Our Ancestral Puzzle – Putting All The Pieces Together

By
Linda Kocheran Tygenhof

Mary Kocheran and a Friend

My grandparents Mary and John came from the “old” country, now Ukraine, near the city of Uzgorod, near the Carpathian Mountains. They were Russian Orthodox and brought their religion to the new country. The map shows the area where John and Mary Kocheran once lived. Please read more about Transcarpathia and our grandparents ancestral home here: http://www.simkovich.org/carpatho-rusyns.carpathorussianhistory.htm

The early 20th century posed many problems for foreign immigrants. Upon arrival to the US, learning the English language was a difficult obstacle. There were no programs set up for them to attend and learn English . The fact is, they LEARNED to speak in their new tongue - English. Immigrants learned the hard way by listening over and over to their friends, coworkers, and sometimes their own children who attended public school. Janos and Maria (my grandparents’ “old country” names) could not read or write. Education was not available to peasants in the old country.

In the early 1900’s, Europe as it exists today was entirely different. I wanted to know their birthplaces, why they left their homeland for the United States of America? Where did they reside once they settled here? What about their family; where is everyone located and how many of us are there?

A one-way steerage ticket back in the 1900’s was about $30.00 and passengers in their home country were able to purchase these tickets without making reservations. Getting aboard was “first come, first serve” for steerage. Representatives or “free lance artists” from the shipping lines would travel throughout European countries selling these tickets. Before 1900 passports were not required. Janos would need to obtain his passport somewhere around his place of birth. That might have been Uzhorod, Ukraine, the administrative center of the country.

Janos would have traveled from Ferszio Senewir, Hungary, and perhaps board a train at Uzhorod to Hamburg to board the President Lincoln. Traveling to the port would not be easy. If he could not afford a train, Janos might have traveled by wagon, donkey, or even on foot to wait to board the ship. While waiting, he would need to get his paperwork in order. A US visa would be required from the American consul.

After approximately ten days aboard the ship the President Lincoln, Janos arrived at Ellis Island, New York at the age of twenty-seven on May 24, 1913. His name on the immigration certificate showed the spelling of his last name as “Kuczerhan”. The first name was listed as Janos. For identification purposes, Janos would have had his country of origin’s documentation with him otherwise he would not be permitted to stay in the United States. Inspectors operated under strict orders not to make any changes on the immigrant’s documentation. And, these inspectors were comprised of immigrants themselves who knew many foreign languages. Therefore, it was easier for correct documentation to be processed. However, many years later it would prove to be like searching for a needle in a haystack for those of us who did not know our ancestor’s true names.

Our family’s surname and birthplace was found because of a site I found entitled Ukraine.com. I joined the site to be able to access the Genealogy Forum, hoping to find my grandparents and their place of birth. I could not speak Ukrainian. My father, however, can speak and understand a little Slovak. As a little girl even I picked up a few phrases that to this day I do not know they mean.

Janos, approximately five foot seven inches with blond hair and blue eyes had left his wife Maria and baby daughter Irene in the old country. Janos sailed to the United States, would travel to Export, Pennsylvania to find work as a coal miner, and save for ship fare for Maria to come and join him.

Maria and Irene had escaped the advancing war that would destroy their country. They would have to travel through Poland and to the Netherlands to board the ship Rotterdam for America. As an adult, I now can only begin to understand the anxiety, fear, and uncertainty that Maria must have felt leaving her homeland with a tiny, young daughter, alone, with hopes of peace, freedom, and prosperity. After all, there were no cell phones, let alone telephones. Telegrams were the mode of communication at the turn of the century.

World War I started about the time of my grandmother's departure from Europe with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28, 1914. The killer was found, arrested and found to be Serbian. Austria then issued an ultimatum to the Serbian government and with Austria’s alliance with Germany, declared war on Serbia July 28, 1914. Russia was an ally of Serbia and Germany went on to declare war on Russia and France. In a matter of days, Britain would escalate the war further by declaring war on Germany.

Janos and Maria were from Carpatho-Ruthenia (Latin version) or Carpatho-Russia or what is now the Ukraine. Janos and Maria had this location placed on their immigration papers. With the help of my new Ukrainian friends at Ukraine.com, they were able to tell me the area as it is known today: Synevirska Polyanian Mizhirskij rajon, district Zakarpatska oblast, Ukraine.

This has been a search of love, love for my parents, Steve and Theresa, and Mary and John, my grandparents. I wish as a child I had asked more questions, been more interested in their lives, and spent more time with them. Ah, well, someday I plan to ask them hundreds of questions when we meet again in heaven!!

Thank you Skip Magyar, Cheryl Silverio Eimer, Sue Harper (Irene Kocheran Payton's grandaughter), Bob Delong for all their help in closing up the ties to the story.

go here to see pictures of old Uzhorod at the time of Grandpa and Gram. http://ungvar.vox.com.ua/