Janos and Therese, click to expand
JANOS NAGY, MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER
Janos (meaning John in Hungarian), came from southern Hungary, Torontal county. He immigrated to Canada in advance of his family. His wife and children followed with his father in 1903. I have not uploaded a ship record for Janos yet as I have not confirmed absolutely that I have the right one.
Janos (meaning John in Hungarian), came from southern Hungary, Torontal county. He immigrated to Canada in advance of his family. His wife and children followed with his father in 1903. I have not uploaded a ship record for Janos yet as I have not confirmed absolutely that I have the right one.
Map of Torontal County Hungary
The Janos Nagy family emigrated from Torontal County Hungary. Click the historic county map to the left to enlarge it. When Hungary's borders were reduced after WWI, the area that was previously known as Torontal County Hungary became Serbia and Romania. A small portion in the northern section of the county remained in Hungary. The Nagy and Olajos families place of origin therefore became known as Yugoslavia post-WWI. When reviewing Teresa's page on this website, you will see the immigration forms of her siblings which pinpoint them in Yugoslavia and her Hamburg ship record which states her birthplace is Urmenyhaza Hungary(which became Jermenovci Serbia). The map below can be clicked for zooming and it shows the town they came from, Urmenyhaza, circled in purple.
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The region changed names a number of times:
Chronology, appellation, supreme rulers of the general territory and township administration:
Chronology, appellation, supreme rulers of the general territory and township administration:
- 1817–1867: Ürmenhausen – Austrian Empire – Kingdom of Hungary – Local County Administration
- 1867–1918: Ürményháza – Austro-Hungarian Empire – Kingdom of Hungary – Local County Administration on Hungarian Crown land.
- 1918: Irmenjhaza (Ирмењхаза) – Kingdom of Serbia – Banat, Bačka and Baranja – Local District Administration
- 1918–1921: Irmenjhaza (Ирмењхаза) – Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes – Local District Administration
- 1921–1941: Jermenovci (Јерменовци) – Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kingdom of Yugoslavia) – Local District, Oblast and Banovina Administration
- 1941–1944: Jermenovci (Јерменовци) – Serbia – Local Banovina and District Administration
- 1944–1992: Jermenovci (Јерменовци) – Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – Local Provincial Administration
- 1992–2006: Jermenovci (Јерменовци) – Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) – Local Provincial Administration
- After 2006: Jermenovci (Јерменовци) – Republic of Serbia – Local Provincial Administration
Homestead History
Janos settled on several different plots of land over the early years. I've made a map to keep track of their homesteads. It may be helpful to refer to it while reading the section on the short family history since it verbally describes the family's movement and the map provides a visual to follow along with. The dates were taken from the Wakaw history book, "A Land Harvested by Faith".
Below is the homestead application that Janos filed on NW 14-42-26. It is the second from the bottom line.
Page 1 Homestead app | |
File Size: | 976 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
Page 2 Homestead app | |
File Size: | 961 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
A 2017 visit to the Nagy homestead at NW 14-42-26
Thanks to directions from Mary Porter's son Selby we were able to find the old homestead, still standing outside of the town of Wakaw, SK. Janos and Therese and kids lived in this home until 1918 when they moved closer to Lepine, SK. We went in the main floor and took some photos and then from the exterior my brother held up a selfie-stick to the upper floor to snap some photos of the top level. The images of wallpaper are actually taken from the ceiling in the kitchen, not the walls.
Short family history compiled by family members
The following attachment is taken from the book "A land harvested by faith 1884-1984 Wakaw". Families from the town of Wakaw wrote their respective family histories, outlining their settlement in the area and their descendants. The story of Janos and Theresa is first, followed by the family history of their son Joe Nagy.
nagy_family_history__1_.pdf | |
File Size: | 9298 kb |
File Type: |
A visit to NW 21-42-26, the current location of Janos and Therese's final home outside Wakaw, SK
When we came to learn that Janos and Therese's final home was moved off of their land in Lepine by their grandson Marcel, my parents stopped by recently and asked the current resident if they could take some pictures of the outside. She was very welcoming and insisted they come in and also take photos of the inside. The house has many of the original features including windows, doors, and staircase. To this present day, the only source of heat is the woodstove. If you look carefully, you'll see the stove pipe coming up through the upper bedroom.
Canadian census records
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The family is enumerated at line 25. They are listed as having 2 cows, 9 "other meat or cattle" and 3 hogs.
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Janos is listed as "Jannosh" "Node" instead of Janos Nagy; along with his wife Teresa and children Elizabeth, Victor (son), Agnes, Joseph, John, and Maria. Janos is listed as becoming a naturalized Canadian in 1906. They are listed as speaking Hungarian but not knowing how to read or write. This is the second document that lists Victor as a son instead of Victoria as a daughter. The first document to list this was their Hamburg ship record (link on Theresa's page).
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The family is enumerated at line 32. Janos is listed as becoming naturalized in 1905.
Janos and Terese are listed as not knowing how to read or write. |
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The family is the first to be enumerated on this 1921 census record.
The family is listed on row 26, John (54) and wife Teresa (47) and children Agnes (22), Joe (20), Mary (17), John (15). |
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Janos passed away at the age of 78 in 1945 in Yellow Creek. They list two daughters and a son as passing away before him in this Wakaw Recorder newspaper article.
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Janos' father, Janos Nagy
Click to expand
Janos is buried in the United Cemetery outside Wakaw. The photo below shows the location of the tombstone along the fence line. This tombstone's location was noted in Esther's notes.