Revision as of 11:10, 28 February 2015

Georgios D./J. Vergetakis was born on 3 July 1900 and raised on a farm outside Iraklion, Crete. His father's name was Giorgios Vergetakis, likely with first name Dimetrios (i.e. Dimetrios Giorgios Vergetakis). The son Giorgio had brothers and sisters, "names unknown, but likely good Greek names like James, John, George, Michael, Mary". World War I began in 1914, and in that year Giorgio was sent to America, alone at age 14. As the eldest son and family name bearer, his family thus hoped to keep him safe. They, as with many Greeks, believed strongly in the importance of handing down the family inheritance and name from father to eldest son. Giorgio faced being drafted into the Greek army, so his family sent him away to safety in America, possibly investing some of what would have been his inheritance in the project. Arriving in Philadelphia in 1914, he was too young to fight in WWI (and too old by WWII).
It is believed that many of his family in Greece were killed by the Turkish Army during WWI. Further, as the war ended in 1918, Greece declared war on Turkey, and invaded Turkey only to be driven out at huge cost in 1922.
In WWII Germany invaded Crete. There were photos of some of Giorgio Vergetakis’ relatives as resistance fighters, posing with their rifles. Many were killed by the German army, along with many Greek civilians. From America Giorgio sent care packages to his family during WWII, but after the war the correspondence eventually stopped.

Georgios (seen in records as Georgio, the silent "s" dropped), arriving in Philadelphia in 1914, may have known other Greeks in western Pennsylvania. He found work in steel mills around Tarantum, Allegheny County,PA near Pittsburgh; and later in Butler, Butler Co., PA. He met Ruth M. Wilson presumably in Oil City, Venango Co., PA. They signed a marriage license in New Castle, PA, but it expired before they were married. They later went to West Virginia to marry, presumably because there was no waiting period there. They had four children, all born in Oil City, PA. At some point Giorgio D. Vergetakis shortened his name to George James Vergis. This may have been a gradual process, as some insurance receipts list his wife Ruth as "Ruth Vergetakis". They moved to Franklin, PA in 1944, and opened a shoe shine and hat-cleaning shop and pool room. Eventually they owned a restaurant, the family living in an apartment above. Many family papers were lost in a fire that destroyed the building in 1962. George died in 1974, and is buried in the Franklin Cemetery at Franklin/Rocky Grove, PA.
Notes on Greek naming: First sons by primogeniture are expected to carry the family name forward. Not only the surname but (at least in this family) the given name goes forward, reversing the order of first and middle name in alternating generations. It is believed that Demitrios was the middle name of immigrant Giorgios,later changed to James (see source notes section below). (His name appears in some records as Georgios D.; in others as George J.) By extension of this logic back to the previous generation, it is suggested his father's first name would have been Demitrios. Thus (Demitrios) Georgios Vergetakis' son was named Georgios Dimetrios Vergetakis ; the grandson was James George Vergis, like his grandfather. The "s" at the end of the surname Vergetakis was silent, but the name was eventually anglicized to Vergis where the "s" is pronounced.
(These biographical notes provided Jan. 2015 & ongoing by Michael Vergis, son of George and Ruth Wilson Vergis.)

Children

(children with George J. Vergis)

Photos

Ed Wilson & nephew Mike Vergis, ca 1943 on Bert Wilson farm

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of origina
1	1940 United States Federal Census Enum. Dist 61-43, Oil City, Venango Co., PA, page 27. Census date 25-26 Apr 1940. Lines 7-11: George J. Vergis, age 34, head, married, b. Greece, employed in billiard room, private business; Ruth M., age 29, wife, married; James, age 4, son; John, age 2, son; Mary, age 3 mo., dau. George Vergis born Greece; others all b. PA.
2	Obituary of John G. Vergis, from collection of Peg Kahle, Oil City Derrick. Dr. John G. Vergis of Rome, NY and formerly of Franklin, died at 1:54 am Friday, 10 Feb 2006 in UPMC Northwest, Seneca. Born 31 Oct 1937 in Oil City, son of the late George and Ruth Wilson Vergis. He was a 1955 graduate of Franklin HS. He attended Defiance College in Ohio and later Temple Univ. in Philadelphia where he earned a degree in Optometry. He served in the US Air Force, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant while serving at Lackland AFB in Texas. He practiced optometry in Franklin until 1980 when he moved his practice to Rome and Whitesboro, NY Surviving are two brothers: Dr. James Vergis and wife Rosemary of Wycombe and Michael Vergis and wife Joan of Rome, NY; and a sister: Mary Denk and husband William of Dublin, OH; and a special friend: Deborah Sartain of Rome, NY. Several nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles also survive. He was preceded in death by his father in 1974 and his mother in 2004. Services at the Hile-Best Funeral Home, Seneca, Cranberry Twp. at 2 pm on Monday, Rev. Jack Kyle, retired Presbyterian pastor, officiating. Interment in the Franklin Cemetery.
3	Michael G. Vergis correspondence, Jan. 2015, ongoing. Giorgio Vergetakis b. 3 July 1900 on farm near Iraklion, Crete; probably was first son. His father was Yimmin Giorgios Vergetakis, (translates as James George Vergetakis). Immigrated to U.S., port of Philadelphia, in 1914, age 14. Worked in steel mills in Pittsburgh/Tantarum PA, and Butler PA. license 15 Nov. 1934, New Castle PA; married in West Virginia. Resided Oil City until 1944, where all 4 children born. Died 1974; buried in Franklin Cemetery. Notes on importance to Greeks of naming tradition, through line for first sons.
4	Marriage Certificate for George Vergis and Ruth M. Wilson, 30 Jan. 1935 in Wheeling, WV, signed by Paul Nesfer, Minister, St. James Lutheran Church. Image supplied by son Mike Vergis, Feb. 2015.
5	Greek name "Demitrios" translation Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_%28name%29): "James (and so Jim and Jimmy) are anglicized from the Greek name Dimitri as used by the Greek diaspora in the USA, even though the names are etymologically unrelated."