Janas Family Geneology Updated 8/9/09
The Janas Family
The information provided is thanks to Aunt Sophie. I hope at 91 years, I retain half of
her astuteness. We worked well together. She triggered memories in my past and
vice versa.
Our Grand mother's maiden name was Josephine Kaszowitz. We called her Babka.
Our Grand Father was Wiktor Janas. We never met him. He was killed at the Nichols
Copper Plant on Old Maspeth Avenue. The LIRR ran through the property. When I
was a kid, the plant was known as the Phelps Dodge Reclamation Smelter. It is now a
hazardous waste site monitored by the EPA. Wiktor was 47 years old when he died
on Good Friday at 3PM, 76 years ago (1932). His mother's maiden name was Tekla.
After his death the children were required to work. Angie, Billie, Josephine and Sophie
were trained as comptometer operaters.
Our Grandparents were both born in Poland (Powiat Jeslo, Malva, Poland). They were
married at St. Adelbert's Church in Newtown (now Elmhurst). For the record you could
walk from 61st Street and Grand Avenue, Maspeth along Grand Avenue to 82nd
Street. Elmhurst (Sobczak Family home) in about twenty-five minutes. St. Adelbert's is
one block further on 83rd Street. The Q-58 bus ran along Grand avenue after I started
High School. It cost a quarter. Before the bus you rode two trolleys. The first ran
along Grand Avenue to the depot turnaround at 69th Street. There you transferred, for
free, to a second trolley that went along Grand Avenue to Elmhurst. The Depot was
eliminated by the construction of the Long Island Expressway.
Josephine and Wiktor had eight children:
Anna (1903) Now deceased. She had, Helen (now deceased) and Joey.
Helen married Joe Smith. They have a daughter Joanne. Joey is
lost to us. He stayed with his father when they separated. I
remember an uncle Murphy (Kazinlez Krajczynski). Aunt Anna
worked for a piece work clothing factory in what was called Pollack
Alley. Her boss was "Abie." She smoked "Old Gold" cigarettes. As
a kid, I made cigarette runs to the candy store (Eddies) on the corner of
61st Street and Clinton Avenue to keep her smoking. Aunt Anna's
second husband was my Grand Father, Ignatius Sobczak.
Angie (1905) Now deceased. She was killed in an accident at her home.
As she closed the below ground garage door and walked up the drive, the car
rolled backwards. Her husband was Kazimlez (Charlie) Goryszwski (changed
to Gory). They had one son Richard who is challenged. He is at a facility in
the Bronx, NY.
Josephine (1907) Now Deceased. She married Edward Sobczak. They had
two children, Thomas (me) and Patricia (now deceased). After the first Babka,
she was also Babka.
Mary (1912) Now deceased. She was known as Billie. Her first husband was
George Thom. The Thom family owned a Florist business in Elmhurst. The
marriage lasted five years. She married Bob Cuiffo. They had two children,
Philip (deceased) and Adele. Philip married Margie. Philip lived in New
Jersey. He operated a Card Shop.
Blanche (1915) Now deceased. Died from pneumonia at age 11 months.
Sophie (1917) Married Adam Krzeski (deceased). They had three children,
Raymond (deceased), Kenneth, and Janice. Raymond first married Marcella
(Marsha). His second wife was Anita (Kittie)
Victor (1920) (deceased 7/12/09) Married Jean. I have fond memories of their home in
Flushing and Aunt Jean's holiday baking. As a kid, I was in love with Aunt
Jean's sister Wanda. She and her husband, Zigmund (Ziggie)
never let me forget. Vic and Jean had Jane, Ann, Victor and
Janice.
Felix (1923) Now deceased. He married Gladys Rund (Chickie). They lived
on Perry Avenue (56th Drive) three houses passed Babka. They had a
Basement Apartment. Uncle Phil has the first Philco TV on Perry Avenue. It
was how many of us first met Milton Berle. They had Carol, Margaret,
Robert (deceased) and Joyce. He was called "Babe" by family and friends.
After Felix, Babka (my Grand Mother) had a miscarriage. This would have been her
ninth child.
The family lived in three rooms on the first floor at 164 Perry Avenue, Maspeth.
Perry Avenue became 56th Drive thanks to postal changes. When they moved upstairs
to five rooms the address had become 60-33 56th Drive. Uncle Vic and Uncle Phil
were members of the Maspeth Wolves Club. The headquarters was, in the than
Lithuanian Hall, next door,
Babka (my Grand Mother) had six sisters and two brothers. Her sisters were Antonette,
Pauline, Mary, Helen, Loretta, and Joann. Her brothers were John and Stanley.
Stanley was a soldier in WWI. He was missing in action and never found. Aunt Sophie
was not sure how many cousins we have from Babka's family. She knows one was a
NYS Supreme Court Judge (Babka was proud of him).
Grandfather (Viktor) had a brother Jacob. Jacob was married to Victoria (nee Vaeria).
They lived on Maspeth Avenue. They had five children, Anna, Julia, John, Teddy and
Jo-Jo. I remember Jo-Jo Janas. He was disabled (his arms never fully developed.)
When I attended St. Stanislaus Grammar School, Jo-Jo would hang out on the corner
across from the church (61st Street and Maspeth Avenue). He did odd jobs in the
neighborhood.
According to Aunt Sophie the sisters-in-law did not get along. Information about that
branch of the family is not available.
Fourteen Grand Children produced 46 Great Grand Children:
Thomas 6 Thomas married Mary Ann Florio. They have six children,
Thomas Jr., Michael, Katherine (changed name to Desiree Cain), Elisabeth (Leesa),
Deanna and Jessica.
Thomas, Jr. married Carol. They have Melissa, Julia and Lillian. Michael married and
divorced Iesha. Next he married Cindy (now divorced). They have Katie and Micayla.
Michael lives in San Diego, CA. Desiree had a partner Laura. They live in Kings Park,
NY. They had Nicole and Lucas. Later, after they parted, Desiree had Isabella. Leesa
has a daughter, Amanda, by Michael (They never married). Leesa and Amanda live in
Midwest with her partner Betsy. Amanda is a resident student at Stephens College,
Columbia, Mo. Deanna married David Puente (now divorced) They have a son David.
David lives with his father in Oklahoma. He is a student at Oklahoma State University.
Deanna remarried Joel DiResta. They have Ashley, David, Jeremiah and Catherine.
They live in sunny Florida. Jessica married Sanjoy Mukhergee. They have Gabriel and Samuel.
They live in New Jersey.
Joann 4
JO-ANN THERESA SMITH, DAUGHTER OF JOSEPH AND HELEN (HELKA) SMITH, MARRIED EDWARD ROBERT DYAKIW ON DECEMBER 31, 1983. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE CELEBRATING OUR 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY THIS NEW YEARS EVE. WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE.WE MOVED TO GROTON THE DAY AFTER WE WERE MARRIED BECAUSE EDDIE WAS EMPLOYED BY PFIZER AND HAD JUST PREVIOUSLY BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE GROTON PLANT FROM THE BROOKLYN PLANT BECAUSE HIS DEPARTMENT WAS CLOSING, SO THIS IS HOW WE ENDED UP IN GROTON. MY GRANDMOTHER ANNA SOBCZAK LIVED WITH MY PARENTS IN MASPETH SINCE HER SECOND HUSBAND IGGY DIED. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO MY PARENTS AND GRANDMOTHER SO WHEN MY FATHER RETIRED FROM THE PHONE COMPANY MY PARENTS WITH MY GRANDMOTHER PACKED UP AND MOVED TO GROTON AS WELL AND WE ENDED UP LIVING DIRECTLY ACCROSS THE STREET FROM EACH OTHER FOR 23 YEARS TILL MY FATHER HAD TO BE PUT INTO A NURSING HOME AND MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY.
EDDIE AND I ADOPTED OUR SON EDWARD MYUNG WOO JOSEPH DYAKIW FROM SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA WHEN HE WAS 3 1/2 MONTHS OLD. HE BECAME A US CITIZEN BY THE TIME HE WAS 18 MONTHS OLD. JOSEPH IS HIS COMFIRMATION NAME TAKEN AFTER MY FATHER. EDWARD WAS BORN ON 8-27-88, CAME HOME TO US FROM KOREA ON 12-26-88. WHAT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT HE WAS. EDWARD IS 20 YEARS OLD NOW, A JUNIOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND, MAJORING IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING.
THEN WE ADOPTED ALLISON YOO KYUNG THERESA DYAKIW ALSO FROM SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA A AFEW YEARS LATER. SHE CAME HOME TO US AT 4 MONTHS OF AGE AND ALSO BECAME A US CITIZEN BEFORE SHE WAS 2 YEARS OLD. ALLISON TOOK MY COMFIRMATION NAME THERESA AS HERS AFTER ME. ALLISON WAS BORN ON 9-20-91 AND CAME HOME TO US ON 1-31-92 ON AUNT JERRY'S BIRTHDAY (THATS WHY I ALWAYS REMEMBERED AUNT JERRY'S BIRTHDAY). ALLISON WILL BE TURNING 17 YEARS OLD THIS SATURDAY. SHE IS A SENIOR AT ROBERT E. FITCH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND STARTING THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR COLLEGES.
THEN WE HAD HEARD HOW CHINA WAS JUST DISGARDING THEIR GIRL BABIES, SO FELT THAT GOD WAS GOOD TO US BY GIVING US EDWARD AND ALLISON SO WE THEN ADOPTED MAEGAN XUE DYAKIW. EDDIE HAD TO GO TO CHINA TO BRING HER HOME TO US WHERE EDWARD AND ALLISON WERE ESCORTED TO US FROM KOREA. HE WAS IN CHINA WITH 9 OTHER COUPLES FOR 2 WEEKS AND MAEGAN CAME HOME TO US AT 9 MONTHS OLD IN MARCH OF 1996. SHE WAS BORN ON 6-4-95. AT 9 MONTHS OLD SHE ONLY WEIGHED 9 LBS AND WHEN I PUT THE SPOON IN HER MOUTH WITH BABY CEREAL, IT JUST FELL OUT OF HER MOUTH BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO EAT OFF A SPOON BECAUSE ALL THEY FED HER WHILE SHE WAS IN THE ORPHANAGE WAS A THINNED OUT POWDERED FORMULA, THATS WHY SHE ONLY WEIGHED 9 LBS. BUT ONCE SHE CAUGHT ON HOW TO MOVE HER MOUTH AND TONGUE TO EAT THE CEREAL, ALL SHE WANTED TO DO WAS EAT I GUESS TO MAKE UP FOR ALL THE TIMES SHE MUST HAVE BEEN SO HUNGRY WHILE IN CHINA, AND WE JUST KEPT FEEDING HER AND SHE BLOOMED RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES. SHE'S NOW 13 YEARS OLD AND IN 8TH GRADE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL. THE GROUP THAT EDDIE WENT TO CHINA ARE FROM ALL DIFFERENT STATES AND THEIR GROUP WAS KNOWN AS THE CHINA 27 GROUP BECAUSE THEY WERE THE 27TH GROUP TO GO TO CHINA FROM THE AGENCY WE WORKED WITH TO BRING HOME THEIR BABIES. WE STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ALL THOSE FAMILIES WHO WENT TO CHINA WITH EDDIE. AS A MATTER OF FACT OVER THE SUMMER, ONE OF THE FAMILIES CAME TO MYSTIC AND WE HAD A MINI REUNION WITH THEM. THE GIRLS HAVE THIS SPECIAL BOND BETWEEN THEM AND ITS WONDERFUL TO SEE HOW THEY ARE GROWING. THEY ARE OUR EXTENDED FAMILIES AND WITH THE EMAILS TODAY THEY ARE FOREVER EMAILING EACH OTHER SO ITS A GOOD THING.
FINALLY, WE DECIDED WE HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER BOY SO EDWARD WOULDN'T BE HENPECKED BY HIS TWO SISTERS. SO WE ADOPTED JOSEPH FROM CAMBODIA. WE WERE TOO OLD TO ADOPT FROM KOREA AND CHINA ONLY HAD GIRLS AND WE ALREADY HAD TWO GIRLS SO WE WANTED A BROTHER FOR EDWARD, SO WE CHOSE CAMBODIA. AGAIN EDDIE HAD TO FLY THERE BUT THIS TIME BY HIMSELF, THERE WERE NO OTHER FAMILIES. THAT WAS SCAREY. HE WAS THERE TWO WEEKS. HE SAID THE AREA WAS A WAR TORN WHERE HE WAS BECAUSE OF THAT POL POT GUY AND HOW BADLY HE TREATED THE PEOPLE. JOSEPH WAS BORN PREMATURE AND WAS KNOWN AS THE MIRACLE BABY OVER THERE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T THINK HE'D MAKE IT. HE WAS 4 MONTHS OLD WHEN EDDIE BROUGHT HIM HOME TO US BUT ONLY WEIGHED 7 LBS 5 OZ. BUT WITH A LOT OF LOVE, ATTENTION AND GOOD MEDICAL CARE, HE BLOSSOMED. I'VE SEEN THOSE TV COMMERCIALS WHERE YOU SEE MALNOURISHED CHILDREN, BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY SEE A CHILD LIKE THAT IN PERSON, ITS UNBELIEVEABLE. WELL, EDWARD, ALLISON AND MAEGAN USED TO PUT JOEY IN HIS UMBRELLA STROLLER AND RIDE HIM ALL OVER THE HOUSE. THEY USED TO CALL HIM THE KING OF CAMBODIA BECAUSE OF THE FUSS THEY ALL MADE OVER HIM AND HE LOVED ALL THE ATTENTION HE WAS GETTING. JOSEPH WAS BORN ON 2-17-98. HE IS NOW 10 YEARS OLD AND IN THE 5TH GRADE AT CATHERINE KOLNASKI MAGNET SCHOOL AND THRIVING. ITS JUST AMAZING WHAT A LOT OF LOVE AND MEDICAL CARE CAN DO FOR A CHILD.
ONE MORE THING BEFORE I END THIS. WHEN EDDIE WENT FOR MAEGAN TO CHINA WITH THOSE OTHER FAMILIES, THERE WAS A PEDIATRICIAN FROM THE AGENCY THAT WENT ALONG WITH THEM TO CHECK OUT THE CHILDREN. SINCE MAEGAN'S ADOPTION SHE RETIRED AND NO ONE EVER HEARD WHAT SHE WAS DOING OR WHAT HAPPENED TO HER. WELL, WHEN EDDIE WENT TO CAMBODIA TO GET JOSEPH, WHAT DO YOU THINK? HE ALMOST FAINTED BECAUSE SHE WAS THE PEDIATRICIAN WHO WAS TAKING CARE OF JOSEPH SINCE HIS BIRTH MOTHER BROUGHT HIM INTO THE ORPHANAGE. SHE REMEMBERED EDDIE BECAUSE OF OUR ODD LAST NAME AND ASKED HIM WHO HE WAS THERE FOR AND WHEN HE SAID RATH CAMROEUN SHE SAID OH, THE MIRACLE BABY. SHE TOLD EDDIE AT THE TIME THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE JOEY A GOOD 6 MONTHS WITH ONLY DRINKING 4 OUNCES OF FORMULA TO BRING HIM BACK TO GOOD HEALTH. WELL, WHEN THEY CAME HOME, I FED JOEY JUST LIKE I DID THE OTHERS WHEN THEY FIRST CAME HOME AND JOEY WAS GAINING WEIGHT AND BLOOMING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES. SO I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS FATE THAT BROUGHT THAT DOCTOR TO CAMBODIA TO TAKE CARE OF JOEY TILL EDDIE WENT THERE TO BRING HIM HOME.
Patricia 4
Philip 2
Adele 2
Raymond 1
Kenneth 2
Victor 3
Anne 4
Margaret 3
` Carol 2
Joyce 6
Janice (Vic's) 4
Joey 3
There are 31 Great-Great Grand Children to date:
Joyce 1
Adele 3
Kenneth 3
Cheryl 1
Patricia 2
Margaret 1
Carol 4
Philip 1
Thomas 15 Melissa, Julia, Lillian, Catelyn, Mikalya, Nicole, Lucas, Isabella, Amanda
Ashley, David, Jeremiah, Catherine, Gabriel, Samuel.