Fraternity-Testvériség, 1986 (64. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)

1986-07-01 / 3. szám

Page 6

TESTVÉRISÉG

(Continued from Page 2)

Toledo, on January 29, 1921. In 1960, my wife Ida and I spent our 25th wedding anniversary in New York and had the opportunity of seeing both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (again).”

Mr. István Kazay of Kissimmee, Florida.

"I was bom in Komoro, Szatmarmegye, in 1907. In November of 1923, at the age of 15, I set sail on S/S “Macsesztik” from Sherbourg, France, to be together with my parents, Albert and Anna Kazay, in Detroit, Michigan. It was on Ellis Island that a Hungarian translator by the name of Arpad took all my money away with the excuse that he needed it to buy the train ticket to Detroit. It was, therefore, on Ellis Island that I got robbed for the first time in America.”

Mrs. Esther Daku Lekka of La Grange, IL.

“I was born in Tisza Bezded in 1897. At the age of 16 I left Hungary and sailed from Fiume, Italy, on S/S “Saxony” to visit my father and brother in Joliet, Illinois. My mother had to sell a cow so that there would be enough money for the fare. (My mother joined the family later on.) I remember how very sorry I felt for the people who were not accepted into the US and had to return. The US was very strict about who could enter the country. I also remember seeing large X marks on people being returned to their own country. I saw my father for the first time. He brought me a large bouquet of carnations which I still remember to this day. Hungarian Churches had many balls. My brother, Balaz Daku, was one of the founders of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Joliet. In Joliet I also saw streetcars and cars for the first time.”

Mrs. Mary Leleszi (Csordás) of Southgate, MI.

“My mother came to America in 1921. After becoming a citizen, she arranged for me and my sister to join her. We both arrived in March of 1930 on board of the German steamship “Europa” which broke the world record by sailing across the ocean in 4 days and 11 hours. Our mother came up on the “Europa” to meet us carrying two bouquets of red roses. Neither of us recognized each other. Only the roses kept my attention. Finally my sister said that the lady could be our mother. For reasons unknown to us, my sister and I were taken to Ellis Island on a smaller boat

where we stayed for two days. We were very scared for fear of deportation — being separated from our mother. Finally we were reunited, and we were on our way to Angean, WV where three more sisters were waiting for us. We learned to love, respect and always be grateful to our Almighty God for being here in this Great United States of America.”

Mr. Albert Pandi, Sr., of Grafton, Ohio.

(Since Mr. Pandi is 93 years old and has been declared legally blind, the following recollections were communicated to us by his son.)

Albert Pandi, standing, 2nd to the right — 1913.

“I was born in Hungary in 1893 in Zemplen Megye, Bacska, and immigrated to America in 1909 on S/S “Ulthonia” at the age of 16. I would like to share some of my recollections of this un- forgetable journey and my first impressions of the new country:

— The ship left Naples and shortly after it started taking on water, it had to return to port for 2 weeks’ repair on the hull. It was reported to have sunk on its return trip to Europe after disembarking the passengers in New York.

— Male and female passengers were in separate compartments, but the first night aboard: my mother insisted I stay with her. Needless to say the other women were upset and reported my presence to the first officer who removed me. The place was full of lice and I threw my underwear overboard trying to get rid of them.

— We slept two to a bunk and three high. Good food, plenty of wine aboard for the 28-day voyage.

— Got a job in the meatlocker and received extra rations but no pay.

— First sight of land was beautiful and then people were herded into cages and penned up