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Dolores sits on the lap of her father, Joseph Charles Walker.
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Picture post card of Chorvatsky Grob, Slovak Republic |
*I confess to having no knowledge of the Slovakian language, but have found a website that about Chorvatsky Grob that includes some wonderful pictures of what the place looked like in the past, and some examples of the beautiful folk art of the area. The above link will take you to that site.
In trying to learn more about Joseph Walker's early life, I searched through the Toledo City Directories. I was able to positively identify him beginning in 1927. In looking through earlier directories, I found a couple of possible listings in the 1921 book. Joseph would have been 17 years old.
The first and last are the most likely candidates; both rent rather than own their residence. Both are also eastside addresses. The Clark street listing strikes me as the best possible--middle initial is the same, and the Clark street location would have been near the neighborhood he grew up in and would be one he was familiar with. Joe's daughter, Dolores, believes the Utah address is more likely, as her father had a close friend who lived on that street in the early years. This avenue of research may, in all events, prove futile, but it is at least worth looking into.
After leaving home, and prior to his marriage to Anna, Joseph worked on the farm of the Pertner family in Latcha, Ohio. The Walkers and Pertners remained close friends. Dolores recalls that one of the daughters, Freda, had married a man named Bill Marsh. After many years of not having any children, a daughter named Gwen was born. The Walkers went to visit, the day being Sunday, December 7, 1941. After a pleasant day in the country, the Walkers returned home to Toledo. Anna went across the alley to visit her neighbor Adeline Pockmire and came home, excited, telling her family to turn on the radio. The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor.
Left: Joe Walker with wife Anna, picture taken in 1936. Center: Joe Walker watering the grass in the backyard at 702 Bowman St. Right: Joe Walker and his good friend, Tommy Groom.
Left: Joe and Anna, with their good friends, the Losonsky sisters on a picnic. Right: Joe Walker's son, Gale, in the backyard at 702 Bowman St. This picture was taken in 1941.
In the early years of their marriage, Joe & Anna moved frequently. Grandma Walker used to speak of how the two of them would rent a house, fix the place up, only to be turned out by the landlord to make the place available for some relative or other friend. During her mother Mathilde's last illness, Anna and Joe lived on Morton street (house #116). While living here Anna was able to care for her mother up until Matilda's death in 1926. Other addresses located while searching the city directories are:
It was during the mid-1930's that Joe revealed the fact that he had family living in Toledo. Up until that time even his wife had been unaware that her husband had any living family, much less family living in Toledo. According to Dolores, she learned of her uncles, Rudy and Louis Bengela (Joseph's younger brothers) when she was about 8 years old and her father took her to meet her Grandmother Bengela, then living on Oak Street in East Toledo. Like the prodigal son of old, Joe was welcomed back into the family. Uncle Louie and Uncle Rudy bought penny candy for Dolores, who took her treasures home and showed them to her mother. From time to time, the Walkers and Bengelas would get together. Joseph's son Norman once told a story about putting on some boxing gloves and "duking it out" with Louie; Norman said he came out on the short end of that encounter.
Two Pictures from an Outing: Anna, daughter Dolores, Joe and the Losonsky sisters pose in both pictues. The Lososnkys were from Rossford, Ohio (across the Maumee River from Toledo), but no one seems to be able to remember their first names.
As an adult, Joseph worked as a cement truck driver for Kuhlman Brothers for a number of years. He was also a mechanic for Krogers. Joe and Anna enjoyed a social life that included bowling, card parties, and social gatherings with their friends.
Michael Joseph Bendzela was born in 1879, probably in Horvat Gurab, near Bratislava, in the Hungarian Empire (now Chorvatsky Grob, Slovak Republic); he died on December 16, 1929 in Toledo, OH. He was the son of Unknown Bendzela and Anna Krall(?). He married Anna Vessely (see notes above about confusion on maiden name) around 1899, probably in Horvat Gurab (Chorvatsky Grob, Slovakia). Anna Vessely was born November 01, 1885 probably near Horvat Gurab, (Chorvatsky Grob, Slovakia), the daughter of Unknown Vessely and Anna. She died March 28, 1938 in Toledo, OH.
Records at www.ellisislandrecords.com show that Michael Bendzela arrived in America prior to December 1909, possibly accompanied by his brother-in-law, John Vorlecsek. He and John Vorlecsek established residence in Trenton, New Jersey at No. 13 Jefferson Ave. When enough money was saved, he sent first for his wife, Anna. After her arrival the two moved, along with John Vorlecsek, to South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The following year, 1910, son Josef, who may have been living with relatives, was sent for. He travelled with his aunt, Anna Vorlecsek, and three-year-old cousin Celestina. Around 1918 the family left South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where they lived at 736 S. School Ally. Sometime around 1918 they moved to Toledo, where they remained. I have so far been unable to determine whether the Vorlecseks remained in Pennsylvania, or if they, too, relocated.
The ships that brought the Bendzelas to a new world and a new home.
The top picture is a drawing of the Floride, the ship that brought Anna to America. She arrived at Ellis Island on December 20, 1909. The ship was built for French line, French flag, in 1907. It sailed from LeHavre to New York, and later LeHavre to Montreal. In 1918, the Floride was sunk by a German raider in the south Atlantic.
Built for French line, French flag, in 1887, La Gascogne provided service from LeHavre to New York. The ship was sold the Comagnie Sud-Atlantique, French flag, in 1912. The ship was scrapped in 1920. This is the ship on which Josef Bendzela (later, Joe Walker), his aunt and cousin sailed to America. They arrived at Ellis Island on September 12, 1910.
What little I have been able to piece together shows that the spelling of the original family has changed over the years. Searches through the Toledo City Directories for the years 1936-1915 show the spelling of the family's last name as BENDZELA, and at least one son kept that original spelling. It is that spelling that was used Michael's son, Louie's, obituary, and is also the spelling used in some of the records at Cavalry Cemetery in Toledo, where Michael and Anna are buried (even though on their grave markers, the spelling of the last name is BENGELA. Other spelligs I have come across include Bendzala and Bendsela.
Prior to 1918 there are no Bendzelas or Bengelas found in the Toledo, Ohio city directories.
From conversations with various family members, and information gathered from other public records, I have reconstructed the following scenario.
Michael J. Bendzela and John Vorlescek emigrated to the United States from Horvat Gurab, Slovakia in the Hungarian Empire between 1904-1907, leaving their wives and children behind. They arrived in America, coming through the port of New York and Ellis Island, and once admitted to America they established residency in Trenton, New Jersey, setting out to earn enough money to send for their families. In 1907, Anna Bendzela, carrying with her $36.00 (probably the sum total of all she owned) joined her husband Michael in America. The Bendzelas and John Vorlescek settled for a few years in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
In 1910, Josef Bendzela, his aunt Anna Vorlecsek and three-year-old cousin Celestina sailed to America from La Havre. They, too, came through Ellis Island. They brought with them a total of $18.00. Both families remained in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for several years, and at least two of the Bendzela's children were born here. Sometime around 1915-1920, the Bendzelas moved to Toledo, Ohio they settled permanently and where the rest of their children were born.
From the time the Bendzelas/Bengelas first appear in the Toledo, Ohio city directories, they always lived on the East Side. Several spellings have been found in the city directories for the family name, including Bengelo, Bengla, Bengela, and Bendzela.
Below is a summary of the listings found in the Toledo City Directories for the Bendzela / Bengela family:
Some Family Memories
Joseph Walker's daughter, Dolores, recalls being taken to the Bengela house when her grandmother Anna died in 1938. When she was alive, Dolores said she remembers Grandma Bengela as an old world kind of figure, small in stature and wearing a babushka. As was common during this time, the funeral was held from the family's home. A particularly vivid memory for Dolores is when everyone was invited to come forward and kiss "Grandma" good bye. The thought of kissing a corpse was frightening to the young Dolores, who hid in another room until this part of the service was over. In 1998 we drove over to Oak St. to see the house where her grandparents used to live. Though now painted a different color, it's the same house and the porch has been closed in.
Michael Bengela, Sr., 61, of 426 Front St., died Friday in his home after an apparent heart attack. He was a glass cutter 20 years for the Libbey-Owens-Ford Co., and then a freight handler 10 years for the former New York Central System, retiring in 1962. Surviving are his sons, Michael, Jr., and Frank; daughters, Mrs. Barbara Roberts and Mrs. Betty Stover, and brothers, Charles, Rudy, and Louis. Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Clegg Mortuary.
Mary J. Bengela, 84, a resident of Swan Pointe Nursing Home and formerly of W. Foulkes St., Toledo, died Monday, April 20, 1998 in St. Luke's Hospital. She was born December 8, 1913 to Mr. and Mrs. Frank (Catherine Gillen) Cuda.
She was the wife of the late Michael J. Bengela; the mother of Michael T. (Barbara) Bengela, Mrs. Betty L. (Don) Stover and Frank Bengela, all of Toledo; mother of the late Barbara K. Roberts; 15 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; sister, Josephine (Bill) Iler of Bowling Green, OH.
Friends will be received at Witzler-Shank Funeral Home, Walbridge, (666-3121), from 2-9 p.m. Wednesday. Private funeral services will be held Thursday, April 23, 1998. Interment will be in Lake Township Cemetery. The family suggest memorials to Swan Pointe Nursing Home.
Charles J. (Toppy) Bengela, 60, of 1614 Oak St., died Sunday in Toledo Hospital. For 39 years he was a polisher for Libbey-Owens-Ford Co., retiring seven months ago because of illness. Surviving are his wife, Veronica; daughters, Mrs. Stella Pelker and Mrs. Genie Jachimiak; sister, Anna Bengela and brothers, aloysius Bendzela and Rudolph. The body is in the Sujkowski Mortuary. Services will be Thursday at 10 a.m. in St. Jude's Church. Wake services will be Wednesday at 8 p.m.
A.J. "Louie" Bendzela, age 76 formerly of Toledo, died Saturday, October 25, 1997 in Berryville, AR where he and his wife, Vivian lived since 1984. A Navy veteran he served in W W II, was a member of the Stinger club for the USS Wasp CV-7 and a member of VFW Post 7572 in Marblehead, OH. He retired from Libbey Ownes Ford Glass Company after 31 years.
Surviving in addition to his wife, are step children, Gerald Dummitt and Patricia Gonzales, both of Toledo, and Carla Jackson of Berryville, AR; 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Also surviving is his brother, Rudy Bengela, other relatives and a host of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and 3 brothers.
Visitation will be Thursday from 2-9 in Hoeflinger Funeral Home, 3500 Navarre Ave., where funeral services will be held Friday at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Ottawa Hills Memorial Park.
There may have been another son, also named Mike or Michael. Records at Calvary Cemetery records show "Mike Bendzela" among those buried in the infants' section of the cemetery. Although the location was provided to us by the office at Cavalry Cemetery, a walk through that section (April 7, 1998) revealed no grave marker. However, many of the infant markers are partially or completely covered over with soil and grass, and I suspect that is what has happened to Mike's grave. They are flat stones, many of them are for babies that were only weeks or days old. The infants' section is next the that reserved for the Sister of Notre Dame. Mike may have been the son of Michael and Anna. The Cemetery records give the following information as to the location of the grave: Calvary Cemetery, Section 35, Range 16, Grave 1508 (infant's section). Unfortunately, the cemetery records do not give the names of the parents.
If you are related to any of these Bengelas / Bendzelas, I would love to hear from you.
Please email me at this address:
