Father's Family

The Sobczaks

My great grandfather was Valentine.  I never called my great grandmother by any name
but "babka".   Valentine had a brother who was killed when he was struck by lightning
while walking across Germany to the coast.  His family (wife and children) continued to
the American Continent.  They arrived at Montreal and migrated to Chicago.  You have
cousins in Chicago.  One of the cousins settled in Niagra Falls, NY.  I met him when I
worked for Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corp.  We built the power plant at the falls.  Frank
owned "Sobczak's Restaurant" in the town of Niagra.  He had two daughters who were
my age when we met.

Valentine and his wife had a large family - Ignatius, Frank, John, Frances, Maria,
Mariah, and Florence.  My grand father was Ignatius ( called Iggie and Pop).  He was
divorced from his wife, Yadviga. He married my mother's sister, Anna

My grand father also had a large family.  My father (Edward), and Eugene, John and
Rose.  Edward married Josephine Janas. (The Janas family is a separate report.)
There were two children, Thomas (me) and Patricia (now deceased).  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 the south.
Deanna married David Puente (now divorced). They have a son David.  Deanna remarried
Joel DiResta.  They have Ashley, Jeremiah and Catherine.  They live in Florida.  Jessica
married Sanjoy Mukhergee.  They have Gabriel and Samuel. They live in New Jersey. 

Patricia married George Velting (both deceased).  They parented Joanna, Jeannie,
Jason and Jennie.  Joanna married Scott Petroff.  They have Georgia.   They live in Las
Vegas, NV.  Jeannie married Sean DeLessio.  They have Michelle and Jessica
(deceased).  They live in Monroe, CT.  Jennifer and Jason live in Massapequa Park, NY.
They have yet to marry..

Frank (my great uncle) married Lottie.  They lived in Maspeth with their two daughters
Francis and Barbara.

John (my great uncle) married Evelyn, then divorced.  They had two girls, Dorothy and
Carol.  Dorothy is married living in Suffolk County.  She Is active in her parish so the
name appears in the LI Catholic newspaper.  Carol and Evelyn live in Maspeth.

Francis (my great aunt) married George Vogel.  They had three children Denis
(deceased), Marion and Carol (challenged).

Maria (great aunt) married Louis Buckner.  They had two children, Louis Jr (deceased)
and Arlene.  The girl was a princess spoiled by a rich father.  Her family bought her a
house in Connecticut away from the family.  She fell off the map.

Mariah (great aunt) was a spinster.  She was a Department manager at Bloomingdales.

Florence (great aunt) married Philip Grunfelder.  Mr. G was a Battalion Chief in FDNY.
They had two children, Constance and Barbara.

My grand father's children beside my father were:

Eugene (uncle) married Viola.  They were married but separated.  During WW!!, he was an
agent for the American OSS.  He frightened me as I believe he was certifiable.  Half of his
ear was shot off.  No Children.  Eugene had a second wife, potsie ????, domiciled in Germany.

John (uncle)married Doris.  They had twelve girls.  He was career Army.  When he
retired from Fort Bragg, he became Sheriff of Lake Wacomore County, NC.   His oldest
daughter is a spinster.  She is principal of the local Catholic School in Fayetteville NC.

Rose (aunt) married George Borrows.  They had two children Elaine and George Jr.
They had a house in Long Island City.  Elaine was a secretary at GM Headquarters in
Manhattan.  George moved upstate.