[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Pries Family

[Gary Gomes]

After years of following erroneous "leads" in trying to trace my
grandmother's family migration from Eastern Europe (Russia or Poland) to
Yorkton, Saskatchewan, I finally stumbled onto the record of their passage
from Liverpool to Quebec in 1909.

The Pries family (spelled Preis in the Liverpool records and Pries in the
Quebec records), Edward (age 48) and Caroline (age 26-53) and youngest
children Olga & Lena (twins age 7) and Paul (age 4) sailed on the Megantic,
arriving Quebec 7/30/1909 destined for Yorkton, SK.  The eldest son Paul
followed later because he had been conscripted into the Russian army just
before the family's departure (bad luck but he eventually did join them in
Saskatchewan).

My oral history (from Lena) was that they were "Polish", from the area
around Lublin, although I found a handwritten reference to a "Rodiez Lutsk"
as possible birthplace of the eldest son, Paul.  I have assumed they were
from the general Lublin-to-Lutsk area where other family branches (Lange,
Schindler, Pudel) resided in the late 1800's and early 1900's. I have been
unable to locate any reference to this Pries family on the SGGEE or Odessa
sites.

The Megantic manifest, however introduces a couple of twists.  The family is
shown as having been born in Russia, of Lithuanian race and lists their
religion as "Greek Ch."

Can anyone tell me what "Greek Ch." would stand for? Greek Orthodox Church?.
I have my grandmother's childhood bible and it's written in German.

I would also appreciate any suggested sources to pursue to identify their
Eastern European heritage.

Gary Gomes