My paternal grandfather, Alex Kudrick, or as we grandchildren called him, "Zeddo" (grandfather), was the second husband to Anna Scšur following the death of Janos Bartko, her first husband.  As I remember him, my Zeddo was a wonderful man who loved his family, especially his grandchildren.  I never heard him speak a word in anger although I am sure that he had his moments like most of us.  One of his favorite gifts to his grandchildren  was a brown paper bag full of green spearmint-leaf candy.  When he thought we deserved it, he used to delve into this bag and provide each of us "wild-eyed younguns" with a piece of tasty and refreshing candy.

According to church records, Alex Kudrick, was born to Juraj Kudrick and Elizabeth Bigan in 1871 in the village of Kaluža (pronounced Ka-loo-sha).  Kaluža is in Ung (pronounced Oosh) County in northeastern Slovakia approximately 22 miles from the Slovakia/Ukraine border.  The village is currently located between the Slovakian towns of Humenné and Michalovce.  Kaluža is also approximately 45 miles southeast of Sarišske Cierne, the village were Anna Scšur, my paternal grandmother was born.   Interestingly, one of Alex's sisters birthplace, according to her obituary,  was listed as Brezno in Slovakia giving us two birthplaces for the Kudrick family.

Alex was the oldest of five children.  His only brother Michael emigrated to America and settled in the Clairton area outside of Pittsburgh where he gained employment in the steel mills.  Michael was joined in Clairton by Alex's sister (Anna) who married John Lazar and lived next door to Michael in a duplex house on St. Clair Avenue in Clairton.  A second sister named Julia emigrated to Youngstown, Ohio where she married John Burkett.  A third sister, name unknown, remained in Slovakia.

Alex's brother, Michael, and his sister Anna spelled their name as Kudrik.  Both Michael and Anna emigrated to the Clairton, Pennsylvania area after Alex had emigrated to the Luzerne County, Pennsylvania coal fields.  As I recall, there was little contact between Alex and his siblings after they arrived in America.  Interestingly, Alex's brother and sister from Clairton spelled their surname as Kudrik,i.e., without the "c."  Alex initially spelled his name without the "c," but at some point after Alex emigrated to America the "c" was added.  Relatives in Slovakia apparently also spell their name without the "c."

On June 20, 1898, Alex Kudrick and Anna Scšur Bartko, widow of Janos Bartko, received their approved marriage license application from Luzerne County officials.  At the time of their application, Alex and Anna were living in a mining patch town called Sugarloaf.  This village was on the easternmost part of what would later be called East Diamond Avenue in the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania.  Alex, at the time, was working in the Sugarloaf Mines which were opened by a mining tycoon named Ario Pardee.

On July 2, 1898 Alex and Anna were joined in marriage at St. Mary's Greek Catholic Church in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.  At the time of their marriage, Anna was 30 years old and Alex was three years younger at 27.

At the time of her marriage to Alex, Anna had three small children:
     8 year-old Anna Scšur II Bartko whose father was unknown
     6 year-old Mary Bartko the daughter of Janos Bartko
     4 year-old John Bartko Jr. the son of Janos Bartko