 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Janos Bartko
My Ruthenian Roots by Joseph R. Kudrick
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unknown Grandfather
The father of Anna Scšur's first child is unknown, but he was identified as a local priest. I assume that he was of the Ruthenian faith and served in a local or nearby church. Anna helped at the church by cooking and cleaning in order to provide her family with much needed extra income.
Once it was determined that 21 year-old Anna was pregnant by the priest, her family decided that it was best for all concerned (except maybe Anna) to remove her from the village of Csarno and ship her to America where she could begin a new life.
Prior to her departure to America Anna's mother had sewn money into the hem of Anna's dress. The money was hidden in this manner to prevent her from being robbed or accidentally losing the money on her trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Obviously she needed funds when she arrived in America and this unique "bank" was a safeguard to assure that she had available cash upon her arrival at Castle Garden in New York harbor.
Anna's family had arranged for her to marry a young man named, Janos Bartko, from a near-by village who had already emigrated to Pennsylvania. Anna, pregnant with child, left Csarno for good. She would never see her parents, her brother and the father of her child again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Janos Bartko
Janos Bartko was born in 1860 in the village of Havaj in Saris County, Hungary which, of course, is now Slovakia. Havaj is located approximately 21 miles southwest of Csarno where Anna Scšur was born eight years later, in 1868. Havaj is currently located in the Presov Region of Slovakia.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steamship agents visited Ruthenian villages in Hungary acting as middlemen for northeastern Pennsylvania mine operators. The object was cheap labor. It is not surprising that many young men from Havaj left their homeland and ventured forth to gather the riches promised them in America. Janos Bartko was one of these vibrant young men willing to risk his life to attain the promised riches in the new world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Janos Bartko, in accordance with instructions for the pre-arranged marriage married Anna Scšur on July 6, 1890 at St. Mary's Ruthenian Catholic church in Freeland, Pennsylvania. Father Cyril Gulovich, who was the first priest to occupy the new rectory at St. Mary's, officiated at their wedding ceremony. Janos Bartko was 30 years old at the time of his marriage to the 22 ½ year-old Anna Scšur.
Marriage records from the Luzerne County courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania revealed that Janos Bartko had been married previously, but the marriage had been dissolved. This brings up an interesting possibility since little is known of Janos Bartko. Had Janos been willing to marry young women from Saris County in order to assist them in gaining admittance into the United States?
The actual cause of Janos Bartko's death is unknown at this time. Research of mining deaths in Luzerne County for the period of 1894 to 1898 failed to show his name among the mining deaths. I can only assume that he died of natural causes. Hopefully, information from St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic church in Hazleton will fill in the details on his death.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1890--St. Mary's Ruthenian Catholic Church
Freeland, Pa.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|