SSN: 569-18-8386

Ellis Island manifest has spelling MITROVITCH (according to family notes, the original spelling is MITROVIC and is currently spelled METROVITSCH (maiden name of Natalie Viani)

Enumeration Dist #315
1910 Census (NY) #1014

New York Marriage License
6 August 1910
Manhattan, New York City #19691

NY State Census 1915
(alien) RISTA METROVITSCH 34 years "Janitor"
b. 1881 Serbia
residence NY Bronx
residing in US: 6 years
assembly dist: #34, House: 707, Line #46, Page #40
(alien) HELEN 27 yr. "house work"
(citizen) NATALIJA 3 yr.
(citizen) Olga 1 yr.
(alien) GIZELA TATARCK 34 yr. "house work" NY Passenger lists sp. Gizella Tatarck
Gizella info:
Sailed to US twice, 9 Nov. 1909 with Ilona (Helen) (age: 28, ship: Ultonia from Fiume) & 6 Dec 1912 (age: 30,ship: Carpathia from fiume - Listed her brother Tatarek Gyorgy as head of household in Budapest where she departed in Budapest)

US Naturalization: 1916, New York.

WWI Draft Registration 9/6/1918
RISTA METROVITCH (no S) age 37
Res: 234 E. 121 st. NY
"Naturalized" (some time between 1915 census and 1918 draft registration)
Employer: Thompson Searret (?) Co. "Sheet Metal Worker"
Location: USA Explos Plant C, Nitro (town), Kanawha (county), W. VA

1920 Fed. Census
Tacoma Ward 5, Pierce, WA
Dist. 329, Male age 38, Renter
Father's and mother's birthplace: Serbia
Residents: (note misspellings)
head: RASTE METROTWICH age 38
HELEN age 34
MOLLIE age 7
OLGA age 6
GUSTLAF age 3

AKA Resta (1940 Fed Census)
Residence: 143 W. 87th St., Los Angeles, CA ($30/mo rental)
Residents:
Resta (58)
Helen (55)
Olga (26)
Gustaf (23)
Birthplace: Servia (sic)

WWII Draft Registration April 25, 1942
RESTA METROVITSCH
143 87th St., Los Angeles, CA
Tel: PL-23397
Employer: California Shipbuilding Company
Terminal Island, Los Angeles, CA
Physical Characteristics: "wooden left leg"

1952: California Death Index
RESTA METROVITSCH
July 1, 1952
Riverside, CA
Burial Information
Elsinore Valley Cemetery
Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, California, USA
PLOT H-06-08

Below is the account of Helen Tatarek's life based on the notes compiled by Sandor Tatarek.

In 1909, Ilona immigrated to America (at age 24). Her Godmother paid the fare over, which she repaid when she started working. She met her future husband who arrived April 10, 1909 on ship Slovenia and who also had a room in the boarding house owned by Ilona's (Helen's) godmother.

She traveled on board with with her relative, Gizella Tatarek, age 28.

She married Rista (Resta Ritzo) Metrovitsch in 1910. They lived on the 7th floor, no elevators, and somehow she managed to do her marketing with three little children (daily and no refrigerator).

In 1918, they moved to Tacoma Washington where Resta worked in the shipyards. In 1923 they moved to Los Angeles.

California Death Records (1940-1997) list his SS: 569-18-8386 (same as Helen Metrovitsch, his wife)

He was the youngest of large family - parents died at an early age - he was raised by an older sister who communicated with family through the years in Tacoma, WA (1918?) and then lost contact.

Residences:
234 E. 121 St. NY (1910-1918)
1922 - 2517 South I St., Tacoma WA (1918-1922)(information from 1920 census, which has last name misspelled: Metrotvich, Resta, Helen, Natalie, no Olga or Gus)
Tacoma, Washington, City Directory (occupation “Ship Worker”)
Los Angeles (1922) An apartment on Temple St.
Los Angeles - 90th St. & Main St. (Rista built house; high school years)
Los Angeles - 87th & Broadway (rental) sale of 90th St. house covered living expenses caused by Rista's accident/loss of lower left leg due to painting accident (fell from roof, compound fracture, led to gangrene and subsequent amputation)

308 Line Street (Lakeside Cottages), Apt. #8, Elsinore, California (at time of death)

Ellis Island research:
Thanks to professional in the computer lab at Ellis Island during our visit on 5/19/14
Ritzo Mitrovitch arrived on ship Slavonia (page 825) where the manifest has "Crew" written on top. The ship departed from Fiume on 20 March, 1909 and arrived in NY on April 10, 1909.
Copy of ship manifest saved from Ancestry
The manifest also mentions that he'd entered the US on a previous occasion.
age: 28
occupation: carpenter (struck out) replaced with blacksmith
Can READ and WRITE
Nationality: "Servia" (note correct spelling as appears on ellisisland org database)
Last permanent residence: Hungary, city illegible
Name of friend or relative in country of origin: Frederick Deoctaz (spelling illegible)
Manifest noted: "Discharged by R. S. Brown, Inspector, April 1 of 9 (first of Sept) 2 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Ever in the US before? Yes, "as a sailor"
A friend in destination city (NY): Johan Wangolls (?), "friend", 402 E. 83rd St. NY
In good health, 5' 11'' sallow complexion with brown eyes and brown hair
Mark of identification: tattoo on his fight forearm
Place of birth: Belgrade, "Servia"

Additional information on page #0824:
Passage paid by "on ship article" (because he was a crew member)
Arrived with $30

Wedding information through Italian Genealogical Group
Last Name: Metrovich (note change in spelling from Ellis Isl. Manifest)
Given Name: Rista
Month/Day: Aug 6
Year: 1910
CtfNum: 17540
County: Manhattan
Soundex: M361
ID: 917868

New York Marriage Certificate #17540 (Soundex M361)

Listed Surname: Metrovitsch, Given Name: Rista
Marriage Date August 6, 1910
Manhattan County

Source: www.italiangen.org/NYCmarriagesearch.asp

Link to bride:

Taterek, ILANKA (soundex T362)

Rough Draft Compiled 12/19/89

Rista Mitrovic was born April 1, 1881, the youngest of eleven or twelve children. His birthplace was Belgrade, the largest city in Serbia (now part of Yugoslavia). Belgrade, written Beograd in the local dialect, has an extensive history of occupation while retaining a small community stature through the end of World War I (1918).

Rista finished his education, apprenticed as a sheet metal worker, and obtained a position with a shipping company. He traveled extensively on the job, both on the continent and abroad.

He visited the United States several times, and eventually decided there were greater opportunities available in the U.S. than back in Beograd where employment was scarce. He left home for good around 1908 or 1909, and settled in New York City.

While living and working as a sheet metal worker, he met his future wife, Ilona Tatarek, who had immigrated to the United States from Hungary about the same time. They were married in 1910, and two years later they welcomed the first of three children, Natalie, born June 4, 1912. A second child, Olga was born two years later, Sept. 4, 1914, and the last child, Gus, arrived Sept, 12, 1916.

The family remained in New York, and Rista found plenty of work in the shipyards as America was preparing and involved in the first world War.

In the fall of 1918, they moved to Tacoma, Washington. An excellent worker, he found employment in the shipyards of the Northwest but, with the de-escalation of the war, work became irregular. After four years in Washington, the family moved down to Los Angeles to try his luck. With determination, he found employment in the air conditioning business.

Rista was a dedicated father, and Natalie recalls how on many occasions he would accompany her to evening play practice or the library. This often meant a walk of one and a half miles each way since the Metrovics never owned a car.

While Natalie was still in high school, he lost his leg through a freak accident at home. He was repairing the roof at the family home on 90th St. in Los Angeles. While standing on a ladder, the ladder's leg sank into soft soil and he fell, resulting in a compound fracture of the leg. In a short time, gangrene set in and resulted in the amputation of the leg below the knee. This proved ineffective, and a second operation was required, resulting a second amputation, this time above the knee.

He had ironically taken out accident insurance which helped for awhile. He made a deal with the foreman that in exchange for a kickback, he was able to work during the depression, handicap and all. He took great pride in being independent, and was able to hold a job throughout the Great Depression of the 30’s.

Rista was always a heavy drinker, and around 1942-43 he abandoned his family and moved to Lake Elsinore, ostensibly to stop drinking. He never did, however, and lived a solitary life there until his death in 1953. The cause of death was attributed to heart failure.