Angela (Sliwa) Sleevar

Note from Irene to her grandson David for the autobiography he was writing for a 4th grade project. Great grandma Angela Sleevar came to the U.S. in 1902 from Poland with grandpa Sleevar and settled in Chicago where there was a large Polish community. In 1908 they moved to Bloomington, Illinois where she raised her six children.

Angela had a wonderful gift for knitting and crocheting, canning, and growing a garden. Her daughter would say that a flower never came into the house, that her mother wouldn't plant in the garden. She also made her own dandilion wine.

An email from John Sleevar, Anton youngest son, to Rita on 1 19 2009

Note from Rita: I contacted Uncle John Sleevar when I could only find Anton Sliwa and not Angela at EllisIsland.org. I found Anton Sliwa arrived on May 20, 1905. A tailor, last resident Milowka Poland who was headed for Grand Rapids. The only other person I found from Milowka was in 1907 when Amelia came over. I asked John whether Amelia was my grandmother or Anton's sister? Following is Uncle John's account.

My mom your grandmother came over 4 years after my dad. Dad was a tailor, conscripted into the Russian Army during the many incursions into Poland. He went AWOL and found his way to the U.S. [Arr'd May 20, 1905 on the Prinzess Alice) Aunt Alice was named after the ship that brought my dad. He did go to Grand Rapids then to Chicago and to Bloomington. Mom was born in a little village of the Czech Polish border. Only 8 houses. Daughter Vickie and her former husband were with the State Department and lived in Warsaw for about 3 yrs. Joan [John's wife] and Teresa [John's daughter] and I visited Poland and went to see my cousin in Krakow and he told me about the little village that mom and his mother were born. In fact he spent his summer there. I don't know how my parents met and there is so much I would like to know. Marian [Aunt Marian, John's sister] and I talk about it often. I know that mom lived with Dad's Mother & Father while he was in the US. It is sad that more info is not available. Dad never called mom Angela but Amelia so that was her name on the records. Teresa was at Ellis several yrs ago and found the same records you did. Don't know how one goes back and finds more. Dad always claimed that he had an Aunt who the 1st maid in waiting to the last Queen of Poland. So our family has associated with Queens & Kings.