Rev. Dianiska - ancestors

Ancestors of Albert Daniel Josef Dianiska

Generation No. 1

1. Albert Daniel Josef Dianiska was born April 15, 1879 in Sabinov, in what is now the eastern region of Slovakia, but was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (town name Kisseben or Kis-Szeben in Hungarian); he died January 18, 1939 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio. He was the son of 2. Albert Dianiska and 3. Ilona Hrabeczy. He married Mary Zemany November 27, 1906 in Freeland, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania. She was born February 22, 1888 in Freeland, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, and died March 22, 1973 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio. She was the daughter of Michael Zemany and Anna Koscelnik [or Kostolnik/Kostelnik].

      Albert D. Dianiska came to America as one of two students sponsored by the Lutheran Mission Committee to encourage Slovak pastors. He sailed from Bremen, Germany, on the S.S. Brandenburg to the port of Baltimore, Maryland, arriving on September 21, 1904. He studied theology at the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio (which has since merged with the Hamma Divinity School and is now known as Trinity Lutheran Seminary.) According to his obituary, he was ordained in 1905 at Lancaster, Pennsylvania and served pastorates in Beckville, Freeland and Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania.
      In Freeland, he served at Ss. Peter and Paul's Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was the pastor there in 1905 when the church cemetery was dedicated. The leader of the founders of this church in 1883 was Michael Zemany whose daughter married Rev. Dianiska. Their first two children were born in Freeland, but the third was born in Mahanoy City in 1911. The church there was Emmanuels Slovak Lutheran Church.
      Late in 1915 the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Rev. Dianiska served as pastor of Dr. Martin Luther Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church. A new church building for this congregation was completed in 1917 on W. 14th St., but the building was displaced for highway construction and a new church built on Ridge Road in the 1970s. On September 12, 1918, Albert was required to registered for the World War I draft along with all other U.S. male residents aged eighteen to forty-five who were not already in the military and had not already registered. At that time his address was the church parsonage at 2139 W. 14th St. and he indicated that he was a naturalized citizen. He was described then as stout, of medium height with hazel eyes and brown hair. During his time in Cleveland he is also credited with establishing a Slovak Lutheran Church in Port Clinton, Ohio, in 1924.
      From 1930 until his untimely death from heart disease in 1939, he served as missionary pastor to congregations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. He also served as an interim pastor at a Hungarian church in 1937. He could deliver services in Slovak, Hungarian, German and English.

references:

Manifest, S. S. Brandenburg, 21 Sept 1904, p. 93 for Albert Dianiska (age 25); digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 Dec 2005); from National Archives microfilm T844 (Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1892-1948), roll 43.
Allbeck, Willard D. 1966. A Century of Lutherans in Ohio, The Antioch Press, pp. 261-2.
Dian, Albert. cir. 1990. informal notes, Orlando, Florida.
Dianiska, Albert Daniel Josef. 1915. Csal�di �rtesita, Austro-Hungarian Consulates, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Ledbetter, Eleanor E. 1918. The Slovaks of Cleveland, Cleveland Americanization Committee.
"Oldest Slovak Lutheran church in hemisphere to mark 95th year", Hazelton Standard-Speaker, Hazelton, Pennsylvania, Friday, Sept. 22, 1978, p. 22.
World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-18: Ancestry.com online 11 Nov 2005 by subscription to http://www.ancestry.com, from National Archives microfilm M1509, Albert D. Dianiska card, Cleveland, Ohio, draft board 5, Sept. 12, 1918.
"Rev. A. D. Dianiska, 60, is Dead Here", The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, Thurs. Jan. 19, 1939, p. 18.

Most of the following details are courtesy of Sabinov resident, �tefan �tofan�k, from 1 Feb 1992.
Diacritical marks have been omitted below.

Generation No. 2

2. Albert Dianiska was born September 18, 1842 in Slavosovce, Slovakia; died January 07, 1905 in Sabinov, Slovakia. He was the son of 4. Daniel Dianiska and 5. Sarolta Scultety. He married 3. Ilona Hrabeczy.
3. Ilona Hrabeczy was born August 23, 1848 in Slovakia; died October 18, 1900 in Sabinov, Slovakia.

Albert Dianiska was born in Slavosovce, but his family moved to Batizovce when his father became pastor there. Albert attended secondary schools in Roznava and Kezmarok. In 1860 he went to Germany (Bavaria) to study theology. On 22 Febr 1867 he received a certificate in the course of his studies at Neuendettelsau [see the certificate.] He was a teacher and educator as well as an Evangelical Lutheran pastor. From 1870 to 1877 he served in Dobsina. He then was pastor in Sabinov where he lived from 17 Aug 1877 to his death. He, his wife and daughter are buried in the Sabinov cemetery.
Albert's wife Ilona was known for her woven and embroidered cloths which her son brought to America. Her name was given to her descendants in the forms of Helen and Elaine.

Children of Albert Dianiska and Ilona Hrabeczy are:
i. Mariska (Mary) Dianiska, born June 03, 1877 in Slovenska Ves; died December 16, 1892 in Sabinov, Slovakia.
1 ii. Rev. Albert Daniel Josef Dianiska, born April 15, 1879 in Sabinov; died January 18, 1939 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio; married Mary Zemany November 27, 1906 in Freeland, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania.

towns in Slovakia

Generation No. 3

4. Daniel Dianiska was born December 20, 1801 in Tisovec, Slovakia; died February 01, 1863 in Batizovce, district Poprad (High Tatras), Slovakia. He was the son of 8. Martin Dianiska and 9. Katarina Kriskova. He married 5. Sarolta Scultety.
5. Sarolta Scultety was born July 02, 1807 in Slovakia; died August 09, 1886 in Sabinov, Slovakia.

Daniel Dianiska studied Evangelical (Lutheran) theology in Jena, Germany before returning to Slovakia as a pastor. He served in Slavosovce from 1831 to 1843. He was then pastor in Batizovce from 1843 to his death in 1863. He had many talents which included writing poetry in Latin, Hungarian and Slovak. He wrote a book on Slovak geography, church songs and a history of the church.

Children of Daniel Dianiska and Sarolta Scultety are:
             i. Maria Dianiska, born 12 August 1838 in Slavosovce.
            ii. Andreas Dianiska, born 9 August 1840 in Bratizovce; died in 1906.
     2   iii. Albert L. Dianiska, born September 16, 1842 in Slavosovce; died January 07, 1905 in Sabinov; married Ilona Hrabeczy.

Generation No. 4

8. Martin Dianiska was born in Tisovec; died (date unknown.) He married 9. Katarina Kriska.
9. Katarina Kriska.

Martin Dianiska was a farmer in Tisovec in the district of Rimavska Sobota of Central Slovakia and is about 300 km (or 170 miles) from Sabinov in Eastern Slovakia. This is the area where the name Dianiska is common.

Children of Martin Dianiska and Katarina Kriskova are:
     4      i. Daniel Dianiska, born 20 December 1801 in Tisovec; died 1 February 1863 in Batizovce; married Sarolta Scultety.
            ii. Frano Dianiska.
           iii. Gaspar Dianiska, born 6 January 1820 in Tisovec; died there in 1875; he was minister, a teacher and had medical training.

Record of Ancestry of Albert Daniel Josef Dianiska

Thanks to P�ter Reicher for information on the Hrab�czy family.

This web page is just a brief outline of the Dianiska heritage provided so that we may share what we know and the documents that have come our way. We hope that other family members will add to the information here with additions, corrections and further ideas.

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