Joseph Koshuba--one Year Later

Joseph Koshuba in 1916

One year ago, I published the first entry of this blog.  Since I began to research about my extended family, I discovered several things—first of just writing about my family history isn’t very interesting to most readers, unless you are closely related to my extended family. However, one of the most viewed posts on this blog is the "Genealogy of the Kleviak-Koshuba Family."    As I continued to research, I found that the history and culture surrounding my ancestors was far more interesting than just listing who was descended from whom.  And, I did find through research a lot more about my extended family, but that information didn’t fall into my lap, I had to find the sources that connected my to these ancestors.

The first  blog entry was about my great uncle, Joseph Koshuba.  Almost everything I knew about him then was incorrect, so I though that I will update his story. 

Jopseph Koshuba was born in Ouzernaya, Galicia, Ukraine, November 18, 1885, the son of Theodore Kociuba and Maria Kleviak.  He had three brothers, John, born in 1891, Stephen, born in 1899 and Myhaljo (Mike), died 1928.   His two sisters, Teckla Wons, was born in 1883 and Anna Grashkiw, born in 1897. 

Joseph came to the United States in 1904 at the age of 18.  In the 1910 census, he was living in a rooming house in St Paul, Minnesota, working as a laborer. By 1912, he was the owner of National Window Cleaning Company in St Paul. 

Advertisement for Joesph Koshuba's Window Washing Company, 1912

He married Florence Elizabeth Holmberg in February 1913, and they had three children. Frederick, born 1914, Catherine Florence born January 1915, and Marie Olga born in June 1917. 

By 1915, he owned his own home at 886 Central in St Paul.  He applied for US citizenship.  He registered for the World War I draft in 1918.  He was living the American dream.   He died suddenly, at home on January 17, 1919 of chronic myocarditis. 

Joseph’s family continued to live in the home at 886 Central, for about 10 years.  His daughters attended Central High School, his son, Fred went to work. Florence never remarried.  Marie Olga married John Poppler in St Paul in 1937.  Florence and Catherine moved to California around this time.  Florence died in Los Angeles in 1938, at the age of 1944. I can find no other records for Catherine. Marie Olga and her family moved to California in the 1940’s, she divorced and remarried. She died in San Diego in 1993.

The Koshuba Home at 886 Central, St Paul.  It recently sold for $75,000.

As you can see, tragedy affected  the Koshuba family, and it continued.  Brother Mike Koshuba died in a car accident in Hammond Indiana in 1928. In 1941, Fred died in a car accident in Dolton, Illinois at the age of 27.  He was married to Charlotte, living in Detroit, Michigan, and working at the Ford Motor Company.  Stephen Koshuba’s wife, Helen, left him in 1931 with a six year old daughter. In 1940, brother John died of suicide at the age of 49. John Koshuba’s son, named Joseph after his uncle, died of cancer in 1957 at the age of 37, leaving a wife and two young children.  

The other Koshuba children lived long and happy lives, Teckla Wons died in 1976, in St Paul, Anna Graskiw died in 1977 in Minneapolis and Stephen died in 1982 in Denver Colorado.

 

Index

The Genealogy of the Holmberg-Koshuba Family

The Joseph Koshuba family continues to fascinate the genealogist in me.  My great uncle, Joseph Koshuba, married Florence Elizabeth Holmberg on Febuary 4, 1913, in St Paul, Minnesota. I have been researching the Holmberg-Koshuba family off and on for the few past years.

Florence Holmberg Koshuba was the daughter of Ida Christine Larson and Erick Carl Holmberg, both born in Sweden; Ida in 1857, Erick's birth date is unknown. I have found no information about Ida and Erick's wedding, neither date nor place. Ida came to the United States sometimes between 1871 and 1885, again, no immigration information about Erick.

Erick and Ida had three children: Julius Herman(1889-1970); William R.(1892-1972), and Florence Elizabeth, born in 1894, death date unknown.

In 1900 US Census, Ida is listed as a widow. Erick Holmberg died  between 1894 and 1900. Ida and her children were living at 257 Williams St, St Paul.

In the 1910 US Census, Ida is listed as married to Gilbert Nelgard,  who was born in Norway.

In 1913, Florence married Joseph Koshuba. They had three children, Fred, (1914-1941), Catherine Florence (1915-unknown) and Marie Olga (1917-1993). They lived at 886 W. Central Ave. in St Paul.  Joseph died in January 1919.

Joseph, Florence and Fred Koshuba, 1916

In the 1920 US Census, Florence Koshuba is listed as a widow. She is still living on Central Ave in St Paul, and continued to live there until 1929-/30. Her mother Ida, is listed as Holmberg, so her second husband, Gilbert Nelgard, may have died, or they divorced.   William Holmberg, Florence's brother, divorced and was now living with the Koshuba family. Ida Holmberg died on Sept 14, 1920.

In the 1930 US Census, Florence Koshuba is living at 177 St Albans Ave,  St Paul, and  worked as a housekeeper in a private home. Fred is a printers helper/apprentice and William Holmberg worked as a pressman at the St Paul Pioneer Press/Dispatch.  The daughters, Marie and Olga attended school but Catherine was also working as a waitress.




According to the St Paul City Directories, Catherine continued to work as a waitress until 1934.  Fred worked in various printing companies.  Catherine attended Central High School in St Paul until 1933. In 1934, Florence and her family moved to Inglehart Ave. in St Paul.  In the 1935 and 1937 St Paul City Directories, Catherine worked at 3M company as a key punch operator.  Marie also worked as a key punch operator at the Minnesota State Employment Office in 1937.

The last entry in the St Paul Directory for Fred Koshuba is 1937.  Fred married Charlotte (surname unknown) between 1937 and 1941.  Marie married John W. Poppler in 1937 in St Paul.  They had two children, Jacklyn Poppler born in 1938, and Richard John Poppler (1941-1976).  
 
In the 1940 Census, only William Holmberg and Marie Koshuba Poppler are listed in St Paul.  I have found no records in the 1940 Census in Minnesota for anybody else in this branch of the Koshuba family.

In December of 1941, Fred was killed in a automobile accident in Dolton, IL.  According to his death certificate, worked in Detroit, MI, as a payroll clerk for the Ford Motor Company. He was buried in St Paul.

Catherine moved to Los Angeles, California, between 1937-1941, and is listed in the Los Angeles Directory as working as a key punch operator at the SFR Company.   In 1946  the Poppler family was living in Compton California, according to the Compton City Directory. Marie and John divorced and she later remarried.  She died in San Diego California, in 1993.

I have found no further information about Florence or Catherine Koshuba.