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‘SANCTITYOF LIFE’Rendell vetoes self-defense bill for outside home. A4 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KIMBERLY F. WILLIAMS

BY FRANK SOJAKFSOJAK@TRIBDEM.COM

John Horvath’s quest for abetter life was splashed withsecrecy, faith and stamina.Like many fellow country-

men from Hungary and citi-zens of other eastern Euro-pean countries in the early1900s, Horvath was impov-erished. But what he lackedin wealth, he commanded inaudacity.When Horvath couldn’t

afford passage, he secretedhimself aboard an oceanliner carrying immigrants toa new life in America.As the ship approached

New York Harbor, the stow-away leaped into the waterand swam to Ellis Island.Not every immigrant from

Hungary who settled inCambria and Somersetcounties in the late 1800sand early 1900s had to be sodaring.Their reasons for coming,

however, were the same:To build a better life for

Ancestorsdesiredbetterlives

While most found work in thesteel mills and coal mines, anumber were farmers.

“They came foropportunity.” - Mary Lieb,Ebensburg

About this seriesMonth by month, we are cele-

brating the many unique ethnicbackgrounds of this region.“Homelands” is a mix of historyand culture.

Today: Hungarian heritage.Pictured above are members ofthe Horvath family: John Sr., JohnJr. and Julia, who is holding Louis.Also pictured are dancers from St. Emerich Roman Catholic Church.

October: Polish heritage.September: German her-

itage.August: Carpatho-Rusyn her-

itage.July: Serbian heritage. June: Slovak heritage. May: Croatian heritage. April: English heritage. March: Irish heritage.February: African-

American heritage. January: Italian heritage.

Inside:■ JSO conductor/E1■ Hungarian orphanage/E1■ Recipes/E1, E7■ Descendants reminisce/E6■ Inclined Plane designer/E6■ Houses of worship served as

cultural, social places/E7Online:

www.tribdem.com/homelands

Video:www.tribdem.com/homelands

Next month: Scottish her-itage and emerging pockets ofgrowth.

BY MIKE FAHERMFAHER@TRIBDEM.COM

There’s something more than theusual parental pride in Edith Kovacs’voice as she lists the occupations ofher four grown children.They are more than job titles. For

Kovacs, those words represent thefreedoms she was denied under acommunist regime in her nativeHungary.And they represent the long road

she traveled to Johnstown, startingwith a harrowing escape fromcounter-revolutionary violence in1956.

“I am so glad God brought us toAmerica, and my children couldchoose what they wanted to be,”Kovacs said.There were few choices for Hun-

garians in the 1950s, as Soviet-backed communism had taken afirm hold on every aspect of publicand private life. So there was littledoubt about the ultimate outcome ofa revolt against communist rule inOctober 1956.Russia responded with brute force. And that spurred crowds of Hun-

garian citizens to run for their lives– the U.S. State Department esti-mates that 200,000 fled west.They were trying to escape not just

the spasm of violence that was shak-ing the country, but also the pain ofyears of oppressive communist rule.For a young Edith Kovacs – who

then had the surname Buch – thatoppression became painfully clearwhen the government shut herCatholic high school and forced thestudents to another institution.“They wanted to close every-

thing that was Roman Catholic,”

she recalled.Worse still, officials decided that

nearly all of the school’s studentswould not be permitted to attendcollege. Since she was a little girl,

Please see ANCESTORS, A6

‘I am so glad God brought us to America’

“It was cold, and itwas snowing, and wehad to run.”

EDITH KOVACS,HUNGARIAN IMMIGRANT

DAVE LLOYD/THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

Edith Kovacs, a native of Hungary, with hand-embroidered Hungarian table linens.

Please see AMERICA, A6

Preparation key to successfor deer hunters, experts sayBY JOE GORDENJGORDEN@TRIBDEM.COM

Deer hunters may find mixed success in thearea’s woodlands this season, as expectationsvary widely from place to place.Local wildlife conservation officers posting

game forecasts to Pennsylvania Game Commis-sion headquarters provided differing outlooksfor this year’s general firearms season, whichopens Monday.“Populations remain low in this area of WMU

2C,” WCO Shawn Harshaw said of his southernCambria County district. “Hunting will be poor in

most areas in this district. I have seen a decline inharvest for the past seven years, and I see nothingto change that this year. I see very few deer in mytravels, and have had very few road kills this year.”Not far away in northern Somerset County,

WCO Travis Anderson paints a more optimisticpicture.“Deer numbers are on the increase in the

county,” he reported.

■ Luckiest Buck contest info/B6

GREGG DOLL/FOR THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

A buck is seen among brush and undergrowth during a recent day inSusquehanna Township.Please see DEER, A2

Page A6 Sunday, November 28, 2010THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

themselves and their families. Somealso came to escape the civil unrest oftheir homeland.

Followed othersNo doubt Horvath carried thoughts

of his wife, still in Hungary.Horvath followed the path of others

from their hometown of Szendro innortheastern Hungary to Windber,said his grandson, Dave Kormanik ofWindber.Horvath planned to establish him-

self in Windber and then bring hiswife, Julia, whom he married Feb. 7,1910, to America, Kormanik said.

He said his grandparents were goingto have their first child, but it is notclear if his grandfather knew thatupon leaving Hungary.He said his grandmother bore a

child, Margaret, in 1911 and stayed inHungary for a couple of years to raiseMargaret before leaving Margaretwith her parents to join her belovedhusband.It must have been heartbreaking for

her to leave Margaret, he said.The couple planned to eventually

bring Margaret over, he said.He said his grandmother already

was an American citizen, being bornin April 1892 in Pocahontas, Va., toparents who had already immigrated. He said his great-grandparents then

returned to Hungary, where theyraised his grandmother.

Places called homeImmigrants from Hungary during

the late 19th century and early 20thcentury settled mainly in the Windberarea of Somerset County and inJohnstown, Portage, Nanty Glo,Mundys Corner and Vintondale inCambria County.While most found work in the steel

mills and coal mines, a number werefarmers.All worked hard to raise their fami-

lies, support their churches and besuccessful.For many Hungarians and other

immigrants settling in Somerset Coun-ty, their first stop was generally aboarding house in Macdonaldton, justoutside Berlin.Another Windber area family, head-

ed by Andrew Molnar, also left Szen-dro around 1910 and managed theboarding house in Macdonaldtonbefore moving to Wilbur and settlingfor good in Mine 37, located in Rich-land Township but near Windber.Barbara Horvath, who married Kor-

manik’s uncle, Joseph, said her father,Andrew Molnar, was born in 1881 andher mother, Theresa, in 1883. Hermother also was from Szendro.The Windber area woman said her

parents knew each other in Hungary. Her father came first with the cou-

ple marrying shortly after she arrived,Horvath said.She said while in Macdonaldton, her

parents had 18 boarders at a time,many of whom were Hungarians. Theboarders stayed until they found jobsin the mines.

Domestic helpMargaret Tarsovich of Southmont

said her mother, Margaret Lipan, wasborn in Homestead, located nearPittsburgh, only to move at the age of

7 months with her parents to Czecho-slovakia.She said her mother grew up in

Hungary and married her father, Bert,who was from Budapest, Hungary.Her mother, who thus was an Amer-

ican citizen by birth, moved to NewYork City after being married sixmonths to start building a better lifefor themselves.Back then, the word was that people

in New York City were doing well eco-nomically and that “money was beingswept up off the streets,” she said.She said the plan was for her mother

to find a job and a place to live whilesaving enough money to bring herfather to New York City under her citi-zenship.“When my mother arrived at Ellis

Island, employers were there lookingfor workers,” Tarsovich said. “My mother was interviewed by a

Jewish family who had immigratedfrom Hungary. The husband was alawyer and they wanted to hire domes-tic help.“They liked my mom from the start

and asked her to work for them. Theygave her room and board.”After six months, she saved enough

money to bring her husband.Tarsovich’s mother continued work-

ing for the couple, with her fatherfinding a job selling fruits and vegeta-bles on the street for A&P supermar-ket, she said.“He was living with four other

boarders, and in his spare timeenjoyed drawing 3-D pictures of ani-mals, she said. “One of the boarders worked at a toy

factory that made stuffed animals. Theboarder suggested that my fatherapply for a job designing animals atthe toy factory.”After showing management his

drawings, he was hired, she said.While working at the factory, her

father attended night school to learnEnglish and to get his citizenship.After five years of working at the toy

factory, her father was able to open hisown toy factory in New York City.Called Gloria Toy Inc., the factory

eventually employed 150 people and

sold toys to Macy’s, Woolworth’s andother well-known stores.Tarsovich said her father was the

first person to design Bambi, a stuffeddeer, and the only one in the industrywho could make the thin legs of thedeer stand up.Her father ran the business until

retiring in the 1960s and moving withhis wife to Johnstown.

Lived in a tentMary Lieb of Ebensburg said her

grandfather, Alex Mata, and hergrandmother, Pauline, were born inthe late 1800s in Eger, Hungary.She said her grandparents knew

each other well in Hungary, with hergrandfather arriving first in centralCambria County. Her grandmotherfollowed a short time later, in 1914, atthe age of 24 with the couple then get-ting married.She said the couple moved to Colver,

where they lived in a tent before mov-ing into a house in that town. Later,they bought 10 acres of land inMundys Corner and built a farmhouse.Lieb’s grandfather worked in the

coal mines and steel mill and alsofarmed. She said her grandmother wasan amazing lady and the matriarch ofthe family – taking care of the houseand raising the family. The couple hadseven children, two of whom died atchildbirth.Her grandmother made rugs to sup-

plement their income and, havinglearned carpentry skills from herfather in Hungary, wasn’t afraid to usethat skill around the house.Lieb said her grandfather was a

wonderful man who was jovial, kindand loved his grandchildren.“They came for opportunity,” she

said, adding that they also wanted toflee civil unrest.Lieb said her grandmother’s brother

was killed around 1910 during thatcivil unrest.Many other Hungarian families in

the Mundys Corner area also camefrom Eger, she said.

Land of opportunityOften, finding the land of opportu-

nity meant losing someone they loved.The Horvaths never did get to bring

Margaret to America.The couple wanted to return but

World War I prevented that from hap-pening, Kormanik said.After the war, they didn’t have the

money to return, plus the grandpar-ents had grown too fond of Margaretto give the girl up, he said.He said it must have been heart-

breaking for both his grandparents toleave Margaret there.He said his grandfather never saw

Margaret, who remained in Hungaryher entire life. John Horvath died inthe 1960s.Kormanik said his grandparents,

who lived in Windber their entirelives, had five more children. The oldest, Julia, died at the age of

6. The others were Stephen, Louis,Joseph and John, and anotherdaughter, whom they namedJulia in honor of their firstdaughter and whom is Kormanik’smother.In 1975, a joyous reunion took place

when son Stephen arranged a trip totake his mother and siblings to seeMargaret. It was the first time the siblings saw

Margaret and the first time Julia Hor-vath saw Margaret since leaving forAmerica. In 1985, son Stephen arranged to

have Margaret and members of herfamily visit Windber.Shortly afterward, Stephen

arranged a family trip to Hungaryfor the wedding of one of Margaret’schildren.

Continued from A1

ANCESTORS

Kovacs had dreamed of becom-ing a physician.“It is like you are a rose grow-

ing, and you are clipped,” shesaid.“You know that whatever you

dreamed of, it is finished.”So when the revolution began

the year after she completedschool, the 18-year-old wasted notime in fleeing west in a groupthat included her future husbandPaul Kovacs, a young ministershe had met in Budapest.

‘We had to go’Fifty-four years later, there

remains a steely resolve in hervoice when she says, “We had togo.”But there was no easy way to

slip through the Iron Curtain. The group was stopped in the

border town of Sopron, where

soldiers declared that everyonecould continue on – except forKovacs.“They wanted to take me,”

she said.“There were five or six of

them, with machine guns.”The guards somehow

were persuaded to releaseher.The next day, she and Paul

boarded a truck arranged byEdith’s aunt. The couple hadbeen disguised as peasantsheading for a day of work, car-rying shovels and rakes.The truck stopped near the

Hungary-Austria border.

Difficult journeyFrom there, it was a difficult

journey on foot to freedom. Even after cr ossing the border,

there remained about 3 miles ofdangerous no-man’s-land.“It was cold, and it was snow-

ing, and we had to run,” Kovacssaid. “The faster you got over, the

better it was.”Given the nightmarish jour-

ney, Kovacs’ memories of themoment she spotted an Austri-an town are dreamlike: Therewas sunshine, and she heardmusic.

‘It was so nice’“The Austrians were wonder-

ful,” she said.“They gave us rooms, and

there was straw on the floor– but it was so nice.”The young couple stayed in

Austria for a few months, thenmoved to the Netherlands,where they were married. Theyhad two children during theirtime in Amsterdam.But their travels had just

begun: Paul Kovacs then wasinvited to perform UnitedChurch of Christ missionarywork thousands of miles awayin Uruguay, South America.The growing family spent a

full decade in Uruguay. Andtheir next potential relocation

came with a choice – Canada orthe United States.Kovacs said her husband

“looked at me, and I said, ‘Ofcourse, America.’ ”

First assignment

Their first assignment wasthe Hungarian ReformedChurch in Johnstown’s Cam-bria City neighborhood. It was the early 1970s, and

the congregation was thriving.

“They were so good to meand to the family. They practi-cally adopted the kids,” Kovacssaid. “There was not one morning

that I opened the door anddidn’t find some present there.”An assignment in Mercer

County followed, and the familyeventually settled in Ligonier.Paul Kovacs spent more than

two decades as administrator ofwhat was then called BethlenHome, and Edith Kovacsworked as a dietitian.

HomecomingAfter retiring, Paul Kovacs

came full circle: He was askedto again minister at Johns-town’s Hungarian ReformedChurch.“It was like going home,”

Edith Kovacs said.She also recalls a homecom-

ing of a different sort. Around1980, Edith Kovacs returned toHungary for the first time, withtwo children in tow.

The trip made quite animpression on her son, DanKovacs, who was about 12 atthe time. He remembersguards, supported by guns anddogs, searching the family’s car.“After you experienced that,

it put the fear of God in you,”he said.Edith Kovacs smiled when

she heard that, saying she knewthe family was safe on that trip.For her, the experience was

in part an important lesson forher children.“It was good for me to show

them that this was what wecame from,” she said.The long journey ended for

Paul Kovacs when he died inApril 2009. But Dan Kovacs will never

forget his father’s stories aboutsurviving in Hungary.His parents’ migrations – and

their final destination – nowseem almost inevitable.“It was all about freedom for

them,” he said.

Continued from A1

AMERICA

“It was good forme to show themthat this waswhat we camefrom.”

EDITH KOVACS, WHO RETURNED TOHUNGARY WITH HER

CHILDREN

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The John Horvath family — (left to right) Joseph, John Sr., John Jr., Julia, who is holding Louis, and Julia.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Alex Matawith his grandsons — (left to right) Joe Mata, Paul Mata, Francis Myers and Jim Myers.

Τhe orphans are long gone, as is the oldhotel they called home.Bethlen Communities now is a modern

care center for the elderly, and it has branchedout beyond its hilltop headquarters overlookingLigonier Borough.But one thing has remained constant

throughout the facility’s nearly 90-year history:People of Hungarian ancestry founded thisplace and continue to operate it.And they are not about to let their proud his-

tory disappear, with plans to soon open amuseum and archive that will have nationwidesignificance.“This is the way we can pass on the history,

the lessons, the dedication and the sacrificesthat were made over so many decades,” said theRev. Imre Bertalan, Bethlen Communitiesexecutive director.Bethlen traces its roots to the other side of

Westmoreland County, where 239 miners lost

their lives in the Darr Mine disaster of Decem-ber 1907. Most of those who died were Hun-garian immigrants, and it remains the worstmine disaster in Pennsylvania history.For children left behind by the Darr explo-

sion, an orphanage was created at the FirstHungarian Reformed Church in Pittsburgh.“At that point, the orphanage began to open

to people of other ethnic backgrounds,” Berta-lan said. “The common denominator was industrial

accidents.”That led to a need for more space, and the

orphanage moved a few times in Pittsburgh,Bertalan said.But things changed when the owner of the

Park Hotel in Ligonier, who was looking toleave his business, heard of the orphans’ plight.The Hungarian Reformed Federation of Amer-ica bought the hotel and surrounding land, andon July 4, 1921, the building was rededicated as

LIVING ETHE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRATSunday, November 28, 2010

Hungarian Beef Goulash3 tablespoons oil1 1/2 pounds beef cubes1 large onion, finely chopped1 green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into fourpieces3 large carrots, peeled and sliced3 stalks celery, sliced1 medium-sized ripe tomato, seeded and cutinto 4 pieces1/4 teaspoon paprika1 tablespoon salt5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced

Use a 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Runhot water over meat in a strainer; let drain.Sauté onions in oil; add paprika and stir well.Add meat, salt, tomato and 1 cup of water orenough to cover ingredients. Cook slowly for1 hour. Then add all washed and sliced vegeta-bles, except potatoes. Add another cup of waterand cook slowly for 1/2 hour, then add pota-toes. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. Add1 quart of cold water; let it come to a boil andcook for 10 minutes. Serve as a main dish withdumplings in a heated soup tureen. (Can alsobe served without dumplings.)

Dumplings3 eggs, beaten1 teaspoon salt3 cups flour1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and beat withspoon. Drop by teaspoonfuls into boiling water.Cook until dumplings rise to top. Drain andrinse in cold water.By Josephine SeeleyCreamed String Bean Soup1 pound fresh string beans or canned1/2 pint sour creamVinegar to taste1 tablespoon salt3 tablespoons flour2 quarts water

Cook beans in water until soft. Add remainingingredients; simmer for a few minutes. By Theresa DudashHungarian Style Spinach1 pound spinach1 cup water3 tablespoons bacon drippings2 1/2 tablespoons flour1/2 cup milk

Please see RECIPES, E7

INSIDE: BY THE NUMBERS • CHURCHES • DESCENDANTS REMINISCE • RECIPES

‘I was blessed’JSO conductor recounts steps in race for his life

Ιstvan Jaray is a Johnstown institution,having conducted the local symphonyorchestra for more than a quarter

century.However, if not for a a few miraculously

narrow escapes in the cold, gray Novemberof 1956, Jaray never would have set foot onU.S. soil, never would have picked up a con-ductor’s baton and never would have seenhis 26th birthday.In the span of one month, Jaray went

from dodging bullets that had cut down somany of his Hungarian countrymen to rest-ing comfortably in London.“Some helping hand was with me all the

way, guided me through an incredible jour-ney,” Jaray said. “I was blessed, really.”Music was an everyday fixture in Jaray’s

small-town Hungarian household: He firstpicked up a violin 74 years ago, at the ageof 5.

‘Music chose me’“I always say that I didn’t choose music,”

he said. “Music chose me.”It was music that later led Jaray to the

Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest to studythe violin.In a country ruled with an iron fist by a

brutal communist regime, a free educationwas one of the few perks. It was importantfor Jaray, who had grown up in a blue-collarfamily and had lost his father at age 17.But everything changed in October 1956.“I had another year to complete to have

my full performing degree,” Jaray said. “But then, of course, the tragedy

hit on Oct. 23.”

That tragedy began as a peaceful studentgathering protesting the Soviet-communistgovernment and expressing solidarity with aPolish movement against Russia. Jaray waspart of that parade, and he recalls a crowdswelling to the thousands.“It was such an incredible, enthusiastic,

joyful march,” he said.

“Everybody’s hoping that maybe through apeaceful march, the solution can be that theRussians eventually will just pull out of thecountry.”The march ended violently, though, as sol-

diers fired on students. And while the subse-quent uprising appeared for a short time tohold promise for a free Hungary, the Sovietsquickly cracked down in early November.Jaray remembers “absolutely senseless,

brutal cruelty”: Machine guns turned on aline of people waiting for bread, or soldierstold to shoot on sight anyone who was wear-ing boots.

‘Their system’“The government started a systematic

search for any of those who were part of thestart of this whole revolution,” Jaray said.Students were a target. And one night

around 11 p.m., three tanks appearedoutside the dorm where Jaray lived.After a search, soldiers decided

– mistakenly – that these studentswere enemy combatants. The

classmates, who had been herded into a largeassembly hall, now were ordered onto a wait-ing truck.“That meant we knew that we’re going to

be shot. Period. There were no ifs and buts,”Jaray said. “That was their system.”Their lives were spared when, by chance, a

Russian officer came by the truck, was toldwhat had happened and allowed the stu-dents to go free.The ordeal had lasted until about 3 a.m.,

and Jaray did not wait around to see whatmight happen next. He called a friend at5 a.m., and an hour later, they were on atrain headed toward the western border.“All I had was my clothes, a coat, and that

was it. And that’s where I decided that obvi-ously our future is so dark, so hopeless, that Ihave to leave,” Jaray said.

‘Didn’t call anybody’“I absolutely didn’t call anybody – not my

mother, my sisters, and for weeks actuallythey didn’t even know whether I (was alive)or whether I was dead.”Jaray and his friend knew what they faced:

The Hungarian border, he said, was “iron-clad. A mouse couldn’t get out.”Still, they would try, with their hopes

buoyed by the fact that the border had beenbreached during the revolution.The duo disembarked before reaching the

border, spooked by a secret police search ofthe train. Reaching a village on foot, theyheard that a man – for a certain sum – would

lead them to the border.A group of about 20 set off. But asudden encounter with bright lights

By Mike Faher/mfaher@tribdem.com

By Mike Faher/mfaher@tribdem.com

“All I had was my clothes,a coat, and that was it.”

ISTVAN JARAY,JSO CONDUCTOR

Please see JSO, E7

Ligonier facility once served as Hungarian orphanage

Please see FACILITY, E7

DAVE LLOYD/THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

Hungarian-born Istvan Jaray is conductor of theJohnstown Symphony Orchestra.

TODD BERKEY/THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

The Rev. Imre Bertalan is executive director of Bethlen Communities in Ligonier.

Hours by appointment. Evening hours now available.

OVER 26 YEARS EXPERIENCE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLASTIC SURGEONS Board Certified

4 15 Napoleon Place, Johnstown

(814) 536-9000

Page E6 Sunday, November 28, 2010THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

Johnstown’s famed Inclined Plane has a Hun-garian connection.The world’s steepest vehicular funicular was

designed by SamuelDiescher, a highlyregarded engineer whowas born in 1839 inBudapest, Hungary.Diescher was educated

in Germany and Switzerland and arrived in theUnited States in the mid-1860s, settling first inCincinnati. He later moved to Pittsburgh.Diescher became an internationally known

expert in creating inclines – he is credited withdesigning eight in Pittsburgh and designing thefirst incline in Ohio.Johnstown’s Inclined Plane opened in 1891.Diescher also designed machinery for the first

Ferris wheel, which was unveiled in Chicago in1893.He retired in 1908 and died in 1915.

BY FRANK SOJAKFSOJAK@TRIBDEM.COM

Faith in God carried Hungarianimmigrants across the ocean to a newland.America was a melting pot of vari-

ous cultures and the Hungarians clungto their traditions as strongly as thenewcomers from other lands.A big tradition was the Hungarian

Grape Festival, held in the fall in Hun-gary to celebrate a successful harvest.The tradition made it across the

Atlantic, and was a staple at the for-mer St. Emerich Roman CatholicChurch in the Cambria City section ofJohnstown.The event, featur-

ing colorful cos-tumes, also was pop-ular with Hungariansfrom other churches.Barb Petruska of

Brownstown Bor-ough, who is of Hun-garian and Slovakdescent, said hermother, Ann (Havril-la) Stofa, handmadecostumes for her andher three siblings.“We decorated the

church hall withleaves and branches that we gatheredin the woods,” she said.Petruska’s grandparents, Joseph and

Rose Havrilla, immigrated from Hun-gary and settled in Woodvale. Her grandfather worked in the steel

mill while her grandmother took careof the house and raised their nine chil-dren.Marion “Dutch” Lehman of the

Edgewood neighborhood of LowerYoder Township said her grandpar-ents, Joseph and Martha Toth, keptalive the tradition of having an extraplace setting for Christmas dinner foran unexpected visitor.Another tradition was inviting

cousins and other family members fora Sunday meal, she said.Her grandparents already were mar-

ried and had one son who died ininfancy before coming from Hungary.Her grandparents arrived in the

early 20th century with her grandfa-ther working in the steel mill and hergrandmother taking care of the houseand the six additional children born tothem.Her grandparents first lived in Cam-

bria City before settling in Oakhurst.Margaret Slick of Geistown said

her grandparents on her mother’s sideleft Hungary in the early 20th centuryand settled in Windber.Her grandparents, Mike and Bertha

Lodinsky, raised four children.The immigrants quickly learned

English andremained close toeach other, she said.“Churches were a

big part of theirlives,” she said.She said entire

families wouldattend weekenddances, highlightedwith a live Hungari-an orchestra.Frank Myers of

Mundys Corner,whose grandparentsAlex and Pauline

Mata arrived in central CambriaCounty in the early 20th century, saidfolks brought their recipes with themto America.He said his grandparents made

Hungarian sausage and pigs feet, plussmoked their own ham and bacon.“I still make pigs feet Hungarian

style, the way my grandmother madeit,” he said.Barbara Horvath of Mine 37,

Richland Township, whose parents,Andrew and Theresa Molnar, immi-grated from Hungary in the early 20thcentury, said the women baked theirown bread and made their own cot-tage cheese.Chicken paprikash was a favorite

dish along with beet relish, made bymixing horseradish and slices of beets.

Toni Kohler of Windber, Hor-vath’s daughter, said it was an Eastertradition for families to take food toMass on Easter Sunday to have itblessed.“They would cover the basket with

beautiful, embroidered cloths thatusually were inscribed with a pictureof the Resurrection,” she said.The women made their own cover-

ings, she said.Alexis Kozak of Westmont said

the Hungarian immigrants founded asocial club in Johnstown during the

1920s to support each other.Originally located behind the former

St. Emerich Roman Catholic Church,the American Hungarian CitizensClub would advise members on wherethey could learn to improve their Eng-lish skills, she said.The club, which moved to the for-

mer Gilbert Street School in theBrownstown area in the 1960s, alsowas a way to keep in touch with themotherland, she said.During the 1956 revolution in Hun-

gary when Hungarians revolted

against communist rule, the clubhelped many people who fled thecommunists and settled here, she said.As a girl in the latter days of the

club, which closed in 1985, sheremembers that everybody at the clubwas like family.“Even if people weren’t your aunt or

uncle, you called them that out ofrespect,” she said. A Hungarian-language newspaper,

The Hirado, was published inJohnstown as a weekly from 1910 to1924.

Johnstown’s Inclined Plane designed by Hungarian immigrant Samuel Diescherdesigned Johns-town’s InclinedPlane. It is the

world’s steepestvehicular funicular.

TRIBUNE-DEMOCRATFILE PHOTO

ON THE WEBThe following are Hungarian-Americanresources online:

■ American Hungarian Federation:www.americanhungarianfederation.org.

■ Hungarian American Coalition:www.hacusa.org.

■ American Hungarian Foundation:www.ahfoundation.org.

■ Hungarian Reformed Federation ofAmerica: www.hrfa.org.

■ William Penn Association:www.williampennassociation.org.

Descendants carry on their ancestors’ traditions

‘CHURCHES WERE A BIG PART OF THEIR LIVES’

TODD BERKEY/THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

A big tradition for the Hungarians was the Grape Festival, held in the fall to celebrate a successful harvest. At right, Barb Petruska of Brownstown Bor-ough holds handmade costumes worn by girls to the celebration. Above are outfits for boys.

JOHN RUCOSKY/THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

Barbara Horvath (foreground) is her family’s connection to their homeland. When she was young, she learned Hungarian from a priest andwrote letters to her relatives in Hungary. With her are her daughter, Toni Kohler, and her nephew, Dave Kormanik. On the table is memora-bilia – embroidered cloths and a wine barrel.

“Even if peopleweren’t your auntor uncle, youcalled them thatout of respect.”

ALEXIS KOZAK,WESTMONT

JOHN RUCOSKY/THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

World War I era photos of the Kormanik family.TODD BERKEY/THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

Joseph and Martha Toth family.

1 clove garlic, chopped1 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon black pepper1 cup sour cream2 hard-boiled eggs

Wash spinach; drain and cook in 1 cup saltedboiling water. Chop spinach fine. In separate pan,melt bacon drippings; stir in the flour and brownlightly. Remove from fire; add spinach and garlic.Slowly stir in sour crean until well-blended.Add cold milk, salt and pepper. Cook overlow flame about 5 minutes. If mixture is too thick,add a little milk. Garnish with sliced hard-boiledeggs.

Hungarian Nut Torte8 yolks8 tablespoons sugar8 tablespoons flour2 teaspoons baking powder8 tablespoons ground walnuts

Icing:4 tablespoons cocoa1/2 pound sweet butter5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Beat yolks with sugar for 20 minutes or until lightand thick. Sift together flour and baking powder,then add it to the egg yolks. Beat egg whites untilstiff, then fold in the mixture. Add ground walnuts.Bake in moderate oven at 375 degrees for30 minutes. Bake in 2 round, greased and flouredcake pans. Icing: Mix together and put on cake. Sprinkle finelychopped nuts on top of icing. Put cake in refrigera-tor to prevent icing from getting soft. By Catherine DudashHungarian Nut Cake

Filling:10 egg yolks12 egg whites1 tablespoon lemon juice1 1/4 cups sugar3 cups ground walnuts

Beat egg yolks and sugar until it is fluffy and putin lemon juice. Also add ground walnuts andmix very well. Then beat the egg whites until reallight and fluffy and add to nut filling, mixingthoroughly.

Dough:2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 cup butter1/4 cup sugar2 egg yolks

Mix flour and butter well; mix egg yolks with a littlesweet cream so that you can handle dough like piedough, then divide dough in 2 parts. Use 13-x-11-inch pan. Line pan with half of the dough. Put inthe filling, then the other half of the dough. Roll outand put in top of the filling, then pinch the doughon top with fork. Bake in moderate oven at325 degrees for about 35 minutes. Leave in panand cut into squares and sprinkle powdered sugaron top.By Catherine DudashChicken Paprikas1 chopped onion4 tablespoons shortening1 tablespoon paprika1 teaspoon pepper2 tablespoons salt4-5 pounds chicken (cut up)1 1/2 cups water1/2 pint sour cream

Sauté onion in shortening. Add seasonings andchicken; sauté about 10 minutes. Add water.Cover and simmer until chicken is tender. Removechicken, add sour cream to pan drippings and mixwell. By Margaret TarsovichPotato Gulyas and Smoked Sausage

To be prepared in a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven.

1 large onion, diced2 tablespoons margarine or vegetable oil1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika1 tablespoon caraway seed2 1/2 to 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed1 cubanella pepper (only, whole) Water to cover1 to 2 pounds smoked (precooked) sausage, cut into4- to 5-inch pieces (you may add more per serving)Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté diced onion in 2 tablespoons margarine orvegetable oil until translucent. Remove from heat.Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika and mix well(should be dark red in color). Before returing toheat, add 1 tablespoon caraway seed. Mix well. Return to heat. Add cubed potatoes and mix every-thing well. Immediately add enough water to cover.Do not burn the mixture before adding the water.Add 1 whole cubanella pepper (do not use a regulargreen pepper). The cubanella may be omitted. Thisis for flavor only. Bring mixture to a full boil, thenreduce heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes arenearly done, approximately 20 minutes. Salt andpepper to taste. Add precooked sausages which havebeen cut into 4- to 5-inch pieces. The amount of sausages added may vary dependingon the number of servings. Simmer until potatoesand sausages are completely done. Remove wholepepper before serving. Serve with warm, crustybread and sweet butter. Serves 4 to 6.

Growing up in Hungary, I used to watch my mothermake this favorite of mine. Coming from a poor family, food preparation wasalways a major focus of concentration. I am veryglad that I paid attention. After I became older and realized how expensive itwas to eat out all of the time (having prepared eggsfor myself in every way that was imaginable), I ven-tured to cook alone. Several attempts proved success-ful. This recipe always brings back fond memories of thelovely times that I spent in my mother’s warmkitchen and her endless knowledge and ability totake the simple things and create a feast. I hope that you will enjoy this quick, easy, deliciousmeal. By Maestro Istvan Jaray

Page E7Sunday, November 28, 2010 THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

Continued from E1

RECIPES

in the sky and machine-gun fireforced them to retreat – the Sovi-ets had locked down that sectionof the border.The next day, Jaray and his

companion decided to try theirluck on a train to the south. Wordspread that an opportunity layahead: Anyone jumping from thetrain as it slowed for a curve wouldland on the Austrian side of theborder.“And a very, very lovely old

farmer was standing close by,”Jaray said. “And he said, ‘Young man, don’t

do that.’ ”“He was right. Many, many peo-

ple tried it ... and again what hap-pened was, this light was shot upand they started machine-gunningthem.”Their lives had been spared once

again. But they were seemingly outof options, and they got off thetrain at the next station.Chance intervened when they

met a woman who was willing tohelp. A plan was hatched: Thenext day, the woman and herdaughter would distract borderguards with conversation andwine, and the two friends wouldrun as soon as they spotted a sig-nal – the woman blowing her nose.“Suddenly we saw the handker-

chief and my friend and I just tookoff,” Jaray said. “And I think I would have won

the 100-meter world record – thisincredible burst of energy and fear

and hope allbundled intoone.”They heard

shots. Jaray cuthis leg onbarbed wire.But they did

not stop untilsheer exhaus-tion overtookthem after anall-out sprintthrough no-man’s-land.“We looked up, and there was

the most incredible peace andquiet surrounding us,” Jaray said.“In the distance, we saw a jeep

coming. Well, we stood up andwaited and said, ‘If it’s a Russianjeep or whatever, we’re done. If it’san Austrian jeep, we are free.’ Itwas an Austrian jeep.”

The Austrians, he said, were“incredibly gracious.” The twowere immediately fed and housedfor the night, and in short orderthey were transferred to the capi-tal city of Vienna.Within two weeks of his escape,

Jaray had traveled to London – hewanted to get as far from theSoviets as possible. There heresumed his musical education,starting on a path that eventuallyled to the United States in thelate 1960s and to Johnstown in1984.But he has not forgotten a single

step of the race for his life, a racein which he also won somethingelse.“You realize what freedom actu-

ally means,” Jaray said. “And then, this really becomes

the most precious thing of all.”

Continued from E1

JSO

Jaray

Bethlen Home.The facility has evolved

since then.In the 1930s, the

orphanage moved intoLigonier Borough. Some ofthe orphans’ aging caretak-ers stayed on the hilltop,leading to the formation ofwhat today would becalled a personal-carehome.The hotel building even-

tually was razed to makeway for more-modernstructures.Currently, the property

hosts a nursing home andcottages for independentliving. Bethlen Communi-ties also includes a person-al-care home and apart-ments in Ligonier.The orphanage closed in

1979, having served morethan 3,000 children. Andtoday, only about 20 per-cent to 25 percent ofBethlen Communities’ resi-dents can claim Hungarianancestry.But a Hungarian flag

still flies at the facility. And

three organizations withHungarian connections– the Hungarian ReformedFederation of America, theHungarian ReformedChurch in America and theCalvin Synod Conferenceof the United Church ofChrist – play a big role inthe leadership of BethlenCommunities.Administrators also are

looking to preserve Hun-

garian culture. There is anextensive collection of arti-facts and books at Bethlen.“We encourage people,

don’t throw anythingaway,” Bertalan said. “Send it to us.”Enough people have

heeded that request thatadministrators have plansfor a large Hungarianmuseum and archive onsite. Bertalan envisions a

place for “display andhealthy storage – it wouldbe climate-controlled.”Bethlen also will serve as

a repository for HungarianReformed church docu-ments from across thecountry, Bertalan said.“There will be no other

site like that in America,”he said, adding that themuseum and archive maybe open in the third quar-

ter of next year.In the meantime, Hun-

garian-themed displayswelcome visitors.And at the Moriah

Chapel – now the oldestbuilding on the Bethlencampus – there is a Hun-garian-language service onthe first Sunday of eachmonth.Bethlen’s chaplain, the

Rev. Gabor Nitsch, alsoleads Hungarian and Eng-lish-language services eachSunday at the nursinghome and personal-carehome.Additionally, Bethlen

publishes an annualalmanac containing infor-mation on HungarianReformed churchesthroughout the nation.The facility’s diverse

activities are both anextension of and a tributeto a mission that started89 years ago, whenHungarian-Americanswere fortunate enough tofind a property where theycould care for the less for-tunate.“This is a place that they

felt was theirs by the graceof God,” Bertalan said.“This is our place.”

Continued from E1

FACILITY

TODD BERKEY/THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

A Hungarian-language service is held on the first Sunday of each month at the Moriah Chapel, theoldest building on the Bethlen Communities campus in Ligonier.

BY MIKE FAHERMFAHER@TRIBDEM.COM

For generations, local churches founded byHungarian immigrants thrived.But now, those institutions – and the history

they represent – are disappearing at a rapidrate.In just a seven-year span from 1997 to 2004,

all three Hungarian-founded Roman Catholicchurches in Cambria and Somerset countiesclosed because of mergers with other parishes.And there are dwindling congregations at

two remaining Hungarian Reformed churchesin Johnstown and Vintondale. But, for now, ahandful of dedicated members are keepingthose churches open.“To keep their (ancestors’) heritage and lega-

cy alive, they come to this church,” said theRev. Joseph Posta, who leads Vintondale Hun-garian Reformed Church. “Somehow, some way, it still survives.”Hungarians, like other immigrant groups in

the early 1900s, banded together in communi-ties where their numbers were large enough tosupport a church. Sometimes, “they built the churches before

they built their own homes,” said the Rev.Albert W. Kovacs, minister at Johnstown-Windber Hungarian Reformed Church onChestnut Street in the Cambria City neighbor-hood.“It was their center for worship, but also

their cultural and social center as well,” Kovacssaid.Johnstown’s Reformed congregation has

staying power, celebrating its 110th anniversarythis year. Local historical records say thechurch building dates to 1902.“It’s actually one of our oldest Hungarian

Reformed churches in the United States,”Kovacs said.He added that Windber’s Hungarian

Reformed congregation merged with theJohnstown church in the late 1970s.Even as a merged congregation, though, the

Johnstown church struggles. Only about a dozenpeople attend services every other Sunday.The same small numbers are found at Vin-

tondale Hungarian Reformed Church on MainStreet.That congregation dates to 1916, and its first

church was dedicated in the early 1920s onland donated by a mining company, Posta said.It burned in 1929 and was rebuilt the followingyear.The Vintondale church holds services once a

month, and an average of 15 to 20 peopleattend, Posta said. Nonetheless, like Kovacs inJohnstown, Posta is impressed by the devotionof those who remain.“It’s coming to an end. We know that,” Posta

said of the small community’s church.

“But as long as we are able to keep these con-gregations alive, we’ll work hard.”Parishioners of the area’s three former Hun-

garian Roman Catholic churches were not sofortunate. None of those parishes still function,and two of the buildings are gone:

■ The earliest Catholic church founded byHungarians was St. Emerich in Johnstown’sCambria City neighborhood, the primary placewhere immigrants from Hungary had settledin the city.Permission was granted in 1905 to form a

parish, and a small frame building was erectedat Power Street and Sixth Avenue.The first Mass was celebrated at a new, larg-

er church – which was given the St. Emerich’sname – in May 1914.At the direction of Altoona-Johnstown Dio-

cese, St. Emerich merged in 1997 with nearbySt. Casimir. The St. Emerich building wasdemolished in 2003.

■ In Windber, a Hungarian parish wasformed in 1912, with a church called St. Mary’sbuilt in the early 1920s.The parish merged with St. John Cantius in

2000 to form St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. But oneweekly Mass still was celebrated at St. Mary’suntil 2002, when structural problems forcedthe building’s closure.St. Mary’s was razed in 2003, and Windber

Research Institute expanded on the property.■ In Portage, 32 Hungarians met in 1915 to

discuss the formation of a new church.Property was purchased at Johnson and

Cambria streets in 1922, and St. John the Bap-tist Church was dedicated there the followingyear. The building’s cost was $13,975.In 2004, the diocese merged St. John the

Baptist into Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. TheSt. John building still stands and was sold to aprivate owner in 2006 for conversion to apart-ments.

Houses of worshipChurches served as cultural, social places for Hungarian immigrants

TODD BERKEY/THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

A service is held on alternate Sundays at the Johnstown-Windber Hungarian Reformed Church, 824 Chestnut St.in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

While the number of people claiming Hungarian ancestry is relatively low statewide and in Cambria and Somerset counties, the percentage rises in certain areas. Some examples:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.0%

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Cambria County: 2.4%

Somerset County: 2.1%

Pennsylvania: 1.1%

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