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My Great Grandparents' Immigration
As told by Thomas Savin's daughter Tatiana Savin Deli to Nikolas Eder (her son)
Thomas Savin was born in 1893 in Minsk, Belarus. He came to America by himself in a boat sometime around 1912 and went to live in Cleveland, Ohio. When he arrived his name was changed from "Foma" to Thomas. His family was happy that he wanted to go to live in a better place. He wanted to get away from the Bolshevik (Russian) Revolution and to get a better education so he could have a better life. His goal in life when he came here was to become a teacher. When he came to America he stayed with another Russian family which helped him adjust to American life. Also there was a house of worship for Thomas. His brother, Spiridon also came to America at another time but had returned to Belarus.
Thomas liked the American lifestyle a lot because everything was plentiful, but he also thought Americans bought too many things they did not need. He decided to stay here because life was better here than in Belarus. In Belarus he lived on a farm in a log cabin. By 1932 Thomas arranged for his wife Margaret to come to America. One of his good experiences was he was that he could attend college, learn, adjust to the American way of life, and speak, read, and write in English. Thomas became a citizen and was very proud of himself.
Thomas was very happy he came to America but he did return to Belarus to visit. He kept in touch by letter. Traditions we still have today are Russian Easter, Russian Christmas and we go to a Russian Church.
This is a letter that was sent to my family.
| Dear
Mr. Savin,
I am your remote relative from Russia, George Fakhordinov. I am your brother Zakhar Savin's grandson. I live in the Moscow region in Kaliningrad town and work here in a scientific research institute. I have a wife children and grand children. I am an Orthodox. I graduated from the Moscow University, in the Oceanology department. I took part in research work in the Atlantic Ocean on the ship "Sedov" in 1957. I was told about you by my mother Maria Savina, Zakhar Savin's daughter. She gave me your photo, made in 1930, when you had visited Russia. My mother is 88 now, she lives in Belorussia in Valevachi village. She remembers you staying at her father's on one of your visits to Russia. She was a child then. You are still remembered in the village. I was at mother's in Belorussia not long ago on a Memorial day. We went to the cemetery in the neighboring village Stamoro where your brothers Ilia and Jury and sister Aksinya are buried. Zakhar Savin went to his sons in Kamchatka after the war and was buried there in the village "Kliuchi" and now we have no relatives there.
Your brother Spiridon Savin lived in the center of Moscow after his returning
to Russia. When a student I was often welcome to his house.
He told me much about you. Once he showed me your daughter's picture.
She was a happy girl in a white dress with a diploma. Spiridon Savin
died in 1957. He did not have any children of his own.
I would be happy to know about the relatives in the U.S.A. I think it is possible now after the relations between our countries have changed. I would be grateful to those of your relatives who will answer my letter. With my best regards to you, your relative, |
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Important People
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