15 March 2012

1911 Census of Canada

I have found 14 entries with the name Pitura / Petura in the 1911 Census of Canada. This census includes nine provinces - Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, and two territories - the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories; and seems to be the first Canadian Census that the name Pitura / Petura appears.

The families listed on the first 2 documents are accounted for in our family tree. The remaining one is no not. Please leave a comment if you have any information.

1) Manitoba, Dauphin - 16 - 53:



Listed: Jacko Pitura (head), Maria Pitura (wife), Sofia Pitura (daughter), Anastazya Pitura (daughter), Martall Pitura (son), Apolonia Pitura (daughter), Rozalia Pitura (daughter), Amilia Pitura (daughter), and Josepha Pitura (daughter). 

John Petura was born in 1862 in the Village of Chorostkov, Husiatyn, Poland. He came to Canada in 1902, with his wife Maria, born in 1872, daughter of Eraz Bihun and Pauline Prostrileny. They settled in Ethelbert, Manitoba on the NE 1/4 22-28-22 donated by Mary's mother, Pauline Bihun. Several years later they bought NW 27-28-22. 

Here is the passenger list from when John, Maria & family left Poland and sailed on the Armenia from Hamburg, Germany on May 2, 1902 to arrive in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on June 13, 1902. 


John & Maria had a total of 10 children. They brought four children with them from Poland: Annie / Hannah born August 9, 1892; Frances / Franka born January 6, 1894; Sophie / Zoska born June 22, 1896 and Nellie / Nastia born in 1898. And had six children born to them in Canada: Lena / Penlenka, Elsie, Jessie, Frank, Rose and Michael. Rose and Michael passed away at an early age of diphtheria. 

Annie married Paul Bilowus, and later Peter Bohonos. Frances marreid Philip Rozik. Sophie married Michael Plawicki. Nellie married Nick Moroz. Lena married Stanely Pilat. Jessie married Michael Sawicki and later Andy Lutzyk. Elsie married John Wasyluk and Frank married Anne Medwid. 

John passed away in 1948 at the age of 86 and Maria in 1950 at the age of 78. They are burried at the Mink Creek Cemetery. 

This is also another example of the Pitura / Petura name change game, and how there were many different variations of spellings and misspellings on documentation. For fun, here are how the names changed through the years: 

Jan Pitura --> Jacko Pitura --> John Pitura --> John Petura 
Maria Bihun --> Maria Pitura --> Maria Petura 
Anna Pitura --> Hannah Pitura --> Annie Bilowus --> Annie Bohonos 
Fronka Pitura --> Franka Pitura --> Frances Rozik 
Sosia Pitura --> Zoska Pitura --> Sofia Pitura --> Sophie Plawicki 
Nastja Pitura --> Anastazya Pitura --> Nastia Pitura --> Nellie Moroz 
Michal Pitura --> Mikoly Pitura --> Martall Pitura --> Michael Petura
Apolonia Pitura --> Polly Pitura --> Palenka Pitura --> Lena Pilat 
Rozalia Pitura --> Rose Petura 
Amilia Pitura --> Aniela Pitura --> Elsie Wasyluk 
Josepha Pitura --> Josefa Pitura --> Jessie Sawicki --> Jessie Lutzyk 
Franek Pitura --> Frank Petura

2) Manitoba, Winnipeg - 24 - 89:


Listed: Paul Petura (head), Barvara Pitura (wife). 

Son of Tomasz Pitura, Paul and Barbara first came to Winnipeg and lived on Aberdeen street, then had four sons of their own Peter, Walter, Michael and Joseph in McMunn, Manitoba.

3) Ontario, Algoma East - 54 - 25:


Listed: Mayk Petura (head).