Bethlen Almanac 1998 (Ligonier)

The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America

This was the second time in the past seven years that a Prime Minister visited the Kossuth House - Prime Minister József Antall was the first to do so in 1991. We consider this a great honor for it demonstrates that the Federation and the Kossuth House continue to enjoy an exemplary reputation in Hungary.

As a follow-up to the Prime Minister’s visit, the Political State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zsolt Nemeth, also visited the Kossuth House on December 2, 1998.

Treasurers of the Archives Re-Visited

After eight years of dedicated research, it was a genealogist’s dream come true to discover the immigration records of my paternal grandfather, Hudak Miklós and my husband’s maternal grandfather, Muszka Mihály, at the National Archives in Washington, D. C. this past spring. Grandfather Hudak came to America by himself in April of 1902 on the SS Pennland that departed from Antwerp and arrived at Ellis Island on April 8, 1902. He had hopes of finding work and sending for my grandmother, Komjati Terezia and my Aunt Margaret.

The family eventually settled in Sharon, Pennsylvania where my father Miklós was born in 1908. A few years later they moved back to Timar, Szabolcs Megye, Hungary, which was their city of origin.

Dad returned to America in 1929 bringing with him, after a stop in Budapest, a magazine that contained the recipe for Holiday Cake, which has always been a traditional part of our family’s Christmas.

Of Grandfather Michael Muszka, there was absolutely no information known other than that he came to America in about 1901 or 1902, worked in the coal mines, supposedly in western Pennsylvania and was killed in a mining accident soon after.

I did find out recently that he arrived by himself on the SS Milano, which sailed out of Hamburg and arrived on Feb. 15, 1901. His destination was to Johnstown, Ohio to his brother-in-law Peter Bodnar. He also had hopes of bringing his family to America eventually. I am still in the process of researching the Pauli ancestors, Pal Karoly and Pujka Maria. Their origins were in Makkosjanosi, Bereg Megye, Hungary.

Some cities in that area of old Hungary were Asztely, Badalo, Balazser which was a little hamlet adjoining Makkosjanosi. There was also Beregszász, Botragy, Halabor and Mezokaszony, just to name a few.

An 1828 Census on microfilm of this area of Hungary shows the names of these cities and many others.

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