|
Lachata Photos
Bio of Gizella May
|
Home
> Lachata/May > Biography
of Gizella May
|
Gizella May Lachata
by Lisa Perkins
Gizella May was my grandmother's
mother. I have never met her. My grandmother remembers her, but
only through a child's eyes, as she died when my grandmother was
only seven years old. All I know about Gizella May is what my
grandma, Eleanor Lachata, and her sister, Irma Lachata (Aunt
Mitzi), have told me and what I have found by searching through
old pictures and documents that they have shown me. |
 |
|
Gizella May Lachata |
|
| Gizella was born on July
27, 1882 in Budapest to Alajos (pronounced A-loy-osh) and Mary
(nee Tolsik) May. |
|
|
|
Maria Tolsik |
|
|
|
|
Alajos May |
|
| The above pictures of
Maria Tolsik and Alajos May were found among the photographs held
by Aunt Mitzi. Since she could not see very well, she was
not sure of the identity of the couple. Based on the
appearance that the pictures were taken at the same time by the
same Budapest photographer, and the fact that they were among
other Lachata and May pictures, I believe these individuals could
be Gizella's parents. |
|
|
Gizella had a sister named Irma and
two brothers named Alajos and Istvan. I believe that pictured at
left are the four siblings: Irma, Istvan, Gizella and Alajos. |
Gizella married Marton Lachata
(right), from Totkomlos, Hungary On July 14, 1904 at a church in
Budapest and their civil ceremony was three days later.
|
 |
|
|
While in Budapest, Gizella and Marton
enjoyed the birth of two daughters, Gizella in 1905 and Ilona
(Helen) in 1907.
Soon after the birth of Helen, the family
emigrated to the United States and their first son, Martin, was
born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1909.
By 1911, the family finally settled in Chicago,
Illinois where their remaining children were born: John in 1911,
twins who died at birth in 1913, Irma in 1916, Eleanor in 1918 and
Margaret (not pictured) in 1919. |
According to Aunt Mitzi, upon
arriving in Chicago, Gizella worked for a while in her sister
Irma's store located on "Willow and Orchard across from the
Newberry School" but stopped working there after her son John
was born. Gizella's husband, Marton Lachata, my great grandfather,
was studying to be an engineer and made his living working in a
factory that made motorcycle parts.
Gizella's sister Irma (at right)was married to a man with the last
name Fachet, and later married a man named Louis Fuhr. Irma never
had children.
|
|
Since I never new my great grandmother, I am
trying to get to know her through the stories, pictures, and
paraphernalia that my grandmother and great aunt have saved.
One theory that I have is that she was a romantic. I also suspect
that she had a happy childhood. These theories are based upon a
couple of photographs, and what appears to be an autograph-like
book of poems that she kept. From the group photograph below,
Gizella and her sister Irma are pictured "toasting" each
other with mugs of (what looks like) beer. The joy on the faces of
the unknown folks surrounding them looks sincere. I love this
picture because it is so different from the stuffy studio
photographs that I have usually uncovered from this time period.
Here there are people in action, if you put modern clothes on
them, it could be a snapshot from a current day backyard barbecue.
Perhaps it is this picture which so inspires and attracts me to
the life of my great grandmother.
|
|
|
As for Gizella's book of poems, it is bound
in medium-blue velvet. It looks like a pendant was once on the
cover and a metal knob stands waiting for a hook that once was
there to close upon it. On selected pages there are colorful
Victorian stickers placed over the author of the page's signature.
One must lift the sticker to see their name. Whether Gizella or
the author's placed these stickers, I do not know. The book
belonged to my Aunt Mitzi and I have made copies of the pages. All
of the writing is in Hungarian and perhaps someday I will have it
translated, but since it does not appear to have any genealogical
information, the translation time and expense is not an immediate
priority for me. I can read the names and dates of those who made
entries on her pages, however, and these may tell their own story.
After leafing through this little booklet, I feel like I know my
great grandmother Gizella a little bit and I pray someday to meet
her.
Lisa Perkins, 1998 |
Home > Lachata/May
> Biography of Gizella May
|
