Person:Stephen Vajda (1)

  Featured Page: Week of March 14, 2011

About Stephen Vajda

Used the surname "White" frequently due to anti-immigrant pressure.^[3][12]

Played semi-professional baseball, probably for the Fibre Conduit Company of Orangeburg. Once pitched against Hall-of-Fame pitcher Leon Cadore at "Bell Anns" (an aspirin factory that had sports complex with Stephen's team's home field). Cadore is famous for pitching 26 consecutive innings in an extra-inning game in the majors–then a record. He went on to start and get a relief appearance in the 1920 World Series for the Brooklyn Robins, who later became the Brooklyn Dodgers. Cadore started game four against Hall-of-Famer Stan Coveleski. The Robins lost to the Cleveland Indians in seven games.^{[13][14][3][15][12]}

“During the winter of 1987, Grandpa was 89, and spent most of his time alone at his house in New Milford, NJ. My Dad was 64, and still taking small jobs with Uncle Bill. Dad tried to go over to Grandpa's every day during lunch, to visit and check on him. He started to notice an odor, and he knew it was familiar, but he just couldn't identify it. It was a sickish, sweet smell, and it got stronger over the weeks. Grandpa was always wrapped in a blanket, too. One day Dad and Uncle Bill just took the blanket off Grandpa, and found that his feet were rotting with gangrene! ...Dad and Uncle Bill were just horrified, and Dad couldn't believe he didn't remember where he knew that smell from- the rotting corpses in the war! They put Grandpa in a kitchen chair and carried him out to the van and went to Hackensack Hospital. Dad said the young "kid" doctor was in their faces, asking them how they could not know what shape their own father was in. Dad and Uncle Bill felt so ashamed. When Dad told Ray and I about it, he said; "what was I supposed to do, undress my own father?--he's a grown man!" Grandpa died within the week, I thought from a heart attack, but maybe just a massive infection. I don't know if he had diabetes, either. I guess Grandpa had just given up. Well, that's the story. I hope it doesn't depress you. I can still hear my Dad's voice, all excited and emotional, telling it to Ray and I. Your parents came for Grandpa's funeral, and Kim and I and Bruce were there, too.” - Susan Vajda^[16]

“...Grandpa still enjoyed a lot of things until that winter. Dad and Bonnie took him to the Lake all summer, where he used to work in that big vegetable garden all day, in a long-sleeved white shirt and straw hat. Before Dad retired, they had started taking him up there every weekend. Also, Uncle Bill and cousin Billy lived close by. He was pretty much of a loner, at least in old age.” - Susan Vajda^[17]

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 United States. 1930 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T626)
   Place: Dumont, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, Enumeration District No. 2-3?, Supervisor’s District No. 3, Apr 24, 1930.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index: Death Master File, database. (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service).

   Stephen VAJDA
   Birth Date: 20 Jul 1898
   Death Date: 6 Mar 1987
   Social Security Number: 130-14-2089
   State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: New York
   Death Residence Localities
   ZIP Code: 07646
   Localities: New Milford, Bergen, New Jersey

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7} Letter from Shirley Ann Vajda.
4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 Application for Social Security Account Number for Stephen J. Vajda, in United States. Social Security Records, United States Social Security Administration. (Baltimore, Maryland)
   Number: 130-14-2089, 1942.
   
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Letter from William Vajda.
6. ↑ Certificate and Record of Birth for Stephen Vajda, in New York, United States. Genealogy Records Resources, New York State Department of Health
   Registered No. 1115, Jan 8, 1899.
   
7. ↑ Marriage License for Stephen Vajda and Anna Yurina, in Rockland, New York, United States. Rockland County Clerk, Archives Unit
   Registered No. 4440, Affidavit No. 1284, Apr 8, 1922.
   
8. ↑ ^8.0 8.1 Marriage License for Stephen Vajda and Anna Yurina, in New York, United States. Genealogy Records Resources, New York State Department of Health
   No. 1284, Apr 16, 1922.
   Image:Vajda-StephenV&AnnaY-1922 NY Marriage License Affidavit.pdf
9. ↑ ^9.0 9.1 Stephen and Anna Vajda, in Find A Grave.

   http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6787449

10. ↑ Email from Kim Vajda.
11. ↑ Email from Joan Brooks, Rockland County Genealogist.
12. ↑ ^12.0 12.1 Letter from William Vajda (1).
13. ↑ Stephen Joseph Vajda Jr. A Canteen of Water and Some Ammo.
14. ↑ Stephen Joseph Vajda III Interview.
15. ↑ Leon Cadore, in Various. Retrosheet.org.

    http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/Pcadol101.htm

16. ↑ Susan Vajda. Email from Susan Vajda (2).
17. ↑ Susan Vajda. Email from Susan Vajda (3).
18. ↑ ^18.0 18.1 United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T624)
    Place: Orangetown Township, Rockland, New York, United States, Supervisor’s District No. 4, Enumeration District No. 112, Sheet No. 3A, Apr 19, 1910.
    
19. ↑ United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T623)
    Place: Rockland Lake, Clarkstown, Rockland, New York, United States, Supervisor's District No. 10, Enumeration District No. 60, Sheet No. 11, Jun 8, 1900.
20. ↑
21. ↑