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Music: Sidewalks of New York |
MARY
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ALEXANDRA'S
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| Alexandra Tafil Grzymalski with her grandsons (circa 1936) |
Mary Tafil, daughter of Adam Tafil and Zofia Szarkowski, was born in Rajgrod Poland in 1856. Her exact date of birth is not known.
Mary's daughter, Alexandra, was born in Rajgrod Russia on November 28, 1878. Alexandra married Jan Grzymala abt. 1894 in Rajgrod Russia.
Jan emigrated to the United States in April 1899 on the SS Konigin Luise. He traveled with Rosalia Tafil, wife of Mary's brother Jacob, and their two sons.
Alexandra, according to the 1910 census, also arrived in 1899. Her date and port of entry have not been established, although Philadelphia is a possibility.
Alexandra and Jan originally settled in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. At the time of their son Stephen's birth, they lived at 32 Hall Avenue.
Within the next few years they moved on to Pennsylvania, then on to Chicago. Mary listed her year of arrival as 1909.
On the 1910 census, Mary lived with Alexandra and Jan, now called John Grzymalski at 3114 South Morgan Street. Living with them at the time were their sons Stephen age 9, and Francis age 5 months. Peter Paszkowski, a boarder, also lived with the family. John worked in a coal yard. Alexandra gave birth to 5 children although only 2 were alive at the time of the census.
At the time of her death on October 14, 1916, Mary lived with her brother, Kazimir, and his family at 3245 S. Morgan.
By the time of the 1920 census, John and Alexandra had purchased a home at 2917 Lyman Street in Chicago. John was 47 years old and worked in a coal yard. Alexandra was 40 and a homemaker. Children living at home were; Steve, age18, who worked in an electrical shop, Jennie age 8, Stanley age 5 and Joseph age 2.
On May 4, 1921 John Grzymalski died from injuries he suffered from a fall in his home.
At the time of the 1930 census Alexandra, listed as Alice on the census form, remained in the house at 2917 Lyman. Jennie worked in a candy factory, Stanley worked in a coal yard. The family had two boarders, Casimer Wapniarski and Isidor Jaklewicz (?).
Alexandra Tafil Grzymalski died on March 30, 1937 in Chicago Illinois and was buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Justice Illinois
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