Romanian Roots newsletter of the Romanian Genealogy Society Volume 1, Number 3 July 2012

Vicki Albu, Editor & President

his is the third quarterly Our members – and our ancestors -- have newsletter of the Romanian diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and Genealogy Society (RGS), formed religious affiliations. in November 2011. As researchers of Romanian family history, we face many challenges. Due to historical President’s Message boundary changes and migrations, our By Vicki Albu ancestors came from places including but not limited to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Since our last issue of the Newsletter in , , Transylvania, the , April, RGS was approved as a branch group Wallachia, Moldavia, and . of the Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS). Geographical place names changed, This not only strengthens depending on who held our partnership with political power at the time. MGS and its affiliated Our ancestors may have organizations, but it Our Next Quarterly been members of the affords many benefits to Meeting is Saturday, Catholic, Greek Catholic, our members, including August 18 at 1:00 p.m. Orthodox, Jewish, and other free use of the Library See Page 4 for details. faiths. Or, they may not have resources at 1185 N. attended any church or Concord Street in South synagogue. They may have St. Paul. The MGS site is settled in the United States, also the venue for most of Canada, or South America. They may have our quarterly membership meetings. migrated more than once, whether by force or by choice. Together we can strengthen our RGS continues its strong ties to the Heritage genealogy research skills and knowledge to Organization of Romanian Americans overcome these challenges. (HORA, www.hora-mn.org). HORA has offered to assist members with translation of Our organization is young, and we need to Romanian language documents. publicize our existence in order to expand our outreach and to generate membership Even though we are based in Minnesota, that interest, and the dues and donations doesn’t mean that our interests are limited to necessary for our ongoing support. Please Minnesota, or even to the Midwest. Our read the article inside this newsletter about organization exists to foster interest in the Charter Membership opportunity, and Romanian genealogy worldwide. We provide tell your friends and relatives about us. If you opportunities for the exchange of knowledge have not already paid your $20 membership about Romania; its language, culture and dues for calendar year 2012, please do so history; Romanian immigration and now. It is very much appreciated! migration; and Romanian family history.

Romanian Roots, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 2012, page 1

Romanian Roots since 2011 ISSN applied for

Newsletter of the Romanian Genealogy Society, a branch group of the Minnesota Genealogical Society www.mngs.org and affiliated with the Heritage Organization of Romanian Americans in Minnesota www.hora-mn.org Contact us at: Romanian Genealogy Society Attn: Vicki Albu 326 23rd Ct. S., South St. Paul, MN 55075 www.Facebook.com/RomanianGenealogySociety E-mail: [email protected] WANTED: Membership dues are $20.00 per calendar year. Library Donations 2012-2013 Officers: Donations to RGS are tax deductible. We are Vicki Young Albu, President Dorrene Dragos Hern, Secretary looking for donations of books or money to Peggy Corniea, Treasurer purchase books and reference materials on Romanian history and family history research, for our library shelf at the Minnesota Genealogical Society. We welcome cash donations and new and gently used books and maps related to the history, culture, and genealogy of , including Austria-Hungary and other lands where ethnic Romanians lived.

Library donations will be housed at the Minnesota Genealogical Society Library at 1185 N. Concord in South St. Paul, and will be available to all researchers who use the library.

Romanian Heritage Please contact Vicki Albu at [email protected] Festival in Chicago or by phone at (651) 402-6805 if you have any questions.

On July 1, RGS members Vicki Albu, Dorrene Dragos Hern, and Ann Popa Bongard traveled to Illinois to enjoy the Third Annual Romanian Heritage Festival, and to distribute brochures and spread information about our organization.

There we were treated to Romanian sights, sounds, and flavors, including a variety of Romanian music and dancing, a costume parade, sarmale (cabbage rolls), and pastries from the Ovy Transylvanian Bakery.

For more information see http://romanianheritagefestival.com/

Romanian Roots, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 2012, page 2 Membership Drive: Charter Membership in RGS

Every new member who joins Romanian Genealogy Society between the date of our formation in November 2011 and January 31, 2013 will receive a Charter Membership certificate to recognize their support of the establishment of the Romanian Genealogy Society. Certificates will be issued in early 2013 and are suitable for framing.

If you know anyone with Romanian roots, or Please send the names and addresses or e-mail someone who has an interest in Romanian addresses of people who might like to receive a family history, please recommend that they sample copy of our newsletter to the address join our organization! We count on inside this newsletter. We’ll send them a copy membership dues and tax-deductible with your compliments. contributions to print and mail the newsletter, and to keep our Society We need to raise funds through membership operating. Membership dues are only $20 dues to carry out the work of RGS. Thank you per calendar year and include these for helping us to reach a broader audience benefits: throughout the U. S. and beyond!

 Four mailed, or e-mailed, newsletters per year, containing Vicki Albu, RGS President research tips and other valuable information;  Free admission to membership Your Ideas Matter meetings where you will learn about

topics like immigration history and This newsletter is intended to serve how to do genealogical research of the membership of Romanian Romanian ancestors; Genealogy Society. While much of the  Free use of the Minnesota content of this issue pertains to Genealogical Society Library in Romanians of Minnesota, it is not our South St. Paul, Minnesota; intent to limit our coverage to Minnesota. We are interested to know what you would like to  Publication in our newsletter of the see in future newsletters. surnames you are researching;  Free research advice (send us a letter Do you have a Romanian family history and related photographs or historical documents to with a specific question you want to share with other readers? have answered); Do you have a question that you would like to  Assistance with translation of pose to us or to a researcher? Romanian language documents;  An opportunity to share your family What else would you like to see here? stories and photographs with other members. Don’t worry about whether Please drop us a note or an e-mail to [email protected] to let us know your you are a writer. We will even write the requests and preferences. story for you!

Romanian Roots, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 2012, page 3

Upcoming Events

Saturday, August 18th - 1 pm to 4 pm Romanian Genealogy Society Quarterly Meeting MGS Library, 1185 North Concord, South St. Paul, MN. “Preparing for Research: What You’ll Find at MN Historical Society & Dakota County Historical Society.” No cost. Meeting will be conducted by Vicki Albu and Dorrene Hern. You should definitely attend this meeting if you plan to do any research on either of the Fall Tours (see below) on September 15th (Minnesota Historical Society) or October 20th (Dakota County Historical Society).

IMPORTANT: Bring to this meeting everything you know about your ancestors, preferably written down on family group sheets. If you have any questions before the meeting, give us a call at (651) 402-6805. We will help you to prepare for the research tours, so that you will be more likely to find the information you are looking for.

Saturday, August 25th - 4 pm to 7 pm - Annual Picnic – Minnesota Genealogical Society Thompson Park, W. St. Paul. Bring a dish to share. Everyone welcome! Bring a friend. $10+ donation.

Thursday, September 13th – 6:30 - 8 p.m. “Introduction to Genealogy” lecture by Vicki Albu at Robert Trail Library in Rosemount, MN (not a program of RGS). No cost. This is not a step-by-step beginning genealogy class, but a basic overview of what family historians do, and the kinds of information available. If you are looking for the class Genealogy 101, go to www.mngs.org for class schedules and information from the Minnesota Genealogical Society.

For RGS Members Only RESEARCH TOUR: Saturday, September 15th – 11:00 am - ? Closes at 4 pm Tour of Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul. You MUST RSVP for this event (651) 402-6805. No cost. Examples of records housed here are Minnesota vital records, census records, newspapers, much more.

Saturday, September 22nd 10-12:30 - DISCOVERING YOUR IMMIGRANT ANCESTOR’S EUROPEAN PLACE OF ORIGIN & IMMIGRATION, NATURALIZATION, AND ALIEN REGISTRATION RECORDS This class is offered at the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) by Jay Fonkert, a Certified Genealogist. There is a charge of $28, or $32 for non-members of either MGS or MHS. The Historical Society is located in St. Paul, near the Capitol. For more information and to sign up, see www.mnhs.org.

For RGS Members Only CULTURAL TOUR: Thursday, September 27th – 6:00 – 8:00 pm Tour of Serbian Cultural Center in South St. Paul. You MUST RSVP for this event (651) 402-6805. Formerly the Serbian Home, a lodge where fraternal organizations and community members met and celebrated, the facility is now operated as a museum by Ted Trkla. An optional admission donation towards support of the Museum is strongly encouraged. NOT handicapped accessible.

NORTH STAR GENEALOGY CONFERENCE, October 5 & 6, all day, Colonial Church of Edina The keynote speaker is D. Joshua Taylor, known to many genealogists from his appearances on NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? Josh will be presenting three sessions and there will be 20 breakout sessions by leading Midwest researchers, writers, and lecturers. Go to www.mngs.org to sign up.

Romanian Roots, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 2012, page 4 For RGS Members Only RESEARCH TOUR: Saturday, October 20th - 11:00 am - ? Closes at 3 pm Tour of Dakota County Historical Society in South St. Paul. You MUST RSVP for this event (651) 402- 6805. No cost. Donations optional. Examples of records housed here are Dakota County newspapers and census records, 1918 Alien Registrations, Catholic church records, local obituary files, and more.

Family History Fair – a free genealogy open house at the HCL Minneapolis Central Library Saturday November 3rd, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Several quick 30-minute learning sessions will be offered throughout the day.  Keynote speaker CSI Investigating Family History—Lois Mackin  Putting Grandpa on the Map—Jay Fonkert  1940 Census Gateway to the Past—David Suddarth  Unfolding Crisis: Minnesota in the 1860s—Mary Bakeman  Finding Family History in Military Records including the War of 1812, Civil War, Dakota War— Tom Rice  What is New in Online Genealogy—Trudi Campbell  Finding the Old Country Hometown in the U.S.—Mary Wickersham

Saturday, November 16th – 1 pm to 4 pm Romanian Genealogy Society Annual Meeting MGS Library, 1185 North Concord, South St. Paul, MN. A brief business meeting and light presentation will be followed by refreshments and informal conversation, Romanian recipe exchange, and photo/memory sharing.

If you would like to publicize an event in this space, please contact [email protected] with details.

Romanian Roots, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 2012, page 5 Names We Are DORRENE DRAGOS HERN: Searching DRAGOS before 1907 Korosbanya-Zsunk, Hungary aka Baia de Cris, Romania. Below is a list of members who have After 1907 lived in St. Paul, Ramsey indicated which family surnames and County, MN. geographical areas they are researching. Out of respect for members’ privacy, we do not publish their addresses. If an e-mail WAYNE TATE: address is not shown, please contact RGS to be put in touch with the person(s) who may LIPOVAN before 1922 Nagy Szent Miklos, share your research interests. Hungary, now Sannicolau Mare, Romania. Lived in Detroit, MI and MN. VICKI ALBU: [email protected] MINDA before 1890 Bucharest. SIMILEAN before 1920 . ALBU from Nagy Torak, Hungary, now VINGAN before 1890. Torak (Žitište), formerly Begecji, in All families lived in South St. Paul and St. Serbia. Lived in South St. Paul, MN Paul, MN. after 1906. BOATA, MOISESCU, SINITEAN, TINTOI from the area around Nagy Szent Miklos, Hungary, now Sannicolau Mare, Romania. Lived in South St. Paul and St. Paul, MN and Chicago. All Romanians who immigrated to Twin Cities, MN 1900-1930.

ANN BONGARD:

POPA from Feldioara, near Braşov, in Transylvania, Romania. Lived in St. Paul, MN.

ELENA BRETOI, KAREN HAWLEY:

BRETOI, PAPIU, PUSCAS of South St. Paul and St. Paul, MN.

PEGGY CORNIEA and SUE EPPEN:

FODOR, PENCSA, PENZA from Banat. Lived in South St. Paul, MN.

DARLENE DIMITRIE:

DIMITRIE, BIRCEA (BERCIA), GAVRILE, DRACSIN, TRAJLOVIC from Banat – Vladimirovac (Petrovasala); Serbia – , Klopodia, Romania.

Romanian Roots, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 2012, page 6

Romanian family history, and Eastern & Central underscored the need for the work of our European Family organization to continue.

History Conference Both RGS and our affiliate, HORA, the Heritage Organization of Romanian Recap Americans in Minnesota, staffed display tables at the conference, assisted by Our Romanian Genealogy Society (RGS) Nancy Young, Ann Bongard, and Arria co-sponsored the Conference on April 27- Giulian. We distributed information about 28, 2012, at Inver Hills College. The main HORA and RGS; answered questions sponsor was the about Romania, its Minnesota history, customs, Genealogical Society. and geography; In addition to three and sold sessions by nationally bookmarks, coffee known genealogist, mugs, maps, and speaker, and author, Romanian cookies. John Colletta, Ph.D., Many conference there were five tracks attendees stopped of breakout sessions by to congratulate to choose from: and welcome us. German/Pommern, Czech and Slovak, Polish, Romanian, 1867 Map Overall it was a and a General track very successful with topics of general and informative conference experience, interest to all genealogists (Using Maps in and we look forward to future Research, DNA for Genealogists). opportunities to gain and share knowledge about Romanian history and RGS presented three sessions. This fact genealogy research in Minnesota, the has historic importance, since it was the Midwest, and beyond. first time a complete Romanian track was offered at a major Midwestern genealogy Thanks to all who participated! conference. We are now, as they say, on the map.

Our sessions included “Researching Romanian Ancestors in the U.S.” by Vicki Albu and Dorrene Hern of RGS; “Romanian Holdings of the U of M’s Immigration History Research Center” by Did you know…? Daniel Nečas of IHRC; and “So You’ve Found Your Romanian Ancestral Village” You can find the Romanian Genealogy by Bogdan Filipescu and Raluca Octav of HORA. While attendance at the sessions Society on Facebook at was relatively low (between three and ten www.facebook.com/RomanianGenealogy persons at each, which is not unusual for Society. a newly introduced topic), it reflected a growing interest in the subject of 7

Some Romanian Words mama mother martor witness and Their Meanings matricula record

These words may be found in church and vital records. mirelui of the groom Romanian word endings may change depending on how they are grammatically used; therefore these words may be miresei of the bride encountered in different forms than those listed here. moaşa midwife ani years mort dead, deceased anul the year morţii of death bărbăt male naş godparent biserica church naşilor of the godparents botez baptized, christened nascerei of birth botezaţilor of baptisms născut born botezului of the baptism naşterei of birth căsătoriţi of marriages nelegitim illegitimate cel the one numele the name conumele surname oraş town cumatru godparent parochie parish data date părinte parents de of parinţilor of the parents decesul the death pentru for, pertaining to dîn from, out of prenumele the first name, Christian name domiciliu residence preotul the priest estras extract prunc infant (male) etate age pruncă infant (female) felul the cause religie religion femelă female sau or frate brother secsul the sex, gender fratele the brother şi and funcţia occupation sora sister gemeni twins soţia wife îngropării of burial soţul the husband judeţul district stare status, condition june youth tata father legitim legitimate văduv widower locul the place văduvă widow locuinţa residence vîrsta age luna month ziua day 8

Our Family Stories

Please send us your family stories, stories, recipes, traditions, photos, etc. and we will share them in this space. Or contact [email protected] or phone (651) 402-6805 to arrange an interview.

Lipovan and Related Families

Information and photos provided by member Wayne Tate, South Saint Paul, Minnesota

In February 2012, Wayne Tate sat down with Vicki Albu to talk about the Romanian ancestry of his wife, Ann Lipovan Tate, who died in 1990. Related surnames include Similean, Minda, and Vingan.

Ann Lipovan was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota in A 1925. She was born on Woodbridge Avenue, in a house that is no longer there, across from St. Mary’s Church. Her parents were Gavrila (“Gabriel”) Lipovan, born 15 September 1870 in Sannicolau Mare, and Flora Similean, born 1 January 1892 in Beba Veche. They were married in about 1922. It was the second of three marriages for Floarea.

Floarea Similean’s first marriage was to Mitru (“Mike”) Trlai, born about 1882.1 He was also from Beba Veche, a town near Sannicolau Mare, Romania. An industrious woman, Floarea sold enough tickets to America to be able to travel first class on the ship. When they first came to this country, they lived in St. Louis, Missouri until the late 1910s, and then came to South St. Paul, Minnesota. Previously practicing the Uniate Catholic faith, when Floarea came to Minnesota she went to the Romanian Orthodox Church because they spoke Romanian. Their son Petru (“Peter”) Trlai, born in 1913 in St. Louis, changed his last name to Thurley. Mike Trlai died in the flu epidemic in 1919, leaving Floarea a widow with a young son.

Photo at right: Nick Galetar, Gavrila Lipovan, and Peter Trlai on the steps of St. Mary’s Church in St. Paul, MN.

1 US Federal Census. Year: 1920; Census Place: South Saint Paul, Dakota, Minnesota; Roll: T625_829; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 31; Image: 1024. See listings indexed as Mike, Flora, and Peter Turley.

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Gavrila (“Gabriel”) Lipovan, born about 1890 in Sannicolau Mare to Ioan Lipovan and an unknown Vingan, came from a family of cabinet makers. His siblings were Ioan and Traian Lipovan. He went to school in Vienna and was an architectural engineer before coming to this country. He also served in the Austrian army, where he received an injury to his hip. He had been married in Romania to a woman who died of tuberculosis, leaving him with a son, Gligor Lipovan. Gavrila intended to bring Gligor to America around 1918, but when it was determined that Gligor had tuberculosis also, he had to remain in France.

Gavrila came to this country around 1921, and married Floarea Similean Trlai shortly thereafter. For a while the couple and their young daughter Ann and Floarea’s son Peter lived in Detroit, where Gavrila’s older brother John was building houses. Gavrila worked as a carpenter, including for some time around 1924 at the Great Northern Railway shops. At that time he lived at 219 5th avenue north in South St. Paul.2

Photo at right: David Similean, brother of Floarea Similean . He came to the U. S. in 1928 and tried to persuade his sister to return to Romania, with no success.

It appears that Gavrila’s brother Ioan (“John”) Lipovan may have lived for a time in South St. Paul as well, if he is the same Ioan Lipovan who registered there for the draft in 19183. The draft registration card shows that Ioan Lipovan was single, an alien resident living at 261 N. Concord Street, and born 16 October 1886 in Nagy Szent Miklos, Hungary, which was the name for the same place that is now Sannicolau Mare, Romania. Ioan Lipovan was a cabinet maker, working for John Costea (living at the same address), also a cabinet maker and furniture finisher in South St. Paul.

Gavrila Lipovan did much of the wood carving when St. Stefan’s Romanian Orthodox Church was built in 1924. Also around this time, he built a little house on 9th Avenue, down by the South St. Paul High School’s football field. “Now they’ve replaced it with a couple of town houses, but that was the house that Gabriel built,” Wayne recalled.

By 1928, Gavrila was working for Swift & Company. During a surgery on the mass in his hip in 1928, Gavrila died on the operating table, leaving Floarea a widow for the second time in less than ten years. Gavrila is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in South St. Paul.

Floarea had one brother named David Similean, who encouraged her to move back to Europe after Gavrila died, but she did not want to go. She was living in an apartment building or duplex on Concord Street in South St. Paul, likely near other Romanian families. While Floarea

2 St. Paul, Minnesota City Directory, 1924. 3 United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509 10

and son Pete Thurley worked in the packing plant, a neighbor babysat Ann Lipovan and a neighbor boy, Vasilie (“Vas”) Muntean, who became like a little brother to Ann.4 Eventually Floarea Similean Trlai Lipovan met and married Atanasie (“Tom”) Balos on 4 January 1935. Balos was born 15 December 1894 and came to this country around 1913, and lived for a while as a bachelor in Chicago. He traveled via steerage class and declared that he was a barber, which was untrue. Several months after their marriage, Floarea’s son Peter Thurley died of strep throat at the young age of 21.

Photo at left: Floarea Similiean Trlai Lipovan Balos with daughter Ann Lipovan and third husband, Atanasie “Tom” Balos.

Floarea Similean was the daughter of Pavel Similean and Eva Minda of Beba Veche, originally from around Bucharest. Beba Veche is a commune in Timiş County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Beba Veche, Cherestur and Pordeanu.

In addition to Floarea, they had children Persida (“Sida”), David, and two other daughters whose names are not known. One of Floarea Similean’s sisters, about twenty years older, had a son Simion Mesoana who came to Saint Paul around the early 1920s. Born about 1894 in Beba Veche, his name in this country was “Sam Meson.” Sam had a sister Mrs. Craciun and two Mesoana cousins who also lived in St. Paul, Anna Masson and a Mrs. Cossor.

Floarea Similean Trlai Lipovan Balos died on 6 May 1950. Tom Balos died in 1966.

Photo above right: Eva Minda Similean, mother of Floarea Similean (born 1892) , with two of her grandchildren, in Romania.

4 US Federal Census. Year: 1930; Census Place: South St Paul, Dakota, Minnesota; Roll: 1085; Page: 25A; Enumeration District: 33; Image: 477.0; FHL microfilm: 2340820. Sam and Anna Muntean and children Katie, 18, and infant Vasilie, are living at the same residence as Flora Lipovan and children, at 336 N Concord Street in South Saint Paul. Eli and Alice Balentich were enumerated at the same address. All but Anna Lipovan, age 4, Peter Thurley, 18, and Vas Muntean 10/12, were born in Romania.

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Romanian Roots Newsletter of the Romanian Genealogy Society a Branch Group of Minnesota Genealogical Society c/o Vicki Albu, Editor 326 23rd Court S., South St. Paul, MN 55075

E-mail: [email protected] www.Facebook/romaniangenealogysociety

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