The Ujvagi Family; Beginnings in Toledo

Egy fotel (One sofa) $ 10.00, kalyha ( stove) $30.00, Jegszekreny ( refrigerator) $25.00,    agy ( bed) $17.50, kis lampa (small lamp) .50 cents.

These are the items written on a yellowing slip of paper by Ed Ujvagi  as his family was preparing to move from a room on the second floor of the Society St. Vincent DePaul building on Washington Street to 3 Magyar Street in the Birmingham neighborhood in East Toledo.

The SSVdP buildings were used to provide lodging for thousands of individuals and hundreds of families who were immigrating to the United States after World War II.

The Ujvagi family, parents Ed and Magda, and their children, Charles,  Edward J., Peter and Maggie ( Baba), arrived at Union Station in Toledo on a hot, muggy afternoon in June of 1957. We spent our first week in Toledo at St. Vincent’s while Father Hernady of St. Stephen’s was locating a new home for us in the Hungarian neighborhood.

During that week, the six of us lived in a room next to where some of the men who were “down on their luck”, as it was described back than recovered on a nightly basis. The only movement of the hot muggy air was by a huge industrial pedestal fan in the hallway.  Several doors down the street a storefront Baptist Church was holding a revival. We fell asleep to the sound of gospel music each night.

During the day we would wander farther and farther away from the safe haven that was St. Vincent’s exploring our new city, including to a small store (The Brazil carryout, I think) for penny candy and a new sensation; ice cold Mohr Brother’s orange pop for 5 cents! We even walked all the way to St. Stephen’s to check out our new neighborhood.

But for my brothers and me, the great revelation was the basement of the St. Vincent’s building. It was a cool, semi dark place with mountains of toys and games to explore. It was our escape from the heat and humidity of mid summer Toledo, where we found wondrous things to play with.

Upon his return to Toledo, Father Hernady ushered us to a little white house on a street next to St. Stephen’s School, along with the furniture and other treasures from St. Vincent’s with which we began our new lives.

Many years have passed since that hot summer. The Ujvagi family made up of six souls has now grown to three generations and forty three members. We have truly put down roots in our new home town, becoming a part of the fabric of this community. But we will never forget Society St. Vincent DePaul, their kindnesses and their assistance in helping us to begin our new lives as Americans in Toledo.

 
Peter Ujvagi