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The Missing Years
One Little Theory
Cousin Frank Banyai's painstaking research
over 10 years pieced together the following tableau of events of his namesake's
adventures from the time he left his native Hungary to when he returned to her.
This table documents a series of hearings at the
Nyiregyhaza County Seat where Ferenc's draft status is resolved to
pave the way for his return.
| Facts & Dates |
| 29 Sep 1885 |
Death of Matyas GRUNBAUM
(aka Deborah Julia BRUDER) |
| 1891 |
Profession of Mrs. Matyas GRUNBAUM listed
as "steam and mechanical mills" |
| 27 February 1893 |
Arrival at Ellis Island, NYC
on steamship Braunschwieg of Bremen |
| 14 July 1899 |
Hearing in Nyiregyhaza lists him as a
New York resident.
(note: no mention of the word current) |
| 11 August 1899 |
Hearing continues in Nyiregyhaza in
Breuer Ferenc matters (no further details) |
| 2 December 1899 |
Nyiregyhaza hearing waives military
duty obligation. |
| 23 October 1900 |
Death of Deborah
GRUNBAUM. |
| 26 March 1901 |
Listed as
Újfehértó resident according
to hearing waiving the usual notice of marriage |
| 29 Mar 1901 |
Ferenc BREUER marries Amalia
GRUNBAUM.
Ignac KATZ (brother-in-law, next door neighbor and mill co-owner) and
Ignac GRUNBAUM listed as witnesses. |
| 26 Feb 1902 |
Ferenc's profession listed as
"steam-mill owner" on Juliana's birth
certificate." |
| 21 May 1915 |
Birth of Erzebet BREUER (possible date of
mill fire) |
A THEORY: Cousin Frank always laughs at my
million theories, but here is the way I see that it happened: In
1885, the mill owner, Matyas GRUNBAUM dies and starts his widow is looking for a
good matches for her daughters. Eight years later, Ferenc BREUER hightails
it out of Hungary to dodge the draft when a war breaks out. Ferenc claims it's
because of the
Army chow (which isn't kosher), but probably it's because he simply
doesn't want to "die for the Empire". Ferenc hears that a
simple laborer can make 4 times wages in America. Why, he might even get
rich enough to buy a big house or even a farm when he comes back. Ferenc
hitches a ride on the train to the nearest seaport meeting another Hungarian on
the way. In Bremen, they convince some wealthy Germans to take them on as
servants in exchange for steamship passage to America. In New York, Franz,
as he is now called, picks up a little polish working as a butler for the
wealthy family. But eventually, Franz shifts from one job to another as
laborer or waiter. He eventually gets homesick and arranges a marriage
back in Hungary. Since everyone assumes he made a lot of money in America,
he is able to arrange a good dowry, 1/2 a flower mill from the GRUNBAUM Widow
for her daughter. Ferenc decides not to let on that he wasn't that rich in
America, and he uses the Aristocratic polish he learned as a "gentleman's
gentleman" to play the part of the country squire in Újfehértó.
All this works fine until the mill burns down. But it works out well anyway
for Ferenc as Mali, not the dowry, is the real treasure of the marriage.
Sources:
[1] Frank BANYAI
[2] George SARLO notes (taken from Cila SARLO)
[3] Kato BREUER (oral)
[4] Braunschweig ships manifest for 27 Feb 1893
[5] 1891 Industry & Trade Directory
[6] Újfehértó Jewish
birth/marriage/death register 1852-1895 (LDS Film)
[7] Taped telephone interview of Kato done by Paul on April 12, 1998
[8] Video tape interview of Kato done by Agi & Peter on October 10, 1992
[9] Post 1895 Ujfeherto Civil Registration, Niregyhaza Archive
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