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.
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.
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.
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