Magyar News, 1996. szeptember-1997. augusztus (7. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1997-07-01 / 11-12. szám

[ HE VAK’S MARKET)

Kati Han is the story of an Hungarian matriarch. She was bom in Hungary at the turn of the century and she is alive and well and still giving advice at the age of 97. Kati left Hungary in either 1920 or 1921 and arrived at Ellis Island after a grueling five week trip on. a ship. As I have heard many a time, she was so sick, she did not eat for two w eeks and she thought she was going to die. But like many before her. she survived the shaky' travel only to be subjected to equally grueling medical and physical examinations to assure the authorities that immigrants were only of the healthiest stock. Of course, as Kati could not speak English, she became Kathenne Haris at the behest of the immigration officers who recorded her entrance into the Umted States. After passing these medical tests, she got on a train to Ohio to see her sister, her only relative in the United States. Her sister proceeded to find a job for her; she, herself, spoke no English. Katherine got her first job as a kitchen maid, following the path of many immigrants who did not have a formal education or who did not speak English. Shortly. after this first job, she started to work for a family known as the Gareliks. Mr. Garelik was the president of Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company. Here Kathenne got her real training as a kitchen maid. But. soon she would be promoted to head cook thanks to an unusual twist of fate. The head cook was fired and Mrs. Garelik asked Katherine, if she could cook as they were

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expecting a dinner party that night. To this she replied, "Yes. but just plain food." Well, plain food or not, her reputation for delicious and savory cooking survives even today . As was also common in the twenties, there w as a melting pot of its own w ithin the hired help. The head butler was an Englishman who taught Katherine English.The Gardener was Italian, the Chauffeur was French, the Ladies maid was Swedish and the Polish woman was

the cleaner. Immigrants mixed easily and looked out for one another. Katherine, being a prudent young woman, saved just about every dime she made. One day she received a letter from her good friend. Rose Óiban in Bridgeport Connecticut. Listening to Mrs. Orban's persuasive arguments, Katherine decided to head out and try her luck in an area that was predominantly Hungarian.

It would be joy to go to a place where her childhood fnend. Rose, said much would be familiar to her. A longing for the old Hungarian customs drew her to Bridgeport. In the late 1920's she traveled by train, as she originally did to Ohio, to the new place that was to be her home for the rest of her life. Her friend Rose Óiban helped to find her a job as Cook for the Ailing family, of the Ailing Rubber Company. Here. Katherine had her last job before she met her husband and went into business for herself. With the Allings. Katherine had the life of a ty pical domestic servant. The Allings, as a wealthy family.

had a home on Clinton Avenue in Bridgeport and then built a home near Seaside Park, where Katherine would spend much of her free time. Today that home is a dormitory' for the University of Bridgeport. Again. Katherine was good at saving her money; but like many, got caught up in stock market fever. Mr Ailing would tell her that he could invest in the market, because he was rich and had money to lose. Katherine, being the strong, obstinate woman that she w as. decided she would invesL too. Except for her savings in Ohio, she lost all her money. Not, to be discouraged and never afraid of hard work, she started all over from scratch.

In 1931. she met George Revak. a fellow Hungarian, also listed as from Hungary. Katherine came from what is now Slovenia, George came from Nyirvasvari. what is still Hungary. How did she meet George Revak? She met him through mutual friends. Many is the time I have heard her say. "that she had many offers in her life, but that she had never met any one who thought like her. like George did." And. so at 31 years of age she found her life's mate. When she met George, he had apparently been a bit of an entrepreneur, although not always successful. He had invested in a piano factory that went under. He invested in a local record company with a neighberhood doctor, Dr. Messenger, in w hich the comptroller ran off with all the investor’s money. He was convinced to invest in a restaurant on Park Avenue in New York City at the height of the Depression. He was a bit of a trusting fellow. Figuring they were two peas m a pod. Katherine and George married in 1932. Also about this tunc. George felt it would be best to start another of his business and so became the family store on Maplewood Avenue.

Of course. Katherine and George needed money to start the business. For 6 months they rented a building for the store. But then one day, Katherine was traversing the neighborhood when she came upon a lot about a block away, which was for sale. Katherine notified the real estate agent that she knew someone who would buy the property and asked if she could collect the commission on the sale. 1 guess they were eager to sell the place. So they bought the lot for the purchase price and put the commission towards the payment. She also sent to Ohio for some money she had saved to purchase the lot. In the meantime, they needed more money to start construction of the store and residence. As was typical of

The Revak 's Market in the years of the 1930s