♥♥My Maternal Grandma♥♥

At the age of 14, Sophie married Mikolaj Nicolas Mazur, a Polish immigrant from Russian occuppied Poland, who had been a boarder in her parent's home.
The child bride and her husband lived in Pennsylvania where Michael worked as a coal miner. Their first child, Michael weighed 15 lbs. and died at birth. Sophie was only 15 at the time and the doctor was inexperienced with a baby that large, so the baby's skull was crushed. After a few years, their family did grow when Mary was born in 1917. She then gave birth to Joe and Tom.

Sadly, while she was pregnant with their fifth child she lost her husband in a coal mine accident. Stanley, was born a few months after his father's death. The family then moved to Detroit, Michigan. In Detroit, there was more opportunity for a young widow with 4 small children to survive, than in the mining towns of Pennsylvannia that Sophie was born & raised in.

Sophie was briefly married to Barney Obuch in Detroit and their only child, a girl they named Verna, died at birth. According to the story Sophie told, when the insurance money from Michael's accident was gone, so was Barney.

Sophie then met Piotr Kowalski, an immigrant from Lublin, Poland. During their common law marriage they had 5 children; Sophia, Frances, John, Eddie and Stevie, who died when he was 8 months old.

Sophie and Piotr worked as share croppers, so the family traveled throughout Michigan.

Eventually, Piotr left and she raised her 8 children by herself in Detroit's Poletown.

Although she lived a very difficult life, Sophie lived to the age of 90 and was able to see many of her 38 grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren grow up to live full and happy lives.

Sophie was predeceased by her sons Joe Mazur and Eddie Kowalski. Joe died from a heart attack & Eddie died in a horrific car accident when his car collided with a milk truck. These 2 tragedies deeply affected her for the rest of her life.

She was also predeceased by her parents, Jozef and Josephine Gabrysh, all of her siblings; Frances Skuza, Mary Novak, Antoni, Walter, & Anna, and Piotr Kowalski.

Only 2 of Sophie's children are still living.
Stanley Mazur, my Uncle, & Sophia Koper, my Mom.

I have listed all her children that have passed, except for Michael & Verna on Find A Grave.

Grandma, you had quite the life! I wish I had thought to ask more questions.♥♥