Father McDonsky and Father Phillips~Russian Orthodox Church
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Reverend Trifon Vasilovich Makidonsky (McDonsky) was born on February 1st, 1853 in Wojnowo, an Eastern Prussian village. He arrived in America in 1908, like many Old Believer immigrants who fled the Russian Empire to avoid persecution. Makidonsky first went to Erie, where other Believers went, to help start a Russian Orthodox (Old Believers) church. After learning that more believers of the same faith were living in Marianna, where they sought work in the coal mine, Makidonsky was sent there. He became one of the founders of the Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1910 on Broad Street in Marianna. The graves below are located in the Russian section of Horn Cemetery on Jefferson Avenue.
Father Mcdonsky Headstone
Wife of Father McDonsky (Lebeden)
Children of Father McDonsky and Fedosia McDonsky are:
Thomas McDonsky-
Maria Ivanova Alexander-Wife of ? Ivanoff and Michael Alexander. Children: Michey Ivanova Alexander, Claudia Ivanova, Leatrice Alexander, Clara Moras, William Alexander, ?
William McDonson-
Irene Mickoloff-husband John Mickoloff, children: Norman, Madeline, Robert, Olga, Annie, Nellie, Norman, Sam, Paul, Frances, Dolly.
Katherine-
Son of Father McDonsky and Fedosia McDonsky-Died in a house fire.
Reverend C. Phillips
The 6th baptism in the Old Believers Church in Marianna was done by Reverend C. Phillips, in 1918. The baptism was of Clara Alexander, who was Father McDonsky's granddaughter.
In a Sunday School weekly of the Church of the Nativity dated January 26th, 1969 there is a reprint of a letter from the secretary of the Orthodox church in Marianna, to the then Reverend in Erie. It reads "...as you all know, our Rev. Charles Philips died a few weeks ago and now we are in dire need of a priest, so we are asking you, the Reverend of the Church, and any on concerned, that if anybody of our faith is interested and has the qualifications of a priest, we would like for him to notify us as soon as possible. Please pass this word on to everyone possible..." The use of the word Priest does not necessarily mean Rev. Philips was priested. He was a "Nastavnik" (teacher or reader), but he also a marriage officiant.
