“Biblically man is like a tree, and if he is without deep roots he will in time fall victim to great storms in his life.

For no matter how thick trunk or how great the branches of a tree are it is the roots that anchor it to life and this world.

If the roots are shallow the tree will fall. And a man without roots leaves nothing to those that follow him”

The above was taken from an email sent to me from M.Kapoustin.

Vasile Chiperi

We know nothing of our ancestors in the old Country. From information contained on their birth and marriage certificates.

We know they came from village of Corovia, city of-Cernauti in the Province-Bukovina in Country Romania.

This part of the Province is no longer in Romania and is now part of the Ukraine.

Below are name changes from the names we have on certificates.

Chernauti 48d18' 25d56' Cernauti,Chernovits,Chernovitsy,Chernovtsy,Czerniowce,Czernowitz,Tschernowitz,Chernivtsi

  Corovia 48d14'25d58' Korovya,Koroviya
 
 Map of Bukowina Province 1910, Czernowitz and Corovia in Blue.

1. Vasile Chiperi Birth and death unknown. He likely died in Corovia, Romania. Mom said her mother Vera told her that Vasile was the Mayor of Corovia.

Also told to me by Bob Kap.

He married Zamfira Hudima Zamflorg or Zanzia: Were not sure of her first name? The name I used was my best interpretation of Paulina’s marriage

certificate.Zamflorg is from Dean Kepper’s obituary and Zanzia is how mom wrote it down when she asked her mother some questions one time.

Children:

2. I Paulina Chiperi b. Sep 23, 1890.

ii Demetri Chiperi born Nov 26, 1895 in Corovia, Romania, died May 01, 1982 in Pukwana, South Dakota USA. I believe when he came to Canada, he changed his name to

Dean Kepper. He settled in Pukwana South Dakota USA. He is buried in Pukwana at the St. Vencels Bohemian Cemetery from this I got his birth date Nov 26, 1895 and his

death date of May 01, 1982.He lived 86y 05m 05d. All of the information I received on Dean was from the niece (Hope Turgeon) of his common law wife Effie.

We now have some nice mementos thanks to Hope. Unfortunately because Effie died in a fire all personal papers were also destroyed. I was hoping to get a few more clues on

Vasile and Zanzia.

His common law Effie Agnes Houska b. April 10, 1912 at home, Richland township, Brule County, South Dakota (daughter of Frank J. Houska and Agnes Rose Wodraska)

d Dec 21, 1989 in a house fire in Pukwana, South Dakota. Effie is buried with Dean at the St.Vencels Bohemian Cemetery.

I was fortunate and found someone who knew Dean Kepper. She is Effie Houska’s niece. Hope Turgeon her mother was Effie Houska’s sister.

All the information pictures etc were sent to me from Hope.

Excerpt’s of correspondence from Hope.

“I do not remember him until the 1950'5. That is when we were married and moved to Pukwana. At that time he had the amusement parlor in town.

We moved to a farm 9 miles south of town, and in 1955, we had a fire in our house. It did not burn down, but there was allot of smoke damage. My

father owned the farm so he hired Dean to come out and tear the house down and sort the lumber which was later used to build the house we are now

living in. It was then that I really got to know Dean. I fixed him lunch and invited him to have his evening meal with us before he returned to

Pukwana. Much to my surprise he stayed and ate with us. He was hard to get acquainted with, but my husband, daughter and I became good friends

to him.

My Aunt worked for my Grandmother Olson in Pukwana and was dating a widow man. They both liked to drink beer at Dean’s place. The widow

man died and then Aunt Effie took a liking to Dean. That was in the late 1950's nobody ever thought he would go with her, but he did. In about

1967 or so. I got a call from the town cop in Pukwana that Dean had had a stroke and they couldn't get him to go to the hospital, so my daughter and

I went and got Aunt Effie and took her to him. She finally got him to go to the hospital in Mitchell, SD and she stayed there by his side until he could

come home. He needed care so she took him to her farm and nursed him back to fair health. He was there with her for 19 years when he died. I

talked to my cousin and he said he remembers a sister calling up to get Dean to talk to her and he would not go to the phone. He did not remember

the year.”

Notes and Pictures Relating to Dean Kepper

3. iii Sophia Chiperi born May 22, 1900

iv Floria Chiperi. Mom thought that Floria may have stayed in the old Country, However we are unsure. Have no other info on him.

Please note from Deans Obituary above there is mention of him being predeceased by 2 brothers. Floria being one but we don’t know the name of the second brother and whether he came to Canada or US or stayed in the Old Country.

Second Generation

2. Paulina Chiperi, (1.Vasile¹) born Sep 23,1890 in Corovia, Romania, died Nov 05,1956 in Halifax, NS. Pauline came to Halifax in 1921 from Romania with her husband

Alexander Werenka and two of her 3 children. She was proprietor of Alexander's Grocery in Halifax and was affectionately known as 'Ma". Information from Nanny's passport indicated she

may have left Romania with her two children Veronica and Georgi April 22, 1921. The last Stamp shows landed as Trans....? Under bond. May 14, 1921 Immigration Officer DOVER.

I assume this is Dover England. We understand she arrived in Canada through Quebec possibly sometime June 1921.

She married Alexander Werenka (Verenca), Nov 13, 1911 in Corovia, Cernauti, Romania, born Feb 23,1887 in Corovia, Romania,

(son of Demetri Verenca

and Trina Creocheja died _______1940 in at home Halifax, NS.

Children:

4. i i. Veronica Werenka b. Feb 03,1909.

5. ii ii. George Patrick Werenka b. July 27,1912.

iii iii Peter Werenka, born July 06, 1922 in Halifax, NS, baptized July 20,1922 in All Saints Cathedral, Halifax NS, died in Halifax, NS.

See Miles and Verenca Family for continued descendants:

3. Sophia Chiperi, (1.Vasile¹) born possibly May 22 1900 in Corovia, Romania,(Austro Hungary) died Oct 10, 1982 in Dallas, Texas USA.

Sophia was a Nurse in the Old Country and her husband a doctor Nicola Kapusto. Last name spelling could be Kapousto. It is my understanding he was a white Russian.

They also lived in Hungary where he and she practiced. They came to Canada around 1959 settled around Richmond Hill, Ottawa. He was unable to practice medicine in Canada.

He died we believe in Canada. Sophia had one son who Robert she went to live with in Dallas Texas. He changed his name to Robert Kap sometime after coming to Canada or US.

he was married to Tatiana (Tanya) unknown; they were married in the old country.

I found a death date for Sophia Kapousto died in Dallas Texas Oct 10, 1982

She married about 1918, in Yugoslavia Nicola Kapousto. Born April 10, about 1883, he died about 1969. Nicola: came to Canada about 1959.

We believe they settled in Richmond Hill near Ottawa. Nicola possibly died there.

Children:

6. 4. i Robert (Kapusto) Kap born in Yugoslavia

Aunt Sophia and Nicola Kapusto 1925

Aunt Sophia Kapusto Aunt Sophia Kapusto &son Robert ab1923 Robert Kapusto (Kap) ab1925

Aunt Sophia and Nichola Kapusto and baby Robert 1923.

Left to right Nichola Kapusto, Tatiana &Robert Kapusto, Sophia Kapusto Michael & Sonja Back of picture

Up until Yesterday Nov 08 2004, when mom came across this picture. We thought that Robert and his wife only had one child and that her name was Tanya however maybe Tanya was the

wife’s name, which mom had thought before. From the back of this photo looks like picture taken in April 08, 1956 in Budapest or August 04, 1956.

Looks like 2 names of children. Really hard for me to tell.

If this is the case and Robert had 2 children maybe these are the ones we should try to find. Found Nov 27, 2004 when I received a call from Mr.Kap (Bob) in response to the letter I wrote below.

Below are copies of some letters that were sent at unknown times containing her wishes to come visit. I remember when I was about 16 her coming to visit about 1975+/-.

She had been at Uncle Peters and Georges and then came to visit Mom in Alton. I remember her having a black suitcase full of pictures. She was very hard to understand.

She spoke several languages and would get them mixed up I think. Her English was not that good. When I was about 20 I remember we tried to call her in Texas and

someone answered we think it was her but unfortunately we could not communicate. Mom said that the letters were usually written by someone else.

I suspect her signature in on the first letter below.

Third Generation

4. Robert (Kapusto) Kap (2.Sophia, 1.Vasile¹) born in Yugoslavia.

He married Tatiana Zemljakova she was born Nov 26, 1931, died Nov12, 2003 in Baltimore MD.

:

:

Children:

5. Misha Michael (Kap) Kapoustin

6. Sophie Sonja Kap

Found Nov 27, 2004 when I received a call from Mr. Kap (Bob) in response to the letter I wrote below.

“Dear Mr Kap,

I am taking a chance and writing this letter in hopes that you receive it. My name is Sandra Cook and I have been working on our Family Genealogy.

I am hoping you may be the Robert Kap who is the son of Sophia Kapousto. Sophia was my great great Aunt. I remember meeting Sophia in about 1975

give or take when she came to Canada to visit. I know that the Canadian branch of her family lost track of her, and therefore lost tack of her immediate family.

I found a death date for Sophia in 1982 in Dallas Texas where she was living at the time.

I won’t get into a lot of names but if you are the right Robert maybe you could help me. I would so love to talk to you, and know the where your children are so

that I may get to talk to them also.

I will give you my current address and phone number

. Please drop me a note or phone me, one way or the other and let me know.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this gets to you and finds you in Good Health.

Sandra Cook

If you are the right Robert Kap, I am Elizabeth’s Daughter, Vera’s granddaughter and Paulina’s Great Granddaughter. Paulina was Sophia’s Sister.”

Fourth Generation

5. Michael Kapoustin (3. Robert 2.Sophia, 1.Vasile)

He married Tracy Coburn Dec12, 1987

Children:

7. i. Nicolas Kapoustin