The Lakas Family - Lithuania to Cumnock to Chicago, USA

 by Roberta McGee

The Lakas Family - Lithuania to Cumnock to Chicago, USA

Antanas Lakas, a coalminer, was born in Kovno, Lithuania in 1882. He married Marijona (Mary) Baksauskas an Kairin, Lithuania and they had three children there before moving to 37 Townhead Street, Cumnock. Anton found work with the Garrallan Coal Company as a miner/hewer and the couple went on to have four more children in Cumnock. Tragedy struck in 1918 when two of their children died. Alexandria was only one year old when she died of measles. Three days later her brother Wencantas, aged two years old died of pneumonia. The 1921 census shows that they were still living at 37 Townhead Street. However, Antanas was 'out of work'. There was another Lithuanian, with the very British name of Charles Brown, boarding with the family. He was 43 years old, a Russian resident, who had also been working for the Garrallan Coal Company, but he was 'out of work' too. 

A few months later in June 1921, Antanas sailed out of Glasgow on the Cameronia heading for New York. He was alone, with $25 in his pocket, his final destination being to his brother-in-law John Baltrunas in Chicago, Illinois. Mary and the children joined him a year later. The sailed to New York on the Columbia. Mary and their five children were travelling under the surname of Liakaviciene. Antenas seems to have changed his surname too. He was now Anton Lekas Liakaviciene and their new address was 731 Jackson Street, Chicago, Illinois. On the Passenger List the name of the person in the old country was Kazemeras Baksauskas, a friend, 37 Townhead Street, Cumnock, where Mary and Anton lived while they were in Cumnock. 

                                                                            Passport photo

The family made their permanent home in the USA and became American citizens. The children Americanised their names. Jonas became John, Broni became Bernice, Learnovera became Laverne and Broneslofski became Bruno. On the US Naturalization Index it was recorded that son Anthony changed his name by Court Decree from Antanar Liakaviciene to Anthony Michael Lakas. 

Daughter Laverne, who was born in 1920 at 37 Townhead Street, Cumnock, disappeared in 1941. The family weren't overly worried because she had the habit of disappearing for long periods. In 1947 Frank Hertle, an itinerant handyman, finally confessed to police, because his conscience troubled him, that he had strangled her in 1941. He also confessed to strangling another woman in Chicago that same year.

Laverne's body had been found by police six years previously but she had never been identified. 

Lancashire Daily Post 24/3/1947

                                                            

Anton Lakas died in 1954 and his wife Mary died in 1956, both in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois and are buried in Saint Casmir Catholic Cemetery there. 

Image - TripSavvy

     

The Zilinskis

 by Roberta McGee

George Zilinskis (sometimes spelt Zelensky) was born about 1878 in Lithuania (Poland-Russia) and married Ona (Anna) Rudzeviclute  in 1897 in Garlecva, Poland. Their first child Steffina Agnes was born in 1903 at Kelme, Kelme District Municipality, Siaulial, Lithuania. George was a coalminer and by 1907 they had moved to Glengyron, Old Cumnock, where their son Anthony was born, followed by Levonas in 1908, Lana in 1910, George in 1913 and William, who was born in 1918 at Waterside Place.

Both George and Anna remained in Cumnock. George died in 1930 at Waterside Place and Anna in 1949 at 55 Keir Hardie Hill, Cumnock.

Their daughter Steffina Agnes sailed out of Glasgow on 9 March 1921 on the Columbia , arriving in New York on 20 March 1921. Her destination was to her uncle Antanas Rudzeviclute in Century, Barbour County, West Virginia. She was only seventeen years old and a few months later on 29 May 1921 she married John Edward Prutsok in Century. John was a miner who was born in 1895 at Lucerne, West Virginia. His parents were Austrian. 

Steffina’s Wedding - Cumnock Connections 

John and Steffina had three sons but sadly John died in 1935 leaving Steffina a widow aged 32 years. Steffina married again in 1941 to Russian born Michael Superfisky and spent the rest of her life in Barbour County, West Virginia where she died in 1963.

Anthony Zilinskis was born in Glengyron Row in 1907 and married Auchinleck born Annie Gibson Pooley in 1932 at Auchinleck. At some time he changed his surname to Rogers. Anthony was a motor mechanic and died in 1914 in Mauchline. 

Levonas (Leonard) Michael 'Scotty' Zilinskis was born in 1908 at Glengyron, Old Cumnock. He sailed out of Liverpool for New York on the Cedric arriving there on 17 September 1928. He gave his occupation as miner. Although his parents were still alive and living at Waterside Place, Cumnock, he gave his nearest relative in Scotland as his uncle Peter Kilvites, Beechwood Square, Auchinleck. His final destination in the USA was to his brother-in-law John Prutsok, his sister Steffina's husband, Century, West Virginia. 

On his Draft Card of 16 August 1940 he gave his address as Mellette, Spink, West Virginia and his employer was The Century Coal Co. Scotty joined the US Army on 2 September 1942 and was married that same year to Lillian Anna Hamilton who was born in West Virginia. He became naturalised in 1943. Scotty died in 1967 at Buckhannon, Upshur, West Virginia.

Image Cumnock Connections

A description of Century in the Cumnock Connections Tree presumably by one of Scotty's children

            

            The town we grew up in was called Century. The name originated because the

            company who opened the coal mine thought they had about a century of coal,

            plus it opened at the beginning of the 1900s. The Mine was Bethlehem 101. It

            was owned by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

            It was a very nice town with an elementary school and two churches;one Catholic

            and one Methodist. We rode a school bus to high school, which was about eight

            miles away. Very close knit community.

                    Scotty, front row centre, representing Bethlehem Steel in a first aid & mine rescue team

                                                            Image - Cumnock Connections

Lana (Ellen) Zilinskis  was born in 1910 at 54 York Street Lane, Ayr and married John Drain Brown in 1933 in Cumnock. However, they divorced in 1939. Ellen then married Hugh Loy in 1841 in Cumnock and she died in 1978.

George Zilinskis was born in 1913 at 13 Glengyron Row. On 22 March 1950 he sailed out of Southampton on the Queen Elizabeth  arriving in New York on 28 March 1950. Aged 36 years and single, he was en route to Century, West Virginia where his brother and sister lived. George was naturalised in 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio and died there in 1973.

William Zilinskis was born in 1918 at Waterside Place, Cumnock. He changed his name to William Rogers legally in 1939 at Cumnock. At the time he was a miner living at 55 Keir Hardie Hill, Cumnock. Sometime afterwards he went to Rhodesia to work as a miner. 8 July 1947 finds William, aged 29 years, arriving in Southampton on the Carnarvon Castle having departed from Capetown, South Africa, his country of last permanent residence being West Rhodesia and his proposed address being 55 Keir Hardie Hill where his mother was still living. William's mother died in 1949.

                                               William Zilinskis Rogers - Image mandyerogers

Five years later, in 1954, William was living in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and had acquired a wife, Tryphena Edith Rogers. He was a miner. Possibly he was a goldminer. It was at Kilgoorlie that Australia's famous Gold Rush took place in 1893 and goldmining remains a major industry. However, by 1968 he had changed his occupation and become a linesman. William died in 1977 at Geraldton, Western Australia and is buried at Utakarra in Greater Geraldton City.

Lithuanians who came to Scotland

By Kay McMeekin

Many Lithuanian men were recruited as miners from the 1900s. Many were in Skares Rows by 1911 census, others in Ochiltree and Auchinleck. Typically their original names were hard to spell and pronounce so many changed their names or had there names changed by their employers.  This makes them difficult to track unless they stayed around and many of them did.

See also Roberta's posts on John Swegsda and the Lakas and Zilinskis.

Pazauckas / Padjouski/ BurnsideThis family first appears in Skares, Cumnock in 1908 for the marriage of Lavanus Pazauckas and Magdalania Kapezinskas and the birth of their twin girls later that year. They or perhaps only Magdalania already had a daughter Theophila later known as Margaret. Descendant Victoria Burnside thinks Magdalania was in USA before coming to Scotland but I have found no evidence of this.  Most of the family stayed in Skares and Auchinleck, some went to Dundee and then to USA.

Pazikas This family is first recorded in Skares in April 1911. They seem to have moved on.

Zelensky Anthony Zelensky (ZILINSKIS) and his wife Annie arrived in Glengyron Row between 1903 and 1907.(see new post)

Gostitas family moved to Scotland shortly after their marriage in Lithuania in August 1906. Their son was born in Ochiltree in April 1907.

Yancouskie /Janpkawskie were in Auchinleck by 1910.

Katalikaitas / Lyons Jonas Katalikaitis and family were in Newbattle, Midlothian by 1913 and Auchinleck by 1920 where they remained.

Andrizanskis / Miller Joseph Miller (Jousapus Andrizanskis) was in  Glengarnock, Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire by 1899  (birth of son Castor aka  KAZTANTISZ  ANDRIZAUZKIS  and in Skares Row by 1907 (birth of Francis) In the 1911 census they were calling themselves Miller and were in Green Street, Newton, Ayr.  In 1917 they were at 110 Skares row when son Castor died suddenly aged 17. By 1921 census they were in 110 Skares Row where they remained.

Savickij / Savage   Anthony and Petronella lived at 90 Skares row in 1921 census. Their daughter Annie was born in 1908 in Cumnock.

Alexander Katulis/Cassalls was born in 1883 in Czakiski, Lithuania. He married Marijone (Mary) Yenalitis in 1909 in Tarbolton, Ayrshire. Mary was born in Lithuania about 1885. Alexander was a coalminer. They moved around the area a lot and changed their surname to Cassells. In 1911 they were still in Tarbolton. 1913 finds them living at 8 Manse Lane, Cumnock, 1915 at 296 Cronberry and by 1916 they were living in Beechwood Square, Auchinleck. They had six children by this time - Annie, Allena, Cranislowas (Frank), Alexander, Intinana (Nancy) and Olese. Olese died in 1916 when they were in Auchinleck and after her death they moved to Blantyre where they went on to have another seven children - Andreus, John, Bella, twins Joe and Andrew, Victor and Adolph. Sadly three of the children born in Blantyre also died. By the 1930s the family was back in the Tarbolton area where Mary died in 1948 and Alexander died in 1959.

John (Jonas) Swegsda

By Roberta McGee

John (Jonas) Swegsda was born in 1911. It is not clear where he was born but his younger siblings were all born, from 1913 until 1928, in Auchinleck. Perhaps he was born in Poland where his parents originated from. John and his father were coalminers.

John married Annie De Sykes (or Kalwaitis) on 22nd July 1947 at St Thomas Roman Catholic Church, Muirkirk. The Marriage Certificate states: John (Jonas) Swegsda age 37yrs, coalminer, bachelor, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck. His father is Matthew Swegsda, coalminer and his mother is Francisis Waitkuke. His bride is Ann Kalwaitis known as De Sykes age 29yrs, 44 Linkieburn, Muirkirk, housekeeper, spinster whose father is Anthony Kalwaitis, railway surfaceman and her her mother is Mary Kalwaitis ms Stakalik deceased. The witnesses are William Swegsda, 120 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck and Margaret De Sykes, 1296 Maryhill Road, Glasgow.

N.B. There seems to have been various spellings of John's mother's maiden name eg. Wailkule,         

         Wailkula etc. Waitkuke seems to be the one favoured by SP index.

After their marriage John and Annie lived in Hut No. 112 Pennylands from 1949-1951.

 Pennylands Occupants History (cumnockhistorygroup.org)

                                                             Annie Kalwaitis De Sykes

                                                            (Image from Find a Grave)

                                Auchinleck Cemetery: Treasured memories of Margaret De Sykes

                             died 10/2/1953 aged 8yrs. Also her father John Swegsda died 5/8/1964

                            aged 53yrs, beloved husband of Annie De Sykes d 15/2/2012 aged 93yrs.

John Swegsda died  5th August 1964 at 16 Ballochmyle Avenue, Auchinleck, age 53yrs, coalminer married to Annie De Sykes. Father: Matthew Swegsda, coalminer deceased. Mother: Frances Swegsda ms Wailkule decd. Informant: John Bryden, brother-in-law, 2 Hillside Crescent, Auchinleck.

Cumnock Connections - Family Tree (tribalpages.com)

John's Parents were:

Mathew (Mathias) Swegsda who was a coalminer. He was born in 1882 in Cowanshire,

                                                                                    Lativanion, Poland and died 22/9/1959

                                                                                    in Auchinleck age 77yrs

and

Frances (Francisis) Waitkuke who was born in 1886 in Cowanshire, Lativanion, Poland and died

                                                                                    27/5/1959 in Auchinleck age 73yrs.

N.B. - Cannot find Cowanshire, Lativanion, Poland.    

1921 census of Scotland

Their children were:

*John                  b 1911 perhaps Poland

                            d 5/8/1964 at 10 Ballochmyle Avenue, Auchinleck

                            married Annie De Sykes 22/7/1947 at St. Thomas RC Church, Muirkirk

Annie                  b 1913 Old Cumnock

aka Swiggs         d 1995 Old Cumnock (SP Index Waitkuka)

                            married Bladisla Andrezanzkis 19/9/1936 Lugar

                            Marriage certificate: At The Church Of Our Lady Of Lourdes & St. Patrick,

                            Birnieknowe, Lugar, Frank Miller (formerly Bladisla Andrezanzkis) age 29yrs

                            pithead worker 110 Skares, Cumnock Fa: Joseph Miller (formerly Joseph

                            Andrezanzkis) pithead worker Mo: Barbara Miller (formerly Andrezanzkis)

                            ms Balzilies to Annie Swiggs (formerly Annie Swegsda) age 23yrs, dispensary

                            maid, spinster, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck Fa: Mathias Swiggs (formerly

                            Mathias Swegsda) coalminer Mo: Frances Swiggs (formerly Frances Swegsda)

                            ms Waitkula Wtnesses: Adam McCallum, 151 Skares, Cumnock and Mary

                            Swegsda, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck.  Frank Miller was another Lithuanian descendant. Frank was born in Skares but in 1901 his family was in Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire where his father Joe was a blast furnace labourer.  

    

                         

                                                       

Mary                   b 15/2/1915 119 Skares Rows, Old Cumnock

aka Swiggs          d 28/2/2004 Pontefract, Yorkshire, England.

                            Married Daniel Callaghan 28/11/1936 Lugar

                            Marriage certificate: At The Church Of Our Lady Of Lourdes & St. Patrick, 

                            Birnieknowe, Lugar, Daniel Callaghan age 27yrs, farm servant, bachelor,,

                            East Collarie Farm, Fenwick. Fa: William Callaghan, farmer Mo: Annie

                            Callaghan ms Callaghan to Mary Swiggs, formerly Swegsda age 21yrs,

                            domestic servant, spinster, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck Fa: Mathias Swegsda

                            Mo: Francis Wailkula. Witnesses: Eric Barrowman, 24 Athol Street, Earlston,

                            Lancs and Frances Swiggs, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck. 

Anthony            b 1916 Skares, Old Cumnock

                           d ?

Matheas            b 1919 Auchinleck

                           1921 Auchinleck aged 2yrs. (SP Index Waitluke)   

Frances             b 1918 Auchinleck

aka Swiggs        d 1998 Ayr ag 80 (Find a Grave) SP Index mms Wailkula

                           Married Eric Barrowman 1937 Birnieknowe, Lugar

                           (both are witnesses on sister Mary's marriage certificate 1936)

Wallace             b 1920 Auchinleck

                           d 1995 Kilmarnock (SP Index) aged 75yrs

                           Married Rose Ann Jardine 1944 Hurlford & Crookedholm, Kilmarnock (SP Index)

Andrew             b 1922 Auchinleck (SP Index)

                           d 20/10/2008 Auchinleck aged 85yrs (Find a Grave) (SP Index mms Waitkuke)

                           Married Barbara Denim Robertson 1945 Lugar (SP Index)

Male                   b 1924 Auchinleck

                            d

Anelia (f)           b 1926 Auchinleck

                           d 1992 Auchinleck (SP Index mms Waitkuke)

                           Married Josef Lomako 1945 Lugar (SP Index) (Prob Birnieknowe)

Alexander         b 1927 Auchinleck

                           d 28/7/2002 Auchinleck age 74 yrs (SP Index mms Waitkuke)

Alexandra         b 1928 Auchinleck

                           d ?

The 1921 Census for 23 Ballochmyle, Auchinleck shows:

Swegsda             Matheas        M    29   born Cowanshire, Lativanion

                            Frances         F     31   born Cowanshire, Lativanion

                            Annie            F      7    born Cumnock

                            Mary             F      6    born Cumnock

                            Anthony       M     5     born Cumnock

                            Matheas       M     3     born Auchinleck

                            Frances         F     2     born Auchinleck

                            Wallace        M     1    born Auchinleck

(Source - Cumnock Connections)

The Lithuanian Connection

John's wife Annie Kalwaitis later De Sykes was born 9/5/1918 at 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk and died 15/2/2012 in Auchinleck. Her parents were:

Father: Antonio (Anthony) Kalwaitis who was born about 1869 in Suvalkan, Vilkaviskis, Lithuania and died 27th June 1960 at 2 Hillside Crescent, Auchinleck. He later changed the family name to De Sykes.

Mother: Maria (Mary) Stakalis or Stakelik who was born abt 1874 in Krakow, Poland and died 6/4/1945 at Linkieburn Square, Muirkirk. 

                                                             Anthony Kalwaitis De Sykes

                                                              (Image from Find a Grave)

                                                             Mary Stakelik De Sykes

                                                           (Image from Find a Grave)

Cumnock Connections - Family Tree (tribalpages.com)

Antony & Mary's children were:

John Kalwaitis De Sykes        b 1902 Muirkirk

                                                  d  25/12/1964 at 10 Colthart Drive, Muirkirk

                                                  Married Mary Ann Robertson at Muirkirk in 1964

William Kalwaitis De Sykes    b 1904 Muirkirk

  (coalminer)                               d 3/12/1963 at 49 Menzies Avenue, Netherthird, Old Cumnock

                                                   Married Jean McKay Mitchell in 1961 at Glasgow

                                                            William Kalwaitis De Sykes
                                                              (Image from Find a Grave)

Mary Kalwaitis De Sykes        b 16/6/1906 New Terrace, Muirkirk

                                                   d 20/6/1978 Auchinleck

                                                   Married John Bryden 14/12/1937 at Barony Church Manse,

                                                                                                                            Auchinleck

Maggie Kalwaitis De Sykes    b 8/7/1908 Muirkirk

                                                  d 3/4/1990 at 1 Wardlaw Road, Kilmarnock

                                                  Married 1st Thomas Ronney on 13/4/1928 at the Church of Scotland

                                                  Manse, Muirkirk. They were divorced 19/7/1945 . Maggie then

                                                  married James Fleming Waterson McColm in 1949 at Ayr.

                                                               Maggie Kalwaitis De Sykes

                                                                (Image from Find a Grave)

George Anthony Kalwaitis

                             De Sykes     b 21/3/1911 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk

                                                 d 19/5/1984 Burnley & Pendle, Lancashire, England

                                                 Married Irene Thompson in Apr 1937 at Luton, Bedfordshire.

Robert Kalwaitis De Sykes   b 15/4/1915 at 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk

(mineral borer)                        d 5/2/1985 Glasgow

                                                 Married Margaret Hughes 26/4/1947 at St Mary's R.C. Church,

                                                 Maryhill, Glasgow. He was living at 99 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck,

                                                 at the time of his marriage. Margaret was a foundry worker. Her

                                                 family were originally from Co. Mayo, Ireland.

*Annie Kalwaitis De Sykes   b 9/5/1918 at 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk

                                                 d 15/2/2012 Auchinleck

                                                 Married John (Jonas) Swegsda 22/7/1947 at St. Thomas R.C.

                                                 Church, Wellwood Road, Muirkirk.

 Why did Lithuanians come to Scotland?  

                      

Lithuanians began to arrive in Scotland in small numbers in the 1870s but by the 1890s they were arriving  in larger numbers. Their reasons for coming were varied. Some were agricultural workers who had been recruited by the agents of Scottish coal and iron companies such as Baird and wanted to leave Lithuania because of the poverty there. Many of these were 'stage migrants' who, once they had saved enough money, would move on to another country such as America. Others were escaping the Russification policies  and some were escaping conscription  into the Russian Army.

Read more about the Russification of Lithuania here

Lithuania - Russian Rule, Independence, Baltic Region | Britannica

The Lithuanians were not made welcome in Scotland. They were met with discrimination and hostility because they were seen as competition for jobs and were prepared to work for less money than the Scottish miners. The employers were often accused of using them as strike breakers. Even Keir Hardie led a fierce xenophobic campaign against them. They spoke poor or no English and were devout Catholics in a fiercely Presbyterian Scotland. They were routinely referred to as 'Poles' or 'Russian Poles'. Many had their names changed by immigration officers at the pits but many voluntarily changed their names in a bid to avoid harassment and fit in with Scottish society more easily. The family of John Swegsda's  wife Annie Kalwaitis, later De Sykes, was an examples of this. 

Read more about the Lithuanians here

The When, How, and Why of the Lithuanians in Scotland – DRAUGAS NEWS