Our cousin Stefan Crusnitchi

Apart from the record of his baptism on 27 Dec. 1883, STEFAN CRUSNITCHI (1883-1965), a Ruthenian immigrant from Tereblecea, Bucovina, first appears on record in a March 1910 U.S./Canada border crossing document, which provides quite a lot of information about him. The document shows that Stefan, said to be 25 years old (he was actually 26), an unmarried and illiterate laborer, born circa 1885 in "Trebleszty" (Tereblestie or Tereblecea), Austria-Hungary, had come to Canada on the S.S. Montrose, landing at St. John in March 1908. A ship passenger list of the Montrose showing Stefan's name has not yet been located. Also traveling with Stefan on the S.S. Montrose, according to this same border crossing document, was a fellow-laborer named "Matrusz Myszak," born circa 1875 in Tereblecea. Matrusz is identified as ethnically Polish while Stefan was ethnically Ruthenian. The document also shows that after arriving in Canada, Stefan and Matrusz found work in Rainy River, Ontario, but in March 1910 they together applied at the Port of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, for permission to cross the border from Rainy River to Baudette, Minnesota. (Baudette is just over the border from Rainy River.) After an immigration examination on 18 March 1910 to determine their fitness, Stefan and Matrusz were allowed to come to the U.S. At the time, Stefan carried on him no more than $12 and Matrusz carried only $15.

Following are images and an abstract of the 1910 border crossing document, showing Stefan Crusnitchi on line 29. First will be shown the image of the left half of the document, then the image of the right half, after which will be shown the abstract of the document's information on Stefan.

29. Name in Full (Family Name, Given Name):        KRUSZNICKI, STEFAN
Age (Yrs., Mos.):                                  25
Sex:                                               Male
Married or Single:                                 Single
Calling or Occupation:                             Laborer
Able to read:                                      No
Able to write:                                     No
Nationality (country of which citizen              Austria
or subject):
Race or People:                                    Ruthenian
Last Permanent Residence (country, city            Rainy River, Ont.
or town):
The name and complete address of nearest           None
relative or friend in country from whence
alien came:
Final destination (state, city or town):           Minn., Baudette
Whether having a ticket to such final              No
destination:
By whom was passage paid:                          Self
Whether in possession of $50, and if               $12
less how much:
Whether ever before in the United States:          No
Whether going to join a relative or friend,        No address
and if so, name of relative or friend and
his complete address:
Condition of health, mental and physical:          Good
Deformed or Crippled:                              No
Height:                                            5 ft. 5 1/2 in.
Complexion:                                        Medium
Color of hair:                                     Brown
Color of eyes:                                     Blue
Marks of Identification:                           None
Place of Birth (country, city or town):            Austria, Trebleszty
Seaport of Landing:                                St. John
Date of Landing:                                   Mar. 1908
Name of S.S. (ship):                               Montrose
Date of Examination:                               18 [i.e. 18 March 1910]

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