Our maternal great-great-grandparents were born in and lived in the Krakow Province of Poland's present boundaries. This particular region is located in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains very close to the Slovakian border of today (about 20 European kilometers). Before World War I, the Krakow Province was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, and its government was influenced much by Hungary. This is evidenced by the fact that nearly all of the villages in this region had Hungarian spellings prior to 1914. Ann KUCALA was born in Nowa Biala (Ujbela - Hungarian spelling). It is bordered by another small village of Krempachy (Belakorompa - Hungarian spelling). The specific birthplace of Walentine SURMA is unknown at this time. It is speculated to be either Nowa Biala or Krempachy. Adlabert GALINAK's birthplace is at a Polish village nearby Krempachy, in Lesnica.

Krempachy and Nowa Biala were originally part of the Northern most part of Slovakia under Hungarian domination and today, it is part of Nowy ojcz voyvodship, Nowy Targ pwiad only two miles from Nowy Targ. "Our" people were Slovaks, not Polish. As Slovaks, they were subjects of Hungarians for over a thousand years. It can be readily acknowledged that many Slovaks adopted Hungarian nationality. Krempachy and Nowa Biala were part of the old Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Krempachy has two churches, one (St. Martin) was 700 years old and it is still there. The newer church is presently operating. Krempachy was settled at least 700 years ago and did celebrate its 700 year anniversary.

When the countries were cut up and the lands divided after World War II, thirteen villages in the Spis region and thirteen villages in the Orava region were turned over respectively to Poland and Czechoslovakia. The situation in Spis and Orava is like that of Northern Ireland. The Slovaks have certain privileges given them but some of the younger element does not seem to care to take advantage of their plebescite. When the lands were divided, our Slovak people from the areas given to Poland were "invited" to settle in Slovakia, hundreds of them took advantage of this offer and were given unoccupied homes and properties which, I believe, were in former German colony (but not Sudentenland). Our grandmother, Elizabeth GALINAK has two nieces living in Holic- Slovakia, who re-settled "over the Tara Mountains."

The people who remained back in Krempachy, Nowa Biala, etc., were in most cases, the oldest sons who had or would inherit their parent's property. Many of the old parents also went along with their younger children to Slovakia to leave more room for the family remaining. As in many of the old countries, because of a shortage of land several generations usually lived together. Lucky was the boy or girl who got married into a family where he/she could move. Hence, many marriages were of convenience, a boy married a girl whose bother married his sister so that each would have a place to live. Our mothers came to America to make room for older brothers who wanted to get married.

The people who live in Krempachy and Nowa Biala today live in homes that are extremely sturdy, they are built to withstand 200 years at least. new homes are being built in the same manner. All the homes are in residential areas. In Krempachy and Nowa Biala, the farms are in various strips of land in different locations (by inheritance over the years). In Slovakia, the people seem to have large properties in back of their homes, like two/three city blocks long. They raise some of their own products but are not really farmers as they all seem to have outside jobs except for some landowners in Poland -- and their younger adults all have jobs in Nowy Targ, the nearest large city.

Today, people in Krempachy and Nowa Biala do not want for anything. They have sturdy homes, televisions, most of them have steam heat and of course, running water, bath tubs, and indoor toilets. Transportation is excellent and very inexpensive. Food is plentiful (they have plenty of milk, cream, bread, cakes, meats - all kinds of chops, roast, kielbasa and others sausages., etc.) and their eating habits are different than ours. They eat anything at any time of the day, i.e. no cereals for breakfast nor poached eggs. They might have soups, chicken, ducks, geese, fancy torts, etc., at any meal including breakfast. Their coffee is ersatz or Turkish. They have vegetables which they put into their soups but throw them out instead of eating them. They have some salads (potato, macaroni, and even have spaghetti) and some tiny tomatoes. Fruits are available, such as apples, pears, cherries, and apricots -- the same all over the country and at the same prices.

This past summer, my entire family and I traveled to Slovenia and Poland to do original family history. We visited the villages where my maternal ancestors originated from in Nowa Biala and Krempachy, Poland. These villages are about 10 kilometers southeast of Nowy Targ in Krakow province. Previous to this trip, the oldest identified progenitor from our maternal family lines was our great-grandmother, Anna (Maria) KUCALA. She was born on October 2, 1853. From last summer? trip, I have gone back one more generation as follows with Ann KUCALA? parents and the parents of each of her two husbands? parents: Jozef SURMA and Jan GALINAK.

Melichor KUCSALA and Maria DLUGI who was born about 1840.. They had more than five children: Maria (born June 27, 1851), Anna KUCALA (October 2, 1859), Maria KUCALA (October 30, 1854), Carolin KUCALA (born October 30, 1854 and died May 19, 1935), Josephina KUCALA (born March 18, 1857 and died April 13, 1923), Joseph KUCALA (born March 10, 1862), Rozalia (September 30, 1864), Catharina (born May 20, 1867), Rozalia (born September 30, 1864), Robert KUCALA (born May 20, 1867 and died March 3, 1868) and Jozef KUCALA (born March 18, 1869).

Jozef SURMA was born in the 1830? and married Rozalia KALYATA. They had at least one child: Walentine SURMA (born February 4, 1848 and died February 27, 1887 in Krempachy). Walenty and Ann KUCALA were married on July 23, 1879 in Krempachy, Poland.

Jan GALINAK who was born about 1840 and married Agnienka STOHASKA. They had four children: Wojcech GALINAK (born October 27, 1863 in Lesnica, Poland and died May 28, 1944 in Krempachy), Jozef GALINAK (born June 12, 1856 in Lesnica), Andrej GALINAK (born October 3, 1860 in Lesnica) and Michel GALINAK (born September 25, 1859 in Lesnica). Walentine SURMA married Ann KUCALA on January 25, 1888 in Krempachy.

Ann KUCALA had two husbands: 1) Walenty SURMA and 2) Wojciech GALINAK (our great-grandfather). Ann bore eleven children. The first husband, Walenty SURMA, died in 1888 or 1889 of pneumonia after attending a party. The second husband, Wojciech GALINIAK, married Anna KUCALA about one year later and lived with her to their deaths in 1935 and 1944, respectively. Anna KUCALA was born on October 2, 1853 in Nowa Biala. They were farmers, raising their own food, owning few livestock and living modestly. Their nationality was Slovak. Their subculture is Spis. Their religion was Roman Catholic, which was strongly practiced. Today, there are no descendants of Ann KUCALA in either Krempachy or Nowa Biala. But there are numerous relatives of her two husbands (GALINAK and SURMA) still residing in southern Poland in the Krempachy/Nowa Biala area.

Walenty SURMA was born on February 4, 1848 in the Krempachy vicinity. His parents were Jozef SURMA aand Rozalia KALATA. He married Anna KUCALA on July 23, 1879 in Krempachy. They had four children: three boys and one girl (Wojcech (George), Joseph (born December 31, 1884), and Maria). Three of them immigrated to the U.S.A.

• Wojcech (George) SURMA was born on April 6, 1880. He got married to Kathyrn Novibilski in Passaic, New Jersey on November 29, 1902. He later settled in Elkhart, Indiana, working for the railroad. They had four children: Tom (born in 1903 and died in 1971 or 72), Kathyrn (born in 1906 and died in 1985), Anna (born in 1917 and still living) and Joseph (born December 31, 1884 and died September 19, 1895).. It is interesting to note that George SURMA requested that his wife and first two children go to Poland and have the children raised up by grandma Novibilski. George's wife returned to Elkhart and Anna was born. Eventually Kathyrn returned to the U.S.A. and married in her twenties. Tom remained on the Novibilski homestead and never did immigrate back to the U.S.A. Anna married LeRoy MURPHY and they have always resided in Elkhart. LeRoy (Shortie) is presently retired and golfing more than ever. Kathyrn lived in Chicago with her husband, Joe ZIGMOND.
  
  
• Walek (William) SURMA was born in July 2, 1882. He was married on November 11, 1906 to Elizabeth Trop in Chicago. An interesting story has been told to me about William SURMA's family by my grandmother, Elizabeth GALINAK, which I would like to share at this time. William was killed on an explosion on November 18, 1908 with two very young children surviving, Andrew and William, and his wife. The widowed mother, Elizabeth TROPE SURMA, returned to Krempachy, Poland with her two children to live with Anna KUCALA and her second husband, Adalbert GALINAK. This story is note-worthy to me as it shows how close the SURMA and GALINAK family lines were linked by the SURMA and her two young children move from Chicago to Poland, over 5,000 miles, to live with the grandparents. Andrew had an interesting education. First and second grade were in a Hungarian. Third and fourth grade were in a Slovak school. High School was given in a Polish school. While in Poland, Elizabeth TROUPE SURMA remarried Valentinus SVECZ on February 1, 1912 and had a son, Jacob SVEC. The mother eventually moved back to the U.S.A in 1914, and had Andrew and William brought up by their grandparents. This father, Valentinus SVECZ stayed in Krempachy and married Roza BIZUB on January 25, 1933. At the age of 18 Andrew was about to be drafted into the Polish Army. He and his brother returned to the U.S.A. after growing up in Poland. His passage to the U.S.A was jointly paid by my grandmother and her brother, John GALINAK ($50 each) and $100 from ANNA KUCALA. He first lived in Clifton and worked with my grandfather, Michael KOVAC in Manhattan Rubber Industries. Andrew's and William's mother, who had earlier returned to the U.S.A., remarried a third time and had four more children: Louis, Elizabeth, Carl and Ann. She died on May 24, 1972 in Wisconsin at the age of 83. Andrew and William later moved to Chicago and have there ever since. The other boy,. name unknown, was a mute, and he died in childhood in Krempachy.
  
  
• Joseph was born December 31, 1884 and died September 19, 1895.
  
  
• Mary (Maria) SURMA was born on August 25, 1887. She immigrated to the United States, settling in Passaic, New Jersey. She married Paul Paluch in Passaic on June 12, 1907. Three sons were born to this couple. Paul PALUCH died on March 19, 1913 from typhus. They had two children: Jacob PALUCH (born on July 12, 1909) and Valent PALUCH (born on February 1, 1913). After a few years she settled back to Krempachy where her husband died of chlora. She remarried on September 13, 1913 and her second husband, Andy Novibilski from Trybsz, died during World War I. This second marriage had one son, Andreas NOVOBILSKY (born on November 5, 1914). She was a widow the rest of her life. She died in about 1968 at approximately 80 years of age.

Wojciech (Adalbert) GALINIAK was Polish, being born on October 27, 1863 in a Polish village nearby Krempachy, Lesnica. He married Anna KUCALA SURMA on January 25, 1888. He spoke Slavic. He had three brothers (Robert, Jacek and Andriej). One of which died soon after my grandmother came to the U.S.A. in 1906. Wojciech was a craftsman who made wagon wheels by profession. In general, Polish people were business people, while Slovak people were farmers.

The parents of Wojciech (Adalbert) are Jan GALINAK and Agnienka STOHASKA. Wojciech (Adalbert) apparently had red hair and gray sideburns. Adalbert and Anna lived in Krempachy on the small farm that Walenty SURMA had built. Anna KUCALA SURMA GALINK died on May 19, 1935. They conceived seven children: Michael, Elizabeth, Jan, Jozef, Anna, Zofia and Wojciech. All of these children were born in Krempachy and all of them remained near Krempachy for the remainder of their lives, except for Elizabeth and John. Today, some of Adalbert's descendants are still living in the vicinity of Krempachy. Adalbert and Anna lived together until their deaths. Anna dying first at about 85 on May 19, 1935 and Adalbert later pm May 28, 1944 at about 81 years old age.

• Michael GALINAK was apparently the oldest child, born September 11, 1889. He married Elizabeth SURMA on January 28, 1914. They had five children: Anna, Helen, Donminic, Frienk and John. He was also a sergeant in the Army in World War I. He died in Krempachy in March, 1957.
  
  
• Elizabeth GALINAK, my grandmother, was born on October 15, 1891. She immigrated to the United States in 1906 at the age of 15. She married my grandfather, Michael KOVAC, on September 17, 1910 in Passaic, New Jersey. They settled on a three-acre farm in Clifton, New Jersey. Two children were born to them, Helen and Mary. Living on their farm proved to be an exciting experience. Helen, my mother, married my father, John Anthony KUZMICH and they settled on a part of this farm, building a sturdy brick home. In approximately 1930, Elizabeth KOVAC made a return trip to Poland to visit her ailing mother, who died shortly thereafter. Grandma KOVAC is noted for her prize-winning poppy-seed and nut-seed cakes. Michael KOVAC died in 1962. Elizabeth KOVAC died in Merritt Island, Florida in 1989. and is survived by grand children and five great-grandchildren.
  
  
• Jan GALINAK was born on December 24, 1893. It is not known when he immigrated to the United States, but he did marry Julia WAXMONSKY in Passaic, New Jersey on October 7, 1916. She was born in Passaic, New Jersey on November 29, 1896. Apparently, she was raised in Krempachy and immigrated back to the U.S.A. on September 13, 1913 at the age of 18 1/2. They had three children: John (my godfather), Genevieve and Elizabeth. They lived in Clifton most of their lives. In 1968, Julia died. John GALINAK, SR. died in the 1980 's and is survived by ? grandchildren and ? great- grandchildren..
  
  
• Jozef GALINAK was born zkimr 12. 1896. He was very young when he died (about 20). He was shot by the enemy in World War I, serving some time in the army where his brother, Michael.
  
  
• Anna GALINAK was born on JUly 6, 1899. She married on April 22, 1921 to Andreas TOMASKOVIC. He died only a few years later, leaving ANNA with five young children. The four boys died when they were young, and Anna is presently living in Krempachy with her one daughter, Anna. She never remarried.
  
  
• Zofia GALINAK was born on November 25, 1903 and died in 1933. She married on July 1, 1925 Michael MOSS. They had two girls. Sophie is still living in Poland. She used to send my grandmother each year some very tasty Polish mushrooms for the Christmas Eve Supper. My mother, Helen KOVAC KUZMICH, my sister, Mrs. Joan KUZMICH NICHOLAS, Joan's daughter Rebecca, and Joan's husband, Fredrick M. Nicholas, visited Sophie in Krempachy in 1987. We have a video tape of the meeting..
  
  
• Wojciech GALINAK was born on January 1, 1902. He married Elizatha MOSS on July 1, 1925. George died in April, 1977. He had five children: Anna, Marie, Elzbieta, Franek, and Jan. His wife, Elizabeth MOS, died in July 12, 1970. His son, Frank, who was born in Krempachy in 1936, married there in 1956 and had two children. In Poland, he was a farmer and a social worker. One interesting point. Wojciech and Sophia married siblins of MOSS because Sophia's husband and Wojciech's wife were brother and sister and the marriages all took place on the same day.

The earliest KUCALA, SURMA and GALINAK immigrants to the U.S.A. settled in Passaic, New Jersey - a small, specialized woolen mill manufacturing center, 12 miles west of New York City. Passaic was a sociological phenomenon. For example, in 1910 its population contained the largest proportion of foreign-born whites, 52 percent of its 54,773 inhabitants, of any city in the United States, four of every five foreign-born residents came from Southern and Eastern Europe or Russia. Later some of these immigrants re-settled in Chicago, Illinois.

To contact John send an email to jkuzmich@earthlink.net
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