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From Filowiat

	Michal Filowiak Michael Filowiat
	Marya Podtawska Marya Podstowska Mary Filowiat
A Family History Michael and Mary Filowiat From 1880s Poland/Ukraine To the United States in 2004
February 24, 2004	Research Originally Compiled By Edward M. Filowat Updated By Joseph P. Filowat Wiki Page Created By Edward P. Filowat

1 Foreword
2 Overview
3 Family Charts
4 Historical Narrative
5 Other Family Branches
6 Exhibits and Additional Information

Foreword

This document summarizes and updates genealogical research originally conducted by Edward M. Filowat [1943-1997] and compiled with the assistance of his friend and co-worker, James D. Smee. The research was first published subsequent to Edwards death (see pages 4, 6) and is being updated in 2004 to include new material available via the Internet.

Although the efforts of Edward and James included research into the families of their respective wives, this document summarizes only what was discovered about Edwards paternal grandparents, Michael and Mary Filowiat [nee Marya Podtawska]. It is being placed on-line to aid others interested in furthering their own research.

Michaels family name at his birth in 1886 was Filowiak (Ukrainian spelling), and the passenger list of the SS Neckar shows him as Michal Filowiak. However, later documents in the U.S. most commonly show the name as Michael Filowiat. While most of their 15 adult children kept the name Filowiat, two modified it to Filowat -- intentionally or otherwise (see page 5, top).

Following are the most common surname spellings that appear in the historical record for Michael, Mary, and the couples direct descendants (see Section 4, page 17, for others):

Michael: Filowiak, Filowiat, Filowat

Mary: Podtawska, Podstowska

Information about other branches of the family who use the name Filowiak, Filowiat, or Filowich appears in Section 4.0 (page 15). This branch of the family apparently descended from first cousins of Michael, and members are distributed throughout western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia.

The author of this update document is Joseph P. Filowat, brother of the original researcher, Edward. The Ellis Island Records database was not yet available on-line in the early 1990s when Edward was searching the historical archives. This update verifies his research and takes advantage of additional information available at < www.EllisIslandRecords.org >.

As of the publication date, the authors contact information is as follows:

Joseph P. Filowat

jpfields99@hotmail.com

Edward P Filowat (son of Edward M)

ed@edfilo.com

Cover: Srednia Wies, in what is now southeastern Poland, was the birthplace of Michal Filowiak and Marya Podtawska. These and other photos are from the Web site of Matthew James Hanczaryk, whose grandfather Jan is from the same village (see page 19 for additional information and Web address).

2004: Material may be copied with appropriate acknowledgment.

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Overview

Michal Filowiak was born Oct. 1, 1886, in the village of Srednia Wies in Galicia, a former province of the Austrian Empire. While the location of his birthplace is in present-day Poland (the extreme southeast), Galicia has at various times been part of Ukraine and under Russian/Soviet control. The village is in the northern foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, which form the boundary between Poland and Slovakia to the south, and just west of the border between Poland and Ukraine (see Section 5.0, page 18; Appendix B, page 25).

Michal left Europe from the port of Bremen, Germany, aboard the SS Neckar on 20 Jan. 1910, arriving in New York on 2 Feb. 1910 at age 22. He traveled to Westmoreland County (western Pennsylvania) and worked as a railroad laborer, living with a group of nearly 30 other Eastern European immigrants in a boarding house.

His future wife, Marya, was born in 1891 [or 1892] and also grew up in Srednia Wiesor in nearby Bereska [Berezka] according to one document. She traveled from Bremen, Germany, to New York aboard the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, a few months before her future husband, arriving 17 Aug. 1909 [age 20 according to passenger records, but more likely age 17 or 18]. They most likely knew each other during their childhood years in Srednia Wies, as the village had a population of only a few hundred.

Section 2.0 of this document (pages 3 and 5) contains descendant charts for Michael and Mary Filowiat (the spellings used after their arrival in the U.S.), while Section 3.0 (page 10) contains additional historical narrative and confirmed information about their lives.

As with the names of the parties involved in this family history, the names of the villages and provinces in the area of Eastern Europe from which they emigrated also vary according to the language involved. While Srednia Wies [Middle Village] seems to appear on most historical documents here in the U.S., other spellings do appear on various maps and in geographical archives.

Ukrainian	Russian	Polish (Current)
Seredne Selo	Seredne Selo Serednij	Srednia Wies Sredna Wies

More information about Srednia Wies, as well as links to Web sites with additional information and photographs, can be found in Section 5.0 (page 18).

Family Charts

Exhibits 1 through 4 trace the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, andin some casesgreat-great-grandchildren of Michal and Marya Filowiak. By the time of their marriage in 1911, the spelling was already appearing as Michael and Mary Filowiat, which is used in all the following charts for consistency.

The marriage produced 16 children. There were no multiple births and all but one, Anna Jean (child #13), survived infancy. The next shortest life span was that of Helen (child #8), who died in 1947 at the age of 22. All the rest lived well into adulthood, and eight are living as of the date of publication.

Among the 16 siblings were five who were deaf, apparently from birth, and attended schools for the hearing-impaired in the Pittsburgh area. These were Anthony (child #3), George (child #5), Andrew (child #10), Monica Virginia (child #12), and Anna Jane (child #16).

Key Dates and Relationships for Michael and Mary Filowiat

Michael Filowiat [Husband]
Key Dates	Locations/Relationships
Born: 1 Oct. 1886	Srednia Wies, Galicia (extreme southeast of present-day Poland) Father: Andrzej Filoviak Mother: Mary [last name unknown]
Married: 11 Sep. 1911	St. Marys Eastern Ukrainian Church (Bradenville, West Moreland County, Pa.)
Died: 17 Aug. 1953	Finleyville (Allegheny County, Pa.)

Mary Podtawska [Wife]
Key Dates	Locations/Relationships
Born: 7 Sep. 1891 (or 1892)	Srednia Wies, Galicia (extreme southeast of present-day Poland) Father: Metro Podstowski Mother: Rose Pikuwka
Died: 1957	Clairton (Allegheny County, Pa.)

There is some confusion regarding Marys birth date. According to ship passenger records, she was 20 years old when she arrived in the U.S. in 1909, indicating a birth date of 1889. However, it is likely that she was actually born in 1891 or 1892 and was two or three years younger than she indicated when she migrated and subsequently married.

The 16 Children of Michael and Mary Filowiat

Name	Birth	Spouse	Death
1. Julia	22 Oct. 1911 Latrobe, Pa.	Edward Lis	2001
2. Metro Paul *	19 Aug. 1914	Anna Ference	1994
3. Anthony P.	3 Dec. 1915 Elrama, Pa.	Unmarried	2006
4. Catherine (Katie)	29 Nov. 1917 Elrama, Pa.	1) William Haviland 2) Robert Marshall	1982
5. George	7 Apr. 1919 Elrama, Pa.	Loretta Bonneville
6. Mary	12 Aug. 1921	John Karacostas	1978
7. Rose	7 Jan. 1924	Sylvester Humphreys
8. Helen	17 Feb. 1925	Unmarried	1947
9. Elizabeth	26 Jul. 1926	Calvin Bendel
10. Andrew	17 Feb. 1928	Unmarried
11. John	7 Jun. 1930	Mary Hannah	1998
12. Monica Virginia (Jean)	11 Jun. 1931	Edwin Glass
13. Anna Jean	1932	[Died in Infancy]	1932
14. Edward Joseph	11 Jun. 1933	Margaret Jordan
15. Michael	13 Jul. 1935	1) Phyllis Hannah 2) Faye Cook
16. Anna Jane	28 Jul. 1937	Donald Daberko	1986

* Metro Paul Filowat was the father of Anna Marie, Edward Michael, Joseph Patrick, and Rita Elaine (see next chart). This line is the only one traced in further detail in this document, as it was Edward who provided the original research. Tracing the progeny of all 15 siblings who survived into adulthood is beyond the scope of this effort.

Birth dates on this chart are derived from Mary Filowiats Petition for Citizenship [#124346; 7 Nov. 1940]; U.S. District Court; Pittsburgh. Michael Filowiats earlier petition [#92488; 16 Jun. 1931] gives slightly different birth dates for some of the first 11 children.

Descendants of Michael and Mary through Metro Paul [Child #2]

Metro Paul Filowat [Husband]
Dates	Locations/Relationships
Born: 19 Aug. 1914	Derry, Pa. [sponsors at baptism were Steve Varchola (Warhola) and Rosalia Szabik) Father: Michael Filowiat Mother: Mary Podstowska Filowiat
Married: 13 Oct. 1937	St. Josephs Roman Catholic Church (Clairton, Allegheny County, Pa.)
Died: 26 Mar. 1994	McKeesport Hospital (Allegheny County, Pa.)

Metro Paul was born in Derry (southwestern Pennsylvania) and moved with the family to Elrama, a little farther west in the same state. Although his birth/baptismal certificate shows the name Dimitrius, his first name was actually Metro, which is apparently a short form of Demetrovich (the Russian equivalent of Dimitrius). His maternal grandfather was named Metro, and it is thought that he also had an uncle named Metro who migrated to France from Srednia Wies around 1910.

During his boyhood, Metro informally adopted the name Paul by which he was known by most people for the remainder of his life [his marriage certificate shows the name M. Paul]. He was employed as an electrician by U.S. Steel Corporation (Clairton Works), and he and his wife, Anna, had four children (below).

Anna Theresa Ference [Wife]
Dates	Locations/Relationships
Born: 17 Dec. 1915	Clairton, Pennsylvania Father: Joseph Ference [1891-1969] Mother: Anna Elizabeth Hurny [1892-1973]
Died: 15 Dec. 1987	Clairton, Pennsylvania

Children of Paul and Anna Filowat
Name	Birth	Spouse	Marriage	Death
1. Anna Marie	16 Jul. 1938 Clairton, Pa.	William Wilson	1960 Clairton, Pa.
2. Edward Michael *	26 Mar. 1943 Clairton, Pa.	Jane Anne Hudak	1972 W. Elizabeth, Pa.	11 Mar. 1997
3. Joseph Patrick	17 Mar. 1946 Clairton, Pa.	Linda Ambrose [divorced]	1970 Houston, Pa.
4. Rita Elaine	2 Apr. 1951 Clairton, Pa.	Ralph Croyle [divorced]	1969 Somerset, Pa.

* Edward was the primary researcher for this family history.

All Descendants of Michael and Mary Filowiat

Michaels real surname was Filowiak, which became Filowiat soon after his arrival in the U.S. The name Filowiat was used by all offspring except for Metro Paul [child #2] and Anthony [child #3], who unofficially dropped the i at some point in their early adult lives. Of the two, only Paul married and had children.

NameSpouse

1. Julia Filowiat (1911-2001) Edward Lis

       1.1 Dolores Lis Michael Zgurich

           1.1.1 Kathy Zgurich (DNM)

           1.1.2 Mark Zgurich (DNM)

       1.2 Eugene Lis (1931- ) Eleanor Spochacz

           1.2.1 Cynthia Lis Bryan Kealy

           1.2.2 Eugene E. Lis (DNM)

       1.3 Eileen Lis Nicholas Fera

           1.3.1 Diane Fera Charles Bettilyon

                 1.3.1.1 Jessica Bettilyon (1989- )

                 1.3.1.2 Lindsey Bettilyon (1990- )

                 1.3.1.3 Ashley Bettilyon (1992- )

                 1.3.1.4 Matthew Bettilyon (1996- )

           1.3.2 Rene Fera C.D. Ganster

                 1.3.2.1 Steve Ganster (1989- )

                 1.3.2.2 Lauren Ganster (1992- )

           1.3.3 Nicholas Fera

           1.3.4 Lisa Fera

                 1.3.4.1 Patrick Oakes

       1.4 Dennis Lis (1936- ) Dolores Reis

           1.4.1 Donna Lis (1958- ) David King

                 1.4.1.1 David King (1979- )

                 1.4.1.2 Lourie King (1981- )

           1.4.2 Dennis Lis (1960- ) Deborah Holloway

                 1.4.2.1 Dennis Lis (1983- )

                 1.4.2.2 Diane Lis (1985- )

           1.4.3 Darril Lis (1964- ) (DNM)

           1.4.4 Dale Lis (1965- ) Paula Wurst

                 1.4.4.1 Jaremiah Lis (1979- ) [adopted by Dale]

                         1.4.4.2 Jacob Lis (1990- )

                         1.4.4.3 Andrew Lis (1993- )

                         1.4.4.4 Daniel Lis (1994- )

           1.4.5 Darcy Lis (1970- ) William Smith

                         1.4.5.1 Paige Smith

           1.4.6 Donald Lis (1971- ) Christine Davis

                         1.4.6.1 Donnie Lis (1991- )

                         1.4.6.2 Cassandra Lis (1992- )

                         1.4.6.3 Alexandria Lis (1992- )

           1.4.7 Doreen Lis (1974- )

                         1.4.7.1 Justin Lis (1990- )

       1.5 Maryanne Lis Edward Jackowski

2. Metro Paul Filowat (1914-1994) Anna Theresa Ference

      2.1 Anna Marie Filowat William Joseph Wilson

          2.1.1 William J. Wilson Jr. (1961- ) Lorraine E. Vislay

                2.1.1.1 Christopher Wilson [adopted] (1992- )

          2.1.2 Edward Paul Wilson (1966- ) Karen M. McMahon

                2.1.2.1 Grady Edward Wilson (2000- )

                2.1.2.2 Benjamin James Wilson (2002- )

          2.1.3 Christine Ann Wilson (1968- )

      2.2 Edward Michael Filowat Jane Anne Hudak

          2.2.1 Edward Patrick Filowat (1977- )

          2.2.2 Jean Marie Filowat (1982- )

      2.3 Joseph Patrick Filowat (1946- ) Linda Ambrose [div.]

      2.4 Rita Elaine Filowat (1951- ) Ralph Croyle [div.]

          2.4.1 Rebecca Elaine Croyle (1969- ) Bradley Crooks

                2.4.1.1 Lauren Michelle Crooks (1998- )

                2.4.1.2 Ryan Dawson Crooks (2002- )

          2.4.2 Rita Eileen Croyle (1971- ) Michael Brink

                2.4.2.1 Haley Danielle Brink (1994- )

                2.4.2.2 Joshua Michael Brink (2002- )

3. Anthony P. Filowat (1915-2006 ) (DNM)

4. Catherine Katie Filowiat (1917-1982) 1) Wm. Haviland; 2) Robert Marshall

      4.1 Frank Haviland (1948-1962)

5. George Filowiat (1919- ) Loretta Bonneville

6. Mary Filowiat (1921-1978) John Karacostas

      6.1 John Karacostas Rayma Watson

          6.1.1 Timothy Karacostas Mary Patricia Brown

                6.1.1.1 Steven Charles Karacostas

                6.1.1.2 Chase Austin Karacostas

          6.1.2 Susan Elaine Karacostas Steve Tweedy

                6.1.2.1 Erin Tweedy

      6.2 Rosemary Karacostas Robert Rodriguez

          6.2.1 Rene Rodriguez

          6.2.2 Ryan Rodriguez

7. Rose Filowiat (1924- ) Sylvester Humphreys

      7.1 William Humphreys 1) Patricia ____; 2) Darla _____

          7.1.1 Trisha Humphreys _____ Kearn

                7.1.1.1 Samantha Kearn

          7.1.2 Tracy Humphreys

          7.1.3 Jessica Humphreys [by Darla]

      7.2 Robert Humphreys Karen _____

8. Helen Filowiat (1925-1947) (DNM)

9. Elizabeth Filowiat (1926- ) Calvin Bendel

      9.1 Gary Bendel (1951- ) Victoria McIntosh

          9.1.1 Blake Bendel (1978- )

          9.1.2 Stacie Bendel (1980- )

      9.2 Deborah Bendel (1953- ) 1) Domenic Laudato; 2) Dennis Sweda

          9.2.1 Nicole Laudato (1978- ) Christopher Herman

                9.2.1.1 Jacob Laudato Herman (1994- )

                9.2.1.2 Ian Herman (1998- )

          9.2.2 Dominic Laudato (1980- )

          9.2.3 Tracy Sweda (1982- )

          9.2.4 Tina Sweda (1984- )

      9.3 Donna Bendel (1962- )

      9.4 Darlene Bendel (1965- ) Randy Bolette

10. Andrew Filowiat (1929- ) (DNM)

11. John Filowiat (1930-1998) Mary Hannah

       11.1 Douglas Filowiat [adopted] ( - ) Donna McQueen

       11.2 Steven Michael Filowiat (1991- )

12. Monica Virginia Filowiat (1931- ) Edwin Glass

       12.1 Leo Glass           Wendy jackson (DIV)

            12.1.1 Graig Glass (c1983- )

       12.2 Bonnie Glass        Barbara Ruston

       12.3 John Albert Glass   Roxie Bradberry

       12.4 Betsy Lou Glass     John Carmane

            12.4.1 Ashley Marie Vinson (c1989- )

       12.5 Janet Lynn Glass-Hawkins    Kenneth Hawkins(Div-2006)

            12.5.1 Nicholas Hawkins (1993- )
            12.5.1 Hannah Marie Nichol Hawkins (2004- )

13. Anna Jean Filowiat (1932-1932) (N/A)

14. Edward Joseph Filowiat (1933- ) Margaret Jordan

       14.1 Judith Filowiat _____ White

            14.1.1 [daughter]

       14.2 Rebecca Filowiat Ronald Peterson

            14.2.1 Paige Peterson (1978- )

            14.2.2 Autumn Peterson (1980- )

            14.2.3 Anna Peterson (1986- )

            14.2.4 Joshua Peterson (1988- )

       14.3 Lori Filowiat

       14.4 Patricia Filowiat Michael Robertson

            14.4.1 Jonathan Robertson (1987- )

            14.4.2 Ashley Robertson (1990- )

       14.5 James Filowiat Kim ____

            14.5.1 Kayla Hope Filowat (1992- )

            14.5.2 Jeremy Filowat (1994- )

            14.5.3 Joseph Roy Filowat (1998- )

       14.6 Angel Filowiat

       14.7 Kellie Filowiat

15. Michael Filowiat (1935- ) 1) Phyllis Hannah; 2) Faye Cook

      15.1 Michael Filowiat

           15.1.1 Ethan M. Filowat (1991- )

           15.1.2 Hannah Jane Filowat (199_- )

      15.2 Catherine Filowiat Donald Collins

           15.2.1 Kennesha Collins

           15.2.2 Jennifer Collins

16. Anna Jane Filowiat (1937-1986) Donald Daberko

      16.1 Larry Daberko Gretchen Heinrich

           16.1.1 Allison Daberko (1998- )

           16.1.2 Kayla Daberko ( - )

Historical Narrative

Michael Filowiat (1886-1953)

Michael Filowiat [originally Michal Filowiak] was born October 1, 1886,^[1] in the village of Srednia Wies [Middle Village] in Galicia, a province of the old Austrian Empire.^[2] The town is in present-day southeastern Poland, as shown on the maps in Section 5.0 (page 18) And Appendix B (page 25). Michael was the son of Andrzej Filowiak^[2,3] and his mothers name is believed to have been Mary.^[3] Michael may have had a brother named Metro who migrated to France, as well as a brother John.^[3]

In 1910, as a single man, Michal Filowiak arrived in the United States.^[2] As indicated in Exhibit 5, he left Europe from Bremen, Germany, on January 20, 1910, aboard the SS Neckar [Section 5.0, page 18; Appendix A, page 21]. He arrived at Ellis Island, Port of New York, on February 2, 1910. His stated destination was the residence of his uncle in Derry (Westmoreland County), Pennsylvania, in the southwestern part of the state. The uncles name appears to be Antoni Myorozak, or possibly Majorozak.^[4]

According to the passenger list, Michal Filowiak was 5-ft, 6-in tall, with blond hair and blue eyes. His race/ethnicity is listed as Ruthenian^[5] or Austrian Ruthonian. He was a subject of the Austrian Empire, and had never before been to the U.S. He arrived at Ellis Island with $22.00 in his possession.

Note: Two months later, for the April 1910 federal census, a Michael Felviet was enumerated in Derry Borough (Westmoreland County), Pennsylvania. He is listed as single, age 23, and a boarder with 30 other men on Railroad Street. His occupation is listed as railroad laborer.^[6]

Marya Podtawska Filowiak

Marya Podtawska (also Podstowska) arrived at Ellis Island as a young, single woman a few months before Michael, on August 17, 1909. As shown in Exhibit 6, she traveled from Bremen, Germany, on the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse^[7] [see Section 5.0, page 18, and Appendix A, page 20]. Her parents, Metro Postowski and Rose Pikuwka, apparently remained in the old country.^[8]

According to the passenger list for the SS Kaiser Wilhelm, Marya Podtawska was 20 years old when she arrived at Ellis Island in 1909, indicating a birth date of 1889 [other records show her birth date as 1891 or 1892]. Like her future husband, she traveled from Srednia Wies, her birthplace. She left behind her mother, Rosalia Podstowska, but it is unknown whether her father was still living. Her race/ethnicity was listed as Austria, Ruthenian, and her destination was Reading, Pennsylvania, where she intended to join her sister-in-law Kasimina Hanajbyk.

Mary was likely traveling with Antoni Podstowski, age 40, also from Srednia Wies, who left behind his wife Marya Podstowska and was traveling to New Florence, Pennsylvaniawhere he intended to join his brother-in-law, Michael Kucharyk [this entry is two lines away from that of Marya Podstowska on the passenger manifest].

The Family of Michael and Mary

On September 9, 1911, Michael Filowiat married Mary Podstowska [both names had changed by this point, differing from their passenger listings]. The marriage took place at St. Marys Eastern Ukrainian Church in Bradenton (Westmoreland County), Pennsylvania.^[1] Since Michael and Mary were born in the same village in Galicia,^[7,9] it is likely that they knew each other before emigrating. [Mary misstated her age and/or birth date first on the passenger manifest, and then later on the marriage license, apparently to appear two or three years older.]

As described in Section 2.0 (page 2), the marriage produced 16 individual births. With the exception of Anna Jean (child #13), who was born and died in 1932, all the offspring lived into adulthood and eight are living as of the date of publication.

Michael Filowiat, Mary, and their first four children are enumerated in Union Township (Washington County), Pennsylvania, for the 1920 census.^[10] Michael was a laborer with the Pennsylvania Railroad, and eventually moved his household from Elrama (Washington County) to Floreffe (Allegheny County), both of which are in western Pennsylvania). Later, the family moved to Ridge Road, Finleyville, which is also in Allegheny County. At that point, Michael was already listing his occupation as car repairman.

Notes for Section

[1] The marriage license in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Book 37, p170), indicates a birth date of Oct. 1, 1886, while other records indicate Oct. 3, 1886.

[2] The passenger list for the SS Neckar [National Archives, Film T715, Roll 1407, page 13, line 22] indicates that Michael [Michal] arrived in New York from Bremen, Germany, on February 2, 1910.

[3] These names are from interviews with family members and may or may not be accurate.

[4] This surname could have been that of Michael Filowiats mother, if the uncle mentioned was the brother of the mother. This surname was sought in the 1910 census for Derry Township and West Moreland County without success.

[5] As stated by the American Heritage Dictionary, Ruthenia was a historic region of eastern Europe, in western Ukraine, south of the Carpathian Mountains, part of which constituted a province of Czechoslovakia (1918-1939) and was also called Carpatho-Ukraine, and all of which was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945.

[6] This information is listed in the 1910 Federal Census, Derry Borough, Westmoreland County (Pennsylvania): ED #110, Sheet 12A, Line 45.

[7] Mary Podstowska Filowiats Petition for Naturalization [#124346; 7 Nov. 1940) states that she and her husband were born in Bereska, Poland; however, her husbands petition and other documents (including immigration records and passenger lists) state that both were born in Srednia Wies. However, the two villages are only two miles apart [see Appendix B, page 25].

On her petition, her birth date is listed as September 15, 1891, and her race Ukrainian. She was married in Latrobe (Pennsylvania) on 9 Sep. 1911. She lists 15 children [Anna Jean had died in her first year in 1932]. Witnesses to the petition were George Pishok of Clairton (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania, and Mrs. Mildred Terbowich of Finleyville, Pennsylvania. Relationships are unknown.

[8] This information is from communication from Rose Podstowska Maxymczak, sister of Mary Podstowska Filowiat. Other Podstowski siblings were Julie (migrated to Canada), Tony, and Alex (killed at a young age in an accident at the rail yard where he worked in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania). The parents of Mary and Rose are said to have remained in Eastern Europe.

[9] Michaels Petition for Citizenship [#92488; U.S. District Court, Pittsburgh; 16 Jun. 1931] lists his residence as Ridge Road (Box 51), Floreffe (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania. His occupation is listed as car repairman. Witnesses were Alex Maxymczak of Elrama (his wifes brother-in-law) and Alex Mitoch, also of Elrama [relationship unknown].

[10] From 1920 Federal Census, ED #181, Sheet 16B, Line 113

Exhibit 5: Passenger List Record, SS Neckar, February 1910


Name:	Filowiak, Michal

Ethnicity:	Austrian Ruthonian

Place of Residence:	Srednia, Galicia

Date of Arrival:	February 02, 1910

Age on Arrival:	22y

Gender:	Male

Marital Status:	Single

Ship of Travel:	Neckar

Port' of Departure':	Bremen, Germany

Note: The information in Exhibits 5 and 6 is from the Ellis Island Records Web site:

www.EllisIslandRecords.org

Some minor discrepancies, such as Ruthonian vs. Ruthenian, exist between the on-line information and what was available for the original researchmicrofilm records at the National Archives.^[2]

Comprehensive passenger information for some 22 million Ellis Island immigrants (from 1892 to 1924) was manually entered into a database by thousands of volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This process resulted in some errors and inconsistencies, mainly due to illegible handwriting on the original passenger manifests. At present, a review and update of the database is being carried out based upon notification from people who have been using the Web site for the past five years.

Passenger List Record, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, August 1909


Name:	Podstawska, Marya

Ethnicity:	Austria, Ruthenian

Place of Residence:	Sredniawies, Galicia

Date of Arrival:	August 17, 1909

Age on Arrival:	20y

Gender:	Female

Marital Status:	Single

Ship of Travel:	Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse

Port' of Departure':	Bremen, Germany

Note: The information in Exhibits 5 and 6 is from the Ellis Island Records Web site:

www.EllisIslandRecords.org

Other Family Branches

Other individuals with the name Filowiak, Filowiat, Filowick, Filowich, and Filewich settled in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia (Morgantown area), and are likely related to Michal Filowiak. This conclusion is supported by the fact that an Anton [or Antony] Filowiat was born in Srednia Wies in 1880 (the birthplace of Michal Filowiak), migrating to the U.S. in 1903.

Also, a Harry Filowiak traveled from West Virginia to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to attend Michael Filowiats funeral in 1953. Harry signed the guest book, although no one remembers him identifying himself at the time. The most likely relationship is that Harry and Antony were brothers and first cousins to Michael, and all three were sons of brothers from Srednia Wies.

Antony Filowiats Certificate of Citizenship #4541686 was issued 11 Jan. 1941. He was naturalized on 24 Aug. 1938 in Common Pleas Court of Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Application #6-8-4061). Papers indicate that he was of Polish descent; married; age 60 at the time; with medium complexion, brown eyes and hair, 5-ft 6-in tall, and 135-lb.

Antony Filowiats Declaration of Intention (#14085/6), Common Pleas Court of Greensburg, Pennsylvania (12 Mar. 1936) indicates that he was born 12 Jan. 1880 in Srednia Wies, Poland, another clue that he and Michael Filowiat were related. He arrived in New York on 29 Jun. 1903 aboard the SS President Grant. Witnesses to his petition for citizenship (#8739,12 May 1938) were George Evancho and Peter Monta, coal miners living on Forbes Road in Greensburg, Pennsylvania (unknown relationships).

Note: Subsequent to the original research on this individual, death records were found for two people who were buried from the Felton Funeral Home, which operated in Greensburg (Westmoreland County), Pennsylvania, from 1918 to 1985. Anthony is the brother of Harry, as confirmed by his obituary, making him the first cousin of Michael. Patricia is his infant granddaughter by son Peter. According to funeral records, Anthony died of asthma.

Name 'Birth Death Age

Filowiak, Anthony Jan 12, 1881 (Austria) May 16, 1945 64

Filowiak, Patricia Louise April 14, 1939 Aug. 27, 1940 1+

These records were obtained via the Web site of the Baltzer Meyer Historical Society in Greensburg, Pennsylvania: http://www.pa-roots.com/~baltzermeyer/Pages/home.html

Records for the early 1900s in Pennsylvania also mention a Mike Filowich [or Filewich] who was born in Galicia and migrated to the U.S. in 1912. He likely was a relative of Michal Filowiak. According to his Petition for Citizenship (US District Court, Pittsburgh) in 1934 at age 40, and his Declaration of Intention (#132627 US District Court, Pittsburgh) in 1931, he was born on 6 Dec. 1893 in Bereska, Poland (listed by Mary Podstowska Filowiat as her home town on some documents). He arrived in New York on 28 Feb. 1911 aboard the SS Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm der Grosse.

Mike Filowich [Filewich] married a woman named Mary on 29 Oct. 1921 in Donora, Pennsylvania, and had four children: Rosa Filewich [8 Oct. 1922]; Mary [30 Sep. 1925]; Mike [22 Oct. 1928]; and John [27 Mar. 1931]. All were born in Elrama (Washington County), Pennsylvania. Witnesses to his petition (#98101, 3 May 1934) were Robert Armstrong and Alex Mitoch, both of Elrama [it is interesting to note that Alex Mitoch was also a witness for Michael Filowiat, the subject of this document, a few years earlier].

This is all very confusing, and perhaps another researcher will sort it out later. It appears, however, that Michal Filowiak migrated to America and became Michael Filowiat (the spelling that his offspring use), while Anton Filowiat migrated and became Antony Filowiak (the spelling that his offspring apparently used). However, other than the death records mentioned on the previous page, no Filowiak family members appeared through an Internet search or in the nationwide White Pages database.

Exhibits and Additional Information

Ellis Island Immigrants Named Filowiat or Filowiak

Filowiat

Exact Matches (4)

Name of Passenger	Residence	Arrived	Age on Arrival
1.Andrej Filowiat	Serednia	1906	18
2.Anna Filowiat	Hizwa, Austria	1913	14
3.Anna Filowiat	Hscizova/Galizia	1913	17
4.Anton Filowiat		1903	26

Filowiak

Exact Matches (3)

Name of Passenger	Residence	Arrived	Age on Arrival
1.Indren Filowiak	Indnia Wies	1900	38
2. Jurko Filowiak	Srednia Wies, Galicia	1910	33
3.Michal Filowiak	Srednia, Galicia	1910	22

As mentioned earlier, it is thought that Michal Filowiak had two brothers: Metro (who may have migrated to France) and John. It has not been determined whether the name on line 2 in the chart immediately above refers to him or to someone else. It is possible that a mistake was made in transcribing the original hand-written name from the passenger manifest; but, on the other hand, there are many people of Austrian/Ruthenian ancestry with the first name Jurko listed on the Ellis Island Records Web site.

Research into Eastern European genealogy is difficult, to say the least. Aside from the issue of the regular interchanging of v/w and t/k, there is also a problem with lax spelling by record keepers and scrawled handwriting on old documents. Public officials (who usually spoke only English), and clergy as well, often wrote what they thought they heardand the resulting new names usually persisted through the decades.

Exhibit 8 shows the many spellings for the names of people identified during research into the history of Michal Filowiak [Michael Filowiat]. These are either alternate spellings for the same family line, or relatives at one level or another. They are included here so as to appear in future Internet searches by other family members.

Alternate Spellings for Names of Principals and Relatives

Filowiak	Original spelling of Michals last name in Poland/Ukraine.
Filowiat	Appears upon arrival in Pennsylvania (Marriage Certificate).
Filowat	Used by children #2 and #3 (Metro Paul and Anthony).
Foloviot	Appears for Michal, Marya, and their first four children in Union Township (Washington County), Pennsylvania, 1920 [ED 181; Sh 16B#113].
Filovion	Thought to be the aforementioned Antony Filowiak
Filoviat	Appears in various records referring to children of Michal and Marya.
Filoviak	Michals father.
Felviet	Appears on 1910 census, thought to be Michal soon after arrival.
Filowick	Used by family of a cousin in West Virginia.
Filowich	Variation of above.
Filewich	Variation of above.
Filovit	Appears on Birth/Baptismal Certificate for Metro Paul (Child #2).

Most historical documents researched for this family history list Srednia Wies as the home town for both Michael and Mary. However, in some documents, Mary lists Bereska as the home town for both of them. In any case, the two towns are just 4 kilometers [2 miles] apart, and both are in what is now the southeastern part of Poland, near the current border with Ukraine and Slovakia.

Ukrainian	Russian	Polish (Current)
Seredne Selo	Seredne Selo Serednij	Srednia Wies Sredna Wies
Bereska	Bereska	Berezka

As described in Section 1.0 (page 1), the area is in the former province of Galicia, which has been part of the Austrian Empire, Ukraine, and Polandand under Russian or Soviet dominance for much of its history. As noted in Section 3.0 (page 10), Michael and Mary listed their race/ethnicity as Austrian Ruthenian on most documents over the years (the original spelling, Filowiak, is Ukrainian).

Exhibit 9 shows present-day Poland, including the border with Ukraine and Slovakia. Srednia Wies is in the lower right tip southeast of Krosno, along the San River. Exhibit 10 is an old map of Srednia Wies, showing its proximity to the San River. Exhibit 11 is a photo showing the area as it appears today.

Present-Day Poland

Note: Appendix B (page 25) contains two additional maps locating Srednia Wies and Beresna.

Location of Srednia Wies in Southeastern Poland

Latitude: 22^o21 E Longitude: 49^o25 N [Near the San River]

Srednia Wies Today

Note: The preceding three images are from the Web site of Matthew James Hanczaryk, whose grandfather, Jan Hanczaryk, was born in Srednia Wies in 1911, around the time Michal and Marya were emigrating. Matthews Web site contains considerable information about the town, its history, and its current demographics [pop. 1,100], including additional photos and links to related Web sites [some in Polish and other Eastern European languages]. The address of the Web site is: http://www.dumbjaw.com/poland/

Appendix A (page 20) to this document contains information about the SS Neckar and the SS Kaiser Wilhelmthe ships that brought Michal and Marya to America.

Passenger Liners at the Turn of the 20^th Century

Marya Podtawska arrived in New York aboard the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse in 1909. The ship already had a colorful history, with even more to come.

The Kaiser Wilhelm was a famous German passenger liner in its time, with advanced engineering and propulsion systems and a sleek hull design. In fact, it won the coveted Blue Riband for a record two-way crossing of the Atlantic in 1897: just under six days each way.

In June 1900, the Kaiser Wilhelm was nearly destroyed in a raging pier fire in Hoboken, New Jersey. As described in the news report in Exhibit 12, the fire destroyed two sister ships, claimed the lives of 200 people, and injured more than a thousand. The full story, as well as additional information, can be found on the following Web site:

http://www.maggieblanck.com/JPetermann/Fire.html

Fortunately, repairs were made quickly, and the Kaiser Wilhelm was able to resume its transatlantic passenger service.

In 1914, the fast-moving vessel was outfitted as a warship and pressed into service by Germany. It was sent to patrol the waters surrounding the Canary Islands, where it sank two small ships and a trawlertotaling 10,000 tons.

On August 26, it was attacked in neutral Spanish waters by the HMS Highflyer and was so badly damaged that it was scuttled by its crew and left to sink.

Notes':

1. Many Web sites use de (rather than the correct der) in the ships name, which should be kept in mind for exact phrase Web searches.

2. A model of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse can be purchased for about $40.00 at this Web site: http://www.1250ships.com/models/used/m401.htm

News Report on 1900 Hoboken Pier Fire

[Condensed Excerpts]

Hoboken, New Jersey (July 1, 1900)

New York Times

'Hoboken' Pier Fire June 30, 1900

Over 200 Perish In Burning Liners

The scene half an hour after the starting of the fire beggared all description. The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, the pride of the line, was towed slowly away, afire at several places and her crew valiantly fighting to save the vessel. The Saale and the Bremen followed, drifting helplessly, flames bursting out in every part of the ship, men jumping overboard, and others caught as in traps, trying in vain to force their way through the small portholes, while the flames pressed relentlessly upon them.

The first ship to get clear of the burning piers was the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, aboard which were many visitors, 171 cards having been issued during the day to persons who desired to inspect the vessel.

The Saale and Bremen lay helpless in their berths of fire.

The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse is the fastest vessel sailing from this port. Her record eastward to Southampton is 5 days, 17 hours, and 3 minutes; and west bound from the same port 5 days, 20 hours, and 10 minutes.

She was built in 1897 at the yards of the Vulcan Shipping Company of Stetin. She registers 14,349 tons gross and 5,521 tons net. Her displacement is 20,000 tons and she measures 643 feet in length and 66 feet in beam and 43 feet in depth. The motive power consists of two triple expansion engines capable of developing 27,000 horsepower. Each engine is in a separate water tight compartment and the whole vessel is divided into eighteen watertight compartments, sixteen transverse and one longitudinal bulkheads. The hull is protected from injury by a double bottom divided into twenty-two subdivision.

An idea of the enormous size of the vessel may be had from the fact that the top of the smokestacks is 105 feet above the keel. The vessel carries 330 first-class passengers, 370 second-class passengers and 900 steerage passengers.

As described throughout this document, Michal Filowiak migrated to the United States aboard the SS Neckar, shown in Exhibit 13. He departed from the German Port of Bremen, arriving at Ellis Island on February 2, 1910.

Associated Passenger	Date of Arrival	Port of Departure
Filowiak, Michal	February 02, 1910	Bremen

Built by J.C. Tecklenborg (Geestemunde, Germany) in 1901, the SS Neckar was 9,709 gross tons, 409 feet long, and 58 feet wide. The ship carried 750 passengers: 200 in first class and 550 in third class. Its quadruple expansion steam engines and twin screw produced a service speed of 14 knots [an astonishing 16 mph]. A typical transatlantic crossing, 3,778 miles, took about 10 days [Michal departed on 20 Jan. 1910 and arrived on 2 Feb. 1910].

Built for North German Lloyd, and flying the German flag, it carried passengers between Germany and the United States for 12 years. Laid up from 1914 to 1917, the ship was seized by the U.S. Government in 1917 [WW I] and renamed the USS Antigone. It was transferred to the U.S. Mail Steamship Company in 1921, and then transferred to United States Lines in 1921 and renamed the Potomac. It provided passenger service between New York and Bremerhaven in 1921 and 1922, and was eventually retired and then scrapped in Holland in 1928.

The SS Neckar (Circa 1910)

Photo: Richard Faber Collection, as Published on the Ellis Island Records Web Site.

Exhibits 14 and 15 show the original passenger manifests for the SS Kaiser Wilhelm and the SS Neckar, containing the names of Mary Podtawska and Michal Filowiak. Although the names cannot be discerned in these images, the poor quality of the hand writing is evident. This goes a long way toward explaining how names immediately changed as immigrants were processed through Ellis Island and given their paperswith no knowledge of the English language or American customs.

**Maryas Passenger Log Sheet, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse (1909)**

**Michals Passenger Log Sheet, SS Neckar (1910)**

Additional Maps Locating Srednia Wies

N 4924'21 E 2222'11"

The red circle lies between Srednia Wies and Berezka [Bereska]. The scenic area is in the northern foothills of the Carpathian Mountains.

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