Anna Kolessar-1915- My Great Grandmother

Taken on the day of her husband John's funeral in 1915. Hastings, Pennsylvania

Records indicate that Anna’s mother, Mary Seamon (Demco), lived in Hastings, Pennsylvania, but no records show that her husband, John Seamon, immigrated with her in 1890 when Anna was approximately 13 years old (Anna married at 16). To better understand the Seamon family’s journey, it’s important to note that the largest wave of Czech migration to the United States occurred between 1870 and 1914 (World War I), prompted primarily by economic conditions in the homeland, where employment opportunities were meager, incomes low, and taxes intolerable. The Austrian government's demand that young Czech men serve three years in the army also contributed to migration. Mary Seamon died December 15^th, 1909. Helen would have been 4 years old, and likely had no memory of her maternal grandmother.

According to the 1920 federal census, Anna spoke Slovakian, a language she grew up speaking in her homeland of Czechoslovakia. Born in 1877, Anna came from a region that was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time, which included areas that are now Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. This complex history meant that Anna was exposed to a rich blend of Hungarian, Slovak, and Czech traditions. She immigrated to the United States long before Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, carrying with her the culture and languages of her homeland.

Anna’s husband, John Kolessar, was also part of this world. The 1920 census lists him as coming from Russia, while the 1930 census records his origins as Austria, with a Slovakian tongue. This discrepancy is not surprising, considering the fluid borders of Central and Eastern Europe at the time. His family’s roots may have been tied to a region that was part of the Russian Empire in the past, but also under Austro-Hungarian control, leading to the complexity in how his place of birth was recorded. It’s likely that John, much like his wife Anna, had ties to both Russian and Austro-Hungarian territories—regions that were home to many ethnic groups, including those from Slovakia and Hungary.

This dual connection to Russian and Austrian territories would have shaped John’s cultural identity, blending the languages, traditions, and customs from both backgrounds. It also underscores the broader experience of immigrants from this period—people who came from territories that no longer existed as they once did, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly where they were from in the modern sense. The shifting political borders meant that many people’s nationalities were fluid, depending on which empire or government was in power at the time.

Growing up in what was then Czechoslovakia, Anna would have been fluent in both Czech and Slovak. These two languages, while closely related, are distinct, and her ability to speak Slovak was especially common for those from regions with ties to Slovakia or near the border. Her journey to the United States was part of the great wave of European immigrants seeking a new life, but the customs, traditions, and languages were likely carried with her mother from both her Czech and Hungarian roots.

In rural areas, there would have been folk music and dance that were central to life, with lively polkas and regional dances, like the csárdás (Hungarian dance), accompanying festivals and celebrations. Holidays like Easter featured unique customs, including the playful Easter Monday "whipping" tradition, where young men would lightly whip women with willow branches for good health and fertility, followed by the exchange of decorated eggs. Christmas would have been marked by both religious observance and festive family meals, including fish dishes, hearty meals like goulash and paprikash from her Hungarian side, as well as traditional sweets like koláče and dumplings.

Anna would have known the importance of handmade crafts, such as embroidery, pottery, and painted Easter eggs, which were passed down through generations. Family and faith were central to her community, with multi-generational households often celebrating together during harvest festivals or religious holidays. The strong connection to the Catholic Church and a deep respect for tradition would have shaped Anna’s values as she embarked on her journey to America.