Panteleimon (1839-1894) descendants

Petro Kiebus / Kiebuz (6 July 1881, Pikulice-11 June 1943, Glastonbury) was the son of Panteleimon Kiebuz and Maria Dziuban (misspelled in some documents as Jubra). He worked for three years (1903-1905) as a tailor in Boston, Massachusetts, and resided there at 178 Bolton Street (in a building owned by Mary V. Flanagan of Milford). He re-immigrated to the United States on 9 May 1905, and arrived in New York City from Hamburg, Germany aboard the ship Blucher. His occupation was listed as laborer. His final destination was his friend Peter Vasal, Box 126, Hartford, CT. Petro (or Peter) married Julia Velyka (Welyka or Wielka in Polish). They had three children: Mary (28 June 1911, Glastonbury, CT-12 Apr. 1990, Manchester, CT); Michael (28 Sep. 1915, Glastonbury, CT-24 Apr. 1983, Rocky Hill, CT); Raymond (1 Aug. 1919-22 June 1998).

For Julia (ca. 1879/80, Pikulice-21 Dec. 1933, Hartford, CT), this was her second marriage. She came to the United States with her first husband George Smolka (in Ukrainian Smulka) on 6 September 1906. They left behind their son Volodymyr (b. 21 March 1904, Pikulice) with Maria Welyka. Their daughter Anna Smolka (the future Mrs. Michael Brenza) was born on 7 February 1907 in Pennsylvania. George Smolka soon died of unknown circumstances (he was working in the steel mills in Coatesville, Pennsylvania). After his death on 8 April 1908, Julia went back to Ukraine with her daughter Anna. Several years later, on 1 February 1910, Julia returned to the States, this time destined for Glastonbury, Conn., to marry Petro Kiebuz who had been living there since 1905. They may have known each other from Pikulice. Their marriage took place in Glastonbury on 23 May 1911 at the rectory of St. Augustine (the presiding priest was Rev. Francis M. Murray). Julia's return trip to the United States was sponsored by her cousin Piotr Stec (son of Fedko Stec).

Anna was left behind in Pikulice and did not join her mother, new step-father and step-siblings until 3 August 1921. Petro Kiebuz paid for her and his brother-in-law's, Jozef Welyki's, passage. Judging by the year of Anna's birth, 1907, as a young girl she probably grew up with my grandfather and great uncles in Pikulice. This may explain why my great uncle Volodymyr, while still a refugee in Germany, placed an advertisement in Svoboda looking for Jozef Welyki and Anna Smolka. Jozef Welyki's and Anna Smolka's parents and grandparents were Ivan and Kataryna Welyki.

As for Peter, at the time of registration to the World War I draft, in 1918, he was working as a papermaker for Riverside Paper Co., Glastonbury, CT. According to the U.S. 1920 Census, Peter and Julia were both from Poland and used the Polish language at home. By the time of the U.S. 1940 Census, Peter worked as a buffer for a local silverware manufacturing company. Peter became a naturalized citizen of the United States at age 59 on 28 February 1941 in Hartford. The family's address at the time was 102 Grove Street in Glastonbury.

Peter's and Julia's youngest son Raymond married Barbara Jones of Glastonbury. Raymond worked for H.P. Hood Co., was a WWII veteran, and Pearl Harbor survivor. He served in the Asiatic Pacific and Central Pacific theaters, and was stationed at Fort Shafter, Oahu Island, Honolulu, with the 64th Coast Artillery (A.A.).

Raymond’s brother Michael was also a WWII veteran, and, in 1940, was first stationed at Fort Slocum, New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York. Michael worked as a bull dozer operator for the City of Hartford. He had two sons: Michael P. Kiebus (of East Hartford) and Steven G. Kiebus (of Rocky Hill).

The Hartford Courant published a story on 9 Feb. 1943 about Michael’s and Raymond’s service in the Coast Guard Artillery in Hawaii.

Raymond's and Michael's older sister Mary married Albert Drumm. The Drumms, together with Mary's father after he became a widower, lived in a two family home next door to the Brenzas on 102 Grove Street. Mary Drumm worked as an inspector for a tobacco warehouse. She had, according to my second cousin Bohdan, one older daughter named Audrey, and a son named Sonny (he became a plumber)-- Bohdan remembers him being very active and mischievous. The 1940 U.S. Census, however, reports that the Drumms had two daughters named Sylvia and Dolores.

It was the Brenzas, Michael and Anna (née Smolka, 7 Feb. 1907-30 Nov. 1973), who sponsored Josef, Volodymyr, Stefaniia, and Bohdan Kiebuz (my great uncles and cousin) when they immigrated to the United States after the Second World War. My second cousin Bohdan remembers staying on the Brenza side of the house, at 100 Grove Street, for about six months. Michael and Anna Brenza had four children: Michael (1928-1980), Irene (1929-2008), Frank (1942-1969), and William (1944-2010). Mike Brenza with his sons Billy and Frank attended Bohdan’s and his wife's, Zirka’s, wedding in Hunter, New York. Billy became a Catholic priest.