GURIS FAMILY

0.35 ft.

MSS 77

by

Sandra Shaffer VanDoren

June 1990

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

This collection traces some of the history of the Guris (Duris, in Slovak) family from Klenovec, Slovakia.  Paul Guris emigrated to St. Clair, Pennsylvania, in 1903, and his wife, Susan Struhar Guris, arrived in 1904.  They moved to Pottsville and then, in 1921, to Auburn, Pennsylvania.

The Guris' had ten children, all but the oldest, Julia, born in the United States.  Julia came to St. Clair with her mother in 1904, and later married John Slopovsky, born in Czechoslovakia.  She died in 1979.

Her mother, Susan, died in 1962, and her father, Paul Guris, in 1964.

PROVENANCE

These papers and materials were donated to the Balch Institute during 1984-85 by Al Guris and other family members.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The collection consists of newspaper articles; histories; land, wedding and funeral documents; certificate of naturalization; religious cards; and anniversary materials.  The books which were donated have been placed in the library.  Most of the books and some of the manuscript materials are in Slovak or Czech.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

The records are organized into two small series, the larger of which consists of documents mostly pertaining to the Guris family history, and the smaller, of materials about St. John's Slovak Lutheran and St. Francis of Assisi Anglican Catholic churches and St. Clair, Pennsylvania.

SERIES I:  FAMILY DOCUMENTS, 1892-1988, .25 ft.

This series relates mainly to the history of Paul and Susan Guris, and is composed of newspaper articles; a certificate of naturalization; histories; land, wedding and funeral documents; religious cards; and confirmation, baptism and other certificates.  Most of the documents and articles are from the United States, although a number of them are in Slovak.  There are a few materials concerning other people, possibly relating to the extended family.  The folders are arranged chronologically, except for the oversize materials, which have been placed at the end of the series.

SERIES II:  CHURCH AND TOWNSHIP MATERIALS, 1875-1988, .10 ft.

These materials consist of newspaper articles, anniversary bulletins, and histories, all relating to St. John's Lutheran Church, of which Paul and Susan Guris were original members, and St. Francis of Assisi Anglican Catholic Church.  The oversize folder is a map of St. Clair, Pennsylvania, where the Guris Family first lived and where St. John's Church is located.  The St. John's materials is arranged alphabetically, followed by the one folder on St. Francis.  The oversize folder is at the end.