Majercin Family Album and Documents

Excerpts from letter from Bernice Majercin-Zobay, Dated 12/23/96:

My father, (Michael George Majercin)... Occupation in Streator was Glass Blower. Occupation in Danville was Coal Miner. Father came from Czechoslovakia about 1911. His father had come 5 years earlier. He also had a brother Andrew Majerchin in Streator Illinois and that's where his father lived. His mother stayed behind because of a crippled son who could not have traveled.

My father played the accordion. He spoke in Slovak but learned English & spoke it very well- Was a kind hard working man - and raised a family of 6 children - 2 children died in infancy - during 1915 to 1918. There names were John & Dorothy. Michael was the oldest, then John & Dorothy, Carl, Lawrence, Bernice, Evelyn & Norman. Lawrence was older than me. My father came to U.S. in early 1900's. Bid his mother goodbye & left by foot and went to Poland - over the mountains. He said he had an address on him as Streator, Illinois as his destination.

He could not speak English at that time. He spoke of trying to eat a banana without peeling it. From Ellis Island he made it to Chicago & then to Streator. He played the accordion. Whenever we got company from Streator, they would dance the polka & sing and dance a merry good time. We kids got soda pop and candy.

There are Majercin family in Streator, Illinois. That is where my father settled when he first came to America & where he met and married my mother. His brother, now deceased was Andrew Majercin.

My father said his mother, Anna Peticky never wanted to come to America. She had a crippled son & was unable to leave because of him. I do not know his name, but I do remember him mentioning Bratislava, but I know my father also spoke of living in Prague".

His father and grandfathers were coal miners, and worked in the glass industries that brought so many of the Slovak immigrants to Central Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Most of his relatives lived in the town of Streator, Illinois.

His father, Michael George Majercin emigrated from Kracunovce, Slovakia in 1911. He married Emma Kacmar in 1913 in Streator. They moved to Danville, Illinois, where the family home is today.
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