William Penn Life, 2018 (53. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2018-01-01 / 1. szám

Tibor's Take with Tibor Check, Jr.

BOLDOG ÚJ ÉVET 2018 to all members of William Penn Association. The new year will be an interesting one in Hungarian venues on both sides of the Atlantic. Hopefully, things will play out in a positive manner. Some will be born, and some will pass on to Hungarian Heaven. New traditions will emerge and old rituals will perish. It is our duty as the current stewards of Magyar history and culture to help maintain and perpetuate our glorious customs and traditions so future generations may continue to learn from our Hungarian legacies. No matter how small your heirloom of family history may appear to be, make sure to give your loved ones the complete story behind it so it may be passed on to future family members. As I have said many times before, you have to know where you came from to know where you will be going.

******************************************************************

On occasion, I like to step back and analyze past Takes to see what topics I wanted to discuss but had not. Within the last year or so, there were several topics that did not merit or warrant an entire two-page spread. The following "mini-Takes" cover topics that deserve consideration and dialogue.

******************************************************************

In November 2016,1 wrote about falvédő, a type of cloth wall hanging that was quite the rage during the latter part of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century. Usually made from linen, examples of this Magyar folk art were usually hung in kitchens, parlors or hallways. Hand stitched, they were whimsical and nostalgic, with many containing quotations from Hungarian poets like Sándor Petőfi or Endre Ady. Some falvédő contained prayers or lyrics to popular love songs. Along with the words, the cloths usually depicted beautiful scenes of flora, fauna and/or people. This tradition began in Hungary but was brought over by immigrants and continued here in the States.

Each cloth was intended to be slightly funny or romantic in subject. It was rare to have a cloth that was politically charged. I had not seen a falvédő that addressed a controversial subject until recently.

There is a dear couple-Mr. and Mrs. B, as I shall refer to them—who live in the community in which I was raised and who are good friends and mentors to my brother András II. They are true red, white and green Magyars. This past summer, Mrs. B. gave my sister Lizzy several handcrocheted hats for my niece Emerencia along with several falvédő which were meticulously preserved and stored in airtight plastic bags.

In early November, Mr. and Mrs. B. ran into my sister, Emerencia and my father at a local fast food joint during a breakfast time stop. (They usually run across each other at least once a week) At this meeting, my sister was presented a like-new falvédő that, basically, condemns the results

Tying up some loose ends

A4y sister Lizzy with the post-Trianon Treaty falvédő.

of the Trianon Treaty that followed World War I.

Over four feet in length, the nearly 100-year-old cloth consists of a map of Hungary before the war and another map following the break up of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. One of the quotations stitched onto the doth refers to Hungary being cut up like a ham. This lovingly preserved work of art with interesting historical significance will hang prominently in my sister's house, encased within protective glass for posterity's sake.

I applaud not only Mr. and Mrs. B but also those stewards of this important piece of folk art history who preceded them for taking such great care in preserving this item.

******************************************************************

Obituaries and naturalization papers contain a treasure trove of information about generations past within a family. Thanks in part to such paperwork, I have a detailed knowledge of my father's grandparents on his dad's side. Being that both of my great-grandparents came from the the same village in Hungary, (although they were married at St. Stephen of Hungary in Youngstown) that side of the family history can be traced back to the early 1800s.

On my dad's grandmother's side, the details of our family history are much murkier. I know that one branch on my great-grandmother's side is well documented as her brother was the legendary Father Vaskó of St. Stephen's Church. But, the Silvers side had little documentation.

Just a few weeks ago, my cousin Shirley Silvers-Drummond presented my dad with some original documents from that side of the family. He, in turn, passed them along to me. The six items included a U.S. Certificate of Naturalization from 1944, two obituaries, a prayer card and two photos. Without going into great detail, I did

6 0 January 2018 0 WILLIAM PENN LIFE