This is the story of my Ukrainian great-grandparents, most of it given to me by their granddaughter, my aunt Mary, during a lengthy interview on 21 July 1999. (I’ve been adding data here and there as additional information is discovered.) Aunt Mary was the oldest child of my grandparents, William & Katherine, but she grew up in Ukraine with her grandparents, my great-grandparents, Konrad & Ludmila. When Mary was 2 years old her mother Katherine sailed to America without her to join her father William, who had emigrated a year earlier. Mary didn’t see her parents again until she was 18 years old when her parents could finally send for her.
My great-grandfather, Konrad Fusiak, probably the son of Gabriel & Euphosina (Dziuta) Fusiak, was probably born 29 September 1855 in Zdynia, Małopolskie, Poland, and died c. 1927 in Ukraine. He married (as his first wife), Ludmila Karasek, who was born in Prague, Czechia, and died c. 1917 in Ukraine, daughter of Joseph & Anna (Cermak) Karasek.
Konrad died at the age of 72, according to his granddaughter. He was a land owning farmer and a deacon in the Orthodox Church. Ludmila came from Prague to Ukraine with her parents to work in the salt mines at Starasol (or Stara Ceyl?). Konrad and Ludmila raised their granddaughter Mary when their daughter Katherine left for America. Ludmila died of double pneumonia. Apparently after Ludmila’s death, Konrad married (as his second wife) (—) Blenday. Mary remembers this step-grandmother as being very kind and protective of her, since Konrad was apparently a man harsh in his ways.
This picture was taken in Ukraine, and brought to America by my aunt Mary. Konrad & Ludmila were the parents of eight children, five of them emigrated to America. Order uncertain:
1. Katherine Fusiak (my grandmother), born 19 November 1887 in Luzhek Verkhniy, Ukraine, when it was part of Galicia in Austria-Hungary, died 22 October 1943 in New London, Connecticut. She married 16 February 1907 in Ukraine, William Chomiak, who was born 2 February 1882 in Nahuievychi, Ukraine, when it was part of Galicia in Austria-Hungary, and died 7 November 1965 in Willimantic, Connecticut, son of Teodor and Anastasiia (—) Chomiak.
2. Mary Fusiak, born c. 1889, lived in Stariy Sambir (or Sambor) and married a Polish railroad worker (perhaps surnamed Nyedv) at Mazurka.
3. Anna Fusiak, born 1 November 1891, arrived in America 23 January 1911, settled in New Jersey and married 21 February 1914, a boarding house operator, Michael Prytuliak/Palmer. She died on 11 December 1963 in East Newark, New Jersey.
4. Andrew Fusiak, born 13 December 1896, arrived in America 3 July 1913, and died 6 November 1940. He attended school in Sambor, married in Ukraine, Christina Wolanski, who was born 6 August 1909 in Poland, arrived in America 21 October 1929, and died 15 July 1995, daughter of Paulo & Kasia (Tupolnycka) Wolanski. He was a butcher and they lived in New Jersey.
5. Julian Fusiak, born 6 August 1898 and died 22 June 1976 in Irvington, New Jersey. He didn’t like school (in Sambor) and ran away from home often. He married Božena Lowda, who was born 24 April 1902 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire [now Czech Republic] and died 26 October 1986 in Irvington. Julian served in the Austrian army immediately after World War II. He is thought to have collaborated with the Nazis to free Ukraine from Russia. He emigrated from Ukraine on 27 July 1949, age 50. In America, he worked as a storekeeper.
6. Augusta “Gussie” Fusiak, born c. 1900, died 24 January 1939 in Harrison, New Jersey, age 39. She married a butcher, Jacob Wasyliw, who was born 5 April 1895 in Lviv, Ukraine.
7. Nicholas Fusiak, born ?, went to school in Sambor, and served in the Austrian army. Nicholas was studying to be a teacher in the Soviet Union. At some point he went to Czechia. He is thought to have been killed by Stalin when he returned to Ukraine.
8. Steve Fusiak, born ?, also went to school in Sambor and served in the Austrian army. He apparently had a child, but died young of tuberculosis.
Last Revised: 30 August 2024