Fedor (1849-1909) descendants

The members below went by the surname Kebus, Kiebus, Kiebuz, or Kiebish. They were from Pikulice, and were likely all siblings, or, at least, first cousins. The mother of some of them is identified as Anna Kiebus. They are probably the other children of Fedor Kiebuz (b. ca. 1849-d. 22 Apr. 1909) and Anna Stec. Ilko (Julius) and Michael have them listed as their parents on separate documents, though in the case of Michael he identifies his father as Charles (Karl) rather than Fedor (a mistake made by draft registrar?). The people below could be first cousins to my great grandfather Iosyp Kiebuz (1869-1938).

Ilko (Eliasz or Julius) Kiebuz (Kubuz or Kiebish) (b. 10 July 1876 (or Sep. 1875 according to death certificate) in Pikulice). He arrived in New York City from Bremen, Germany aboard the ship Rhein on 13 May 1907. He identified himself as Ruthenian. He was married (5’2’’, brown hair, blue eyes). His final destination was his brother-in-law Michal Rubyi in Glastonbury, CT. He is listed in the 1910 U.S. Census as living as a boarder in Glastonbury, CT, at the home of Michael and Anne Palafsky, and working at a paper mill. When Ilko registered for the World War I draft, in 1918, his permanent home address was a tobacco farm located at 301 Addison Road, Hartford County, Connecticut. He also worked as a laborer for the Glastonbury Knitting Co. In later years he was employed by the Pig Tannery, which had been founded in 1854, bought in 1886 by Herman Roser, and continued to produce leather goods until its closing in 1965.

Sofia and Iwan

His wife Zofia (Sofia/Sofie) Kebus (neé Rubia) (b. 8 Nov. 1878 in Pikulice) also immigrated to the United States. She arrived at Ellis Island on 30 May 1910 on the ship George Washington that departed from Bremen. Her nationality was Ruthenian. Her occupation was housewife. She was 28 years old (5’6’’, black hair, grey eyes), married, and literate (read and write). Accompanying her was their son Iwan (Ivan or John) Kebus age 3 (b. 5 Aug.1907). She listed their closest relative in Pikulice as her cousin Iwan Kebus. Her final destination was her husband Ilko Kiebus in Glastonbury, CT. She and her son Iwan were working as farm laborers in Connecticut at the time of the 1920 United States census, probably working at the tobacco farm where they resided.

Ilko and Sofia went by the last name Kiebish in the United States (according to the 1920 U.S. census, Ilko may have also gone by the name Michael). They had five other children once they had settled in Glastonbury, CT. They were: Steven Richard (b. 19 June 1911-d. 30 Dec. 1986 in Middletown, CT; married Frances Kuszai (d. 17 Dec. 1998)), Peter Joseph (b. 21 June 1913-d. 4 Mar. 1971), Joseph (b. 12 July 1916), Mary Ann (b. 7 May1918), and Sophie (b. 19 Feb. 1923-d. 3 Aug. 1923). While still young men and women during the Second World War, the children held an assortment of jobs. The 1940 U.S. Census reports that Stephan worked as a polisher for United Aircraft; Peter as a laborer for an ice cream manufacturer; Joseph as a farmhand for a tobacco farm; and Mary as a factory hand for a typewriting company.

Ilko’s and Sofia’s oldest son, John H. (Iwan Henry) Kiebish (Kebus), was employed as a machinist at Pratt and Whitney in West Hartford. He married Fannie Hewitt (b. 6 June 1916-d. 17 Dec. 1998) and they had two sons: John M. Kiebish of Bolton (b. 21 May 1939-d. 31 May 2010) and Thomas H. Kiebish of Manchester (b. 13 Dec. 1935-d. 22 Dec. 2007). John became a naturalized United States citizen on 29 September 1938. At the time he was living at 9 Bank Street, Manchester, CT. John H. (Iwan) died at Manchester Memorial Hospital on 20 October 1963 in Manchester. His last address was 24 Hawthorne Street, Manchester, CT.

His brother Peter Kiebish graduated from Glastonbury High School in 1930, and was active in local sports, particularly basketball and baseball. He also worked at Pratt and Whitney Division, United Aircraft Corporation, until he entered the Army on 10 October 1942. He married Louise Jean Preli (b. 3 Aug. 1919-d. 6 June 2006, Hartford, CT). They had two sons: Peter, Jr. (married Carol Ann and had two sons: Joseph Peter and Michael Andrew) and Paul (married Linda and had two sons: Matthew and Daniel). Peter went to England in October 1943, as a staff sergeant and engineer with the Army Air Corps. He was stationed in England and served as a turret gunner on a B-17. On his third mission with the Eighth Air Force, his plane was shot down. On 29 November 1943, Mission 140, 154 of 360 B-17's hit the port of Bremen and targets of opportunity in the area. Unfavorable cloud conditions and malfunction of blind-bombing equipment caused 200+ B-17's to abort the mission. Thirteen B-17's were lost, three damaged beyond repair, and 43 damaged. Casualties were 2 KIA, 13 WIA and 131 MIA. The bomber Red Ass #42-5483 piloted by 2Lt. Finis A. Brumbeloe, crashed at Renslage, Germany. 2Lt. C.D. Garneau, Sgt. Howard S. Payton, Sgt. William C. Steele and Sgt. David H. Hoffman were killed. Lt. Brumbeloe, 2Lt. D.H. Marsh, 2Lt. James R. Groves, S/Sgt. Peter J. Kiebish, S/Sgt. Irwan Johnson, and Sgt. William R were captured by the Germans and taken prisoner. Peter was held in Stalag 17 B at Krems, Austria, before being relocated westward in April 1944 away from the approaching Russian army. He was held prisoner for 17 months. He was liberated by Third Army troops and flown into France, before arriving in the United States on a transport plane.

John’s and Peter’s brother Joseph R. married Florence Weskosky. Joseph was a Navy veteran of the Second World War. He, his wife, and two children, Robert J. and Karen A., lived in Glastonbury, until moving to Hazardville (near Enfield) sometime in 1953. He died after a brief illness at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Brookline, Massachusetts in November 1953. His wife remarried to a Poling. He is buried in St. Augustine’s Cemetery in South Glastonbury.

Ilko’s and Sophie’s only surviving daughter Mary married Joseph V. Nichols. They had one son named Wayne J. Nichols. Mary was employed by Becon, Inc. in South Windsor. She lived with her husband in East Hartford from 1942 until her death on September 2002. She was a communicant of Blessed Sacrament Church, East Hartford.

After some 38 years living and working in Glastonbury, Connecticut, Ilko (Julius) died on 23 November 1945 of a heart attack at his home. His last address was 301 Addison Road. His funeral mass was held on 27 November at St. John’s Ukrainian Church, Grove Street, Glastonbury. He was buried in the Glastonbury Ukrainian cemetery. His wife Sophie died on 8 July 1957 in Hartford Hospital after a brief illness. After being widowed, Sophie moved from her lifelong home in Glastonbury to 33 Ensign Street, East Hartford. She was also a communicant of St. John’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, and is buried in the Glastonbury Ukrainian cemetery.

Ilko’s younger brother Ivan (Jan or John) Kiebus (b. 2 July 1880 in Pikulice) immigrated to the United States. He arrived at Ellis Island on 21 Aug. 1911 on the ship Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm from Bremen. He identified himself as Ruthenian. He was 31 years old (5’5’’, fair hair, brown eyes), and married. He listed his closest relative from Pikulice as his wife Maria Kiebus. His final destination was his brother Ilko Kebus, Box 71, Glastonbury, CT. By the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, Ivan had been joined by his family in Connecticut. His wife Mary (b. abt. 1893) immigrated in 1914, and they had a son, John Jr., born about 1918. Ivan was working as a driver for a coal yard in New Britain, Connecticut. The Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation on Ivan for evading the draft (case file 98640; document can be found in the Old German Files, 1909-1921, held by the National Archives in DC). When he did register for the draft in 1942, he signed his draft card “Jan Kiebus”. Ivan, like Ilko, was employed as a factory worker for the Glastonbury Knitting Co. The Glastonbury Knitting Co. (earlier known as the Glastenbury Knitting Co.) was founded in 1855 at the site of the former Eagle Manufacturing Company. It was a clothing and fulling mill that was built in on Salmon Brook near Hebron Avenue at the location of Mill Street and Addison Road in 1822. The new company produced men's shirts and underwear. For World War I, the workers of the mills made 400,000 undergarments for soldiers of the U.S. Army.

Either Ilko or Ivan Kebuz of Glastonbury, Connecticut donated money for the defense of Galicia in 1919 (Source: Svoboda (27 Feb. 1919)).

Ilko’s and Ivan’s sister Pelagia Kebus (b. ca. 1892 in Pikulice) departed Hamburg on 24 Aug. 1911 and arrived at Ellis Island on 3 Sep. 1911 on board the ship Cleveland. She was 19 years old (5’4’’, brown hair, blue eyes), single, and literate (read and write). She identified herself as Ruthenian. Her occupation was housemaid. She listed her nearest relative from Pikulice as her mother Anna Kiebus. Her final destination was her brother Ilko Kebus, 33 Main St., Glastonbury, CT. She married a man by the last name Salz and they had a daughter Mary (Maria). Mary was married to Franciszek Bielecki.

Michael Kiebus with his mother Anna (neé Stec) (ca. 1914-1921)

Their brother Michal (Mykhailo or Michael) Kiebus (b. 24 Apr. 1894, Pikulice-d. 11 Feb. 1983, Hunter, NY) immigrated to the United States. He arrived at Ellis Island on 15 Oct. 1921 on board the Princess Matoika from Bremen. He was 27 years old (5’7’’, black hair, green eyes), single, and literate (read and write in Ruthenian). His occupation was farm-laborer. He listed his nearest relative from Pikulice as his mother Anna Kiebus. Ivan listed his final destination as his brother Jan Kiebus of Box 25, Glastonbury, CT. At the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, he was living as a roomer. He was single and was employed as a wood worker. He indicated that he was originally from Poland and that the language spoken at home had been Ukrainian. Michal declared in intention to become a U.S. citizen on 28 December 1925. On his declaration form he listed his address as Washington Street, Yonkers, New York. He described himself as a laborer, measuring 5’5’’, 160 lbs, with brown hair and blue eyes. He petitioned for naturalization in Westchester County in 1928 (Petition no. 4810; Declaration A-0024(15); Petition A-0022(19)). On his petition form he listed his address as 31 Jackson Street, Yonkers, New York. His witnesses were Constantine Choly and John Lagoyda, both occupied in insurance, and living also in Yonkers. The 1930 U.S. Census reports that Mical was living as a roomer with Mike and Mary Ross (both from Poland, so likely using a shortened name) in Newark. In 1936 he applied for a U.S. Social Security number. He was now living at 50 Holland Street, and was working as window cleaner for the Firemens Insurance Company, 10 Park Place, Newark, New Jersey. He moved sometime before the 1940 U.S. Census to 58 South 14th Street in Newark. Michael registered for the World War draft in 1942. His application form listed his parents as Charles Kiebus and Anna Stties (presumably Anna Stec). On his draft registration he listed his home address as 58 Pierce Street, Newark, New Jersey. His reference was John Bilos residing at 372 Littleton Avenue, Newark, New Jersey. He described himself as 5’10’’, 170 lbs., with brown hair and light complexion. Michal’s employer was Joseph Keller, Firemen’s Insurance Co., 10 Park Place Newark, New Jersey. The Firemen's Insurance Co. was founded in 1855. The company’s building at 10 Park Place was built in 1928 by Marvis, Davis & Turton. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest building in the State of New Jersey at sixteen-stories and 205-feet high. Michael was married for a brief time, but the marriage did not last long and he remained single for the remainder of his life.