TEKLA; also as THECLA or TILLIE (she is recorded as TILLIE in the 1930 Illinois census)
Common Polish First Names, http://www.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/namelist.html#ukrainian

THEKLA, THECLA, Common Ukrainian First Names, http://www.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/namelist.html#ukrainian

February 1971 letter to the Social Security Administration in Freeport, IL, and their phone response, March 11, 1971, gave TEKLA's date of birth as February 14, 1883. ADAM GENIUK's immigration and naturalization papers has her dob as January 1885, and her gravestone has 1884, but the 1930 census confirms the 1883 date.

Adam Geniuk's Declaration of Intention in 1935 states that his wife, Tekla, was born in Zadmizawka, Poland.

Search for Zadmizawka (Zadnisgowka) by Soundex produced
Zadnishuvka (Zadnishëvka), Ukraine, 204.6 miles west/southwest of Kiev, and just south of Podvolocisk (Podwoloczyska) where TEKLA's LITUS children were born. http://www.jewishgen.org/ShtetlSeeker/loctown.htm
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=49.5167&long=26.1333&name=Zadnish%ebvka& cty=Ukraine&alt=879

Zadnishevka, Ukraine: Geocode Latitude: 49.5166667 / Longitude: 26.1333333
http://www.satelliteviews.net/cgi-bin/w.cgi?c=up&FC=&DG=&AF=P_Z&FD=Zadnishevka&sdb=Go

According to the 1930 U.S. census, TEKLA was age 16 when she first married, or about 1899.

Letter from Joanne Litus, second wife of TEKLA's son, MICHAEL, dated February 28, 1971: "Dad [Joanne's husband Michael] was 9 weeks old when he arrived in Canada and he never knew anything about his true father, because, he died in Europe and only knows what uncle Walter and Steve has told him all the years he was growing up. You probably know more than Mike himself. There is one thing we can tell you and that is that Mike has 2 sisters older than himself in Europe yet. They were married and had children."

Based on this information, TEKLA and her four youngest LITUS children immigrated to Canada in or about late November or early December 1913.
Passenger lists for Quebec ports are available on microfilm for 1865-1921.
Quebec/Montreal: 11 Oct. 1913 - 9 Nov. 1913 (NAC no. T-4806) FHL US/CAN Film 2308047
Quebec/Montreal: 10 Nov. 1913 - 8 May 1914 (NAC no. T-4807) FHL US/CAN Film 2308048
Ships' passenger lists are organized by port of arrival, then by date of arrival (some lists are not in strict chronological order). --LDS Family History Library card catalog online
Lists for the port of Quebec include passengers who disembarked at Montreal between 1865 and 1921. Those ports were closed during the winter months when the St. Lawrence River was frozen.
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/genealogy/022-908.003-e.html

1913 December 29, TEKLA LITUS and her four youngest children (son Wladimir age 8; son Stephan age 6; daughter Eudohia age 3; and son Jaroslaw age 3 months) arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on board the SS Potsdam that sailed from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, December 20, 1913. The passenger list identifies TEKLA as married, born in Austria of Ruthenian* ethnicity, and a Greek Catholic. --details courtesy Ernie Chorny, June 27, 2008
*According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Ruthenians were a Slavic people from Southern Russia, Galicia and Bukowina in Austria, and North-eastern Hungary. (from a Google search)

"After her husband's death, TEKLA KUCHMAK LITUS operated a boarding house in Montreal, Canada, to support her young family, and in so doing, she met ADAM GENIUK who eventually became her second husband." --Olga Geniuk Jasek in 1970

1916 July 16, ADAM GENIUK married TEKLA (KUCHMAK) LITUS, Montreal, Canada. --as stated on his U.S. naturalization papers

1916 September 17, ADAM GENIUK married TEKLA KUCHMAK [not identified as LITUS] at the Parish of St. Michel (Michael) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Adam's parents are identified as VINCENTIUS GENIUK and MARIA WASIEKEWICZ; Tekla's parents are identified as JACOB KUCHMAK and ANNA REXNAR. --from the record of their marriage at Ancestry.com (Quebec Vital and Church Records, "Drouin Collection 1621-1967"); spelling per the original document; details & scan of the original document courtesy Ernie Chorny, June 27, 2008

1923 October 11, ADAM GENIUK entered the U.S. at Port Huron, Michigan, on the Grand Trunk Railroad. His family arrived November 17, 1923 [but see date with the next entry].

1924 June, TEKLA GENIUK, age 38, race or ethnicity, Ruthenian,* last residence, 15 Gravel St., Montreal, arrived in the U.S. from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on the G. T. R. [Grand Trunk Railroad]. Accompanying Tekla and listed on the same page were Walter Litus age 18, a cap blocker by occupation, Stephen Litus age 16, also a cap blocker by occupation, Rosie Litus age 14, and Michael Litus age 11. Listed on a separate page were Frank Geniuk age 8, Olga Geniuk age 5, and Pete Geniuk age 2. Following Walter's name in the column for name and complete address of nearest relative in country whence alien came: sister Anne Ogera [sic; should read Wegera], Wolczyck, Galicia, Poland. Final destination, Chicago, IL. A column headed "Head-Tax Status" for each alien age 16 and over lists a certificate number: Walter 174671, Stephen 174672, and Tekla 174673. --from two separate page images, List or Manifest of Alien Passengers Applying for Admission, in Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956 (Ancestry.com)
*According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Ruthenians were a Slavic people from Southern Russia, Galicia and Bukowina in Austria, and North-eastern Hungary. (from a Google search)

1930 Cook Co., IL, census, p.155B, Chicago, Precinct 28, April 18, 1930, Mrs. Irene Wadasczyk:
2735 22nd St., 247/501, ADAM GENIUK (indexed as Genieck), head, rents, $25.00, M W 37, md., age 21 when first md. (was Tekla his 2nd wife?), can read and write, Poland Poland Poland, spoke Polish in the home before entering the U.S., entered the U.S. in 1922 (should read 1923), PA (meaning?), speaks English, butcher, meat packing (Swift Co. crossed out);
TELLIE GENIUK, wife, F W 47, age 16 when first md., can read & write, Poland Poland Poland, entered the U.S. in 1922 (should read 1923), UN (not naturalized?), no occupation;
JAROSLAW ANDREW (this is Michael Litus*), son, M W 17, Poland Poland Poland, entered the U.S. in 1922 (should read 1923), UN (not naturalized?), labor, factory;
FRANK ANDREW (should read Frank Geniuk), son, M W 13, IL (should read Canada) Poland Poland;
OLGA ANDREW (should read Olga Geniuk), dau, F W 12, IL (should read Canada) Poland Poland;
PETER ANDREW (should read Peter Geniuk), son, M W 8, IL (should read Canada) Poland Poland.
*It's a mystery as to why Michael's name was recorded like this; then the enumerator overlooked writing Geniuk as Frank's surname which then continued incorrectly for Olga and Peter. Note that Michael was also identified as JAROSLAW on the ship's passenger list when he arrived in Canada in December 1913.

*Jaroslaw is located at coordinates 5001N 2441E in Galicia. This area was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Galicia) and later the southeastern part of Poland. Jaroslaw is close to the towns of Przemysl and Przeworsk. http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Jaroslaw/jaroslaw1.html

*Jaroslaw is a town in southeastern Poland, with 40,523 inhabitants (2004). Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Przemysl Voivodship (1975-1998). It is the capital of Jaroslaw County. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaros%C5%82aw

*So it appears that Michael's name was, for some unknown reason, recorded in 1930 to indicate that he was the son of Andrew of Jaroslaw, Galicia???
(The Polish to English translation of Jaroslaw is vegetarian.)

1935 June 25, Declaration of Intention, No. 104663, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Chicago. ADAM GENIUK, residence 2866 W. 22nd Place, occupation laborer, age 43, male, white, fair complexion, gray eyes, dark blond hair, 5' 5", 155 lbs., no distinctive marks, race Polish, nationality Polish, born HALAWLE, POLAND, December 13, 1891, wife TEKLA, married July 16, 1916, Montreal, Canada, born ZADMIZAWKA, POLAND, January 1885, entered the U.S. at Detroit, Michigan, November 14, 1923, and resides with me. I have 3 children, FRANCIS born January 6, 1917, OLGA born October 6, 1918, and PETER June 2, 1922, all born in Montreal, Canada, and reside in Chicago, Illinois.

1938 December 28, Petition for Naturalization, No. 176454, U.S. District Court, Chicago, IL. ADAM GENIUK, residence 1958 S. Kedzie Ave., Chicago, occupation butcher, wife TEKLA, married July 16, 1916, Montreal, Canada, born ZADNISGOWKA, POLAND, January 1885. [Remaining details on the Petition same as stated in the 1935 Declaration.]

1939 April 6. As his wife and minor children under age 21, TEKLA, OLGA, and PETER would have been naturalized as U.S. citizens with ADAM GENIUK even though the documents don't specifically state that fact.
http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/summer/women-and-naturalization-1.html
http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson16.htm : From 1790 to 1940 children under the age of 21 automatically became naturalized citizens upon the naturalization of their father.
http://www.genealogy.com/31_donna.html : During much of our history, the wife and children automatically became citizens when the husband/father took out citizenship papers.

Beginning in February 1959, Tekla and Adam lived with their daughter Olga Jasek in Elmwood Park.

TEKLA LITUS GENIUK, 2956 N. 73rd Ave., Elmwood Park, IL, female, white, married, housewife, date of birth unknown, Western Ukraine, citizen of USA, died November 10, 1959, age about 70, at home. Father, JACOB KUCHMAK. Mother, ANNA REZNAR. Informant, WALTER LITUS. SSN unknown. Cause of death, Cerebral Hemorrhage (30 hours); Arteriosclerosis (15 years); Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease.
Chicago Funeral Home (Kaniuk), 2321 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago 22, IL, Michael Kaniuk.
St. Nicholas Cemetery, Leyden Twp., IL. --State of Illinois, Medical Certificate of Death, No. 3369

Kaniuk-Kappa Funeral Home, 2321 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60622, Peter Kappa, Director, 276-4575 or 227-2270 (listed in 2006 as the Kappa Funeral Home, 2321 W. Chicago Ave., phone 773-276-4575)

We learned in 1970 that TEKLA's brother John lived on Long Island in New York. His name and residence is written on a slip of paper in her file at the funeral home in Chicago that handled her funeral.

Obituary in Chicago Tribune, Thurs. Nov. 12 (Part 2 p.14) and Fri. Nov. 13 (Part 4 p.10), 1959:
GENIUK--Tekla Litus Geniuk, beloved wife of Adam; fond mother of Walter Litus, Stephen Litus, Rose Grace, Michael Litus, Frank Geniuk, Olga Jasek, Peter Geniuk; grandmother of 14; great-grandmother of two. Funeral Saturday, 9a.m., from chapel, 721 No. Western avenue, at Superior street, to St. Nicholas' church. Interment St. Nicholas' cemetery.
LITUS--See Geniuk notice.

TEKLA LITUS GENIUK died Nov. 10, 1959, date of newspaper notice, Nov. 12, 1959. --Dziennik Chicagoski Death Notice Index 1930-1971, http://www.pgsa.org/dzien3071.htm
(Tekla's two married daughters in Europe and their children are not named or mentioned in her obituary.)
zona (wife), matka (mother), babcia (grandmother) i [and] prababcia (great-grandmother)
TEKLA GENIUK (z pierwszego meza Litus) = name by first marriage Litus
po d³ugiej chorobie (after a long illness)
Adam, maz (husband); Wladyslaw Litus, Stefan Litus, Rose Grace, Michal Litus, Franciszek Geniuk, Olga Jasek, Piotr Geniuk, dzieci (children); 14 wnukow i wnuczek; 2 prawnuczat; wraz z ca³¹ rodzin¹ (together with all family members)
Tekla had 14 grandchildren in the U.S. -- 5 grandsons & 9 granddaughters
Walter had 2 daughters; Stephen and Rose each had 1 son & 1 daughter; Michael had 3 sons & 1 daughter; Frank had 2 daughters; Olga had 2 daughters; Peter had 1 son & 1 daughter;
and six known grandchildren in Europe -- Marysia had one known daughter and Aleksandra had 2 sons (one died young) and 4 daughters.

gravestone: GENIUK / Father / ADAM / 1891 -- 1962 / Mother / TEKLA / 1884 -- 1959
buried Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery, 8901 W. Higgins Rd., Maine Twp., Chicago, IL 60631 (phone 773-693-9718)
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Marilyn Hansen (daughter of Stephen Litus) wrote me of her family memories in August 2006:
"As to Tekla's girls, I know that two daughters were left behind when she and Andrew came over. One of the girls had an illness, probably tuberculosis which was common at that time. The other girl stayed behind because she had a sweetheart. Andrew died of cancer in Canada, leaving Tekla with four children, Walter, Stephen, Michael, and Rose. During their stay in Montreal, they lived in a Ukrainian neighborhood and it was there that Tekla met Adam Geniuk.

"I have a memory of being told that Tekla and her kids returned to Europe and that Adam sent for her to come back.

"Shortly after WWII, I can remember my mom and Grandma Grace packing up boxes of clothing to send to Europe. I don't know which sister they were for, but they did mention that the Russians would check all packages and take what they wanted before releasing them. I don't know of any communication besides the clothing packages.

"It was my understanding that Tekla could not read nor write. She spoke very little English and I only really spoke to her through relatives [Marilyn was 24 when her grandmother died in 1959]. She could understand simple words in English. I remember being told that she had gone out to [a] store a few times and had lost her way because she could not read street signs or find anyone who spoke Ukrainian.

"I do not speak or write Polish. My folks spoke Polish at home as a code so my brother and I would not know what they were saying. All I know is a couple of good swear words."

I asked Marilyn: "Overall, does the family consider themselves as Polish or Ukranian, or both, or does it matter?" She replied: "Indeed, it did matter! My father's family always insisted they were Ukrainian...not Russian and certainly not Polish. In fact, Tekla always called my mother 'the foreigner' because she was Polish.

"These two families were next door neighbors so you can imagine what it was like in that neighborhood. My dad (Stephen Litus) courted my mother (Wanda Grace). Rose Litus [Stephen's sister] set her cap for Joseph Grace [Wanda's brother], who was a student at Ignatius Seminary at the time. According to what I was told, Rose claimed to be pregnant and Joe was too young to get married without parental permission. Tekla went with the couple to the license bureau and gave permission as Joe's mother [note that Tekla was actually Rose's mother]. They were married in court. Joe's parents found out when the neighbors asked them about the wedding party being planned by Tekla and Adam. Joe and his parents did not speak to each other for eight years. And, by the way, Rose was mistaken about the pregnancy."

I also mentioned how the country of birth often changes from census to census. Marilyn responded:
"The borders changed so often and so much that what country they were born in depends on when they were born. I think that after a while our Immigration Department just gave up. My mother always said she was born in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. When Poland was reinstated as a country, their home town was in the middle of the country. But, according to the old maps, the town was near the German border.

"If you go by the cooking, Grandma Grace cooked more in the German style. Grandma Geniuk cooked in the Russian style. Grandma Grace came from a town [where she] had a position as a cook for a family. She made potato soup, duck's blood soup, pierogi, home made sausage. Grandma Geniuk cooked bortsch, cabbage in many forms, etc. She would cook enough to last several days and that is what they ate until it was gone. They seemed to be more country folk."

I wrote Marilyn that Olga Jasek had told me that Tekla ran a boarding house in Montreal to support herself and her family, and this is how she met Adam Geniuk, and asked if this scenario was familiar to her? Marilyn responded: "I was told that Tekla took in boarders when they came to Chicago, which would seem logical if she had experience with this in Montreal. All they needed was a bedroom or part of the kitchen to rent out as sleeping space. She would have had to do something without the income that Andrew provided and, not being educated, this was something she could readily handle."
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Internment of Ukrainians in Canada 1914-1920
http://www.infoukes.com/history/internment/

This might be the scenario that took place: Tekla had enough money for her passage plus the 4 youngest children, and left the 2 older girls with relatives until she could come back for them later. Obviously several years passed. We know that Aleksandra married in 1919 when she, too, was age 16, and we know that Tekla married Adam Geniuk, July 16, 1916, which is 2-1/2 years after Tekla and the 4 children arrived in Montreal (according to Joanne). So if it is true that Tekla went back for the 2 oldest girls, it would likely have been after she married Adam, at which time she would have been better able to afford the trip financially (at least presumably).

Then consider the idea of the Internment of Ukrainians in Canada 1914-1920. Whether the Litus / Geniuk family became involved in that or not, they surely would have been scared to death of the possibility of becoming involved, so Tekla and the kids got out for their own safety.

It is totally logical that one of the two girls, likely Marysia, married a Jew. The town of Podwoloczyka / Podvolochisk where Walter, Stephen, Rose, and Michael were born, was primarily a Jewish town. The following site has both a history of this town and a color postcard view of it. Podwoloczyska - a snap shot (http://www.geocities.com/turkel.geo/Podwoloczyska.htm#h)
It says that in 1921, 62% of the population was Jewish. This would also explain why Marysia lived in France, fleeing there in the 1930s or 1940s for their safety, then were unable to return after the war ended because Poland and the Ukraine were no longer free.
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Ukraine GenWeb Research Aids http://www.rootsweb.com/~ukrwgw/research.html

Geography. Galicia [E] or Galizien [D] was formerly a crown land of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Its former territories are now shared between southern Poland and western Ukraine. Other names for the area are Galicja [Polish], Halychyna [Ukrainian] and Rus Halicka [Polish]. It extended from the Biala River (minor tributary of the Weichsel) in the west to the Zbrucz (tributary of the Dniester in the east). From the Carpathians in the south, the land drops off to the north, passing over the Sarmatian Plain. At its largest, Galicia comprised approximately 78,000 square kilometers.

History. In 1918, after the First World War, Galicia was annexed to Poland as "Kleinpolen" (Malopolska [P], Little Poland [E]). After 1939 and the partition of Poland by Germany and Russia, East Galicia became part of Ukraine while West Galicia was a part of the provisional government of Warsaw. This division has remained to this day. A large part of the German population of East Galicia was, following negotiations, resettled out of the Russian area and into West Galicia. 1945 saw the end of the history of the settlement of Galicia by the so-called "Pfälzer Schwaben." Only a few remained, most of them having married into Polish or Ukrainian families and hoping to escape repression. Many who fled went to Germany and emigrated to the USA and Canada where their relatives had already begun to emigrate since the beginning of the 20th century.

History. The Ukrainians (the collective name applied to Slavs from regions of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires in eastern and southern Europe) were by far the largest group to immigrate to Canada from eastern and central Europe in these years. Between 1891, when the first wave of Ukrainian immigrants came to Canada, and the outbreak of the First World War, approximately 170,000 Ukrainians settled in this country, attracted by the offer of free land, a sense of space, and an opportunity to make a living in a free and open society. For the most part, these Ukrainian newcomers were small farmers and labourers from Galicia and Bukovina (both provinces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) who were fleeing oppressive social and economic conditions in their homeland. Commonly called Galicians, because Galicia had furnished the first Ukrainians to immigrate to Canada.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/legacy/chap-2a.html#chap2-6

Genealogical and Historical Records. Church Records. West Galicia. Roman Catholic.
Originals in parish offices (Katolickie Biuro Parafialne [P]), except that those which are 100 years old or more are at a diocesan archive (Archiwum Archidiecezjalne [P]).
Duplicates. 1810-1870 kept in the State Archives. After 1870 kept in local city clerk's offices. http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/ESE/galicia.html#gaz

Citing Encyclopedia Judaica, Vol. 13, P-Rec: "Podvolochisk (Pol. Podwoloczyka) town in Tarnopol oblast, Ukrainian S.S.R. Before World War II Podvolochisk was within the Tarnopol district in Poland, and was a grain and milling center. Between the two world wars the town included a customs station between Poland and the Soviet Union. In 1865 there were 2,000 inhabitants in the town, the majority of whom were Jews. In 1921 the Jews numbered 2,275 (62% of the total population)." [Sh. L.K.] http://www.geocities.com/turkel.geo/Podwoloczyska.htm#h

Common Ukrainian First Names with Feast Days, http://www.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/namelist.html#ukrainian
Ukrainian Naming Customs, http://www.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/naming.html#ukrainian

some Polish to English translations at http://www.pgsa.org/DzChicObit.pdf

Ukrainian Language, Culture and Travel Page, http://pages.prodigy.net/l.hodges/ukraine.htm

Cyndi's List for Quebec, Canada, http://www.cyndislist.com/quebec.htm
Official site of the Government of Québec, http://www.dec.gouv.qc.ca/ENGLISH/
Marriage and civil union, http://www.dec.gouv.qc.ca/ENGLISH/MarriageUnion.htm
How to obtain a certificate or copy of an act?, http://www.dec.gouv.qc.ca/ENGLISH/HowToObtain.htm
Forms and Publications, http://www.dec.gouv.qc.ca/ENGLISH/FormPublications.htm#Forms
which finally leads you to the pdf form (choose birth, marriage, or death) that you can fill out on your computer, print when completed, and has complete instructions for mailing your request
Marriage or Civil Union, Request for Certificate or Copy of Act, http://www.dec.gouv.qc.ca/publications/DEC-150-Marriage-Civil%20Union.pdf
Death, Request for Certificate or Copy of Act, http://www.dec.gouv.qc.ca/publications/DEC-155-Death.pdf

• Married: ABT. 1899 in (?)Zadnyszówka, Western UKRAINE

1. Anna LITUS b: 7 APR 1900 in Zadnyszówka, Western UKRAINE
2. Aleksandra LITUS b: 15 MAR 1903 in Zadnyszówka, Western UKRAINE
3. Walter (Wladyslaw) LITUS b: 16 FEB 1905 in Podwoloczyska, Western UKRAINE
4. Stephen "Steve" LITUS b: 1 APR 1907 in Podwoloczyska, Western UKRAINE
5. Rose Eudohia LITUS b: 29 NOV 1910 in Podwoloczyska, Western UKRAINE
6. Jaroslaw Andrew (MICHAEL) LITUS b: 23 SEP 1913 in Podwoloczyska, Western UKRAINE
7. Michael LITUS b: ABT. SEP 1915 in Montreal, Quebec, CANADA

• Married: 17 SEP 1916 in Montreal, Quebec, CANADA

1. Francis "Frank" GENIUK b: 25 DEC 1916 in Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
2. Olga Lillian GENIUK b: 9 SEP 1918 in Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
3. Edward GENIUK b: 5 JAN 1921 in Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
4. Peter GENIUK b: 3 JUN 1922 in Montreal, Quebec, CANADA