Sophia Sowa (1881 - 1958)

Born 15 May 1881 in Sietesz, Przeworsk, Galicia, Austria

Ancestors

Wife of Josef Peszek — married 19 Nov 1901 in Braddock, PA

Died 25 Aug 1958 at age 77 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Dick Sowa [send private message]

Biography

Died 25 AUG 1958. Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States. Cause: Coronary Thrombosis (heart attack).

Baptism: ALT_BIRTH Y. 15 MAY 1881. Sietesz, Galicia, Austria.

Buried 28 AUG 1958. St Joseph Cemetery, River Grove IL.

FSFTID 9ZSR-5CS.

Event: Wawrzyniec Zywer farmer [and] Maria wife of Antoni Więclaw farmer. Baptizm Godparent.

Immigration: 27 MAR 1901. Ellis Island, New York. PLAC2 Last Place Of Residence=Zagorznowy.

Residence 1920 Chicago Ward 17, Cook (Chicago), Illinois, United States. 1935 Same House. 1940 Chicago City, Chicago, Ward 32, Cook, Illinois.

Note: BIRTH: Sophia's birthplace is listed as Sietesz at the baptism of her children Maria, both Johns, Stanislaus, Julia and Andrew. 2 The family story, related by Kenneth Sowa, (Sophia's nephew, and who had probably met her), from personal interviews, is that Sophia married a “Peshek”, had many children, and named her sons after her brothers, John, Stanley and Frank. It turns out that the family story is correct. 2 Another family story is that Josef had died in Pennsylvania, and that Sophia “took to the hills” to avoid being declared indigent, and having her kids removed from her custody. More research is required to see if that story is true, but we do have proof that eight months after Joseph died in May 1915 Sophia was living in Chicago and had applied for citizenship as a widow. However, there are some other oddities with Sophia’s life, and birth of her children, that doesn’t make a lot of sense. 2 For example, she apparently gave birth to two boys named John, one in 1905 and the other in 1906. That is based on baptismal records from where she lived in Braddock, PA. I suspect that there may have been an error in the parish register. Either that or something else was going on that resulted in erroneous reporting of John Andrew Peszhek’s age later in life. Another oddity is that Sophia gave birth to a child 2-3 years after Josef died, and four years before she married Andrew Bak. 2 Sophia (Zofia) Sowa immigrated in 1901, soon after her father Jacob did (in 1899), and lived with him for a time in Braddock, PA. Within a year, she married Joseph Peszek and gave birth to nine children (all baptized in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Braddock, PA), before Joseph died in 1915. Apparently two of their children died at an early age. NOTE: The correct Polish spelling of their surname was "Peszek", later adopted by their children as "Peshek". 2 The last two of their children were born in Chicago (March 1916 and 1918), before she remarried. However, it’s certain that at least the last child born (Veronica) was not Joseph Peszek's, and might have been born out of wedlock, or was adopted. 2 I have copies of the the baptismal records for the children born in Pennsylvania. But most Catholic Church records in Chicago after 1910 have not been scanned or made available to the public yet. 2 The chronology of events around 1915-1916 for Sophia and her family is rather confusing and some of the details don’t quite add up. •18 May 1915: Joseph Peszek died in Pennsylvania. •31 Jan 1916: 8 months 13 days after Josef died, Zofia was living in Chicago and applied for citizenship as a widow. •2 Mar 1916: 9 months 13 days after Josef died, Sophia gave birth to Helen Peszek. •4 Apr 1917 to 9 Jun 1918: 23-37 months after Josef dies, Veronica Peszek was born. She would also be known as “Laverne”. 2 CONCLUSIONS: With the birth of Helen Peszek 9-1/2 months after Joseph died, it is conceivable that she was his child. But with Veronica’s birth 2-3 years after his death, there is no way she could have been Joseph’s daughter. Could it be that Helen wasn’t his daughter either? Was Veronica adopted? More research is required to help resolve those issues, but even then, I suspect it will remain a mystery. 2 Another question that needs research is why Sophia moved to Chicago. I know that both her brothers Frank and Stanley were living there at the time, so that might have been the reason she also moved there. Her other brother John was in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by then. 2 In the 1920 census Sophia was a widow working as a seamstress in Chicago. Her 16 and 17-year-old children were also working. In 1922 she married Andrew Bak, and would have two of his children. 2 After six or seven years without a husband, Sophia married Andrew Bak in Chicago around 1921. Sophia was Stanley Sowa’s sister. 2 Sophia had two children with Andrew, but by 1940 Sophia and Andrew were no longer living together and later may have obtained a divorce. Whether the divorce was official or not is unknown, but probably can be determined through research of court records. Although I have not done so. When Andrew died in early 1958, his death certificate listed him as “divorced”. But when Sophia died a few months later she was listed as “widowed”. Andrew was buried at Elmwood Cemetery and Sophia was buried at St Joseph Cemetery, both in River Grove, IL. It turns out that the cemeteries are actually across the street from each other. Elmwood is on the east side of Thatcher, and St Joseph is on the west side. 2 Sophia died before her brother John. In 1963, when John Sowa died without a will and without a spouse or children of his own, the only heirs to his estate were his siblings. So because Sophia had already died, her children inherited her share of John’s estate (what little there was). It turns out that the daugher of one of Sophia's children (John Andrew Peszek), Charlene (Peshek) Hermes was the adminstrator of John's estate.

Sources

• Well known to Sowa family members