Stephanie Teresa Skalski 1921-2009

Stephanie Teresa Marek was born on January 20, 1921 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Polish immigrants John and Theresa Marek. On November 17, 1946 she married Charles Edward Skalski, a tavern owner.

They had two children, daughter Charlotte and son Robert, and lived in the Burholme section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for over 50 years. During World War II, Stephanie proudly worked at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard preparing parachutes for the soldiers.

Later, Stephanie spent many years working for F. W. Woolworth & Co. in Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania. In the spring of 2004 Stephanie moved to Huntington Beach, California to be near her daughter Charlotte.

Stephanie passed away quickly and peacefully on February 1, 2009 at Orange County Memorial Hospital. Stephanie is buried at Crystal Cathedral Memorial Gardens in the Garden of Peace, Garden Grove, Orange County, California.

My Sources are from my database, birth, marriage, and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

Charles Edward Skalski 1919-1989

Today we are moving over to the Polish Tribe.

The son of Polish immigrants, Mr. Charles Edward Skalski was born May 13, 1919 and grew up in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania helping out at a tavern operated by his mother, Michalina, near 10th Street and Montgomery Avenue. In the evenings, his father, Stanley, played clarinet in a Polish band that filled the pub with the sounds of polkas.

It was here that Mr. Skalski met the former Stephanie Marek, whom he courted and married on November 17, 1946. His late brother Julian did the same with Stephanie’s sister, Bernice.

As a young man, Mr. Charles Skalski opened a bar called the Little Spot in Port Richmond. Later, he decided to join friends in a Frankford tavern business, running a place called the Old Spot. After his friend died, he operated his own bar in Center City for a while.

In the early 1960s, the friendly looking, bespectacled Mr. Skalski opened Ski’s, a pub he ran with his late brother Theodore at Sixth and Luzerne Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was a neighborhood bar popular with the neighborhood community. It was a social outlet for him. He developed longtime relationships with customers who became his friends over the years. The business fared well and he was successful, and to be successful, he had to be well liked. He was a congenial guy and soft-spoken, a determined fellow. If he thought something was this way or that way, he wasn’t leery about saying it.

Throughout his life, Mr. Charles Skalski also was known for his love of sports. Baseball was his game of choice. He was a stalwart for the Phillies.

Twenty-four hours a day, he’d listen to games on the radio or TV. He loved trivia. If you asked him who hit the first homerun in the World Series game of 1953, he’d know.”

Always proud of his Polish heritage, Mr. Skalski delighted in a 1976 trip to Poland with his mother. He thought it was great trip and they traveled all around the town where his mother grew up.

After retiring, Mr. Skalski passed much of his time with his family. He enjoyed traveling to California to see his daughter Charlotte. He also spent a lot of time with his son and infant grandson in New Jersey.

Mr. Charles Skalski also made a daily trip to the home of his invalid older brother Miecyslaw “Edward” Skalski. He cooked for him, did his shopping and tended to his needs, occasionally taking him to the casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Charles looked after him like it was his mother. He had many, many good characteristics. He loved his children and he loved his family,

An Army veteran of World War II, Mr. Charles Skalski served in Guam and the Philippines as a sergeant, and he was assigned to the 41st Infantry Division. He was a graduate of Northeast Public High School, Philadelphia, PA.

Charles Edward Skalski died Wednesday, October 4, 1989 at his home of 36 years in the city’s Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There was a viewing at Resurrection of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church, Castor Avenue and Vista Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated October 8, 1989 at the church. Interment is at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

My Sources are from my database, birth, marriage, and death certificates and Military Service Records.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

Lillian Rose Marsh & son Lloyd Neal Marsh

Lloyd Neal Marsh was born August 29, 1908 in Argyle, Minnesota. He is the son of Arthur Jerome Marsh and Lillian Rose Whitfield. He graduated from Vashon High School and San Luis Obispo College in California.

Lloyd had a promising career building airplanes in the 1920’s, however it faded with the death of his close friend and partner, the then-famous California Aviator, John Montijo, who had been Amelia Earhart’s flight instructor.

Illness in his family brought Lloyd Marsh back to “The Cove” on Vashon Island to operate the family grocery store. Later, he operated stores in Olympia, on McNeil Island and in Tacoma before he went into the cabinet-making business in the early 1960”s.

Lloyd. Marsh was an Army veteran and a member of the United Church of University Place. He died on Sunday, April 27, 1975. He was survivor by his wife Clara Hentzen. She was born in 1896 in Seward, Nebraska and died May 11, 1989 in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington. They had no children.

I was just getting into genealogy when I made a trip to Oregon to visit my Uncle and Aunt Ralph Rooper. While there, I drove up to Tacoma and had a real nice visit with Clara Marsh. She took me to her husband’s gravesite and we tried to find the gravesite for Arthur and Lillian Marsh, but we got lost. It was a very enjoyable visit and we exchanged a lot of information. The photo of Lillian and Lloyd is from around 1940.

My Sources are from my database, obituary, U.S. Census Records, birth, and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

Ethie Belle Marsh 1891 - 1920

Ethie Belle Marsh was born April 24, 1891 in Fairmount, Richland, North Dakota, the daughter of Arthur Jerome Marsh and Lillian Rose Whitfield.

Miss. Marsh was well known in community work, having been in charge of the welfare committee in Tacoma something over a year ago. She was a graduate of Fargo College, Fargo, North Dakota: had taken a special course in social service work at Chicago University, and was finishing her master’s degree at the University of Washington when she died. She taught in high schools in North Dakota, Idaho, and Washington, and was a delegate to the world convention of student volunteers held in Kansas City.

Ethie Belle Marsh died at her home in Burton, Vashon Island, Thursday, October 28, 1920 in the morning after an illness of some weeks. Following funeral services at Burton Friday, the body was sent to the Mausoleum in Tacoma on Saturday, October 30, 1920. She is buried with her mother at the Tacoma Mausoleum and Mortuary in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington. She died of Intestinal Tuberculosis.

My Sources are from my database, obituary, U.S. Census Records, birth, and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

Arthur Jerome Marsh & Lillian Rose Whitfield Family

This week we are going to explore the family of Arthur Jerome Marsh and Lillian Rose Whitfield. These are the parents of Vere Preston Marsh and four other children.

Arthur Jerome Marsh was born in Colesville, Broome, New York on April 9, 1866. When he was quite young the family moved to Buchanan, Michigan, where they resided until 1881. They then moved to Day County, South Dakota, where in March of 1888 the marriage of Arthur to Lillian Whitfield took place. Of this union there were born five children, four sons and a daughter. In 1896 Mr. and Mrs. Marsh established their home in Argyle, Minnesota, where Mr. Marsh conducted a meat business, buying and selling stock.

In 1916 they became residents of Washington. For a time they lived at Burton, later purchasing the portage store, and selling it to purchase the general store at Cove in 1922. Here Mr. Marsh was also appointed postmaster, a position he maintained until the time of his death.

For many years Mr. Marsh was affiliated with the Masonic Lodge. He served as ‘Worshipful Master’ in the lodge at Argyle, and later in the Mark P. Waterman lodge. Always just and fair in his dealings, Mr. Marsh enjoyed the confidence and respect of a wide circle of business friends both in Minnesota and in Tacoma, where his affiliation with the Red and White organization brought him in contact with other grocers from a wide territory. His jovial nature and his hearty laugh will long be remembered. Regardless of his personal feelings he was always ready with a bit of cheery philosophy, a word of encouragement for those whom he suspected of having a difficult time, as well as a word of praise for those whose efforts he was quick to recognize. The local paper received help and inspiration very often through timely clippings and words of approval when an article or editorial was to his liking.

Arthur Jerome Marsh passed away on Sunday, October 27, 1935 at his home following a long illness. Funeral services were held at 10:30 o’clock Wednesday morning from the Cove Methodist Church. He had been tenderly cared for by his wife, who was herself not at all strong, and their youngest son, Lloyd. Rev. Fretz, who conducted the services, paid a high tribute to the life and example of one who was a force for good on Vashon Island for many years, and also a kind and considerate husband and father. He addressed words of comfort to the members of the family, particularly the wife, who mourn the passing of their dear one.

Mrs. Lillian R. Marsh, 80, of Spanaway, died Saturday, November 24, 1945 at a local hospital. She was formerly a resident of Vashon Island where, in 1920 she served as matron of the Island Chapter, O.E.S. Funeral services were held Monday at 1 p.m. at the Lakewood Mortuary under direction of the Island chapter O.E.S followed by cremation. Lillian was buried at the Tacoma Mausoleum and Mortuary in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington.

My Sources are from my database, newspapers, U.S. Census Records, birth, marriage and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

Genevieve Ann Marsh with son John Preston Marsh 1917

This is the earliest photo of Genevieve Ann Marsh and her son John. He was born August 24, 1917 and this photo looks like it was taken on Labor Day 1917. Notice the 48 star flag that was probably hung by Vere Marsh. My guess is that this photo is by Vere marsh, but I have no proof.

My Sources are from my database, Marsh CD, birth, marriage and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

Marsh - Lange Christmas 1947

This photo was taken in front of Genevieve Marsh’s home at 208 First Street South, Virginia, St. Louis, Minnesota around Christmas 1947. Standing in the back is John Marsh, in front from left to right are Genevieve Marsh, Gus Marsh in the arms of my grandmother Ruth Finnerud and her husband Earl Lange. Earl and Ruth emigrated from Norway in 1913. The Lange’s lived in Grand Rapids, Itasca, Minnesota. In 1950 Genevieve moved to Oregon to be near her daughter Mary Jeanne Rooper.

Photographed by Dorothy M. Marsh in 1947.

My Sources are from my database, Marsh CD, Lange Book 2005, birth, marriage and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh