Maternal

Memorial Day 2013 – A Visit to Calvary Cemetery

joelowry1982 Bixler, Groucutt, Lowry, Maternal, Military, Paternal, Tombstone, Witt

I took some time out this Memorial Day to visit Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown, Ohio. Calvary is the ‘home’ cemetery, and countless relatives are buried there. My Lowry great grandparents and grandparents’ graves are just inside the gate in Section 55, so they were first stop. Last year or so, my aunts planted several Hosta plants, which have grown nicely around the grave.

My aunt Chris and I were just talking yesterday that there was no flag on my grandfather’s grave, and I confirmed that today. A quick visit to the cemetery office, which was open on Memorial Day to handle the crowds, rectified that situation. Chuck served in D Company, 28th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division during World War II, and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in the Battle for Brest, France. He took home part of a German grenade in his leg as a souvenir. You can read more about his military service on my other blog, The Wartime Letters of Private Charles Lowry, U.S. Army.
After leaving my grandparents, I wandered over to my grandpa Howard Witt’s grave. It was harder to find than I remembered, so I made a second visit to the cemetery office. He’s buried in Section 47, Lot 552, Grave 2, directly behind my aunt Renee Witt and her dad, John Santorilla. I was probably about 10 feet away the first time I went, but found it immediately after I stopped by the office. Howard’ grave also lacked a flag. Another trip to the cemetery office, a chat with the clerk about coming back to Youngstown, and back to the grave I went. At all the graves, I spent a few minutes of cleaning grass clippings, wandering around to read the other names before it was off to find my great grandpa and grandma Witt in Section 45.

My great grandparents Francis and Helen Witt are buried together with their daughter, my great aunt Helen Witt. I was fortunate to know two of my great grandparents, and Francis was one of them. He was always sitting in his recliner in his house on Osborne Ave when we walked in, would point his cane at me and say, ‘Hey, I know you!”. I’m sure he did, but with probably 40 great grandkids by the time he died, he just wasn’t quite sure of my name! When his daughter, my great aunt Helen, passed away in 2009, she was cremated and her remains are buried above her moms. She has a flower vase in her memory.

Next time I go, I’ll have to better prepare. Some basic gardening tools would have helped clear the grave markers a little better. There were a few older graves to the left of my Witt great grandparents that are almost completely lost to Mother Nature. A quick sprucing would save them from disappearing under the grass. I’ll add this to the list of things to do when I’m home this summer.

Family Recipe Friday – Porubsky’s Chili

joelowry1982 Maternal, Porubsky, Recipe

I haven’t been to Topeka in 20 years, but I’m certain that a small deli in Little Russia was putting out the same chili then that can be found there today. Topeka is the birthplace of my great grandmother Caroline Porubsky and an eponymous deli, Porubsky’s.

Porubsky’s Deli at 508 N.E. Sardou Street was first opened by Charlie Porubsky in 1947. Charlie is my 1st cousin, 3x removed. For those of you who aren’t good at figuring out cousin relationships (which was me, before my interest in genealogy), I’ll break it down for you starting with my 3rd great grandmother, Christina Porubsky:

Charles and my great grandmother Caroline were first cousins.
Charlie’s grocery and deli soon became famous for two things: hot pickles and chili. Now, I say all of this having never been to Porubsky’s Deli. But there’s enough on the internet for me to believe this is true. There’s even a documentary:
 
 
Porubsky’s chili recipe appears on a few different websites, and while I can’t verify its accuracy, I figured I would give it a try anyway and report back for my millions of loyal readers. So here, complete with photos, is the supposed Porubsky’s chili recipe:
Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 pounds coarsely ground chuck
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • Two 16-ounce cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • Tobasco to taste
  • Saltine crackers

  1. In a large skillet or gallon pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil until they are soft.
  2. Add the beef and salt. Cook until the beef is completely browned, breaking it up with a fork as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat.
  3. Add the chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire, sugar, tomato sauce, and 2 cups water.
  4. Bring the chili to a low boil and summer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add the beans and simmer 15 minutes more.
  6. Add the Tobasco and more salt, if desired.
This was delicious!
The chili was a winner in my book. A very simple beef and red bean chili with great flavor and mild heat. You could obviously jack that up with more Tabasco or by adding red pepper. I added a few dashes of Tabasco and it was perfect me for. If you’re looking for a great, simple recipe, give this one a try.
Links:

Sources:
Jane and Michael Stern. Porubsky’s Grocery Store Chili – Kansas. The Recipe Link. http://www.recipelink.com/cookbooks/1999/0767902637_1.html. Accessed May 8, 2013.

Matthew Porubsky. “Porubsky’s Transcendent Deli.” YouTube. Gizmo Pictures, August 9, 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctCI3Ss2lUg. Accessed May 8, 2013.

Military Monday – The Escape and Evasion Report of Francis Witt

joelowry1982 Document, Maternal, Military, Witt

On March 4, 1944, my great uncle Francis Witt, Jr. was a pilot with the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 384th Bombardment Group. He flew 10 successful combat missions before his luck ran out. He was forced to bail out of his B-17 over France after dropping bombs on Berlin.

Thanks to the efforts of a group of historians to collect and archive information related to the 384th Bombardment Group, Francis Witt’s evasion and escape report is available for anyone willing to undertake a quick Google search. This report was written by Francis after being ‘recovered’ in May 1944. It’s an incredible 30+ page narrative with supporting documents that he wrote showing that although he crashed only 25 miles from the English Channel in NE France, he took a 1,500 mile journey to Gibraltar and then back to Bristol, England, evading capture. It details all the support he received from locals, things he carried with him and his escape route. You will see that Francis was lucky; of his 11 person crew, only three evaded capture. (And Francis only barely, as you will read). Eight more were guests of the Fuhrer in POW camps for the remainder of the war.

Using information provided in his report, I was able to map his journey. The map points A (Bruchamps, France) through J (Montauban, France) are correct, but his report doesn’t state how he traveled from Montauban to Gibraltar (point K), so I let Google Maps take care of that route for me. (map no longer available)

My uncle Tom actually transcribed this document, which makes it slightly easier to read. However, there is something to be said for reading it in Uncle Francis’s own hand. You can read the transcribed document by clicking HERE.

Sources:

Mystery Monday – Who Murdered John A. Witt? Part 2: The Autopsy Report

joelowry1982 Document, Maternal, Mystery Monday, Witt

I previously wrote about the murder of my great grand uncle John Witt (here). In the intervening time, I made some inquiries to see if I could learn about this tragic event. A member of the Allegheny County Genealogy Facebook group informed me that the University of Pittsburgh Archives Service Center maintains the case files for the Allegheny County Coroner’s Office from 1887 through 1974. A quick reply to an email, a $12 check and two weeks of patience provided me with John’s autopsy report. I share it with you here with a warning that certain parts are graphic and include scientific descriptions of the bullet wounds, organs, and John’s physical condition. While it’s certainly sad to think that such a report is even necessary, it’s also a reminder that his murder is unsolved and forgotten by many. Hopefully, we can work to change that.

Sources:
“Autopsy of John Albert Witt,” Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coroner’s Office Records, collection AIS.1982.07, box 506, record 194211-246, University of Pittsburgh Archives Service Center, Pittsburgh.

Family Headstones

joelowry1982 Maternal, Paternal
1981_Albert_Schulmeister_grave1981_Albert_Schulmeister_familystone1970_Joseph_Schulmeister_grave
1970_Joseph_Schulmeister_familystone1956_JohnPorubsky_Headstone1937_Michael_Schummeister_grave
Matthew Porubsky HeadstoneSylvester Porubsky HeadstoneJohn Porubsky HeadstoneGeorge Porubsky HeadstoneEverett PorubskyCarl and Elizabeth Porubsky
Charles and Lydia PorubskyDSC01371aDSC01372aDSC01373aDSC01374aDSC01376a
Family Headstones, a set on Flickr.

Maybe you can’t visit that family cemetery in Kansas, California or Ohio? I have a few headstone photo that I’ve taken, and a few generously donated by other genealogists. You’d be surprised how active the Find-A-Grave community is. Ask for a headstone photo in a far away place and your request is usually filled within a week.

Wordless Wednesday – A Cousin’s Baptism

joelowry1982 Maternal, Wordless Wednesday
Family collection.
When looking through my parents photos, I quickly recognized the location of this 1977 baptism as the basement of Saint Rose Church in Girard, Ohio. Saint Rose was where I went to elementary school; the stained glass windows in the basement stick out.
My older cousin Jake Sofranko is being held by his mom Julie, with dad Bill in the gray suit. My mom is the godmother in the blue dress.

Wordless Wednesday – The Porubsky’s

joelowry1982 Maternal, Porubsky, Wordless Wednesday
Family photo. Click to enlarge.
Dapper in their floral print, this is my great, great grandparents Carl (1885 – 1962) and Elizabeth Schulmeister (1887 – 1977) Porubsky. This photo was probably taken near their home in Topeka, Kansas. Carl was a Volga German born in Saratov, Russia who immigrated to the United States in 1901. Elizabeth was born in the United States. Her parents were likewise Volga Germans who had immigrated in 1886.

Wordless Wednesday: No longer on the demo list…

joelowry1982 Lowry, Maternal, Paternal, Wordless Wednesday

It’s all well and good to say that Youngstown needs to demolish more houses, and it does. Its good policy in a shrinking city. It’s hard to recognize that these were once homes. In this case, 233 West Dennick Avenue, my childhood home, met it’s fate on Tuesday courtesy of a backhoe and a Federal grant.

A few fond memories…

(click on a photo to view slideshow with larger photos)

(Cross-posted to the Y-town is My Town Blog.)

Photo of the Day: The Witt Siblings

joelowry1982 Maternal, Photo Friday, Witt
Among the many photos that I scanned over Christmas was this amazing shot of my grandfather Howard Witt and his siblings. Based purely on perceived age, and no doubt requiring some straightening out by my aunts and uncles, are:
(l to r, back), Francis (1920 – 2002), William (1922 – 2011), Governor (1919 – 2004)
 (l to r, front) Frederick (1924 – 2009), Howard (1929 – 2001), Ruth (1926 – 1932)
The only sibling missing is Helen (1934 – 2009) who was not yet born when I estimate this photo was taken around 1930.
If you know better than I, can you help me correct the identification? Thanks! (corrected by my mom! Thanks!)