Person:Andrew Velebir (1)

Andrew Velebir was born in Streator, Illinois to immigrant parents, Jan Velebir and Anna Ihnat. Jan and Anna were in Illinois for the birth of their first son, John, and their second son, Andrew. Apparently, they moved to Montana before the first daughter, Anna, was born. After Anna's birth, Jan and Anna apparently moved back to the old country--in what is now called Slovakia. Their other children were born there. Information is sketchy but John and Andrew, and possibly Anna, may have remained in the United States with other relatives.

In 1913, Andrew applied for a U.S. passport. According to family history, he planned to return to the old country to find a wife. But when he arrived in Bergen, N.J., relatives there convinced to wait as a former neighbor's daughter was soon to arrive in the United States. Supposedly, Mary Sabanosh traveled alone at the age of 18 to arrive at Ellis Island in the fall of 1913; however, record of her arrival at Ellis Island has not yet been located. She and Andrew were married on 13 Jan 1914 in New Jersey. By 1918 when their first son, Rudolph was born, Andrew and Mary had moved to Sand Coulee, Montana where he worked the coal mines. In 1919, their daughter Mary was born. In 1921, Andrew Jr. was born and a short time later, the family relocated to Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Again, Andrew Sr. worked in the coal mines. The family stayed in Hazelton until 1930 (based on census records) and were still in the area during WWII when both Rudolph and Andrew Jr. enlisted in the military.

I have not yet determined why or when the family moved to Fairfax City. I do know that my father, Andrew Jr. married in 1947. He and his bride lived with his parents during the first years of their marriage.

--Stormcastle48 23:51, 16 June 2009 (EDT)