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2015 Coming to America: The Rakoci and Wesoloski families

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2015 Coming to America: The Kocher family

<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Diane Getz Hullick and Harold Getz</p></bylineMeta></div><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Clarence Getz in Havrem, Germany in 1945. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz33.jpg</photo0><caption0>Clarence Getz in Havrem, Germany in 1945. </caption0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz44.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Norman and Ruth Getz and Diane in 1944 before Norman shipped off to Italy during WWII. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz44.jpg</photo1><caption1>Norman and Ruth Getz and Diane in 1944 before Norman shipped off to Italy during WWII. </caption1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz55.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Norman and Ruth Getz on Election Day 1984. Norman was elected to Mayor of West Hazleton. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz55.jpg</photo2><caption2>Norman and Ruth Getz on Election Day 1984. Norman was elected to Mayor of West Hazleton. </caption2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz66.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Paul Getz (left) with son Bill, granddaughter Diane, Diane&#8217;s dad, Norman and Paul&#8217;s daughter Elizabeth in 1946. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz66.jpg</photo3><caption3>Paul Getz (left) with son Bill, granddaughter Diane, Diane&#8217;s dad, Norman and Paul&#8217;s daughter Elizabeth in 1946. </caption3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz77.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Emil and Bertha Getz with their granddaughter, June. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz77.jpg</photo4><caption4>Emil and Bertha Getz with their granddaughter, June. </caption4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Norman and Ruth Getz on their wedding day on the front steps of 311 North Broad St., April 17, 1943. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Getz1.jpg</photo5><caption5>Norman and Ruth Getz on their wedding day on the front steps of 311 North Broad St., April 17, 1943. </caption5></div></div>
<p>On August 15, 1888, 25-year-old Augusta Gietz boarded the steamer Gellart along with her two young sons, Emil, 3, and Paul, 11 months. Her husband Friedrich Gietz was recently killed in a mine accident in their home village of Jastrow, West Prussia. Times were hard and a young widow with two sons had few options.</p><p>It was decided she would go to America as a mail-order bride. Arrangements were made for her to travel from Jastrow to Hamburg, Germany, where she would obtain passage to America. The little family arrived at Castle Gardens, New York Immigration Center on August 28, after 13 days at sea. At the time it was the predecessor to Ellis Island.</p><p>She immediately married Wilhelm Galow, also of German descent and settled with him in West Hazleton Borough. Wilhelm and Augusta had five additional children before Wilhelm died in 1898. Augusta then married Jacob Glace in 1902 and eventually they had two more children. Augusta had indeed created a large extended family, all of whom remained close by.</p><p>The two original sons, Emil and Paul Gietz (now spelled Getz) remained close their entire lives, living in West Hazleton and raising their own families next door to each other on North Broad Street. Both were miners at the Harwood Coal Company and the families were early and active members of the West Hazleton German Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Emil and his wife, Bertha, had two sons, Fred and Clarence. Paul and his wife Jeanette had 11 children: Margaret, Gertrude, James, Paul, Norman, Alvin, Elizabeth, Ruth, Jean, Elinore and William.</p><p>Harold Getz and Diane Getz Hullick are two of the present day cousins and grandchildren of Emil and Paul.</p><p>The family made many contributions to community life over the years. They remained true to their German heritage as evidenced by lifetime affiliations to the Lutheran church.</p><p>Emil&#8217;s son and Harold&#8217;s father, Clarence, received the Silver Star for Valor in action in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. Because of his German background, he served additional time after VE Day working with resettling refugees.</p><p>Norman and Alvin, both sons of Paul, also served in World War II. Norman was a part of the Italian Campaign, 5th Army Group, which was responsible for moving the combat units around Italy.</p><p>Cousins Clarence and Norman Getz were lifetime residents of West Hazleton. Clarence was a mainstay of the church, serving as financial secretary and Sunday school superintendent. He and his wife Esther had two other children, June Seely and Nancy Reba in addition to Harold who is a retired Hazleton Area School District elementary principal.</p><p>Diane&#8217;s dad, Norman, was involved in his church and West Hazleton government for most of his life. He served a term as mayor and was a member of the borough council until his death in 2005. The senior citizens apartment building on Monroe Avenue is named for him. Norman and his wife, Ruth, had two additional children, Linda Murphy and Thomas Getz. Thomas still lives in West Hazleton. Many of the cousins live in the surrounding area as well as one cousin, great-grandson of Emil, who lives in the original house on North Broad Street. Harold and Diane are still active members of West Hazleton German Trinity Lutheran Church and students of their shared family history.</p>

2015 Coming to America: The Getz, Galow and Glace families