Alan Gordon Vitae, Transcript, and Videos (part 1 and part 2)
7/31/2018 at Forest City Area Historical Society
Polish family and culture in the Forest City area of Pennsylvania.
Born and raised in Forest City, Alan, I might add came from his hospital bed at Moses Taylor Hospital, because he was determined to tell the story of his family and Polish culture. Mr. Gordon is a1961 graduate of Forest City High School. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years. In 1978 he graduated from State University of New York at Plattsburg, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After retiring he returned to Forest City and worked at Farview Hospital for 10 years and at Marian Community Hospital for 15 years.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I was asked to do a little talk on Polish contribution to this by people of Polish descent, and a few words about some of those prominent people.
“My Dad was of Irish descent and my Mom was Polish. Grandparents on my Mom’s side were from Poland. Their married names were Michael and Rose Goskoski. My Gram’s maiden name was Benarick, and she had many sisters and brothers locally. They came from Poland, I believe in the late 1800’s or so. I recall my Mom telling me that her Mom told her about the trip by steamer to America. She was just a little girl at the time and shipboard life was horrible. She said nearly everyone on board ship was packed into steerage, all suffered from various sicknesses, and were infected with lice and other vermin. Everyone was poor and only had a sweater on their backs for warmth. My Grandfather and other family members all settled in Forest City (PA). My Grandfather did fairly well, was a coal miner, a proud fireman, and was on (the) town council, I believe. He also helped found Sacred Heart church (the Polish church). My Grandmother had thirteen babies, one of whom did not survive. My Grandfather’s life was cut short in 1935 when he was killed in a cave-in at the mines. This left my Grandmother with a large family to rise, among them my Mom.
“My Mom told me about the flu epidemic here in America when the troops, alive or dead, came back to America in 1918, bring this pestilence with them. Whole families often died in one day.
“In those days the Polish kids attended what was called “Polish School,” run by the Bernadine Nuns, for our church.
“Moving on, I was born in 1944. My earliest recollections of our house, where I still live, is on Susquehanna Street. But I was Born in what is now Ted Kowalick’s house next to St. John’s Church. Anyway, as a little kid I can remember my Dad coming home from the coal mines which were located in the area called #2, behind Vandling. He would get home about 5:00 P.M., black from coal dust. We’d get a big old-fashioned tub, put it in the kitchen, fill it with hot water, and he would sit in that for half an hour. When he was finished washing, the water was jet black. His pay, as I recall, was about $10 a week if he worked full time. On Fridays-payday-the miners would stop at Charley Sokolowski’s bar on Hudson Street, very convenient location. They’d all have one or ten beers and wash them down with a shot of whiskey or two. I knew one of those miners who stopped there. He was famous for eating a Cannibal sandwich, which was raw hamburger on a bun*. True Story! After everyone felt they had enough, you could hear them as they walked home singing “Sweet Adeline,” “Down by The Old Millstream,” “Daisy, Daisy,” and many other songs. Some songs were ethnic also-Russian, Polish, Italian, Slovenian, etc. But their joy was usually cut short by their waiting wives angrily waiting at their house doors. I heard my first Polish curse word then, something like “Zaboonyik,” often used by the wives. I still don’t know for sure what it meant. Probably not complimentary.
“Most of the miners worked in cold, dark pits for little money. Many died there when roofs or rock slides collapsed on them. Many boys worked there also, sorting coal and rock, pulling cars, taking care of the mule, etc. The custom was, if a miner was killed, he was taken home and left on the porch of his house for his wife and family. I think the mines finally closed in the late 1950’s. There are still some mine openings way up in the woods. As kids we found one with “In God We Trust-1912” carved in the rocky entrance way back in the 50’s. We used to crawl in those things to see how far we could go. Amazing that no one ever got hurt doing that.
“When we were kids all of us went to Sacred Heart Church. It was the Polish Church and was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. The stained-glass windows are a work of art. Anyway, church was a whole different would for us kids. Our ages were around 7, 8, or 9. Just about all of the boys were altar boys, their ages ranging from our young group to high school seniors. I can remember some of the older ones’ names like Donald Swetter, John Galinsky, Jack Loziniak, and Andy Junior. Don’t recall the others. Our group included Tom Polasky, John Matous, Joe Loziniak, Richie Doyle, Stash Zimmer, Zeke (Jim) Zielinski, John Pavelchak, Walter Gursky, Ray Lewanddowski, and Larry Berneski. By the way Larry was the First Forest City fatality in Vietnam.
“Church services were a big event in those days. Churches were always packed.
I recall that on Sundays all the younger kids sat in the first pew – boys on the left, girls on the right. Not a good combination – all the boys together by themselves. By the middle of Mass, the boys were pretty antsy and acting up a little. Fr. Lipski was our priest then. In front of the pews was a great pulpit about 15 feet tall, from where Father would speak. His sermons were all done in Polish, so I didn’t know what they were about, but I knew that I must have done something awfully wrong by the way he pounded his fist on the pulpit, eyes blazing, sweating up a storm, etc. Never forgot that!
Sometimes the very old ladies in church who came here from the “old country” would take it upon themselves to correct the misbehaving boys in church. These women were all very elderly, very pious. They all came to church dressed the same way: long black coats, black hats, black stockings, and black shoes, and big, big rosaries always in their hands. One lady I remember was Mrs. Morasky, who kept alert for any boy’s misbehavior. If she spotted someone misbehaving, she’d sneak up behind him and either twist his ear or pull some hair. Anyway, it always worked.
Easter was a big celebration. On Holy Thursday, the procession around the church, inside or out, consisted of 25 or 30 little girls, all dressed in white, carrying flowers, and tossing petals in the Priest’s path. The church was always filled to capacity for all Masses, even the 6:00 A.M. Mass on Easter Sunday, Good Friday was totally solemn. There would be a statue of Christ lying in his tomb, for adoration by the people until Easter Sunday. All the statues were covered in purple cloth, symbolizing Christ in his tomb.
In May was the crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the Church, and our Mother.
Another ceremony started by Madlen Gordon and Helen Grayrock was the living rosary. Women would form a circle, one person for every bead of the rosary, and each would recite the Hail Mary, Our Father, or whatever prayer was next, going around the circle. This custom lasted for several years.
Sacred Heart Church had a Saint Teresa’s society of women, which raised funds for the parish. Many women belonged to it and it lasted for many years.
We also had a holy name society for men back in the 1950’s. Many, many members, boys and men.
We had an annual church picnic in the parking lot behind the parish office. Great success every year. Big crowds, homemade clam chowder, Kiebasi, potato pancakes, etc., and “lottsa” of beer! Of course, there was bingo! Big money maker for the parish.
Also, Sacred Heart choir, or Saint Cecelia’s as it was called, sang for the Christmas holiday On WCDL quite often. About Christmas: After the Christmas season was over, around the third or 4th of January, the Priest would come to all parishioner’s home, to bless the house and say little prayer and talk. Everyone looked forward to this. One nice thing was that the priest would take an altar boy with him to carry paperwork and prayer books, etc. I always volunteered - 2 days off from school and we always got a tip from the people. And they always insisted that you have at least something to eat! Great times. Sadly, this blessing isn’t done anymore. Other blessings during the year consisted of blessing the wine - bring a bottle to church and it’s blessed by the priest; blessing of flowers, and several more that I can’t recall.
Polish funerals: In those days’ bodies were waked at home for 3 days. I don’t know if they were embalmed or not. Custom dictated that the body being waked should never be left along, so they sat up all night with the dead. The body was waked in the parlor, surrounded by many chairs for all of the mourners. Seems that most of the mourners in the parlor were women. Lots of sobbing, tearfulness, murmuring, etc. While this was all going on the men were usually all in the kitchen having many, many toasts to the deceased. On the day of the funeral the body was churched for the Mass and then taken to the cemetery. This is where the really serious crying took place. United all of these things as an altar boy. Truly sad events!
Polish Weddings: Church services were always beautiful and pious. The receptions were always eventually uproarious. The food was usually homemade, delicious and plentiful. After the meal, the dancing started. Polkas galore brought all to the dance floor They were usually held at Zvon Hall or the Browndale Fire Co. hall. I recall the people dancing, bouncing, hopping, twisting, and turning, skipping, and yelling, and carrying on. Everyone was laughing up a storm and soaked from sweating. I remember how the Bride’s mom and all of the elderly ladies would circle the bride sitting on a chair and sing in Polish some beautiful old-country songs. The little old ladies cooked from the kitchen, would sing the Polish bridle song for the bride, her mother placed a white babushka on the bride’s head, indicating the bride now belonged to her husband.
On a different note, I have to tell you about an old-country Polish custom. It’s probably a good idea that it never caught on here. It originated in the 1400’s in Poland; it’s called Sm’gus-Dyngus Day. The translation means “Wet Monday” as it was done on the Monday following Easter. Boys would splash water on the girls and spank them with pussy willows. Then the girls did the same thing to the boys. All boys threw water over the girls by sneaking into the girls’ homes at daybreak while the girls were still in bed. It ended up with both parties soaked. The use of water was to evoke spring pains needed to ensure good crops and harvests, successful relationships, and healthy children. I theory, the girls were supposed to wait until the nest day to get their revenge on the boys. Pussy willows were adopted as an alternative to the palm branches used elsewhere at Easter, as they were not available in Poland. The celebration would Be accompanied by verses from a young man who would climb on nearby building roofs in the village, beat on a tin pan, and announce which girls were to be doused along the way. This was to encourage people to give them food from their Easter baskets, such as Easter eggs and sausage, as they walked away singing a “Dyngus day song”.
Now I would like to move on to people of Polish descent who contributed in many ways to Forest City. I remember many of the “Old Familiar” names of Polish heritage. I think of Stanley Damasevitz, Dr. Cimochowski, Mr. Zimmer, Stanley Polasky, Andrew Dziadkovicz, and many more, I’m sure.
More recent people are Mike Goskowski, founder of Kartri Sales, and Karen Goskowski, his daughter, who now runs the business. I have to mention one thing about Karen, which I know for a fact. She is one of the largest donors to many area causes and charities. Excellent job, Karen!
Joe and Scott Miscovsky, local father and son Pharmacist. Scott is very kind and known to help anyone who asks.
Paul Ferraro, a USMC veteran, owns a farm near here, served on council, active member or the historical society, and still gives the cheapest haircuts around. His wife Mary Ferraro is of Polish descent (Paul is of Italian descent).
There are many more and they are all to be commended for service to their town. I would like to mention all the clergy we’ve had from town, too. I remember Fr. Burshnick, Fr. Kameen, MSGR Piorkowski, Fr. Kulikowski, Fr. Chrapowicki, Fr. Kozlowski, Fr. Srankevitch, and Fr. Lasicki. Some Nuns were Marian Murnock, Tancy Piorkowski, and a Stankevich girl, also. Several more were also Nuns around the late 1920’s.
Oh, before I quit here, you have to meet my sister Elizabeth Joseph, now living in Texas and formerly in Endicott, New York. She has been living in Texas for about 5 years. Anyway, she is here for a visit, and let me tell you that she makes the most authentic, best tasting Polish pierogies in the world. My Mom taught her well! Folks, meet my sister, Liz – the Pierogie Queen – stand up Liz.
That’s about it folks. Thanks for listening, thanks for you Patience. In closing, let me say thay you know we are all descended from someone, somewhere, whether Polish, Irish, Slovenian, Italian, Russian, etc. But after all is said and done, we are all Americans now. So God Bless us all and Bless this great country always.
Dobre Notz – Good Night
De Vidzenic – See you around
Ny Lep Shego - -Good luck
Niech Benze Pochpoloni Jezus Christos - -Bless the name of God
See Ya!
*In Germany, raw hamburger with slices of raw onions on a hard roll is known as Hackfleisch (minced meat). It is also popular in other Central and Eastern European countries. It is very delicious. Also, very fine expensive restaurants in large cities also serve raw ground beef – Steak Tartar anyone? This website director for FCAHS has eaten it while stationed with the Army in Germany and also at home in Browndale with my part German mother Mildred Nolan. If you want to try it, buy ground chuck in Forest City on Saturdays along with the homemade rolls at Zazzera’s. You will not be disappointed (and if you are disappointed, my mother and I will gladly accept your donations of raw ground chuck and rolls). If you are afraid, then buy a chuck steak and ground it yourself. Remember eating raw or undercooked foods can make you ill. If you cannot handle it don’t blame Zazzera’s for your sensitive stomach.
7/31/2018 at Forest City Area Historical Society
Polish family and culture in the Forest City area of Pennsylvania.
Born and raised in Forest City, Alan, I might add came from his hospital bed at Moses Taylor Hospital, because he was determined to tell the story of his family and Polish culture. Mr. Gordon is a1961 graduate of Forest City High School. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years. In 1978 he graduated from State University of New York at Plattsburg, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After retiring he returned to Forest City and worked at Farview Hospital for 10 years and at Marian Community Hospital for 15 years.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I was asked to do a little talk on Polish contribution to this by people of Polish descent, and a few words about some of those prominent people.
“My Dad was of Irish descent and my Mom was Polish. Grandparents on my Mom’s side were from Poland. Their married names were Michael and Rose Goskoski. My Gram’s maiden name was Benarick, and she had many sisters and brothers locally. They came from Poland, I believe in the late 1800’s or so. I recall my Mom telling me that her Mom told her about the trip by steamer to America. She was just a little girl at the time and shipboard life was horrible. She said nearly everyone on board ship was packed into steerage, all suffered from various sicknesses, and were infected with lice and other vermin. Everyone was poor and only had a sweater on their backs for warmth. My Grandfather and other family members all settled in Forest City (PA). My Grandfather did fairly well, was a coal miner, a proud fireman, and was on (the) town council, I believe. He also helped found Sacred Heart church (the Polish church). My Grandmother had thirteen babies, one of whom did not survive. My Grandfather’s life was cut short in 1935 when he was killed in a cave-in at the mines. This left my Grandmother with a large family to rise, among them my Mom.
“My Mom told me about the flu epidemic here in America when the troops, alive or dead, came back to America in 1918, bring this pestilence with them. Whole families often died in one day.
“In those days the Polish kids attended what was called “Polish School,” run by the Bernadine Nuns, for our church.
“Moving on, I was born in 1944. My earliest recollections of our house, where I still live, is on Susquehanna Street. But I was Born in what is now Ted Kowalick’s house next to St. John’s Church. Anyway, as a little kid I can remember my Dad coming home from the coal mines which were located in the area called #2, behind Vandling. He would get home about 5:00 P.M., black from coal dust. We’d get a big old-fashioned tub, put it in the kitchen, fill it with hot water, and he would sit in that for half an hour. When he was finished washing, the water was jet black. His pay, as I recall, was about $10 a week if he worked full time. On Fridays-payday-the miners would stop at Charley Sokolowski’s bar on Hudson Street, very convenient location. They’d all have one or ten beers and wash them down with a shot of whiskey or two. I knew one of those miners who stopped there. He was famous for eating a Cannibal sandwich, which was raw hamburger on a bun*. True Story! After everyone felt they had enough, you could hear them as they walked home singing “Sweet Adeline,” “Down by The Old Millstream,” “Daisy, Daisy,” and many other songs. Some songs were ethnic also-Russian, Polish, Italian, Slovenian, etc. But their joy was usually cut short by their waiting wives angrily waiting at their house doors. I heard my first Polish curse word then, something like “Zaboonyik,” often used by the wives. I still don’t know for sure what it meant. Probably not complimentary.
“Most of the miners worked in cold, dark pits for little money. Many died there when roofs or rock slides collapsed on them. Many boys worked there also, sorting coal and rock, pulling cars, taking care of the mule, etc. The custom was, if a miner was killed, he was taken home and left on the porch of his house for his wife and family. I think the mines finally closed in the late 1950’s. There are still some mine openings way up in the woods. As kids we found one with “In God We Trust-1912” carved in the rocky entrance way back in the 50’s. We used to crawl in those things to see how far we could go. Amazing that no one ever got hurt doing that.
“When we were kids all of us went to Sacred Heart Church. It was the Polish Church and was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. The stained-glass windows are a work of art. Anyway, church was a whole different would for us kids. Our ages were around 7, 8, or 9. Just about all of the boys were altar boys, their ages ranging from our young group to high school seniors. I can remember some of the older ones’ names like Donald Swetter, John Galinsky, Jack Loziniak, and Andy Junior. Don’t recall the others. Our group included Tom Polasky, John Matous, Joe Loziniak, Richie Doyle, Stash Zimmer, Zeke (Jim) Zielinski, John Pavelchak, Walter Gursky, Ray Lewanddowski, and Larry Berneski. By the way Larry was the First Forest City fatality in Vietnam.
“Church services were a big event in those days. Churches were always packed.
I recall that on Sundays all the younger kids sat in the first pew – boys on the left, girls on the right. Not a good combination – all the boys together by themselves. By the middle of Mass, the boys were pretty antsy and acting up a little. Fr. Lipski was our priest then. In front of the pews was a great pulpit about 15 feet tall, from where Father would speak. His sermons were all done in Polish, so I didn’t know what they were about, but I knew that I must have done something awfully wrong by the way he pounded his fist on the pulpit, eyes blazing, sweating up a storm, etc. Never forgot that!
Sometimes the very old ladies in church who came here from the “old country” would take it upon themselves to correct the misbehaving boys in church. These women were all very elderly, very pious. They all came to church dressed the same way: long black coats, black hats, black stockings, and black shoes, and big, big rosaries always in their hands. One lady I remember was Mrs. Morasky, who kept alert for any boy’s misbehavior. If she spotted someone misbehaving, she’d sneak up behind him and either twist his ear or pull some hair. Anyway, it always worked.
Easter was a big celebration. On Holy Thursday, the procession around the church, inside or out, consisted of 25 or 30 little girls, all dressed in white, carrying flowers, and tossing petals in the Priest’s path. The church was always filled to capacity for all Masses, even the 6:00 A.M. Mass on Easter Sunday, Good Friday was totally solemn. There would be a statue of Christ lying in his tomb, for adoration by the people until Easter Sunday. All the statues were covered in purple cloth, symbolizing Christ in his tomb.
In May was the crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the Church, and our Mother.
Another ceremony started by Madlen Gordon and Helen Grayrock was the living rosary. Women would form a circle, one person for every bead of the rosary, and each would recite the Hail Mary, Our Father, or whatever prayer was next, going around the circle. This custom lasted for several years.
Sacred Heart Church had a Saint Teresa’s society of women, which raised funds for the parish. Many women belonged to it and it lasted for many years.
We also had a holy name society for men back in the 1950’s. Many, many members, boys and men.
We had an annual church picnic in the parking lot behind the parish office. Great success every year. Big crowds, homemade clam chowder, Kiebasi, potato pancakes, etc., and “lottsa” of beer! Of course, there was bingo! Big money maker for the parish.
Also, Sacred Heart choir, or Saint Cecelia’s as it was called, sang for the Christmas holiday On WCDL quite often. About Christmas: After the Christmas season was over, around the third or 4th of January, the Priest would come to all parishioner’s home, to bless the house and say little prayer and talk. Everyone looked forward to this. One nice thing was that the priest would take an altar boy with him to carry paperwork and prayer books, etc. I always volunteered - 2 days off from school and we always got a tip from the people. And they always insisted that you have at least something to eat! Great times. Sadly, this blessing isn’t done anymore. Other blessings during the year consisted of blessing the wine - bring a bottle to church and it’s blessed by the priest; blessing of flowers, and several more that I can’t recall.
Polish funerals: In those days’ bodies were waked at home for 3 days. I don’t know if they were embalmed or not. Custom dictated that the body being waked should never be left along, so they sat up all night with the dead. The body was waked in the parlor, surrounded by many chairs for all of the mourners. Seems that most of the mourners in the parlor were women. Lots of sobbing, tearfulness, murmuring, etc. While this was all going on the men were usually all in the kitchen having many, many toasts to the deceased. On the day of the funeral the body was churched for the Mass and then taken to the cemetery. This is where the really serious crying took place. United all of these things as an altar boy. Truly sad events!
Polish Weddings: Church services were always beautiful and pious. The receptions were always eventually uproarious. The food was usually homemade, delicious and plentiful. After the meal, the dancing started. Polkas galore brought all to the dance floor They were usually held at Zvon Hall or the Browndale Fire Co. hall. I recall the people dancing, bouncing, hopping, twisting, and turning, skipping, and yelling, and carrying on. Everyone was laughing up a storm and soaked from sweating. I remember how the Bride’s mom and all of the elderly ladies would circle the bride sitting on a chair and sing in Polish some beautiful old-country songs. The little old ladies cooked from the kitchen, would sing the Polish bridle song for the bride, her mother placed a white babushka on the bride’s head, indicating the bride now belonged to her husband.
On a different note, I have to tell you about an old-country Polish custom. It’s probably a good idea that it never caught on here. It originated in the 1400’s in Poland; it’s called Sm’gus-Dyngus Day. The translation means “Wet Monday” as it was done on the Monday following Easter. Boys would splash water on the girls and spank them with pussy willows. Then the girls did the same thing to the boys. All boys threw water over the girls by sneaking into the girls’ homes at daybreak while the girls were still in bed. It ended up with both parties soaked. The use of water was to evoke spring pains needed to ensure good crops and harvests, successful relationships, and healthy children. I theory, the girls were supposed to wait until the nest day to get their revenge on the boys. Pussy willows were adopted as an alternative to the palm branches used elsewhere at Easter, as they were not available in Poland. The celebration would Be accompanied by verses from a young man who would climb on nearby building roofs in the village, beat on a tin pan, and announce which girls were to be doused along the way. This was to encourage people to give them food from their Easter baskets, such as Easter eggs and sausage, as they walked away singing a “Dyngus day song”.
Now I would like to move on to people of Polish descent who contributed in many ways to Forest City. I remember many of the “Old Familiar” names of Polish heritage. I think of Stanley Damasevitz, Dr. Cimochowski, Mr. Zimmer, Stanley Polasky, Andrew Dziadkovicz, and many more, I’m sure.
More recent people are Mike Goskowski, founder of Kartri Sales, and Karen Goskowski, his daughter, who now runs the business. I have to mention one thing about Karen, which I know for a fact. She is one of the largest donors to many area causes and charities. Excellent job, Karen!
Joe and Scott Miscovsky, local father and son Pharmacist. Scott is very kind and known to help anyone who asks.
Paul Ferraro, a USMC veteran, owns a farm near here, served on council, active member or the historical society, and still gives the cheapest haircuts around. His wife Mary Ferraro is of Polish descent (Paul is of Italian descent).
There are many more and they are all to be commended for service to their town. I would like to mention all the clergy we’ve had from town, too. I remember Fr. Burshnick, Fr. Kameen, MSGR Piorkowski, Fr. Kulikowski, Fr. Chrapowicki, Fr. Kozlowski, Fr. Srankevitch, and Fr. Lasicki. Some Nuns were Marian Murnock, Tancy Piorkowski, and a Stankevich girl, also. Several more were also Nuns around the late 1920’s.
Oh, before I quit here, you have to meet my sister Elizabeth Joseph, now living in Texas and formerly in Endicott, New York. She has been living in Texas for about 5 years. Anyway, she is here for a visit, and let me tell you that she makes the most authentic, best tasting Polish pierogies in the world. My Mom taught her well! Folks, meet my sister, Liz – the Pierogie Queen – stand up Liz.
That’s about it folks. Thanks for listening, thanks for you Patience. In closing, let me say thay you know we are all descended from someone, somewhere, whether Polish, Irish, Slovenian, Italian, Russian, etc. But after all is said and done, we are all Americans now. So God Bless us all and Bless this great country always.
Dobre Notz – Good Night
De Vidzenic – See you around
Ny Lep Shego - -Good luck
Niech Benze Pochpoloni Jezus Christos - -Bless the name of God
See Ya!
*In Germany, raw hamburger with slices of raw onions on a hard roll is known as Hackfleisch (minced meat). It is also popular in other Central and Eastern European countries. It is very delicious. Also, very fine expensive restaurants in large cities also serve raw ground beef – Steak Tartar anyone? This website director for FCAHS has eaten it while stationed with the Army in Germany and also at home in Browndale with my part German mother Mildred Nolan. If you want to try it, buy ground chuck in Forest City on Saturdays along with the homemade rolls at Zazzera’s. You will not be disappointed (and if you are disappointed, my mother and I will gladly accept your donations of raw ground chuck and rolls). If you are afraid, then buy a chuck steak and ground it yourself. Remember eating raw or undercooked foods can make you ill. If you cannot handle it don’t blame Zazzera’s for your sensitive stomach.