Notes for Helen Catherine Korejwo: Patty: "Nanny" as I affectionally called my grandmother, was the main source of the information for the Korejwo and Lakatosh Families. I recorded what she stated as accurately as I understood. I apologize for any mistakes and I continue to welcome additional and updated information from family and friends who knew our ancestors.
Helen was born in Cumbru Township, Reading. She lived on South 10th Street with her parents. She had a closer relationship to her father than with her mother. Helen had brown eyes.
The family had a chicken shed in the back yard. Helen had a pet pig. She learned to sew at a young age. When she was 10 years old, she would sew to earn spending money.
She married John Lakatosh and they bought their home at 427 South 9th Street, Reading. They raised 2 children - Chester and Virginia. Her mother Catherine Korejwo lived with them at 427 South 9th Street after her father, Frank Korejwo died.
She worked full time at Vanity Fair Factory (underware and lingerie garments) on a merrow sewing machine for 20 years. She also worked other factories as sewing machine operator. She liked making clothes for herself. She liked jewelry, and had her ears pierced when she was in her 60's because she became tired of clip-on earrings.
Helen liked taking her daughter to the movies when Virginia was a child. Sometimes they would walk by the factory where her dad worked just so Virginia could saw Hi to her Daddy.
Helen, her mother (Catherine), and daughter, Viriginia, would embroider dollies while listening to the radio programs - no TVs yet.
She always made a delicious meal when she entertained family. She enjoyed handwriting recipes in a spiral notebook which she gave to me, granddaughter Patty. She liked to eat chocolate candy. She adored her grandchildren and loved to "spoil" them as she would say. We knew she was proud of us by her smile and the joy we saw her show. She would send a dollar in an envelope to us occasionally. She would also save up enough money to buy us US Savings Bonds. This was a tradition that she continued for her great-grandchildren too.
She was a hard working person. She and Dad-do would frequently spend weekends at daughter, Virginia and Donald's to help care for Mary Ann and I, do laundry, ironing, cleaning, and help prepare meals. In her free time, she'd watch General Hospital soap opera, play Solitaire card game, play word games, or wrte lists of words beginning with a certain letter. If shewere to babysit us, she would usually let us stay up as late as we wanted as long as we scurried off to bed when our parents pulled into the driveway.
She liked walking in the shopping malls and especially looking at jewelry shops or bolts of materials as she gathered ideas for her next sewing project.
She enjoyed going along on vacations with our family. We would go to the Jersey Shore, Washington DC, and several times to Michigan - where she would enjoy visiting with her sister-in-law, Sophie and family.
When she became ill, she stayed at daughter's house in the living room. Later, she had to receive around-the-clock care and agreed to live in the Geriatrics Home. Our family would visit with her when we were in town.
Sarah and Susie would hug her and once Annie played her violin for her and Andrew like pushing her wheelchair.
What fond memories we have of Nanny!
More About Helen Catherine Korejwo: Burial: Unknown, Gethsemane Chapel Mausoleum, Laureldale, PA.
More About Helen Catherine Korejwo and John Lakatosh: Marriage: July 15, 1925, St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Reading, PA.
Children of Helen Catherine Korejwo and John Lakatosh are:
Helen Catherine Korejwo (b. July 10, 1906, d. April 11, 1995)
Notes for Helen Catherine Korejwo: