Novel Notes of Local Lore

Margaret (Maggie) Devinson was born on January 10, 1902 in Sault St. Marie, Michigan.  Her parents were John Williams and Bridget Kennedy, both of whom were born in Canada.  John was of English [...]

William Jefferson Sanders was born on January 16, 1921 in Tennessee to Lamar and Ivory Sanders.  William reports that he has many brothers and sisters and many half-siblings as well, but that he [...]

Winifred Hughes was born on June 1, 1905 to Italian immigrants and was one of eleven children.  Winnie attended grammar school until she was just nine years old when she came down with an unknown [...]

Beatrice Wills was born on February 17, 1917 in Chicago to Emil and Petra Schmidt, both of German descent.  Emil worked as a coal and ice man, and Petra cared for their two children, Beatrice and [...]

Gustaw Szwarc was born on July 13, 1916 in the tiny village of Gulin, Poland.  His father, Jacek, worked in an office, and his mother, Wera, cared for their seven children—five boys and two [...]

Fanny Jones was born on May 19, 1926 in Kentucky on a farm.  Her parents, Ike and Gertie Stores, had seven children, but not much is known about them except that they were of German and Irish [...]

Stefan Zabek was born on May 10, 1914 in Poland to Roman and Olga Zabek.  Roman owned and worked a small farm, while Olga cared for their six children: Stefan and Ada (twins), Teodora, Sara, [...]

Bessie Skalicky was born on March 11, 1901 in Polhora, Slovakia, a village at the foot of a mountain near the Polish border.  Her parents were Jozef and Aneta Jelen.  Jozef worked as a lumberman, [...]

Michal Havelka was born on March 28, 1898 in Chicago to Michal Havelka, Sr. and Ivana Beran, both immigrants from Czechoslovakia.  Michal’s father worked as a house painter, and the family lived [...]

Evelyn Feldman was born on October 31, 1922 in Chicago to Russian Jewish immigrants, Aron and Riva Mayer.  In Russia, Aron worked as a tailor, but once in Chicago he went into the “junk [...]