How Old Were You When You Last Saw Your Father?

Aniela and Josef Zabek

 Aniela Blanche Pater was either eleven or fifteen. It was not recently. Actually it was around 1900.  One hundred and thirteen years ago, give or take five years. No living family member remembers exactly when she left Poland for the United States of America.

Her friends here called her Angela. Her Civics teacher wanted to call her Nelly, but Aniela did not agree. Her son Casey told me that over the telephone today. I know how great the internet is, but I still can't get over the telephone.

In the family records that I have been keeping since 1975, in my handwriting, it is written that either Aniela or her husband Josef came on the SS Finland from Antwerp Belgium in 19I0. I wrote it between the two names. Casey's sister Florence says it was her mother, and they came through New York, New York. So then why does Ellis Island not have their names?  Furthermore I do not know how I came up with that information in the first place.

Would you like a poster or photograph of the SS Finland? Simply click here. Finding the Finland was simple. Thanks to Mr. Google. (Here, I've done the work for you . . . )

The Red Star Line was founded in 1871. It was an ocean passenger line and it ran from Belgium to New York, NY and Canada. The Finland was built in Philadelphia by Crank & Sons in 1902. Between 1873 and 1935, the Red Star line carried over three million passengers to North America. Isn't that fascinating? It is to me, anyway.

So tell me please. What years did Sandy's paternal grandparents Aniela and Josef emigrate? Kezia says emigrate means what country did you leave, and immigrate means what country did you end up in. Josef came to this country first. Aniela came next. They met in Adams. She had two sisters living in Adams Massachusetts. Mary married a Mr. Swistak and Sophie married a Mr. Zradi. He had a brother Stanley, also living in Adams. Work must have brought them there.

The Red Star Line traveled from Belgium to New York thirteen times a year. On board it carried 194 in first class and 342 in second class. You can Google the passenger lists. I did, but neither relative's name came up. I must have been using the wrong year. I simply added fifteen years to Aniela's birthdate to come up with 1906. But relatives are saying, "Maybe she wasn't fifteen when she came here from the old country." Casey today said she was only eleven.

Casimer and Florence, the last two children, remember addressing packages back to the old country. Did your grandparents refer to Ireland or France as the old country? Does that mean that Josef and Aniela could not read nor write English? At that time, in the Polish section of Adams, you probably could get by very well without either. I know it is the same with the Portuguese people of New Bedford and Fall River, even today.

Aniela's sister went back to Poland in 1938 for a visit. Aniela never wanted to go back. Josef planned to go back when he retired, but he died one month before his retirement at age sixty five. He was a butcher in a shop directly across from Saint Stanislas Kostka Church, at the corner of Hoosac Street and Summer Street. I think that you have been there once or twice.

Thinking back to why the children had to write the addresses. The 1920 or 1930 census would have all of that information. Did you ever see one? Marnie and I went to Waltham, Massachusetts years ago, and found with the 1900 census while I was researching the Bacon side of the family. It asks when you came here, how old you were, and from where. Occupation, address, number of children, and ages of everyone, and finally "Do you read or write English?" Fascinating stuff!

At the top is a photo that until very recently we did not know existed. Angela Blanche Pater married Josef Zabek twenty five years earlier. It is the only photo that we have of them when they were relatively young. It was a great find.

Thank you, 1900 census takers. Especially the ones that hand wrote so well that you can actually read them.

I will check out the 1920 and 1930 Adams Massachusetts censuses and get back to you. Maybe this coming winter. Or even next week, if this rain doesn't stop.


UPDATE: AUGUST 22, 2013

According to the 1930 Berkshire County Adams Massachusetts censuses, off the internet, as of today August 22, 2013, are the following truths.

• Aniela Blanche Pater married Joseph Zabek in 1912. She had two nicknames. Nellie, given to her by the official trying to get her settled in Adams. (Her youngest son, Casey, said in 2013 that she hated it, but it appears in both the 1930 and 1940 censuses as her American name.) The second nickname was Angela, which -- legend has -- she approved of.

• Again 1930 says Nellie came here in 1907.  Her birthday was September 1, 1891. So she was 16.  Not 11 like Casey said and not 15 like Cioci Florence said. Still very young to come across the Atlantic Ocean by yourself.

• So all the ship information in this blog goes to Joseph. 1930 said he was 20 when he got here. 1890, his birthday + 20 = 1910.  That connects with the ship information which I do not recall today where it came from.  The ships manifest confirms it. I have been working on our family trees since 1976 I believe. Now with the correct year, 1907,  I should be able to find her ship manifest, although the ship came over 13 times that year from Antwerp Belgium, I think. Well, it seems all the others did as well. So Aniela came here 3 years before Josef. That is how he spelled it for the ships manifest.

• The 1930 census also says that they were married in 1912. Cioci Flo says the photograph in this blog was taken for their 25th anniversary. 1912 + 25 =  1937.

- Robert Francis Lemanski Zabek Bachan  Roberto Francisco Tocino Bacon