Mystery

My grandfather was Russian. The family story is that he escaped from Russia hidden in a wagon of hay, made his way to Germany and crossed the Atlantic in one of the White Line ships, Olympic, in 1910. He arrived at Ellis Island at age 22, spent some time in Boston and went on to Chicago. Eventually he settled in Council Bluffs, Iowa and married my grandmother, Romana Cierlinski, a Polish immigrant.

They had 3 children: my uncle Walter, my mother Helen and my aunt Dolores. He was a chef at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. When my mother was around 18, he was killed crossing a street by a drunk driver. That is all I know.

My mother tells me that he spoke little of his background and like most immigrants in the early part of the 20th century, he just wanted to be American.

I am American because he was seeking a new life, or something better or more hopeful. The hay wagon story implies he was in danger. What would he fear so strongly he would leave his family, home and country and cross an ocean to a totally foreign country? Why come to America and not Germany or France or England?

My grandfather is my personal mystery. I am on a search for My Russian Roots.