Since you have read this thread for so long, I thought you might enjoy the history of my dad’s and uncle Jerry’s family. I know they were both very proud of the Zuranski name as I am.
Biography of Kazimier Zuranski Family
Born; 1887
Anna born 1893
At 18, in 1905, left Poland for the United States of America. Upon arrival, he continued on to Cleveland, Ohio where there were members of the Zuranski family. He remained in Cleveland for a period of time before moving to South Dakota, and then on to Chicago Illinois.
About 1916 he joined Polish General Hallers Army of Polish Volunteers. He then went to Canada for further training in military tactics.
In 1918 the unit he was in moved to France for military operations. After the defeat of Germany, he returned to Poland to fight the Russian Bolsheviks.
After completing his service with General Haller, he visited with his family and returned to the United States.
In 1920 he married our mother Anna Czosek, he was 33 at the time. Jerry arrived 18 months later. 18 months later Ralph arrived followed by Anna 18 months later. Casey came about 8 1/2 years later.
Our Family lived at several locations in Cragin a section of Chicago. Our father worked as a candy and tobacco salesman for a firm named Poterek. During this period, one of his customers asked him to look after their store while they visited Poland. After three months of selling notions, tobacco and occasionally bootleg whiskey. Our parents were able to earn about 3000 dollars for their effort.
This money allowed the purchase the house at 2223 Leamington Ave, which was our home for many years.
Our father was active as an official in a savings and loan association, as its secretary
All of us attended St Stanislaus B&M. After graduation, Ralph attended Lane Tech High School. Jerry drove a delivery truck for Poterek and handled our father?s customers during an illness. He later attended Forman High. I don?t think that Anna attended high school. Casey attended St Mels.
Our father enjoyed playing pinochle on Fridays, but he and particularly, our mom looked after us kids. Our mother was also performed all the tasks around the house, such as painting, gardening other tasks in which we the kids were often the laborers.
We had a normal childhood. Our mother had a large family; she was the oldest of 11 children. Her parents needed help with the family so she was only able to complete six years of grade school. There were many relatives and we visited often, particularly on Sunday afternoon at our grand parents home, which was three doors from where we lived.
Our father was known as Charley to his relatives and friends. He was upbeat, friendly and encouraging.
In 1939, our father was planning a visit to Poland to have our family visit his family. Fortunately, we did not go. It seems our father, had to leave Poland to avoid conscription. It was thought that our father left Poland dressed as a woman.
Pearl Harbor created a real problem for the United States and all of us. Many people thought that the war would end before we had a chance to defend ourselves. However, as a result of some preliminary action by our forces and a rapid increase and development of a military force and arsenal, we were able to us to put up a defense.
Jerry and Ralph enlisted into the military forces. Ralph wound up being in the Air Force as a Bombardier-Navigator, and Jerry first as a cadet in a Navy flight school. It made our Dad proud to have his boy?s pass the rigorous tests to qualify. At this time, there were more cadets than training slots than positions, which allowed him to enlist a second time and eventually as a First Sergeant in the 42nd Rainbow Division.
Both of them were in combat in the European theater, Ralph bombing Germany and Jerry advancing through France and Germany taking many casualties. An article in the local paper identified Sergeant Zuranski?s unit as the first American unit to enter Schwienfurt. Both survived their tours of duty in combat. As a former military man it pleased our father that we chose to enlist. Our father was an air warden and our mother was an awarded knitter for the Red Cross. She received many awards for the number of hours she spend knitting garments for the military. It was said, that our father loaded his car with copies of the newspaper, and gave the newspapers to his customers.
It this time that Ralph was injured in an aircraft accident and was returned to America for recovery. Jerry remained in Germany with the occupation force, and then released from active duty. During a reunion of the family after the war, our father was pleased that his sons had served with honor and distinction.
The Korean War started, and it was Casey?s turn to enlist and complete the family?s participation in the defense of the United States. Needless to say, it further pleased our father that all his sons served in our counties military service.
Our fathers later years were spent as an officer in the savings and loan performing the duties as a trustee.
Ralph married, reentered the Air Force and move on, Jerry married and moved to Cleveland. Anna and Casey also married, Anna remaining in Chicago and Casey moving to Indianapolis.
In 1965, our father died of lung cancer.
Our mother maintained residence at our Cragin home, with Anna and her family moving in with her to assist in her later years. She died in 1990 after a lengthy illness.
In closing, let it be known that our parents were well liked by everyone they met. Our father helped wherever there was need. He never used profanity. He enjoyed a glass of Rock and Rye or Rock and Rum after work, but to the best of our knowledge never drank Alcohol excessively.
Our parents endured a great hardship after their marriage with jobs being scarce and bringing up a family of four during the era of prohibition and war. They instilled in us all the behavior and values that produced responsible citizens that supported the country and their church. They are greatly missed, and we hope to be with them when it is our turn to move on.
We pass this biography on to our children hopefully to fill in some of the lore that was not passed on to you. It will be up to you to complete Chapter II as it pertains to your families.
I guess it will be up to me. I just hope my video tribute to my dad, mom and uncle Jerry is adequate.
take care,
ralph