Louis Rubik of Hungary and Cleveland, Ohio

   The Rubik family members immigrated in three groups. First the father, Stephen Rubik, next the mother, Theresa Hirsch Rubik along with two of her children, Joseph Rubik and Mary Rubik. The 1910 census revealed that Theresa had six children, four alive. Two of the Rubik children were still in Hungary as of 1910.

     Lajos (Louis) Rubik, son of Istavan Rubik and Therezia Hirsch was baptized on August 30, 1894 in Tethszentkut, Gyor, Hungary.  The third live child of the Rubiks who stayed in Hungary probably living with another family member.

La Bretagne

     Lajos (Louis) Rubik, age eighteen, arrived at the Port of New York on June 18, 1912 aboard the SS La Bretagne.  He had sailed from LeHavre, France on June 8, 1912.  His last residence was Felpec, Gyor, Hungary.  His destination was Cleveland, Ohio.

     Felpec is the same village his father, mother, brother and sister sailed from during their crossings. It is very close to Tethszentkut, Gyor, Hungary where Louis was born and baptized.  

World War I Draft Registration Card, January 5, 1917

     Louis Rubik, age 22, born in Teth, Gyor, Hungary on August 25, 1894.  Now living with his father, mother and sister at 2621 East 83rd Place, Cleveland, Ohio.   Louis is a polisher at The Plating Works, 7009 Quincy Avenue, Cleveland.  He lists that he is supporting his family.  

10526 Woodland Avenue

     Sometime between Louis' draft registration in 1917 and his mother, Theresa Hirsch Rubik's death, on January 22, 1919, the family moved to 10526 Woodland Avenue.  Stephen Rubik purchased the house.

1920 Ohio Federal Census taken on January 19, 1920

     Louis, age 25, born in Hungary as were his parents, is employed as a polisher at a steel works.  He is living with his father and sister at 10526 Woodland.  His father, Stephen owes the house and is renting out rooms to three other families.  His sister, Mary Rubik is age 15 and attending school.  All three are aliens and immigrated in 1906.  Documents show that it was Stephen Rubik that immigrated in 1906, not Louis and Mary.

     Louis Rubik filed his Declaration of Intention on March 26, 1920 in the Court of Common Pleas, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.  He declares his age, birth date, place of birth, immigration and physical characteristics.

     Louis Rubik, age 26, married Mary Hallo, age 22, on November 6, 1920 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.  The wedding was performed by Rev. J. Ratz.  Louis, a furnace man was the son of  Steve Rubik and Theresa Hirsh.  Mary was the daughter of Louis Hallo and Rose Arbo.

1921 Cleveland City Directory

     Louis and his father, Steve are living in the family home on Woodland Avenue.  Also living there is Louis' new wife, Mary and his sister, Mary Rubik.

     In an upcoming document, it is learned that Louis and Mary divorced in 1924.

1925 Cleveland City Directory

     Louis Rubik is employed as a painter and continued to live with his father, Stephen Rubik in the Woodland Avenue home.

     On August 2, 1926, Louis' father, Stephen Rubik, died at home.  He was buried beside his wife in Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

     On September 1, 1926, Louis Rubik filed his Petition for Naturalization in the District Court in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.  He mentions that he is divorced.  The remainder of the information confirms what he declared in his 1920 Declaration of Intention.  Louis probably became proactive in filing for citizenship following his father's death, no longer wanting to be an alien.

     On May 12, 1928 Baby Girl Bedo was born at East End Hospital, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.  The parents were, Louis Rubik, age 34, born in Hungary and living at 10526 Woodland Avenue and Elizabeth Bedo, age 20, born in Hungary and living at 9808 Kennedy Avenue.  The baby was named Florence and used the surname of Rubik on the 1930 census and Bedo until she was adopted in the 1940's by Rodger Yale Beckwith and Viola Bubel Beckwith.  From the adoption on she was known as Florence Viola Beckwith.  

     On February 15, 1930, Louis Rubik married for a second time.  His wife, the former Theresa Vavro, was the daughter of John and Julia Vavro, was born in Butler, Pennsylvania.  Louis, a polisher, is living at 10305 Shale Avenue, Cleveland.  It is this document that shows that Louis divorced in 1924 from his first wife, Mary Hallo Rubik.  

     Using the Cleveland City Directory records, it shows that Louis' sister, Mary Rubik Kovacs, her husband, Louis and daughter Rosalie, were living in the Woodland Avenue Rubik home beginning in 1927.  

1930 Ohio Federal Census taken on April 2, 1930

     Louis, age 35, born in Hungary as were his parents is employed as a paper hanger running his own business.  He is a naturalized citizen as of 1912 and immigrated in 1913.  He owns his house at 11727 Howell Avenue in Cleveland.

     Theresa Rubik, age 22, born in Pennsylvania and her parents were both born in Austria.  She is not employed outside of the home.

13105 Lorenzo Avenue

1935 Cleveland City Directory

     Louis Rubik had two listings in the 1935 Cleveland City Directory--one under Rubik and one under Rebek.  Louis' brother, Joseph Rubik, was living in the house with Louis and Theresa.  John Rubik, listed as a laborer, and wife, Anna, are the paternal uncle and aunt of Louis and Joseph. 

3061 East 116th Street, Cleveland, Ohio

1940 Ohio Federal Census taken on April 18, 1940

     Louis Rubik, age 45, born in Hungary and lived in the same place, not the same house in 1935.  He is employed as a polisher at a metal manufacturing company.  He is renting rooms for $25.00 a month a 3061 East 116th Street in Cleveland.

     Theresa Rubik, age 33, born in Pennsylvania and lived in the same place in 1935.  She is not employed outside the house.

     Margaret Rubik, age 9, was born in Ohio.  She is attending school.

     Carol Jean Rubik, age 2, was born in Ohio.

World War II Draft Registration, April 25, 1942

     Louis Rubik was still living at 3061 East 116th Street, with his family, in 1942. He lists his place of employment as National Acme Company on Coit Road in Cleveland.

     

National Acme, Cleveland, Ohio

     National Acme was formed by the merger of two tool manufacturers and was at it's height, one of the largest manufacturers of machine tools in the United States.  By 1916, the company built a new facility at the corner of Coit Road and East 131 in Cleveland.  Today the building is abandoned.

     Louis Rubik died at age seventy four, in a long term care facility in Cleveland, Ohio on December 29, 1968.  The death record lists South Euclid as his last address.

     No mention of the daughter he fathered in 1928.  Was he ever in touch with her?  Any financial assistance?  Or did he just walk away?

     Louis and Theresa Rubik are buried together in Highland Park Cemetery, Highland Hills, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.  Theresa died at age ninety one in a nursing home located in Brunswick, Medina County, Ohio on January 16, 1999.

 

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Mary Rubik Kovacs of Hungary and Cleveland, Ohio

     Mary Rubik, daughter of Stephen Rubik and Theresa Hirsch Rubik, was born on July 1, 1905 in Felpec, Gyor, Hungary.  Her father immigrated to the United States in 1906 and his destination was his brother's home in Cleveland, Ohio.  

SS Zeeland

     Maricka (Mary) Kubik, the surname was misspelled in the manifest as outlined in her brother, Joseph Rubik's, naturalization papers.  Mary, age 3, was traveling with her mother and brother to Cleveland, Ohio and the home of their husband and father, Stephen Rubik.  

1910 Ohio Federal Census, taken on May 2, 1910

     Mary, age 5, is living in a two family house at 2680 Grand Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio with her parents and older brother, Joseph.  

10526 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio

     The Woodland Avenue house shown above, was owned by Mary's father and was her family home possibly as early as 1918.  Thirteen year old Mary suffered the loss of her mother, Theresa Rubik, on January 19, 1919.  

1920 Ohio Federal Census taken on January 19, 1920

  

     Mary, age 15, was attending school and could read and write.  Also living in the house is her father Stephen Rubik, age 53, and an older brother, Louis Rubik.  Louis, age 25, had immigrated in 1911 and joined the family in Cleveland.  Missing is another older brother, Joseph Rubik.  He was enumerated in the Ohio State Reformatory serving a sentence.

     At the age of seventeen, Mary Rubik married twenty nine year old Louis Kovacs.  The service was conducted on July 26, 1922 in Euclid, Ohio by C.N. Carter, Justice of the Peace.

     Almost a year later, on June 6, 1923, Louis and Mary welcomed their first child, daughter Rosalie M. Kovacs, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

     Mary's father, Stephen Rubik, died in the Woodland Avenue home on August 2, 1926. 

 

1927 Cleveland City Directory

     Following the death of Stephen Rubik, Mary and her family moved into her family home on Woodland Avenue.  The Louis I have cropped is Louis Kovacs, a machine operator.

1930 Ohio Federal Census taken on April 2, 1930

      Mary's husband, Louis is listed as the owner of Mary's father's house on Woodland Avenue.  The house is their home and they are renting rooms out to three other families.  The property is worth $13,000.  

     Louis Kovacs, age 36, was married at age 29.  He and his parents were born in Hungary. He immigrated in 1904 and is a naturalized citizen.  Louis is employed as a engineer at a scrap yard.

     Mary Kovacs, age 25, was married at age 17.  She and her parents were born in Hungary.  She immigrated in 1908 and is a naturalized citizen.

     Rose Kovacs, age 6, their daughter, was born in Ohio.

Detroit skyline in 1942

      The 1940 census provides information for 1935.  The Kovacs family moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Detroit, Michigan between 1935 to 1940.  There were several of the Hungarian families I have been blogging about who moved from Cleveland to Michigan between the 1930's and 1940's.  The growing automobile industry was the catalyst, along with labor unions and higher wages.  

1940 Michigan Federal Census taken on April 5, 1940

     Louis Kovacs, age 47, born in Hungary and is a naturalized citizen.  He completed school though eighth grade.  Louis is employed as a screw machine operator in an automobile company.  He is renting half of a two family house for $30.00 monthly.  The house is located at 12572 Vernor Highway, Detroit, Michigan.  

     Mary Kovacs, age 35, born in Hungary and is a naturalized citizen.  She completed school though sixth grade.

     Rosalie Kovacs, age 16, and born in Cleveland, Ohio.  She has completed 2 years of high school.

1941 home of the Kovacs Family

     Rosalie Kovacs graduated from Southeast High School, Detroit, Michigan in 1941.  Her activities show a very active high schooler during her years at Southeast.  

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     At this point in the blog I want to admit that I became very lazy in my research.  A few curve balls were thrown in when I read and copied the obituaries of Mary's brothers, Louis and Joseph, where Mary was referred to as Mary Szabo and Mary Szaba of Florida.  What happened to her husband, Louis Kovacs?  What was she doing in Florida?  

     When I began researching both the Bodo and Rubik families, I noticed that there was one genealogist putting together a family tree out on Ancestry, Sheri A. Thibo.  One day I sent her a message and we have collaborated since.  Sheri has a vested interest in both families because they are her ancestors.  She has, in particular, spent time working on Mary Rubik Kovacs, so "Lazy Linda" turned to her research on Ancestry.  

     I want to acknowledge that much of the remainder of this blog was harvested from her diligent research.  

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     Rosalie M. Kovacs married Robert H. Wyman on September 19, 1949 in Pinellas County, Florida.  This begs the question, did the family relocate to Florida between 1941 and 1949?  Was Rosalie there for further education?  For a job?  or moving with her parents?  I have not been able to ferret out that answer.

     This answered my questions as to whether Louis and Mary Kovacs removed to Florida and why in the 1960's, Mary became Mary Sabo.  Louis died in Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida about May 20, 1958.  I located a Louis Kovacs buried at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park, Hillsborough, Florida.  The dates for his birth year and death year match this family's Louis Kovacs.

     Mystery solved as to the Sabo married name for Mary.  In June 1966, Mary Rubik Kovacs married Louis Sabo in Sarasota County, Florida.  I have not been able to nail down information on Louis.  There are various marriage and divorce records for Louis Sabo's in Florida.  Unbelievably, there is no Louis Sabo in Florida in the 1940 census.  Interestingly, there are a couple of Louis Sabo's in Cleveland and Detroit in 1940.  I wonder if he and Mary knew each other from another time?

     About five and one half years later, Mary and Louis Sabo divorced, in Pinellas County, Florida on November 12, 1971.  Mary returned to her previous married name, Mary Kovacs.

     Mary Rubik Kovacs died on June 2, 1983 in Leon County, Florida.  The obituary lists Quincy, Gadsden County, Florida as her residence.  I located a burial record on Find A Grave for a Mary Kovacks at Roselawn Cemetery, Tallahassee Leon County, Florida.  The burial date is 1983 and there is a cemetery note that she was buried on June 4, 1983.  Although the married name is misspelled, this is probably the final resting place of Mary Rubik Kovacs.

     Rosalie's husband, Robert Harold Wyman died on February 18, 1980.  He served with the Navy in World War II.  Robert was born on August 19, 1917 in Daytona Beach, Florida, the son of Charles H. Wyman and Leila Potts.  He is buried in Roselawn Cemetery, Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida.  The same cemetery as his mother-in-law, Mary Rubik Kovacs.

    There is no burial information for Rosalie.  Perhaps she is buried beside her husband at Roselawn.  

 

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2020, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser