Macedonian Orthodox Cemetery in Ford City, PA

[Niko777]

Memorial to Macedonian Americans from 1919 in Ford City, PA



Macedonian Orthodox Cemetery est. October 18, 1925 in Ford City, PA



Many people from Bitolsko (Bareshani, Lavci), Ohridsko, Lerinsko, and Vodensko are buried here.

Some photos (too many to post):

Grave of Dello Ivanoff from Voden



Lazaroffs from Bareshani, Bitolsko




Mitze Nikoloff from Bizivo (spelling error?)



Naum Filipou from "Bitola of Macedonia" (rare that it is written entirely in Greek), Died 1915




Gligor Antonoff from Ohrid

[Risto the Great]

So maybe Tito has lived forever and was in the USA at that time. That would explain it.

Great post.

[Gocka]

The last guy from Ohrid was born 9 years before Tito was born.

So a 100 plus years ago, bombarded by anti Macedonian propaganda, people still knew who they were. 100 years later, with all the information you need at your fingertips and yet here we are.

I still can't come to grips with where we are and how we got here.

[Karposh]

These are the quiet Macedonians that completely destroy Greek and Bulgarian propaganda. I can't remember the name of the U.S. town/city but I recall reading about Eugene Borza being taken completely by surprise when one of his university students informed him that in the local cemetery there existed people who identified as Macedonians and have Macedonia as their place of birth on their tombstones even though they were buried in the late 1800's or early 1900's. This evidence, no doubt, shattered Borza's notion of the Macedonian identity being a modern invention by Tito and, I have a feeling, it was the catalyst for his future works on Ancient Macedonia where he no longer buys into Greek propaganda about the Greekness of the Ancient Macedonians (not that he ever did I suspect).

[Chicho Makedonski]

Just curious as to why the surnames of the people end with ‘off’ and not ‘ov’. I know ‘ov’ or ‘ev’ were more common and favoured than ‘ski’ before Macedonia was an offical state and country where the Macedonians were free, but what’s with the ‘off’?

I’m a young Macedonian and want to learn more about Macedonian history and I’ve hardly seen any Macedonians with ‘off’. Just curious as to why it’s common in America on the graves.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Just curious as to why the surnames of the people end with ‘off’ and not ‘ov’. I know ‘ov’ or ‘ev’ were more common and favoured than ‘ski’ before Macedonia was an offical state and country where the Macedonians were free, but what’s with the ‘off’?

I’m a young Macedonian and want to learn more about Macedonian history and I’ve hardly seen any Macedonians with ‘off’. Just curious as to why it’s common in America on the graves.

Back in the day the -ov suffix was usually transliterated into English as -off. It gradually fell out of use following WWII but I know it's still sometimes used in North America.

[Niko777]

I can't remember the name of the U.S. town/city but I recall reading about Eugene Borza being taken completely by surprise when one of his university students informed him that in the local cemetery there existed people who identified as Macedonians and have Macedonia as their place of birth on their tombstones even though they were buried in the late 1800's or early 1900's.

Steelton, PA. This Macedonian community was mostly made up of Macedonians from Prilep. Here are some photos:

Nicholas Georgioff - MACEDONIAN - 1889-1912 from Pletvar, Prilepsko




Stoyon Petroff Died 1906 from MACEDONIA




Vasilika Nikolova Dimitrova 1891-1916 Prilep, Macedonia



Tsvetko Andonov from "Nebregovo, Macedonia" (1889 - 1927)




Mate Atanasoff and father Tode





Marko Hristov



Jordanoff Brothers



Menka and Yovan Kitanoff




Lenka Koneff



Tony Malegoff




George Minoff



Tony Naumpeff





Spiro Pedia

[Karposh]

Thanks for that Niko. Looks like not much has changed in 2,300 years. Judging by the wealth of evidence provided by Ancient Macedonian tombs, it seems the dying wish of an Ancient Macedonian soldier was to have his Macedonian ethnicity inscribed next to his name on his tombstone. In fact, it was actually quite common not to have the name of the soldier at all but simply Macedonian and the name of the soldier's birthplace. For example: Macedonian from Pella or Macedonian from Dion. And here we have Steelton in the U.S.A: Macedonian from Prilep. Not much has changed it seems.

[Gocka]

OMG!

Am I the only one who noticed that a vast majority of those Macedonians shown in Niko's pictures died in their 20's and 30's, one was 19 I believe. Only one was in her 80's and her husband in his 60's. A couple were in their 50's and everyone else was under 40.

I know life expectancy has gone up considerably but it couldn't have been that bad for every community?

[Risto the Great]

I noticed that. We're living longer nowadays. No doubt about it.

[VMRO]

OMG!

Am I the only one who noticed that a vast majority of those Macedonians shown in Niko's pictures died in their 20's and 30's, one was 19 I believe. Only one was in her 80's and her husband in his 60's. A couple were in their 50's and everyone else was under 40.

I know life expectancy has gone up considerably but it couldn't have been that bad for every community?

Yeah i noticed that, it was sad, particularly the Yordanoff brothers who died so young.

[vicsinad]

Yeah i noticed that, it was sad, particularly the Yordanoff brothers who died so young.

I wrote about the Steelton community in my David Nakoff book. Peter Yordanoff, drowned in the Conemaugh River in Johnstown, PA on the Fourth of July during American Independence Day celebrations.

Here's a list of just some Macedonians whose funerals Nakoff presided over:

• George Ignia, April 21, 1916. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Peter Jordanoff, drowned in the Conemaugh River in Johnstown on July 4, 1922 at the age 19. Baldwin Cemetery.
• John Dundoff, grocery store owner, November 8, 1924, age 55.
• Spiro Pedia, of the Steelton Serbian Orthodox Church, died of a stroke in late January, 1931, age 50. Steelton Cemetery.
• Marie Mircheff, died of prolonged illness on September 1, 1934, at age 14. Baldwin Cemetery.2
• Menka Kuleff, July 7, 1936, Baldwin Cemetery.
• Stanko Stefanovich, October 2, 1936, age 58. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Christ Yoneff, December 11, 1936, age 38. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Peter Vasiloff, July 20, 1937, age 58. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Dorne D. Kormushoff, October 26, 1937, age 70. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Frances Petroff, March 23, 1941, age 40. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Tony Spasoff, May 28, 1941, age 64. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Stojan Vujaklija, September 9, 1941. Oberlin Cemetery.
• Vaska Ilioff, April 20, 1943, age 60. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Blanche Kristoff, February 9, 1944, age 28. Baldwin Cemetery.

[Gocka]

I wrote about the Steelton community in my David Nakoff book. Peter Yordanoff, drowned in the Conemaugh River in Johnstown, PA on the Fourth of July during American Independence Day celebrations.

Here's a list of just some Macedonians whose funerals Nakoff presided over:

• George Ignia, April 21, 1916. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Peter Jordanoff, drowned in the Conemaugh River in Johnstown on July 4, 1922 at the age 19. Baldwin Cemetery.
• John Dundoff, grocery store owner, November 8, 1924, age 55.
• Spiro Pedia, of the Steelton Serbian Orthodox Church, died of a stroke in late January, 1931, age 50. Steelton Cemetery.
• Marie Mircheff, died of prolonged illness on September 1, 1934, at age 14. Baldwin Cemetery.2
• Menka Kuleff, July 7, 1936, Baldwin Cemetery.
• Stanko Stefanovich, October 2, 1936, age 58. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Christ Yoneff, December 11, 1936, age 38. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Peter Vasiloff, July 20, 1937, age 58. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Dorne D. Kormushoff, October 26, 1937, age 70. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Frances Petroff, March 23, 1941, age 40. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Tony Spasoff, May 28, 1941, age 64. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Stojan Vujaklija, September 9, 1941. Oberlin Cemetery.
• Vaska Ilioff, April 20, 1943, age 60. Baldwin Cemetery.
• Blanche Kristoff, February 9, 1944, age 28. Baldwin Cemetery.

Since you are the resident expert on such matters I wanted to ask you something.

What is the earliest born person you know of who was buried in the US in line with what Niko is posting? He had one there from 1883 I believe.

[Niko777]

Since you are the resident expert on such matters I wanted to ask you something.

What is the earliest born person you know of who was buried in the US in line with what Niko is posting? He had one there from 1883 I believe.

I'm sure Vic would agree with me that is almost impossible to determine because people did not always have their birth year on their tombstones. If we were to estimate I would say 1850s or 1860s is the earliest. But I think Stoyon Petroff who died 1906, is one of the first Macedonians who was buried in the USA, or is the oldest grave still intact

[Niko777]

Couple more from different areas:

Toronto, Canada:
Vasil "Vasie" Koleff from Statitsa, Kostursko, Macedonia (spelling errors)



Waukegan, Illinois:

Vane Tanasoff




Newark, Ohio:

"Here rests
Mr Stefo Kostoff

MAK. YA EVR."

Anyone know what "MAK. YA EVR." could possibly mean?



Loraine, Ohio

Tanas Seleff -Selo German, Makedonia (Died 1913)



Albion, Michigan
Nikolai Vasileff - selo Buf, Lerinsko, Makedonia 1899-1918