Mother's Wedding Dress

 

Lieutenant Junior Grade Martha Louise Gabuzda & Ensign Stanley Gibson Cooper were married on 3 June 1949, at 1PM in Annapolis, Maryland, following Stan's graduation from the Annapolis Naval Academy.

My midshipman father, in the autumn of 1947, had minor surgery & flirted with one of his nurses, Ensign Martha Gabuzda. They started dating & were engaged the following year.

I could not remember the colors she described in her wedding dress. I was thrilled to find their wedding announcement in the local newspaper of her hometown, The Standard-Sentinel of Hazelton, Pennsylvania, dated 22 Jul 1949. "The bride wore a daytime dress of light blue lace lined in pink marquisette, & a picture hat of white nylon straw trimmed with nylon veiling & orange blossoms. She wore white accessories, & a corsage of white & pink rosebuds & baby breath."

I remember her telling me that her maid of honor, Jeanne Hartman, had unknowingly picked the same dress, but in different colors. The same article described her dress, "a similar dress of black lace lined in pink, black accessories, & a corsage of gardenias."

They were married by the Reverand Homer W. Koch at the local St. Martin's Evangelical Lutheran Church.

It was attended by the family who also attended Stan's graduation.

Stan's father, Jack Cooper, Stan's paternal aunt, Jinny Cooper Dawes, Stan's mother, Sophie Piña Cooper, with Stan's maternal uncle,  Fred Piña.

Stan's maternal aunt, Piedad Piña Pape, Stan's paternal aunt, Jinny Cooper Dawes, bride, Martha Gabuzda Cooper, Stan's mother, Sophie Piña Cooper, Stan's sister, Margarite Cooper Carl.

Charming Crafty Memories

This article was written in May 2021.

I am returning to a hobby I began back in the 1980s.  Counted cross-stitch. I have framed work throughout my home & many photos of projects I have made as gifts for others & to sell at craft fairs.

I even found a box my mother labelled ‘Mary’s Unfinished Needlework.’ Inside I found projects I do not even remember working on including a sampler and this child’s apron. I mailed these to my nieces’ daughter as she was just getting interested in embroidery stitching.

I discovered an embroidered pillow top ready to be sewn into a pillow which I remember working on sometime in high school. 

I found a popular "Stitch-May-nia" group via YouTube & pulled out my Cross-Stitch boxes to reorganize. I found over 20 UFO Projects. (UnFinished PrOjects). I organized them into plastic bags & started a calendar to work on them each day. In the middle of all of this, I came across “The Project Bag.” I found this pattern that was quick & easy to make! I have now made over twenty of them.

Before inbox

After in filing cabinent

My mother also did stitching when she was a child up to her 20s. Here are some of her works I found in a box. The doily is on top of a pillowcase with her initials after she was married. MGC…Martha Gabuzda Cooper. 

This is a doll dress she made as a child at age 8.

Mom knitted a pair of socks for dad for Christmas when they were dating.

Mom also crocheted for the Navy Relief Society. Here are some UFOs I found she had started in 1966.

Adding charms to my project bags made me think of my charm bracelets growing up when they were most popular & everyone had them. Here is my collection & the memories they bring of my family’s stories.

Mom gave me my first charm bracelet when we lived in Japan in 1964.

We returned to the US the following year. In 1966, living in Virginia. My second bracelet was put together after our visit to the capital, Washington D.C. 

My third bracelet was given to me as a graduation gift from high school. It included a shetland sheepdog charm representing our family pet. I loved singing in the high school choir. I played the piano from 5th to 9th grade. 

Suzanna Kostelnic (Varga) Wargo 1859-c1910

   The Mystery of “Fuzsi” or “Fursi” is Solved!

"Slovakia Census, 1869," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-28480-19928-12?cc=1986782 : accessed 7 March 2016).

I am so thankful for doing my spit test with Ancestry DNA along with my brother, my mother & my father’s sister. I have been connected with unknown distant cousins through the current DNA popularity & others that I knew about; yet, I had difficulty locating.

In three previous blog posts from 2016, I was researching the mystery of the surname of my great-grandmother, Mary Hyduck/Kostelnic Sarna. In the final post, I concluded that her name was Kostelnic. In doing so, I came across a mysterious forename of one of her sisters, Fuzsi or Fursi. 

See attachment here.

Mary had two elder sisters, Anna born 1851, Fuzsi or Susanna born 1859. Mary was born in 1863. A fourth sister, Elizabeth was born in 1866. 

A DNA cousin and I have been collaborating our family trees. I am connected via her husband’s line. Jean Hoffman’s family tree is from Anna’s line. She has shared more details along with photos.

Anna Kostelnic Zemany, the firstborn, with her first four children of eight. This photo was taken around 1882.

Mary Kostelnic Sarna, the third born, with her family. Their younger daughter is my grandmother. Photo was taken around 1900.

Anna & Mary sure look like sisters!

Suzanna Kostelnic came to the US around 1875 

according to the 1900 US Census. 

She is listed with her husband Michael Wargo. They were married by 1880. They have four children listed as Michael, John, Mary, Susan all born between 1883 to 1895.

My mother and her sisters, remember their grandmother, Mary Kostelnic Sarna,  telling stories about her coming to the US as a teenager, first staying with her sister, a Mrs. Wargo. Suzanna! 

Anna came to the US in 1874 with her husband, Michael Zemany. Susanna followed the next year in 1875. She was married to Michael Wargo by 1880. Mary came in 1880 and married George Sarna by 1883.

Several Extract Deed documents mention the three sisters (husbands mentioned), Mrs. Anna Zemany, Mrs. Susanne Wargo and Mrs. Mary Sarna all living in Freeland, Pennsylvania, at the same time! Thank you, Richard and Jean Hoffman for helping me solve this mystery!    

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Vol. 269, p. 65

Cross Creek Coal Co. to Trustees of the Hungarian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Freeland Pa.

     “This indenture made the Twenty-first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred  and eighty-Seven Between the Cross Creek Coal Company of the first part and Michael Zemany and Michael Warga of Freeland Pa, George Dzurisen and John Soltis of Upper Lehigh Pa Michael Cervenak George Celig of Sandy Run John Kmetz of Drifton and John Homulska of Eckley Pa Trustees of the Hungarian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Freeland Luzerne County Pennsylvania of the Second part, “

Abstract: For the sum of one dollar a lot on the east side of Washington Street is sold. The lot is identified as No six (6) of block L on a map of the Woodside. Further description of the lot is:

“Beginning at a point on East side of said Washington Street on hundred and twenty-five (125) feet south of the South-East corner of the intersection of said Washington Street with Luzerne Street thence East on a line parallel with said Luzerne Street one hundred and thirty (130) feet more or less to an alley or Smaller Street on a line parallel with said Washington Street twenty-five (25) feet thence west on a line parallel with said Luzerne Street one hundred and thirty (130) feet more or less to said Washington Street thence North along said Washington Street twenty-five (25) feet to point of beginning.”

All the usual rights are granted to the party of the Second Part, their successors and assigns in trust for the Church and School purposes and as a dwelling for the resident clergyman and not for interment of deceased persons or any other purposes. Failure to heed this restriction will result in forfeiture of the Estate granted and reversion of ownership to the grantor.

   The original declaration contained the word “heirs” in five places. This word was lined out and replaced with the word “successors” in the presence of both parties. Sealed with the Corporate Seal of the Cross Creek Coal Company, and signed Eckley B. Coxe, president; Arthur McClellan, secretary; Michael Zemany, Michael Warga, Djurisen George, John Soltis, Mikel Cervenak, George Celig, John (his X mark) Kmetz, John Homulka

   Receipt of one dollar acknowledged by J. B. White, Treasurer of the Cross Creek Coal Company

   Signature above sworn to as his and sale sworn to as executed in his presence and with his affirmation by Eckley B. Coxe, president of the Cross Creek Coal Company on 26 April 1887 in the presence of Elliott A. Oberrender, Notary Public.

   Similarly sworn to by parties of the second part on 23 Apr 1887 and notarized by John D. Hayes

   Recorded Aug 4th 1887

Another volume mentions a land sale between George Sarna and Michael Wargo (brothers-in-law) of Lots 21 & 22 across the street from the church property mentioned above.

Vol. 306

p. 248

George Sarna and Mary Sarna his wife of Upper Lehigh to Susan Varga (Wargo) of Foster Twp for $1.

W. side of Washington in Woodside Addition, #21 & 22 of Block K, 125’ S. of SW corner of Washington and Luzerne, W 130’ parallel (see map)

Dated 29 March 1892, Recorded 18 April 1892

p. 250

Michael Wargo and Susan his wife of Foster Twp to George Sarna of Upper Lehigh for $350 above lots 21 & 22.

Dated 29 March 1892, Recorded 18 April 1892

Included is a map with the above properties mentioned provided by Jean Hoffman.

All of Michael and Susan’s children were born in  Upper Lehigh, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, from 1883-1895. The Wargo family moved to Michigan by 1910.

I have also been connected with Wargo distant cousins through Ancestry DNA. One of them, unfortunately, informed me that her grandmother had a fire that destroyed all the family pictures and information. She was so thankful for the information I had on her ancestors.

Now did the fourth sister, Elizabeth Kostelnic, remain in Slovakia or did she also come to the US? I hope to find the answer to this question with more research and DNA testing.