Christmas is near and this is by far my favorite time of
year. Ever year when Christmas comes around I always think of my Grandmother.
She made this time of year so perfect for myself and many others.
Our house was always filled with joy this time of year. The
windows were covered in a frosty white snow "the one that comes out of a
can, because here in Central Texas snow is a rarity" lights were strung
around the windowsill border. The tall tree always sat in front of the large
picture window in the living room looking out towards Palo Duro Rd., it was
decked with all the decorations that had been accumulated over the years. There
had been some new decorations that were added from my brother, sister and I
"the ones we had handmade in school". However I must say that my
favorite item on the tree was the little bird chirping ball ornament that we
could plug into the wall. I was always amused by that bird ornament.
During Christmas time my Grandmother was always busy working
away, trying to create the best atmosphere for all that came over during the Holiday
Season. The tables were filled with candy there was always something to eat
that was uber delicious. We had cousins, Aunts, Uncles, coming to visit, it was
just a spectacular and it made me very happy.
The night before Christmas my Grandmother would always tell
us we needed to go to bed early because Santa was shy and we all needed to be
asleep or Santa would not stop at our house. I remember laying in bed eyes
closed but wide awake inside. Sometimes, I would peak out of my warm blanket if
I heard a clatter, thinking it was Santa. After a while I eventually fell
asleep.
On Christmas Day, my brother, sister and I would wake up and
run to the living room to see a Christmas Tree filled with presents underneath.
We would get so excited and my Grandfather would then take a seat on the floor
next to the front door near the tree. He would tell us to sit down and spread
out with a big smile on his face. The presents filled most of the room so we
had to all spread out and sit on the floor. My Grandfather would pass out the
gifts and my Grandmother helped him. We were in Christmas Heaven.
Christmas dinner was just as grand. My Grandmother had been
in the kitchen the past few days making all kinds of goodies and on Christmas
day she was still in there putting her final touches on all the delicious
dishes and making sure everything turned out perfect. The main course was
always on the dinning room table and it was filled with food that there were no
places to sit our plates down, so we scattered in different seating areas
waiting for our delicious meal to be handed to us. She also had food sitting on
other tables around the dinning room and kitchen. My favorite food filled table
was in the kitchen, it was always filled with homemade deserts. There were
pies, puddings, cakes, cookies, etc.
My Grandparents made our Christmas's always so picture
perfect. I want to thank my Grandmother and Grandfather for raising us and
giving us the best Christmas memories ever. They were my fondest memories and
because of them I have tried to pass on that tradition to my own children and
provide similar experiences that I had as a child.
I have already said that Christmas is a wonderful time of
year, and means so much to me and many others, and if there were anything else
I could have wanted at Christmas time it would have been to have known and
spent time with my mother and her family at Christmas. I would have loved
to have known what Christmas was like for her family. Did they have any of the
same traditions?
Speaking of traditions, I sometimes wonder if any of my
Shablack relatives ever had any Polish Christmas
Traditions that passed down the generations. I think it would have
been really neat to have had a few motherland traditions passed on at
Christmas to add with the ones I had at my Grandparents "fathers
parents". I can smell the Cabbage
Rolls and taste the Pierogi now.
The search for my Polish Roots continues....
Now that I knew exactly where my Great Grandfather John
Valentine Shablack had passed away I could now send off for his death
certificate. After a few dollars, stamps, couple weeks, I had a
response.
I remember the day it had come in, I was feeling down about
my unborn daughter. My wife and I had just been told a few weeks before that
she was going to be disabled and may have a few health problems when she came
into this world. So when I opened that mailbox and received that letter it was
much needed and it helped lift my spirits by getting my mind off of my
negative thoughts.
The certificate had great information on it. It listed his
name as John V. Shablack born on August 4th, 1904 in Pennsylvania and died on
February 13th, 1981, this I had already known, but seeing it again is
reassuring information to any researcher. The cause of death listed was
respiratory arrest due to obstructive pulmonary disease. He passed away
at United Hospital Center in Clarksburg, WV. John's residence was listed
as 916
West Pike St. Clarksburg, WV. If you click on the link you will see a
multistory complex.
Other information that the certificate had on it was his
parents names. They were listed as John Shablack and Mary Shablack, which was
also semi-reaffirming. What was shocking was that the certificate listed him as
being widowed, which meant that he had to have been married again because my
Great Grandmother Norma Marguerite was still alive at the time. John's
occupation on the death certificate was listed as a Retired Restaurateur which
I found quite interesting as well.
My mother Florence Anne had always said that her Grandmother
Norma "the one that raised her" had always been in the Restaurant
business. She would tell me stories of her growing up and sometimes
having to help out as a kid. With the new information about John V, I wondered
if there was a connection between him and Great Grandma Norma both being in the
restaurant business. I still wonder this today.
Back to the certificate......
I have to say that the most exciting news on the certificate
was not the fact that he had been married again, but that there was a name
listed on the certificate that I had never heard of before "??".
This person was listed as the informant when John had passed away and usually
this would mean it was someone that knew him or a family member.
This was exciting news! I was jumping for joy when I had
read her name. My mind was racing with all the possibilities, could she be a
friend, could she be a relative, or could she not be related in anyway, I just
didn't know. The one thing I did know is that I needed to find out who she was
and ask her how she knew my Great Grandfather John Valentine Shablack.
I sat on this information for a little bit because I wanted
to see if anyone in my immediate family knew who this mystery person was.
I had asked my Aunt Norma if she knew who she was and she couldn't place
the name anywhere, so I went on to ask my mother. My mom said she was probably
just someone who helped take care of my Great Grandfather when he passed away.
I also tried to ask my Uncle Alfred "my moms brother" just in case he
had heard of the name or recognized it, but he didn't recognize it
either.
Since asking around turned up nothing but dry air I had to
start looking elsewhere. I used the internet to search for her and found
nothing. So then I decided to go the old fashion route, when I called good ole
trusty 1411 "love old fashion land lines, people were so much easier to
find back then" and asked AT&T information for a number for
"??" they were able to provide me with one. Why
hadn't I done this first? Anyway, I was so ecstatic! My heart started beating
faster and I just knew this had to be good news and had to be the break that I
was waiting for.
After calming down, "which was hard to do at the time
because I was so excited" I dialed the number. Internally I was
afraid of rejection because during
my family research I have had a few people reject me and not
provide me with any information, while others opened their arms and hearts
to finding a long lost relative. Anyway, once I heard the voice on the other
end I hesitated to speak for a second, but found the courage to do so.
I had told her that I was John Valentine Shablack's Great
Grandson and was working on my family tree. I then explained that I
had received a copy of the death certificate and her name was
listed as an informant and I wanted to know how she knew my Grandfather John.
My ears rang with joy when I heard the words she had spoke to me. "I
am his daughter."
Not only did I find someone that new John Valentine
Shablack, I found his daughter that I never even knew existed! I was filled
with awe! "I am actually talking to my Great Aunt, that I never even
knew I had. How cool is that!?"
Over the coming weeks, months and years she gave me
information and has helped me to know and understand her father and my Great
Grandfather John Valentine Shablack. Thanks to "??" I have been
able to meet the man I have been searching for a long time through photographs
and memories. Without her help I would have never known anything about my Great
Grandfather and would have still been at a dead end on my search for my Polish
Roots.
There is much more to come on the Shablack story, but at
this time I want to pause for a moment and thank my Great Aunt for all she
has done for me.
I would also like send a wish to all of you: Let this
Christmas time be full of joy and love and the New Year make all your wishes
come true.
In Polish the expression would be:
Niech czas Bożego Narodzenia upłynie w atmosferze radości i
miłości, a Nowy Rok spełni wszystkie Wasze marzenia.
JOHN VALENTINE SHABLACK
CHRISTMAS IN WARSAW, PL
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