John Shlemon

John Shlemon was born in Urmia, Persia in either 1898 or 1899.

John Shlemon and his sister Daisy Babian traveled on the SS Hellig Olav from Christiana (Oslo, Norway) on January 16, 1917 and arrived in New York on January 27, 1917. According to John Shlemon's niece Irene (daughter of Daisy), they traveled through Russia prior to departing from Norway. Irene also remembered hearing that John Shlemon lost the money he was supposed to use to get to America so he had to borrow some from his Russian Orthodox priest uncle, Bishop John. Two other interesting points about the ship manifest are:

1. They are traveling to Yonkers, NY to meet a friend David Eshoo. I do not know who this David Eshoo is, however cousins Nathaniel and Sophie Shlemon are also traveling on this same ship and going to join "Cousin David Eshoo."
2. John Shlemon, his sister, and Nathaniel and family were detained in NY due to LPC (Liable to become a public charge) meaning they were first denied entry to their lack of sustainable living means.

Once in the USA, John (about 18 years old), and Daisy (about 11 years old) were reunited with their mother, Judith Shlemon who had immigrated to the USA around 1912 or 1913. By the following year, John's mother was remarried to Oshana Georges and John had quickly had two half siblings, Sari, and George Georges.

Then in 1921, John was reunited with his other sister, Sandra Baba who was about 16 or 17 years old when she arrived in the US.

John Shlemon met his wife Suria Shlemon when Suria was visiting neighbors of someone that John was visiting. John Shlemon's sister Daisy said that she would be good for him.

John and Suria lived at 456 Center St (later known as Armitage Ave.) in Chicago at the time of their daughter Mabel's birth in 1923.

By 1930 they had moved to 4973 Kolmar in Chicago. John and Suria lived at this home with children Mabel (until she moved to Skokie with her husband) and Paul until 1956 when they moved to Morton Grove, IL. John Shlemon found this house at 4937 Kolmar while out for a walk (while visiting the Shomon's, his in-laws a couple streets away Kentucky Ave.) and decided to buy it without even asking his wife. While living here on Kolmar they also lived across the street from Suria's mother Rahkey's sister Anna's family who were living at 4968 Kolmar.

In 1956, John's sister Daisy Babian bought the house on Kolmar and John Shlemon and wife Suria moved to 8305 Gross Point Road in Morton Grove, IL. Suria and John both lived in those home for the rest of their lives (1961 and 1986).

John Shlemon wife Suria died in 1961 and he was married to Penna Shlemon from about 1967 until her death in 1983.

John Shlemon died on November 18, 1986 and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery next to his first wife Suria.

USA, Federal Census, 1950 (image 24): https://1950census.archives.gov/search/?state=IL&county=Chicago, Cook&ed=103-3600#.Ykcj_YLGcjp.link