when she was
younger, as a very proper and proud lady, standing straight and tall, working in the fields, taking care of
the cow’s picking up stones from the fields, helping mom in the kitchen and taking care of the children...
Also very fussy about keeping herself and everything else very clean. So to think she had to be put into a
nursing home where she knew no one and could not understand what the nurses were saying.
Sometimes when I would take Mom to see her we would find her tied in a chair... What a sad sight as
we would see her deterioration over the last two years of her life. Mom would have liked to take her
home but there was no way to take care of her because by now she had to be lifted in or out of bed or
the chair.
It was on January 23, 1955 when she died at the age of 95. And is buried in the Cleon Township
Cemetery, Copemish, Michigan.
FLASH BACKS a few of my personal memories:
ReplyDeleteIn 1937 dad buys a new car and Mom goes to Manistee to work, this helps pay for the new car, she lives
there Monday through Friday comes home on the weekends. She cooks, cleans and gets ready for the
next week. Grandma takes care of me but I’m too young to remember any of that. My memories start
when she had health issues and is over 80 years young. She is bent over, could not stand up straight
anymore and moaned a lot. She wanted to go home to Slovakia and would walk away. To calm her
down I would get the car and take her for about a five mile ride then bring her back home. Today we
would call it Alzheimer’s back then they said she is just getting old and thinks about her home in Slovakia
before coming to America.
You asked if we called her Momka. Yes we did I thought the word meant Grandma however after
looking up how to spell grandma in Slovak it is Stara Matka. I will say we did say (Momka with a warm
feeling)
IMAGINE: You are Momka living in Slovakia Andreas your husband is a successful merchant and life is
very good, you are 44 years old when your husband dies. Your son John and daughter Susanna talking
about leaving for America then leave. You must feel bad they are leaving and you may never see them
again. How do you manage Andreas, took care of everything. You have ladies helping with the house
work and men for the farm work how will I take care of everything?
Now 6 years later your son comes home to visit and is talking you into coming to live with him in
America that your life will be so much better. After he leaves you make arrangements for travel with
your daughter Mary for a better life as promised you by your son. It is hard to leave your home and
country but you do. And arrive in Pennsylvania January 18, 1910. You don’t know anyone but your son
and his family. Then in October when your daughter is getting married which your son promoted also
you are to move in with Mary and her husband. And you do immediacy after the reception and stay with
them until age 95. In future years you move with them to Chicago and you find the big city life is
nothing like the small county village you were used to. From Chicago you move to a meager life in
Michigan to a 40 acre farm with only 3 acres of cleared land for crops and a three room house with an
unfinished attic. It hurts to see your daughter Mary and Louis struggle clearing the land and trying to
farm and very little money. How you must feel you had everything in Slovakia now you are stranded on
this unforsaken land and you cannot speak English to talk with the neighbors imagine the heart ache.
You live through the bad times and good days just to end up in an elderly care home with people you do
not understand or can’t talk with, living your last days until are 95.
My question is how does this make you feel? Remember you never learned to speak English, you lived
with your daughter & son-in-law. You helped clear farm land, you lived through the U.S. depression, the
war years, food rationing by the government ,took care of grandchildren, worked on the family farm and
never owned anything only the clothes that were bought or made for you. You never received money
for your property in Slovakia because the communist controlled country would not let it be sent to
America. Again how do you feel, I would like to know?