How far back do love stories go? In my family they go back to 1875, the story of Charles Bella Gyorke, my third great Grandfather, is a story passed down through generations.
Charles Gyorke (name later changed to George) from Budapest, Hungary was married to Maria Zeigler, they had five children. They immigrated over in 1903 and they lived in a small town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In 1915 Mary died, leaving Charles to care for five children.
Charles was a railroad conductor, he made $2.00 a day. This was enough money to pay for his lunch every week, not take care of children. His oldest would tend to a garden, sew and make ends meet while he was gone. In 1916 Charles placed an ad in the newspaper that he was looking for a wife to care for his five children. He met Rosa Gozovitz, and in June of 1917 they were married.
This love story isn’t over just yet…
Rosa’s family owned a dry cleaners in St. Petersburg, Florida. Charle’s daughter Lydia worked there during the summers.
Francis Joseph Lynch the Son of John and Annistatia Lynch from Greencastle, Indiana, joined the Army in 1916. He was stationed in St. Petersburg, Florida. One weekend he took his uniform to the cleaners and met the love of his life.
Lydia and Francis married on January 8th 1927 and six months later my grandfather John was born.
My Great Grandpa Lynch was an amazing man. He and Lydia moved to Texas in 1930 where they owned a hotel. Each Christmas they would host a parade down the road leading to the hotel. Francis would be dressed up as Santa Clause and Lydia as Mrs. Clause. They would host a party in the lobby of the hotel with a great big tree and pass out gifts to the children.
There are so many stories of my great Grandpa Lynch and his heritage lives on in my blood and my heart. I hope to one day share this heritage with my children the way my mother and aunt shared them with me.
~Candice C Carver
While I’ve never dressed up as Mrs. Claus, I love the history of family ties behind this post and I am warmed by the knowing that this family still lives on in you.
What a beautiful love story, Candace. I wish I had some stories like this from my family, but I was never told any. I only knew one of my grandparents, Lizzy Griffin. I remember that she dipped snuff and believed in ghost, or “hants” as she called them. She also never learn to drive because she was afraid of cars. I remember that I that I did not want to be afraid of new things when I grew up.
You come from some solid stock Candice ! It shows up in your dedication to causes bigger than us, it takes in more humanity, it lives in the acts that you give freely from your heart. You are the new stock. Your grandparents would be proud!