Constantine was born in 1890 and raised in Liteni, Suceava, Romania, the third-born son of Timofti & Elisaveta Cojocari. He began life as a Romanian peasant but chose a different life in Canada.
Constantine’s life
Early Life in Romania
Constantine Cojocari, known as “Costan,” was born on July 4, 1890 (some records say March 19), in Liteni, Suceava, Romania. He was the son of Timofti Cojocari and Elisaveta “Savetta” Cosmachuk.
Physically, Costan was a strong man, standing between 5’11” and 6’ tall with black hair, brown eyes, and a medium-to-dark complexion. Although he was shorter than his older brothers, Nicolae and Ion, he was known for his physical power. A family story recounts that his father, Timofte, once sent him to retrieve a wooden cart from the forest during bad weather. When the cart became stuck in the mud and the horse refused to move, Costan punched the animal in the head, accidentally killing it. His father was furious, but Costan replaced the animal by buying a new horse the very next day.
Immigration to Canada
Around 1909 or 1910, at the age of 18 or 19, Costan left his parents in Romania to join his brothers in Canada; he would never see his parents again. He arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and eventually settled in Saskatchewan.
In 1912, Costan married Cleofira “Mary” Krashin, who was also from the Bucovina region (born in Marginea). Together they began a life on the Canadian prairies.
Life in Saskatchewan
Costan worked as a farmer in the Elmsthorpe and Key West Municipalities of Saskatchewan. Census records from 1916 and 1921 paint a picture of a growing family living in modest conditions. By June 1921, Costan (age 30) and Cleofira were living in a two-room house with six children.
He purchased land (SW-10-10-23-W2) in the Elmsthorpe Municipality before 1930. However, the family’s time in Canada was drawing to a close by the early 1920s. His last permanent residence in Canada was in Ogema, Saskatchewan.
Move to Detroit
In December 1923, Costan emigrated to the United States, moving to Detroit, Michigan. He initially stayed with a man named Nick Pascyu on Denton Avenue. His wife Cleofira and their children followed shortly after, crossing the border in February 1924.
Costan transitioned from farming to industrial work in the booming automotive city. He found employment as a conveyor operator in auto body manufacturing and was later listed as working for the Murray Body Company in 1942.
The family moved several times within Detroit, residing at:
- 1924: 13313 Dequindre Street.
- 1935: 580 Westminster Avenue.
- 1939: 2945 West Philadelphia.
- 1942–1946: 17806 Brush Street (where they lived during World War II).
Family and Later Years
Costan and Cleofira raised a large family of ten children: Valaria (“Lena”), Aurelia (“Irene”), Ilie (“Eli”), Anika (“Anna”), Veronsa (“Vera”), John, Elena Marie (“Helen”), George, Mary, and Joan Elizabeth (“Tootsie”).
Constantine “Costan” Cojocari passed away on February 20, 1960 (some records suggest 1969), at the age of 69 (or 78). He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan. His wife Cleofira survived him by nearly two decades, passing away in September 1979.
