Family Roman

Procop and Euphemia

The Roman family originated from Blechnarka, Galicia. John Roman and Anna Dziubin married and had 3 children named Martha, Maria, and Procopius. We are not sure what happened to Maria but we believe Martha married a Theodore Ryzyk (Feb 14 1846 – Mar 6, 1927) in roughly 1875 and had 8 children (Xenia, Theodosia, Dionisius, Anna, Matrona, Dominica, Theodosia, and Timothy). We are trying to contact the Ryzyk family.

Procopius (Procop) Roman was born on March 11, 1863 in Blechnarka in house #63. His parents died when he was about 5-8 years old but luckily another family took him in. The family’s father was a shoemaker so Procop worked for the man, went to school, and eventually learned how to read and write German. Procop left Blechnarka in roughly 1884-1885, immigrated to the US, and settled in Shenandoah PA.

Euphemia LaBuda (WaBuda) was from Regetow Galicia, which is roughly 8 miles from Blechnarka. We believe Euphemia and Procop met in Shenandoah because they were married roughly 2 years after they immigrated to the US. They married on May 23, 1886 by Rev John Wolanski at St. Michael’s Greek (now Ukrainian) Catholic Church. They bought property on Pine Street in Sheppton PA in 1891 and moved into the house in 1898. Procop and Euphemia were able to payoff their house loan early, which is a symbol of their character.

Procop and Euphemia had 9 children. We don’t know the names of child 1-3 but the other 6 were Joannes (born 1889), Maria (born 1890), Michael (born 1892), Ann (born 1894), Nicholas (born 1896), and Stephen (born 1899). Unfortunately, tragedy struck the family when the diphtheria epidemic swept across the US. Procop and Euphemia’s 7 oldest children died in roughly 1895-1900. Diptheria is when your throat swells and you suffocate to death. Nicholas and Stephen also had the disease but Euphemia took matters into her own hands and mixed kerosene with milk and poured it down their throats and forced them to swallow it. Doctors said it saved their lives because they coughed violently, which opened their airways.

Procop had bad asthma and died in 1901 and we are still searching for his gravesite. Euphemia remarried a John Schfranko the same year. They had 3 children who also died at a very young age. So, Euphemia had 2 marriages and gave birth to a total of 12 children and only 2 survived. Euphemia was known as a very strong woman and a good cook. Especially for her homemade rye bread which took a week to make. Euphemia died on January 11, 1936 in Fern Glen, PA and is buried at St John Greek Catholic Church in Hazelton, PA. John Schfranko died in 1938 and is buried in Nuremberg, PA

Stephen and Nicolas were the only surviving Roman family members. Unfortunately, Stephen’s wife died during pregnancy so Nicolas was the remaining male who had the opportunity to carryon the Roman surname. Nicolas (1896-1977) married Helen Herzo (1902-1976) and had 5 children. Procop and Euphemia would be happy to know they have 5 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and 10 great-great grandchildren (as of April 2011).

Contact: Bradford_k_Roman@yahoo.com.

Father LaBuda

TBD Mother

John LaBuda

Euphemia Labuda

Mark Labuda (lived in Waterbury, CT in the 1930s)

Sam LaBuda (lived in Shelton, CT in the 1930s)

Ernie LaBuda

John Roman

& Anna Dziubin

Martha Roman (might have married Theodore Ryzyk)

Maria Roman

Procop Roman

b. March 11 1863; Blechnarka #63, Galicia

d. 1901; Sheppton, PA

& Euphemia LaBuda

b. November 1863; Regetow, Galicia

m. May 23, 1886; Shenandoah, PA

d. January 12, 1936; Fern Glen, PA

Child 1: Name unknown, Died 1900 diphtheria epidemic

Child 2: Name unknown, Died 1900 diphtheria epidemic

Child 3: Name unknown, Died 1900 diphtheria epidemic

Joannes Roman

b. January 1889; Sheppton, PA

d. 1900 diphtheria epidemic; Sheppton, PA

Maria Roman

b. August 25, 1890; Sheppton, PA

d. 1900 diphtheria epidemic; Sheppton, PA

Michael Roman

b. October 17, 1892; Sheppton, PA

d. 1900 diphtheria epidemic; Sheppton, PA

Ann Roman

b. January 19, 1894; Sheppton, PA

d. 1900 diphtheria epidemic; Sheppton, PA

Stephen Roman

b. January 1899; Sheppton, PA

d. February 21, 1963

Nicholas Roman

b. December 17, 1896; Sheppton, PA

d. April 19, 1977; Lyndhurst, NJ

& Helen Herzo (or Hrizo)

b. May 30, 1902; Latimer, PA

d. August 1, 1976; Lyndhurst, NJ