Philadelphia

Philadelphia When Stanley arrived in American in April 1937 he moved in with his sister, Mary and her husband, Casimir Prajzner to their two story brick row house at 2708 Alresford St. Philadelphia. At that time both brothers Frank and Joseph were still boarders there too. All three slept in the same back bedroom – just like they had in Poland. Stanley did not know that America was in a Great Depression and that times were hard here. The Prajzner’s like so many families had to watch their expenses. It seemed like they always ate Cornflakes. This was a come-down from the big farm meals he was accustomed too. Frank became especially fond of peas right out of the can. They had no refrigeration, not even an ice box. During the winter the next day’s sandwiches of veal loaf were hung to keep cold in a bag under the window sash. Stanley soon lost weight. Joe’s big news was that he was engaged to be married in only two months. Their bedroom would soon be less crowded when he moved out. His fiancée was Helen Flis of St. John Cantius Church in Bridesburg. The Flises lived in another two-story brick row house close by. Their house was on the corner and had a small sewing notions and clothing store, taking advantage of the intersection of Salmon and Croyden Streets. A living-dining room and a shed of a kitchen completed the first floor. It had what must have been the world’s smallest back yard which was little more than a concrete sidewalk surrounded by a fence and leading to a small alley. Everything in that house was small. But the neighborhood was well cared for. I remember that the wooden front door was decorated with fancy (finger-painted) wood grain. Frank Urbanek once said, after another meatless meal with the Prajzners, “Even the Flises sometimes serve chicken.” 46 The family was that of Thomas and Alexandra (Cendrowska) Flis. Both were Polish immigrants having been born there in 1888 and 1895 respectively and who had first met in the United States. Thomas (Tomasz) Flis was one of five sons of Mateusz (Mathew) Flis and Mary Białek. His World War I draft registration gives his birthplace as Janof (Janow, Austrian-Poland). The specific village and the creek running through it are both named “Flisy”! (See also Section Flis Family Documents.) What is believed to be the manifest from Tomasz’s arrival at Ellis Island says he came on January 26, 1910 on the SS Finland from Antwerp. His father is listed as Mateusz; age 20; height 5’-6”; single; with fair complexion. His destination is given as Uncle Mateusz Chmiel residing in Philadelphia, Port Richmond (which is just south of Bridesburg.) Tomasz Flis There are several “Tomasz Flis” entries in the records of Ellis Island and the Naturalization Office. Another Thomas Flis arrived on April 27, 1910 on the SS Kroonland. This Thomas Flis went to live with his brother Andrezj in Zanesville, Ohio. Confusion is compounded by the fact that Thomas Flis seems to have confused his year of arrival and ship on later official documents. My cousin, Bill Flis likes to ask, “What kind of name is Flis?” The answer follows, “It’s Polish--like the opera of the same name.” The storyline of the opera involves two rivals for a young maid’s hand who find out they are long- lost brothers. “Flis” is usually translated as “The Raftsman”. “Flis” Opera Album Cover 47 Thomas’ younger brother, Stanley came and settled in Canada. Stanley brought a wife and two children from Poland. (Stanley Flis would eventually die of lung cancer from working in asbestos mining.) Alexandra Cendrowska was the youngest daughter of the six offspring of Kazimierz Cendrowski and Susanna Kowalewska. When Alexandra’s mother, Susanna died her father, Kazimierz remarried and sired five more children. With eleven children in the household, Alexandra probably felt she wouldn’t be missed if she left. Alexandra arrived in New York City on August 10, 1910 on the SS Hannover from Bremen. (Some records say August 12, 1908 on the SS Statendam, but I cannot find any manifests from either ship. Another document says she arrived in Philadelphia.) Her age on one document is listed as 18; marital status single; ethnicity Polish; last permanent residence “Kesabo”, Russia (Russian-Poland). No such village “Kesabo” exists in Poland; the name was probably phonetically spelled by the interviewer. Alexandra’s brother, Josef listed his birth place as “Kosaki, Poland”. Kosaki is very near Krzewo; perhaps Krzewo is the mis- spelled village Alexandra had meant to be recorded. Krzewo is about 12 km east of Łomża, the home of uncle Pawel Cendrowski. Łomża itself is 90 km northeast of Warsaw. Alexandra’s youngest daughter, Melanie remembers her mother saying she was from “near Warsaw”. Map of Modern Day Poland On Map: Alexandra Cendrowska believed to be from Krzewo Thomas Flis believed to be from Janow, Lublin County Jan and Monika Urbanek were from the Krosno vicinity 48 The young immigrant was 5’-2” tall, clear complexion, with blond hair and brown eyes. Her occupation was maid, and she could neither read nor write. Alexandra’s passage was paid by her uncle, Pawel Cendrowski of 2671 Enset Street, Philadelphia, PA. Pawel (Paul) Cendrowski immigrated to the U.S. in 1907 with his wife, Marianna and child. Seven more children were born in America before Marianna died in 1920. Paul Cendrowski took a second wife, Bronisława Muzinska. One of Alexandra’s brothers, Antoine Cendrowski immigrated to Lyon, France in 1929. There his ancestors now live near Bordeaux, Lille, Alsace and perhaps Rennes and Savoie, France. Alexandra and Thomas married in Philadelphia in 1913. She had a job washing floors in the Bourse Building in downtown Philadelphia. In 1917, he listed his occupation as laborer at Pier 8 for the Reading Railway Co.. In the 1920 U.S. Census, Thomas listed his place of employment as a shipyard, as did his cousin, Dominick Flis. Dominick elsewhere identifies its name as “Cramp Shipbuilding” Later, during the Depression, Thomas was a laborer at the Quaker Sugar factory. I had heard that my grandfather’s thumb was lost in a railcar door accident. Dominick and Thomas coincidently both had severed thumbs. Thomas’ death certificate lists his occupation as “retired conveyor operator”. Thomas Flis was a very quiet man and a hard worker. He didn’t say much but when he said something it was very funny. His children thought he didn’t know the names of the colors. But I think he was color-blind, because I am too. Color-blindness affects mostly men, but it is inherited through the mother who is otherwise unaffected. Two adults and five children in such a small house were too many people so he spent a lot of his free time playing cards with his buddies in the local Polish Club. Pinochle was a favorite. 49 The kind-hearted Alexandra in contrast with her husband was very outgoing. She loved to dance and liked to get others dancing too. At Easter she would make babka, Polish sweet bread, and have her youngest daughter distribute them all over the neighborhood. She could barely sign her name. Alexandra shorted her name to “Alice” because it made for an easier signature. Daughter, Melanie remembers The Outgoing Alice Flis writing letters for Alice to send back to Poland. The 1920 U.S. Census records the Flis family living at 2722 E. Ontario St. in Port Richmond, Philadelphia. In addition to their own children, his cousin, Dominick Flis along with wife, Antoinette and infant daughter, Cecilia are listed as renting at the same address. Believed to be Thomas with Dominick and Family in 1920 The allure of returning to Poland in the 1920’s affected many Poles. One of Thomas’ cousins announced that he too was returning with the promise of prosperity. “Don’t believe them; you’ll be better off in America” he is reported to have said in an effort to dissuade his 50 relative. In 1922, Thomas himself applied for U.S. citizenship signing a standard petition in which he had to attest that, “I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist….” 4259 Salmon Street, Bridesburg, Today The couple bought a house with a corner shop at 4259 Salmon Street in Bridesburg, Philadelphia. To make ends meet Alexandria opened a dry-goods store in their home. It was known by word of mouth because there was no shop sign out front. She bought her wholesale goods downtown, bringing them home on a street car for resale. The three oldest girls: Genevieve, Helen and Wanda helped out in the store; the two children, Felix and Melanie were still too young in the 1930’s. During the depression Thomas was laid off by the sugar factory for two years before he was finally rehired. They raised their children, Genevieve (b.1914), Helen (b. 1916), Wanda (b.1920), Felix (b. 1926) and Melanie (b. 1930) in St. John Cantius parish where the children went to elementary school which was run by nuns. Religion in this Polish parish was practiced as seriously as back in the old country. The children grew up speaking Polish, but they did study English in school. I still have a Polish reader left over from St. John’ school and a Wanda Flis – Confirmation Portrait prayer book signed “Wanda Flis, 10 years old”. 51 Joseph had met Helen Flis along with her sisters, Genevieve and Wanda who all worked in the same dress making factory.

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