Jozef Maziuk

Josef was born in Salace, Grodno, Poland in 1889.  He didn't know when he was born exactly, so the family picked his "birthday" as November 1st because he said it was in cold weather as best he knew.  In 1899, at age nine, he left Salace and moved to Siberia.  He returned to Salace to meet his bride, Urshula Maziuk.  They married on June 19, 1911 and he swept his bride off to Siberia.  They established a farm there by homesteading. According to Urshula, it was a very nice farm.  According to family lore, he decided to leave for America  when he was drafted into the Czar's army.  Being a peasant himself, he did not want to fight for the Czar.  He left Urshula and their son, Stanley behind  while he journeyed to the new land and become established.  While he was gone, his daughter Rosa was born.

Jozef arrived in America November 12, 1913.  He found a job and sent for his family.  By the time they arrived on August 17, 1914, much to Urshula's dismay, he no longer had the job.  When she told me this story as a lady in her 80's, it was obvious she never let him forget this.  He worked at many different jobs throughout the years, but finally settled into the grocery business, known as Maziuk's Market.  Through the years, other children were born:  Victoria in 1915, Frederick in 1916, Paul in 1917, Sophia in 1920, and lastly, Francis in 1928.

Joseph became a naturalized citizen on January 12, 1944.  At this time, wives automatically were naturalized when their husbands received their papers .

When Urshula died on October 30, 1980, Joseph refused to move in with any of his children.  Blind and in his 90's, he wanted to be on his own as long as he could.  So he continued to live at 41 Orchard Street.  Joseph died on February 10,  1986 in Stamford, CT.  He had entered the hospital for an operation on his prostate, suffered a stroke while still there, and died of bacteremia (complications).  He will always be remembered as a gentle and kind man.

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Updated 8/28/05 Created 12-18-99