I am 1/2 Ukrainian. My maternal grandfather was born in the Ukraine in 1896. He came with his parents to the U.S. in 1912, at the age of 16.His name was John Sobolowski. My maternal grandmother was born in the United States, but her parents were born in the Ukraine. Her name was Anna Maholick. I don't know much about their life in the Ukraine, but I do know from my mother, Olga, about their life here. My mother never spoke English until she went to school at age 6. She was raised in the Russian Orthodox Church. My grandparents were very upset when she married outside her Church (my dad was raised a Southern Baptist). My mother called December 25 "Englishers Christmas." They celebrated on January 6. Easter was also a week later than ours. Easter morning they would take a basket of food to Church to be blessed by the priest. They would crawl on their knees from the rear of the Church to the altar with the basket of food.
I went to services at the Church when I visited my grandparents. The service was in Ukrainian, and the priests used an incense dispenser. The men sat on one side of the Church, and the women on the other. I saw my cousins married in traditional services with the crowns and the walk around the altar. I saw the beautiful icons and the onion domes atop the small Church.
My grandparents lived in Coaldale, PA, a small coal mining town in Eastern Pennsylvania, near Tamaqua and Pottsville. I remember coal dust everywhere (my grandfather used to stoke the furnace for the coal mine) and looking through piles of coal for "sulphur diamonds." I remember pieroghis and halupki (neither of which my kids nor my husband will touch!) I never wanted to taste borscht!
My oldest daughter, Lara, stumbled on a ship's passenger list one night while cruising the 'net. She found her great-great grandfather (my great-grandfather) listed as a a farmer. He was listed as Ivan Sovoloski. The ship came from Kiev to New York. It was in 1912, which is the correct year. I have been in all the sites I could find that have ship's lists, and have, so far, not been able to find this site again. The spelling of the last name makes sense, since the Russian letter for a "v" looks like our "b." And, Ivan translates to John in English.
My Aunt Anne died 12/30/99. She was my Uncle Walter's (my mom's brother's) wife. My mom has a sister named Anne, so they called Walter's wife "Walter's Anne." Uncle Walter and Aunt Anne never had any children, only each other. Aunt Anne and Uncle Walter lived four blocks from my grandparents. My sister and I would walk to Aunt Anne's for waffles or whatever she could make on the latest kitchen gadget. Aunt Anne loved to shop, cook, and crochet. I was thrilled when she sent me one of her afghans. Aunt Anne didn't "do" funerals, even when my grandparents died. I am sad she is gone, but she was the type of person you can only remember with a smile. I know she would be very upset with the Russian Orthodox funeral she will have. God Bless, Uncle Walter.
One year later-Uncle Walter joined Aunt Anne. He mourned her to the end. He stayed with my Aunt Sonya (my mother's younger sister) the last few months and died after breakfast one weekend morning. I will miss him, but I know he is much happier where he is. Interestingly, his will has his last name spelled "Soboloski," not "Sobolowski" like my grandfather. (My grandmother was "Sobolowsky," the feminine of her husband's name.)
My husband is mostly English (which is my other 1/2 of my ancestry). He is a direct descendant of the Calverts, Lord Baltimores who settled Maryland. We have been to the Maryland State Capitol building in Annapolis, MD. There are portraits there of the Lords Baltimore. My husband bears a striking resemblance to his ancestors! My children have done reports for school on the Lords Baltimore, and even their teachers have commented on the resemblance! My husband's family owned the farm in Landover, MD where the new Redskins stadium is now located. That land was an original land grant from England to my husband's family. The rest of his ancestry is a mix of Czech, French, and Blackfoot (his mother is from Oklahoma.)
One of our children joined our family through adoption ( Joey's Story ) We are fortunate to have contact with the birthmother. His ancestry is mostly Portuguese, as well as French, English, and Cherokee.
Text Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001 Jean Marie Wilson. Must Be Referenced In All Documents
My Web Pages This page has links to my other pages. I have pages on adoption, travel (this page also has links to live cam shots of various places such as Yosemite and Geneva, Switzerland), education, reading material I enjoy, my family and children (pictures included) my cats (more pictures), cooking, and my herb garden. Please check them out, and enjoy!
Adopt from Ukraine Club This club is for people who have adopted from the Ukraine or who are interested in adopting from the Ukraine. It was started by an adoptive mother of two Ukrainian children.
