The Genealogy of the Kleviak-Koshuba Family

The Kleviak-Koshuba family came from Ozernaya, Tarnopol Region, Ukraine.  The town was called Jezierna when it was part of Poland and appears as Jezierna on immigrant ship's manifests. In 1900, the town had a population of 1095.  It is 14 miles west of Tarnopol, Ukraine, in Galicia, or Halachyna, in Ukrainian.

John Koshuba and Family, Stephen and Helen Koshuba 1924

Feodor (Fitko) Kociuba was born around 1858. Fitko married Maria Kleviak around 1878-1879.  Neither Feodor or Maria immigrated to the United States.
The surname Kocuiba was Americanized to Koshuba. Feodor and Maria had six children.



John (1880-1940) and came to the Boston MA area around 1908.  He married Pauline Rychlyj (1898-1997) in 1916, in Minneapolis MN. They had three children: Walter Joseph, (1917-2002,)  Julia Mary, (1918 -2007), and Joseph Fred, (1920-1957). He owned several businesses in St Paul MN, including  a window washing Company and  a restaurant in downtown St Paul.  He was a founding member of St Michael's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, MN, and was active with his wife, Pauline, in the Ukrainian community in the Twin Cities.

Teckla (Maria) Koshuba Wons

  Teckla (Tillie), also known as Maria, was born in 1883, married Peter Wons in Ozernaya sometime in 1906, and came to the United States in 1906,  also to the Boston MA area.  She died in St Paul MN, in 1976. Peter and Teckla had five sons: Fred, (1907-1960); Michael (1909-1981);  John W. (1916-1973); Nestor (1921-1986); and Joseph T., (1926-1988). 

 





Joseph was born in 1885, came to the US around 1906, and died in St Paul, MN, in 1919.  He married Florence Holmberg (1894-unknown) in 1913.  They had three children: Frederick, (1914-1941),  Catherine Florence (1915-unknown); and Marie Olga (1917-1993).  Joseph also owned a window washing company in St Paul.

Peter Wons, Joseph and John Koshuba c.1915

Anna was born in in Ozernaya in 1897, came to the United States with her brother Stephen in 1914.  She married Joseph Grashkow (1893-1975), Americanized from Greskiw, around 1917-18. They had two children, Paul Nestor (1919-2002) and Eugenia (dates unknown). Anna died in Minneapolis MN in 1977.  

Anna Koshuba Graskow

Stephen, born in 1899, came to the US with Anna in 1914.  He married Helen Rychlyj in 1924, they divorced in 1932.  He married Sally Popko, in 1932-33, they later divorced.  In 1947-8, he married Eugenia (maiden name unknown).  Stephen and Helen had one child, Evelyn Eve (1925-1976) . Stephen was a businessman and owned, a bar and restaurant, in downtown St Paul, with his brother John; and later owned a hotel and bar near downtown St Paul.  He retired to Wheat Ridge CO, and owned a liquor store in Golden Co.  He died in Colorado in 1982.  He was very active in the Ukrainian community in Minnesota.

Stephen and Eugenia Koshuba

Stephen and Sally Koshuba

 Michaylo, birth and death dates are unknown, as is his immigration status.

The Mysterious Joseph Koshuba

This is a blog about family.  I will be posting weekly about a family member and will include a  family recipe as well. 

My first post on this blog is about my Great-Uncle Joseph Koshuba. He is a mystery to me, since I know so little about him.  He died about 2 weeks after my mother was born.  All I know about him is what she told me, which was told to her as a child.

He was born in Ouzurnaya--or Jerzirna, Ukraine about 1880.
I'm not sure when he immigrated to the USA, but he was living in St Paul, Minnesota in 1913.
He married Florence Elizabeth Holmberg on February, 4, 1913.  He and Florence had 3 children, Fred, who was born in 1914, Marie Olga and Catherine. The family lived on Central Ave in St Paul.  
Joseph was the President and owner of  a window washing company,  National Window Washing Co. in St Paul.
Then tragedy struck, Joseph died suddenly in 1919 at the age of 33 of heart disease.  He left Florence and three young children.
The family continued to live in St Paul until 1939.  I have been searching for information about them, and  the trail stops in December, 1941, when Fred Koshuba was killed in a car accident.
I have no idea what happened to Florence or Catherine.  I have found a death record for Marie Olga in California.  That's it.  So, does anybody in the blogosphere know what happened to the Joseph Koshuba family? 






This is the wedding of my grandmother and grandfather, Pauline Rychlyj and John Koshuba, who was Joseph's brother.  They are the bridal couple in the center of the front row.  My great-grandfather, Sylvester Rychlyj is behind the bride.  Anna Rychly, Pauline's sister is in the top row next to Stephen Koshuba.  Dymtro Popko, and Pelagia Rychlyj Popko are on the far left. Pelagia is Sylvester's sister. Paul Popko is probably the baby on Dymtro's lap. Their daughter,Sally,(Stefania) Popko is one of the little girls, but I'm not sure which one.  There are several people in the picture who are unknown to me. 

Joseph Koshuba, is in the second row, on the right.  Florence Holmberg Koshuba is in front of him, and Fred Koshuba is the little boy next to her.  Joseph's hand is on Florence's shoulder.  Other Koshuba family members in the picture are Stephen Koshuba, brother of Joseph and John, is in the third row, on the right.  Anna Koshuba, sister of Joseph and John is in the second row, third from the left, with the white flower in her hair. The other woman, next to Joseph in the second row may be Teckla Koshuba Wons, the other sister in the Koshuba family.

Now for the recipe!
This is a recipe for Borscht Ukranian Style.  My grandmother Pauline showed me how to make this soup, but never gave me a recipe.  I have made it several times, and it tastes like the soup she made.

Borscht Ukranian Style.
3 fresh beets diced.  Save the greens and stems.
1-2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
1-2 carrots chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard or 1 bag of fresh spinach
1 large container beef or chicken stock ( I use Swanson, without salt)
1 large can diced fire roasted tomatoes, with juice
2 tsp Kosher salt.
1 box Pomi brand strained tomatoes
1 tbsp lemon juice ( fresh is recommended) 
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh or dried dill
sour cream or Greek Yogurt

1. Peel and dice the beets and set aside.
2. Wash and chop the beet greens and stems, set aside
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the garlic and onion and cook until  onions are transparent
4. Add the celery, carrots to the  put and cook until wilted
5.  Add the beets, potatoes  and the stock
6.  Add the strained tomatoes and the diced tomatoes and salt.
7. Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
8.  Add the lemon juice, add more to taste.
9.  Add pepper and salt to taste.

Garnish with sour cream or Greek yogurt and fresh dill.