We are told that this is a wedding photo taken on July 24, 1912 in or around the town of Marcelin, Saskatchewan. This photo appears in the book Land of Promise!
The marriage of Gheorghe Pompu and Susan Popaman
A wedding party of Romanian immigrants gather to celebrate the union of Gheorghe Pompu and Susan Popaman in or around the town of Marcelin, Saskatchewan, Canada.
- What: This is a black & white photo of thirteen adults arranged in two rows in the grass with trees and some buildings in the background. One row is standing in the rear and the other kneeling in front. The Bride wears a wreath of flowers on her head and is holding a parasol. Groom has a boutonniere pinned to his lapel. All of the men are politely holding their hats in their hands.
- Where: In or near Marcelin, Saskatchewan, Canada (52°55’37.9″N 106°47’27.8″W). Exact location unknown.
- When: On or about July 24, 1912
- Why: To commemorate the wedding of Gheorghe Pompu to Susan Popaman on July 24, 1912
I have labelled people with a number on their chest from 1 to 13. If you click on the photo or here you can see a larger version.
Use these buttons to jump to information for each numbered person:
People in the photo
1. Vasil Banda whose exact role at this wedding is unknown. Was about twenty-one years old in this photo. Like others in the photo Vasil was also originally from the Ucea commune in Brasov county, Transylvania, Romania. Perhaps they are long time friends or merely fellow Romanians in the Marcelin district? Read more Life of Vasil Banda
2. Maria “Mary” Banda nee Comshoi whose exact role at this wedding is unknown. Like others in the photo Maria was also originally from the Ucea commune in Brasov county, Transylvania, Romania. Perhaps they were all long time friends or merely fellow Romanians in the Marcelin district? Read more in So There We Were, Standing On The Side of the Road.
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Vasile Banda (#1), husband
This can be more text describing this person if there is more known but it is disproportionate than what might be available for other people in the photo (just to keep things nice looking).
3. Moise “Moses” Colcerin would have been about fifty-seven years old on this day. Sadly he passed away in the following year.
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John Colcerin (#9), son
Meliton Bold (#10), son-in-law
This can be more text describing this person if there is more known but it is disproportionate than what might be available for other people in the photo (just to keep things nice looking).
4. Annie Colcerin nee Vernea
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Moise “Moses” Colcerin (#3), husband
John Colcerin (#9), son
Meliton Bold (#10), son-in-law
This can be more text describing this person if there is more known but it is disproportionate than what might be available for other people in the photo (just to keep things nice looking).
5. Susan Pompu nee Popaman, the bride. Originally from Ucea commune in Brasov county, Transylvania, Romania.
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Gheorghe “George” Pompu (#6), husband
Zahiu Popaman (#12), father. Widowed.
Marina Bold nee Popaman (#7). Unsure of relationship to the Bride. Sister? Mother? Aunt?
Nicolai P. Bold (#8). Unsure of relationship to the Bride. Brother-in-law? Father? Uncle by marriage?
This can be more text describing this person if there is more known but it is disproportionate than what might be available for other people in the photo (just to keep things nice looking).
6. Gheorghe “George” Pompu “Pampu”, the groom was about twenty-five on this day. He would have been about twenty-seven years old in this photo. He immigrated from Romania with his parents Nicoloi and Theodora and six brothers (John, Elie, Theodore (#11), Alex, Joe and Nick) in 1902 or 1905. We haven’t found anything more other than it seems he was getting married on the day of the photo. Can you help us learn more?
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Toader “Theodore” Pompu (#11), brother
Zahiu Popaman (#12), father-in-law
When I searched University of Calgary I found information in A Lasting Legacy on a Theodore Pampu whom I believe is #11. In the write-up for Theodore it mentions a brother George and because I am not finding lots of Pampu/Pompu in the Marcelin region I will assume that they are brothers.
7. Marina Bold nee Popaman. She died about 1926.
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Nicolai P. Bold (#8), husband
Susan Pompu nee Popaman (#5), Unsure of relationship. Sister? Daughter? Niece?
Gheorghe “George” Pompu (#6), Unsure of relationship. Son-in-law? Husband of niece?
This can be more text describing this person if there is more known but it is disproportionate than what might be available for other people in the photo (just to keep things nice looking).
8. Nicolai P. Bold not sure of his role in the wedding. He was a deaf mute and used sign language to communicate.
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Susan Pompu nee Popaman (#5), Unsure of relationship. Daughter-in-law? Daughter? Niece by marriage?
Gheorghe “George” Pompu (#6), Unsure of relationship. Son-in-law? Husband of niece?
Meliton Bold (#10), unsure of relationship (last name is the same)
We believe his homestead was at NE-16-45-05-W3 which is close to the farm of Meliton Bold (#10)
9. John Colcerin. Would eventually marry Mary Franc of Lipton, Saskatchewan (200km southeast of Marcelin). They would leave the Marcelin area eventually and reside in Windsor, Ontario.
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Moise “Moses” Colcerin (#3), father
Annie Colcerin nee Vernea (#4), mother
Nicolae “Nick” Colcerin (#13), brother
This can be more text describing this person if there is more known but it is disproportionate than what might be available for other people in the photo (just to keep things nice looking).
10. Meliton Bold. Married to Elena “Lena” Colcerin who is not in this photo.
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Nicolai P. Bold (#8), unknown relationship. Last name is the same
Moise “Moses” Colcerin (#3), father-in-law
Annie Colcerin nee Vernea (#4), mother-in-law
This can be more text describing this person if there is more known but it is disproportionate than what might be available for other people in the photo (just to keep things nice looking).
11. Toader “Theodore” Pompu “Pampu” was the brother of the groom and would have been about twenty-two in this photo. He was still single in this photo but during the following year he married Ontonia Yourkowski a Polish immigrant whose parents were also homesteading in the Marcelin area.
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Gheorghe “George” Pompu “Pampu” (#6), brother
Susan Pompu nee Popaman (#5), sister-in-law
When searching the University of Calgary digital archive we found information in the book entitled A Lasting Legacy for a ‘Theodore Pampu’ whom we believe is the same man in this photo. Theodore would have been about twenty-one years old in this photo. He immigrated from Romania with his parents Nicoloi and Theodora and six brothers (John, Elie, George (#6), Alex, Joe and Nick) in 1902 or 1905. Because we have not found a lot of Pampu in the region we assume that his brother George is the Groom (#6) in this photo.
Together Theodore and Ontonia struggled to raise seven children as farmers. They moved several times to work better land but always remained in northern Saskatchewan. Obviously gifted with mechanical skills Theodore worked as a Blacksmith in D’Amour, Saskatchewan (10km northeast of Marcelin) for years. During WWII he worked in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan at the airport. In his twilight years he ran a repair shop. He passed away at the age of seventy-five and lies at rest in the Leask Cemetery with his wife.
12. Zahiu Popaman, father of the bride, widower. His wife drank wood alcohol as medicine and died of it. He homesteaded at Marcelin after coming from Ucea commune in Brasov county, Transylvania, Romania. He died at Dysart SK in 1919.
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Marina Bold nee Popaman (#7), unknown relationship but her maiden name is the same. Sister? Cousin?
<Name of the person as a link to the HTML anchor of photo of this person> include relationship of this person and any other information that is not captured anywhere else.
This can be more text describing this person if there is more known but it is disproportionate than what might be available for other people in the photo (just to keep things nice looking).
13. Nicolae “Nick” Colcerin
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Moise “Moses” Colcerin (#3), father
Annie Colcerin nee Vernea (#4), mother
John Colcerin (#9), brother
This can be more text describing this person if there is more known but it is disproportionate than what might be available for other people in the photo (just to keep things nice looking).
