John T.

Alliance City Cemetery.

Born in Wales in 1833.

Harriet

This is going to be one short post.

Harriet P William born circa 1815 in MA.

She marries Abraham Miles in December 1835 in Cleveland.

They appear on and off in the census for the Euclid area.

Harriet dies May 9, 1892 in Cleveland. Her body was sent to Independence Township Vault by a municipal Cleveland Cemetery.

That's it. I know nothing more. Harriet is a true enigma.

Lois Sullivan McBride

Lois was, technically, my grandmother's niece; however, they were about the same age. She and her sister Anna Mae grew up very close to "Marge" aka my grandmother! I've been told the girls were much like sisters.

I MUST have met Lois once and it was likely at Anna Mae's funeral. At the time, I was about 10 years old and don't recall significant details. Her son, cousin Jim, was kind enough to send me some photos her.

Lois was quite a beautiful woman and Jim said the three girls looked quite a bit alike:) She and her husband raised two boys together. Lois passed away in 2001. 

I see the resemblance to my grandmother here!

With her husband and boys.

The Paz's

This entry is to be about an entire family - one that we simply call "The Paz's".

On my maternal side, my great-grandmother was Mary Logan. Mary's sister Catherine married Xavier F. Pazderski who was the "first Paz".

Paz was known as a big burly Polish man that worked as a firefighter. The couple had two son's and my family has maintained the closest bond with his son, John Pazderski's family. Two of John's children are still living and one, known as Cousin Dick passed away several years ago.

Xavier & John Pazderski

When I was younger, John's daughter Carol (along with her husband) lived with us in Arizona for a bit. Carol shared family recipes, photos, and I have very fond memories of my time with her. After living in Arizona for a short while, they returned to Michigan where they reside today. Carol is my 2nd cousin, 1x removed and I love corresponding with her. We call each other "big cuz" and "little cuz".

John and Richard (Dick) Pazderski

Of note, Carol's Dad John was responsible for saving my mother's Uncle John Evans. John Pazderski & John Evans were first cousins about the same age. The family story goes that Uncle John contracted sun stroke (or some other illness) and it was John Paz that nursed Uncle John back to health. Although Uncle John was never "right" in the head, he outlived all of his siblings.

We might be becoming distant cousins but we still share a strong bond with this special family!

The Welsh Connection

I do have Welsh ancestry on various sides of my family but the one of the clearest connections is the Jones/Lewis one.

My 3rd great-grandmother (paternal) was Hannah Lewis (married name Jones) born 13 May 1841 in Llangynllo Wales.  Not much is known about her early life before she came to the US with her husband John.

From John's estate records Hannah did not read or write. She and John settled in Alliance, Ohio and had 10 children, the second of which (Sarah) was my 2nd great-grandmother.

I hope to go into John's estate further later this year but what is clear is that it dragged on for a very long time. The family farm was run into the ground and Sarah's husband (known as Uncle Rar) petitioned the court to sell it off. Hannah then relocated to Cleveland to live near Uncle Rar & her daughter (known as Aunt Sarah). She died in 1926 and is buried in Alliance along with her husband. Her son Thomas is also buried with her.

The Ukrainian Connection

It's quite a coincidence that this week my notebook said write about Louis Polachek.

Louis was my great-grandfather and his homeland, now known as Ukraine, is in the middle of all out chaos right now.

I want to start by saying I've always felt drawn towards him as if he was a kindred spirit. Growing up, my mother would tell me they were having parades for me in Russia on my birthday. In reality, they were having parades for May Day - not my birthday! Two years ago I found some documents on Louis that left me shell shocked. We share a birthday, May Day babies. That might explain a few things!

Louis Polachek (C) flanked by sons Frank & Steve Polachek.

He was born Luka G Pawleczko in Staryi Sambir, Ukraine on May 1 ca. 1872 to Alec Polachek & Stella Storlecka. He was born Byzantine Catholic and his parents allegedly died at an early age. His marriage to my great-grandmother Yulia was arranged. At the time the region was known as Austria-Hungary aka Galicia.

Staryi Sambir is about 1 hour west, via car, from the Polish border. A good general history can be found here. 

Staryi Sambir's distance to the capital Kyiv.

Louis never attended school and could not read, nor write his native language.

He reportedly served mandatory military service for the Russian Empire. I do know that once he made his way to the U.S. he worked with an open hearth at U.S. Steel's Cleveland plant. A friend helped Louis secure a job as a palace guard and with the help of a Polish prince, he was able to save money to leave for the United States. He reportedly came first then sent for Yulia. They traveled from their village to Bremen, Germany and entered the Port of NYC.

This would classify them as first wave Ukrainian immigrants. According to Case Western Reserve's online database, those that came during this period, came for opportunity. They had seen jobs advertised with great salaries. Some came as strike breakers. Overall, most came to earn money and intended to return home. They never did. Louis & Yulia settled in Newburg Heights in Cleveland due to the large "Old Country" community.

Of his journey to America, not much is known. A cousin of my mother's may have some documents in her garage. His Smith Act Registration says he came in 1902 on the SS Moltke.

Smith Act Page 1

Smith Act Page 2

I do believe that he had sisters and that is something I am still working on. His grave has the original spelling of the family name along with an Eastern Orthodox Crucifix.

Who the F*ck is James V. Carter?

Everyone knows I love a good mystery. In fact, family mysteries are my specialities. While looking through a bunch of old photos, that belonged to my step-dad (Dave)'s family, I had some questions.

Coletta Todaro Coy Jones was Dave's Aunt. It wasn't until Dave was an adult that he realized Coletta was his father's half-sister. What does that really matter though, who calls someone "half-aunt"?

The family story was that Coletta's father was an Italian produce seller in Marion, Ohio. He refused to pay "protection" money to some crime syndicate and was killed. His widow, Dave's grandma Yanka, remarried in 1919. Nothing was ever spoken or known about the Todaro family. Dave grew up close with his Aunt Colletta.

Coletta & her husband, Paul, never had children. It was never spoken of why but Dave was invited over often for sleepovers. She also plied Dave's mother, Ruth, will endless child rearing advice that drove Ruth nuts.

Grandma Yanka (Margaret Yanka Todaro Coy) flanked
 Left: Coletta & Paul Jones
Right: Ray & Ruth Coy

Getting back to the box of photos, it was packed up from Coletta & Paul's house after they died. Direct from the source!

As I began to go through the photos, I wondered ...

Where are the Todaro's? Why are there no photos, documents, etc in here?
What is the truth about Coletta's Dad?
What even was her father's name?

This is the part where I stopped trying to solve one mystery and tripped over another.

Coletta was born in circa 1912 and Margaret remarried in 1919. Therefore, Mr. Todaro had to have died sometime between these years.  I found James "Jim" Totaro. Ironically his mother's name was Nicoletta, the name Dave says was Coletta's actual name before it was "changed".

Single gunshot wound to the neck.

Nicoletta died in 1931 in Ohio but I do not know if she had a relationship with her granddaughter. 

I searched a few more things. Seems everything was on the up & up the the Todaro legend. Something else was about to rear it's head ...

While going through the box I recalled seeing Coletta & Paul's wedding announcement neatly clipped in the album. They married in 1941. It regaled the marriage of Miss Coletta Coy & Mr. Paul Jones. No longer Todaro?

Doing some additional searches I found some more information regarding Coletta. As I never knew Coletta nor was she my family, I didn't anticipate the look of surprise on Dave's face when I said, " What is the story with Coletta's first husband? ". His response, "WHAT?". 

Maybe that's why she was using Coy? Why was she in Cleveland from Marion? Most importantly, who the f*ck is James V. Carter?

And so this new mystery begins .....