Rose Pruseks Tusek Forrai Bockay, 1960's

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Subject: Rose Pruseks Tusek Forrai Bockay.

Date: 1960's.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Paternal Aunt and Grandmother

 

In the next few weeks, I will be sharing photographs of my paternal grandmother that were provided to me by my cousin Maria Sworske, that were from her mother Dawn and grandmother Margaret's collection.

 

This photograph was taken in the 1960's or early 1970's. I recognize the apartment of my grandmother. I recognize the wrist watch that she always wore. This photograph was taken in the small kitchen of her apartment. I remember the pots and pans hanging by the small stove and the dinette set to the right that sat by a window. I also remembered she lived near the airport and and you could hear the planes taking off and landing. I know this was an upstairs apartment in a home. I can not remember if it was on Sommers Avenue or Ramsey in Cudahy. I have many fond memories of visiting her and my aunt.

 

I welcome any additional comments or information from family and friends about this photograph.

Rose Pruseks Tusek Forrai Bockay, 1970's

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Subjects: Left to Right: Mary Forrai Nowakowski and Rose Pruseks Tusek Forrai Bockay.
Date: 1970's.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Paternal Aunt and Grandmother

In the next few weeks, I will be sharing photographs of my paternal grandmother that were provided to me by my cousin Maria Sworske.

This photograph was taken in the late 1970's. I recognize the house of my Aunt Mary. During this time, my grandmother spent quite a bit of her time with Aunt Mary. I have many fond memories of visiting her and my aunt.

I welcome any additional comments or information from family and friends about this photograph.

Wedding of Paul and Ann

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Subject: Paul August Bockay and Ann L. Schoblocher.
Date: February 16, 1946.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Wedding.
Photographer: Joseph Forrai.
Relationship: Paternal uncle and aunt.

While going through boxes, I found this photograph in an envelope. It is a small photograph approximately 1 x 2 inches.

I welcome comments from friends and family members who can provide information about this photograph.

A lesson in photography, circa late 1940's

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Dawn Paskowicz



Ann Bockay

Subject: Dawn Paskowicz and Ann Bockay.
Date: late 1940's.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Joseph Forrai.
Relationship: Aunt and Cousin from paternal side.

My father Joseph hand wrote the captions on the photographs. Per my cousin Dawn via email the young photographer was her, Dawn Paskowicz. The photographs were taken at Mary Nowakowski's house. Dawn remembers the chair.

I welcome comments from friends and family members who can provide information about the photographs.

Dawn Paskowicz, circa late 1940's

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Subject: Dawn Paskowicz.
Date: late 1940's.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Joseph Forrai.
Relationship: Cousin from paternal side.

The above two pictures I found in a box. They are of my Cousin Dawn from the late 1940's.

I welcome comments from friends and family members who can provide information about the photographs.

Joseph Forrai, circa 1934

Subjects: Fourth from the left, Joseph Forrai(age 21).

Date: 1934.

Occasion: Work Photograph.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father.

I have very little information regarding this photograph. I found this photograph in a box while going through my mother's belongings after her passing.

On the back of the photograph was written 'work 1934'. This photograph was most likely in the possession of my Grandmother Rose, and at one time passed to my father.

During this time, my father worked for Patrick Cudahy. Patrick Cudahy was a meat packer, and my father worked his way up to traffic manager. My father started at the company at age 16 in the mail room. My father only completed two years of high school, because his family was poor, he had to go and work to support his mother and siblings.

A traffic manager was responsible for the shipments of the product by truck, rail and even ships. Patrick Cudahy was a major player in shipping pork products both fresh and canned. My father continued to work for the company into the 1960's, until the company was sold and my father laid off.

Joe and his girlfriend

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Subjects: Joseph F. Forrai and his girlfriend.
Date: 1941.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. This is a photograph from the album made for me.

Well, most certainly I am glad that this relationship did not come to pass. Here again, we have a pre-WWII photograph of my father and his girlfriend. Off to war my father went, and young love died away. His girlfriend did not wait for my father's return, but found another. Had she waited, you would not be reading this, as I would not exist!

Joe and his dog.

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Subjects: Joseph F. Forrai Bockay and his dog.
Date: 1941.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. This is a photograph from the album made for me.

I only have a few pictures of my father from this era. The dog in this picture is named Spud. As a child, I heard many stories about this dog. It was my father's favorite dog. Unfortunately, WWII got in the way, so while the family at home cared for Spud, my father was many, many miles away.

Rose Forrai Bockay and friend

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Subjects: Rose Forrai Bockay and friend.
Date: 1940's.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Joseph Frank Forrai.
Relationship to me: Paternal Grandmother.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. This is a photograph from the album made for me.

This is one of the few photographs that I have of my paternal grandmother during this era. I do not recognize the lady that is seated next to my grandmother, but perhaps one of my relatives will and will comment on this post.

Best Friends

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Subjects: Steve Holasek and Joseph Frank Forrai(age 27).
Date: 1940.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. This is a photograph from the album made for me.

This is a photograph that I have of my father and his best friend, Steve Holasek in their adulthood. My father looks a lot happier as an adult then he did as a teenager. They remained friends throughout their entire lives. My dad told the story that Steve's dad was a moonshiner during prohibition. He eventually got caught, and was jailed. This put an economic hardship on Steve and his mother.

The Holaseks did have more money than my father's family. While my father longed to attend and graduate from college, this dream never did come true. Steve, on the other hand, attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison and obtained a Bachelor's degree. I remembered that Steve was married, but I believe they had no children. When I graduated from High School, Steve provided me with a very generous gift that help pay for my college education. Perhaps in a way he felt bad that he was able to attend college, but his best friend never had the chance.

In response to Karen's comment:

Steve Holasek was born July 13, 1913, and passed away in September 1987, 12 years before my father passed away. Steve's life had plenty of ups and downs. He was married and divorced. I remember him as a young adult living in a trailer park because he lost most of his fortune in the divorce. He would visit my father often, and I remember him having dinner with my folks and going out to eat with them.

Joseph Frank Forrai, The Photographer.

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Subject: Joseph Frank Forrai(age 26).
Date: 1939.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Occasion: The Photographer.
Photographer: Al Paskowicz.
Relationship to me: Father.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. This is a photograph from the album made for me.

For those of you who knew my father, you will always remember him having a camera in his hand. Photography was his favorite hobby. I think now with digital photography, he would be completely amazed.

Most of you reading this will probably have no idea of what my father is holding in his hand. If you guess camera, you are completely wrong. I will post the answer at the bottom of the page. My dad not only photographed, but also developed his pictures. In the house where I grew up, there was the darkroom designed and built by my father to his strict specifications. I can remember spending many hours observing as well as assisting my father in the making of prints. He preferred black and white, as color photographs manually is quite a labor and time consuming process.

In this photograph is a photometer to determine the light level of the room and subject. On the meter is a 'slide rule' that helped you decide what f-stop and aperture to use. What you take for granted in your digital camera, at one time you had to use your mind and hands to set the camera to obtain the best possible photograph. Photography was more of an art than a science.

My Uncle Al Paskowicz also shared the passion for photography, so my father had an ally for his passion.

Joe and another friend

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Subjects: Edwin Soel and Joseph Frank Forrai(age 16 years).
Date: 1929.
Occasion: Unknown.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. Since my father's side of the family was poor and large, there are not many photographs from my father's youth. In the next few weeks, I will be posting the few that I have. The Bockay/Forrai's could not afford to make copies, so snapshots were shared. Therefore, they have been scattered amongst the family.

If my father looks unhappy in these photographs, it is because he did not have an ideal childhood. His biological father, Louis Forrai, passed away in 1919 from the Flu Pandemic. The Hungarian community arranged the marriage between Paul Bockay and Rose Forrai. My father did not have a good relationship with his step father.

I was hoping to get some additional information from my relatives on the lives of my Step-Grandfather and Grandmother during this time. I have limited knowledge. I do know that my Grandparents ran a boarding house on Holmes Avenue in Cudahy, Wisconsin. In this photograph is Edwin Soel who was a boarder at the house. My father and Edwin were friends, but that is about all the information I have.

Later in life, my Grandmother rented the upstairs apartment in a residential home on Holmes Avenue. I remember as a child visiting her there.

Best Friends

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Subjects: Steve Holasek and Joseph Frank Forrai(age 15 years).
Date: 1928.
Occasion: Unknown.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. Since my father's side of the family was poor and large, there are not many photographs from my father's youth. In the next few weeks, I will be posting the few that I have. The Bockay/Forrai's could not afford to make copies, so snapshots were shared. Therefore, they have been scattered amongst the family.

If my father looks unhappy in these photographs, it is because he did not have an ideal childhood. His biological father, Louis Forrai, passed away in 1919 from the Flu Pandemic. The Hungarian community arranged the marriage between Paul Bockay and Rose Forrai. My father did not have a good relationship with his step father.

This is the earliest photograph that I have of my father and his best friend, Steve Holasek. They remained friends throughout their entire lives. My dad told the story that Steve's dad was a moonshiner during prohibition. He eventually got caught, and was jailed. This put an economic hardship on Steve and his mother.

The Holaseks did have more money than my father's family. While my father longed to attend and graduate from college, this dream never did come true. Steve, on the other hand, attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison and obtained a Bachelor's degree. I remembered that Steve was married, but I believe they had no children. When I graduated from High School, Steve provided me with a very generous gift that help pay for my college education. Perhaps in a way he felt bad that he was able to attend college, but his best friend never had the chance.

School Days

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Subjects: First row, 4th from left, Joseph Frank Forrai(age 14 years).
Date: 1927.
Occasion: 8th Grade Graduation.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother.  Since my father's side of the family was poor and large, there are not many photographs from my father's youth. In the next few weeks, I will be posting the few that I have. The Bockay/Forrai's could not afford to make copies, so snapshots were shared. Therefore, they have been scattered amongst the family.

I believe this is the 8th grade graduation photograph from my father's class. I know that dad continued school and was in high school. He would tell me stories that he excelled and was placed in higher level classes. He never told me whether he graduated. I have never found an actual high school diploma, nor any record of his graduation.

The story my father tells, is that he left school to work in the mail room of Patrick Cudahy, a meat packer. He eventually worked his way up to traffic manager, and that was his job when I was born. The company changed hands in the early 1960's, and that was when my dad left. From there he pursued real estate and construction. He was a licensed broker as well as realtor. Eventually he partnered, and ran a new residential home construction company until he retired at age 65.

Elizabeth Forrai Schelonka

Subject: Elizabeth Forrai Schelonka, age 15.

Occasion: Unknown.

Date: Summer 1926.

Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.

Photographer: Unknown.

Relationship to me: Paternal Aunt.

I found this photograph in a box after my mother had passed away. On the back of the photograph was written Elizabeth, summer 1926, in my Grandmother Rose's handwriting.

This is one of the few photographs that I have from my father's side of the family, especially during this era. I do remember seeing this photograph as a child. If memory serves correctly, I believe my Aunt was off to work.

It is my hope, after posting this photograph, that one of my relatives may be able to shed additional information. Some research I did is below:

This is a fascinating photograph! When looking closely at the details, historical context, and the image itself, several key clues explain what is going on here:

1. Why Is Elizabeth Wearing "Masculine" Clothing? (It’s Not a Costume)

Rather than a Halloween costume or daily factory work attire, this photograph captures a 1920s youth fashion phenomenon combined with practical hand-me-downs.

The 1920s "La Garçonne" / Tomboy Trend:

During the mid-1920s, young women and teenage girls embraced the *boyish/androgynous* look. Known as “la garçonne” (French for "the boy"), young women frequently borrowed older brothers' or fathers' newsboy/cabbie caps, oversized suit jackets, and slacks for fun, casual outdoor photos. It was a symbol of 1920s youth independence and lighthearted playfulness rather than formal cross-dressing or costume.

Hand-Me-Down Fit:

Notice how oversized the jacket is on Elizabeth (the shoulders droop well past her natural shoulder line, and the sleeves cover her hands). If her family was poor, she likely threw on an older male relative’s coat and flat-cap over her shirt/tie to pose for a funny, spirited photograph.

2. Location Clues (Near Grant Park / Lake Michigan)

My  intuition about the location near Grant Park in Cudahy is spot-on:

Glacial Erratic Boulders:

Elizabeth is standing atop a massive glacial erratic boulder. The Lake Michigan shoreline and parklands throughout Cudahy and South Milwaukee—especially around Grant Park and along Lake Drive—are famous for these large limestone and granite boulders deposited during the last ice age. Placing large boulders at park entrances, residential property corners, or park borders was very common in the 1910s–1920s.

The Neighborhood Context:

The two-story house behind Elizabeth shows classic 1910s–1920s Milwaukee/Cudahy residential architecture (a standard two-family or bungalow-style house on a concrete block foundation). The wide open space and low fence suggest the edge of a residential street adjoining parkland or a bluff area.

3. Why Would a Poor Family Have This Photo Taken?

It can seem surprising to see a staged photo from a working-class family during this era, but a few factors made this possible:

1. The Kodak Box Camera Era: By 1926, the cheap Brownie box camera was widely available across America. Millions of working-class families or teenage friends owned simple cameras and took quick snapshots outdoors in daylight.

2. A Snapshot of "Posing for Fun":

Studio portraits were expensive and reserved for formal occasions, but casual "snapshot" photography was booming. Young adults loved posing in humorous or bold ways—like climbing onto a giant park boulder while wearing a big brother’s suit—to show off for their friends or family.

Summary

Far from being a Halloween outfit, Elizabeth was simply being a spirited 15-year-old in 1926! She was having fun participating in a popular 1920s "tomboy" snapshot trend, bundled up in an oversized family coat and cap, posing proudly on a signature Cudahy park boulder. Since I have very few photographs from this era, it was probably a friend that photographed this shot and shared a print with Elizabeth.