ZAJAC, Marja ^{1 3 4}

  General Notes:

She was from Nowy Targ, Poland just south of Krakow on the map and near the Slovakia border in the Carpathian mountains. Her place of birth in their return trip to Poland in 1925 said she was born in Pinioskowice, (Poland). The closest town I've found by name in Poland is Pieniazkowice. It is a village in the "administrative district of Gmina Czarny Dunajec, within Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately 11 kilometres (7 mi) north-west of Nowy Targ and 61 km (38 mi) south of the regional capital Kraków" according to Wikipedia.

According to an interview when she was 93, she and her brother Albert and another younger sister were her father's children by his first wife. Their mother died when Mary was 7 years old. Her father remarried and came with his second wife to America. They sent for their 3 children when Mary was about 13 years of age. She brought her younger sister with her as their brother had died from complications of a cold. According to this interview, she emmigrated on Dec 24, 1903 and arrived on Jan 4, 1904 in America and joined her father in Westmoreland (PA?). This has not been able to be verified by the only possible emigration records we've found so far.

Marja/Mayra is translated as Mary in English. She might be the Maryanna Zajac, age 15, arriving on Apr. 6, 1906 in New York on the Chemnitz departing from Breman. Her last residence was Wolica Ingowa. Her destination was Camden, New York. Her father paid her passage. She was joining her father (Nxkodlow?) Zajac lived at 10(6)9 Dyko Dajmen St. in (Landizer???), NY. She appeared to be traveling alone.

She might be the Marya Zajac, age 15 who arrived on Feb. 22, 1907 in New York. Her birthplace was listed as Bordza, Russia. She was Ruthenian by race, but her Nationality was listed as Austrian. She last lived in Dorvzow, Austria. Her destination was Lewis, Chester, PA. She was joining her father in Lewis, Chester, Pa named (Zwan? or Zwaw?) Zajac. She was traveling with a brother-in-law, Ivan Echar, age 35, a cousin, Stephan Jurkow, age 17, and a cousin, Anastazya Hualyz, age 19 all from the same place in Austria.

Mayra might be the person of the same name and spelling who emigrated from Antwerp, Belgium on the ship "Samland" on Feb 22, 1907 at Ellis Island at age 15. She was Ruthenian/Austrian by culture. It lists a city where she last lived as Dorozow, Aus. She was not listed next to another Zajac. Her final destination was Lewis (?), Chester Co., PA to stay with her Uncle. This obviously doesn't match this women's 93 year old memory of her emmigration.

She might have been the Mayra Zajac instead who entered Ellis Island on Nov. 22, 1905 from Breman, Germany. She was age 11, single, from Galicy (Galicia) and was Austrian Polish by culture. This would make her a bride of age 13 if she was this Mayra as they married in 1907. She was with 2 adults of the same surname and no other siblings at the time. Again, it's not a good match.

As for possible relatives, there is a George Zajac living in Westmoreland Co., PA in 1920, age 36, from Galacia with his family. George came over in 1907. A Pete Zajac also of Monessen Borough, Westmoreland Co., PA, age 36 and family are in that 1920 census. He lists himself from Poland. He and his wife came over in 1907. There is a Jan Zajac whose WWI draft registration card says that he was born on May 24, 1878 in Russia. He was 5'4" tall and had brown eyes and black hair. His closest kin was Anny Zejac of 4 Clarendon Ave., Wireton, PA. There is an Alexander Zajac born on Mar 17, 1881 in Russia, now of Greensburg, Westmoreland, PA who registered for the WWI draft. His closest kin was Frank Zajac who lived at 1 Cemetery Homestead, Westmoreland Co., PA. He was tall and of large build. There is a Frank Zajac, born in Sombre?, Galacia, of Smithton, PA in these WWI records. He was born on Oct. 1, 1889. He listed no next of kin. He was tall and of medium build. Lastly in the WWI draft records there was a Stephen Charles Zajac, b. 1897 (can't read where), living in Westmoreland Co., PA. His next of kin was Kalman, Zajac.

According to her obituary she lived on Sherrod Hills Rd. in Edinboro for 58 years before moving to Saegertown, Crawford, Pennsylvania for the last few years of her life. She was a member of St. Phillip Catholic Church, Crossingville, Pennsylvania She and her husband had a very large family. Her husband, four sons and two daughters preceded her in death. They still had 4 sons and 2 daughters living when she died with 41 grandchildren and 60 great grandchildren. One of these granddaughters, Marilyn Turnage, remembers visiting her many times in Edinboro, PA.

³

  Noted events in her life were:

• Birth2, May 4, 1891, , , Poland. ³

Marja married Wojciech GIEWONT, son of Jedrzej GIEWONT and Unknown, on Feb 9, 1907 of Westmoreland Co., PA.^{1 2} (Wojciech GIEWONT was born on Apr 1, 1884 in Dzianisz, Galicia (Now Poland),^{8 9} died on Aug 6, 1958 in St. Vincent's Hospital, Erie, Erie, PA, USA ^{3 8} and was buried on Aug 8, 1958 in St. James Cemetery, Crossingville, Chester, PA, USA ⁸.) The cause of his death was Coronary Thrombus.