This photo was taken in 1928 and captures what is described as a Kayville and Avonlea drama company. Maybe you can tell me more but I have to go with that simple description and assume that these people performed Romanian music and dancing. What fun!
I have two sources for the names so I hope they are all correct. If I have not properly named the people in the photo please contact me and I will correct it! There are two versions of this photo taken that day which I am aware of. I have spent the most time cleaning up this version so I am using it.
If you would like to see a larger version just click on the photo or click here.
People in the Photo
1. William "Bill" N. Zaremba. About sixteen years old in this photo. He went on to marry Sanfira "Sarah" Avram and raise four children.
2. George Petruic, that moustache makes the whole photo as far as I am concerned. Love your style, sir! George was about seventeen years old in this photo. His age makes the moustache just that little more impressive.
3. Costan Shuyan was born in Romania. He was the brother of Sylvester (#22). He went on to marry Rosalie Vichic.
5. Philip “Phil” Joseph Popescu was about twenty-five years old in this photo. He was likely already married to Ravika "Ruby" (#19).
6. Dan Zaremba, I have a number of "Dan" Zaremba's occurring in the information I have gathered. I have no idea which of them is #6 in this photo. Help!
7. William "Bill" Petrescu
8. Alexander “Alec” Kroitori “Taylor” would have been about twenty-one years old in this photo. He was born in the Suceava region of Romania. He went on to marry Annie Oglan.
9. Michael "Mike" Donison, youngest brother of Dimitri "Dan" (#13) and Vasile "Wesley" (#31). He was born in Canada and was about twenty-three years old and single in this photo. In another three years he would marry Mary (#27). I wonder if he knew it when the photo was taken?
10. Nick Neamtzu, brother to Grace (#26). He would have been about twenty-one in this photo. He was born in Romania and immigrated to Canada with his family when he was five. He was single in this photo but in four more years he would wed Verona "Vera" Cojocar. Together they would raise four children.
11. John Zaremba was born in Canada and would have been sixteen years old in the photo. He eventually married Anne “Annie” Pascu.
12. Ewdochia Bilusack nee ???, married to George Bilusack
13. Dimitri "Dan" Donison was born in Romania and would have been around forty years old in this photo. He was the older brother to Vasile "Wesley" (#31) and Michael "Mike" (#9). At the age of thirteen he immigrated to Canada with his parents. He was married to Paraschiva “Rose” “Rosie” (#15) and together they raised six children to adulthood.
14. Unknown woman
15. Paraschiva “Rose” “Rosie” Donison nee Popescue, married to Dimitri "Dan" (#13). She was born in Romania and would have been approximately thirty-two in this photo. She gave birth to seven children and raised six to adulthood.
16. Raveca "Rebecca" Berar Donison nee Marcenko, mother of Sabetta "Alice" (#25) and Maria "Mary" (#29). She was born in Romania and was about thirty-seven years old when the photo was taken. She emigrated to the USA with her family when she was nine. They lived in North Dakota for a short while before immigrating to Canada when she was about sixteen. Her husband of sixteen years Nicolai "Nick" had died during Christmas the previous year (read more in Funeral of Nicolai Donison). She had given birth to seven children by the time of this photo, six of which survived. The following year she would marry Dimitrie "Daniel" Berari who was working for her as a hired hand to run the farm. Together they would have one more child.
17. Floarea "Katie" Petrescu. Do you know more about her? I don't have anything more than just the name. One source says Floarea. The other says Katie.
18. Traian Vulc, Director of this drama troupe
19. Ravicka “Ruby” Popescu nee Avram was born in Canada and would have been around seventeen in this photo. She would marry Philip "Phil" (#5) and raise four children together.
20. Alice Bulai nee Bilusak
21. Annie Petrescu says one source. Kate Petrescu says the other. I'm at a loss. Can you help?
22. Sylvester Shuyan was born in Romania. He was the brother of Costan (#3).
23. Maria "Mary" Petrescu nee ???, married to Meta Petrescu
24. Nicutz Mosoaliuc or Nicutsa Moscaluik, a well-known fiddle player in the region. He was also the fiddler for another group, Arcaşul Romanian Dance Troupe II (1935). Read more about him in Good Evening, Honourable Guests!
25. Sabetta “Alice” Vacarciuc nee Donison, oldest child of Raveca "Rebecca" (#16), older sister of Maria "Mary" (#29). Would have been about eighteen years old in this photo. The following year she would marry Nick Vacarciuc. Together they would raise four children.
26. Grace Cozac nee Neamtzu, sister to Nick (#10). Was born in Romania and immigrated to Canada with her family when she was about one year old. In the photo she would be about seventeen years old. In three more years she would marry Arthur "Art" Cozac and raise nine children.
27. Mary Donison nee Roteluik, would become wife of Michael "Mike" (#9) in three more years.
28. Annie Flamand nee Flutur says one source, Annie Flaman nee Fluter says the other. Can you tell me more?
29. Maria "Mary" Cojocar nee Donison, second oldest child of Raveca "Rebecca" (#16), sister of Sabetta "Alice" (#25). Mary was about fifteen years old in this photo. In four more years she would marry Vasile "Wesley" Cojocar and give birth to three children - raising two to adulthood.
30. Helen Pandachuk nee Roteliuk
31. Vasile "Wesley" Donison, brother of Dimitri "Dan" (#13) and Vasile "Wesley" (#31). There were a number of Wesley Donisons all born around the same time. I am not totally confident that I have linked to the right one. Can you tell me?
32. Constantine "Casey" Morosan or Moroshan. The other picture version has a much better photo of him than this one.
33. Steve Delnea. Appears in this version of the photo but not in the other one.
Not in this version of the photo: Dumitru Flutur.
Not in this version of the photo: Mary Gafencu nee Tatar
