Slovak Ladies mark 120 years of service
By JIM BUSCH
For the Mon Valley Independent
Dorothy Urbanowicz has deep roots in the Mon Valley.
Her Slovak ancestors came to Monessen at the end of the 19th century to work in the region’s fast-growing industries, and Urbanowicz takes great pride in her Slovak heritage and her faith.
She continues her family’s tradition of service to the community as president and financial secretary of the local branch of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association, which was founded by her great-grandmother, Anna Tesak, in 1900.
Tesak’s story was typical of the Eastern European immigrants who came to America in search of a better life. An orphan, she had no relatives or friends in the United States when she was put aboard a steamer bound for the new world.
On the ship, she was warned that a young woman alone in a strange country could be taken advantage of. This led her to marry one of her fellow immigrants, so she arrived in America a married woman. Though her husband was much older, the couple moved to Monessen and started a family.
To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Monday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.
