Family history

Before my ancestors came to America, my last name was spelled Kurimjan. I interviewed my dad who originally thought that my family changed the spelling to Creamean at Ellis Island in the 1890s to look and sound more American. When he called my grandfather to back up his claim, my grandfather told us that he was wrong and the family name was changed when they settled in Illinois because Creamean was easier for the coal mine foreman to spell and remember. I was primarily named after my father’s father whose middle name was Charles. There were also many Charles’ on my mother’s side of the family and my parents wanted to name me after them.

My grandfather’s mother’s parents both came to America from Czechoslovakia. His father’s mother was also from Czechoslovakia, but his father’s father was from Hungary. I think it’s pretty interesting that most of my family's bloodline is Czechoslovakian, however the family name is Hungarian. They came to America seeking a better life and work in the 1890s, which they found in the coal mines of Streator, Illinois. They came to Streator because at the time it was a booming coal mining town and there were many job opportunities. My father’s family stayed in Streator until my father and his siblings finished college. Although my grandparents still live there, my father and his siblings all moved away from home. My father moved to the Chicago area for work as soon as he finished college and he has lived here ever since.