TOSOFF GENEALOGY RESEARCH
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MY STORY OF THE TOSOFF NAME TO DATE
I have been gathering information on my
Grandfather James TOSOFF.
He had a different name in Bulgaria.
He was born 15 June 1891 in or around
Sofia.
My grandfather fled from Bulgaria with
another relative whom we don't know as
well because he did not ever discuss
much of his youth.His parents were
farmers from around the Sofia Area.
His mothers name was Rosa, and his sisters
name was Marie.No information on his fathers give name.
Later on in his life he would refer to
the Valley of the Roses and the
Monasteries in that region.
He is said to have done something in
Bulgaria which contributed to his fear
of reprisal.. While at a family ceremony
with a Greek Orthodox priest.instead
of kissing his ring as is the custom,
he refused to kiss the ring. (he actually spit on it!)
It was a ceremony were the priest would come and take the best of the farm goods and animals. I guess he didn't like to work hard and have some priest take the best of the animals and crops.
James left home and his country and made his way to the New Country of Canada.
*This is a link to a site describing different areas of Bulgaria, including the Valley of the Roses and The MonasteriesMore about Bulgaria
(There is little information about how he got to different parts of the European Continent and eventually to A Seaport.)
Arrival in Canada.
He emigrated from
Bulgaria about 1908 or 1909, arriving
at the port of either Halifax or St.
John's in Canada. After he arrived
in Canada he began employment as a fur
trader, also owned a
confectionary store in Edmonton
Alberta, and had also run a business
in Drumheller, Alberta.He married in
1920 and a few years later they moved
to the Prince George Area in the
Cariboo Region of Northern British
Columbia.
Children James and his wife Gladys had
12 children. Most of the
offspring remained in the Prince George
Area of British Columbia. The names of
the children are as follows in the
order of birth:
Donald James,
Phyllis
Dorothy,
Theodore Melvin,
Helen Eileen,
Robert Garfield,
Alexander Morley,
Douglas Ray,
Gladys Elizabeth,
Kathleen
Shirley,
Ruth Isabel,
Albert Leonard,
Terrance William.
Grandfather James Tosoff Died in 1961.
Cemetery: Prince George Municipal
Location: Prince George, #2099 Ferry Avenue
Region: North-Northwest
Reference: PRFHS
Grandma Tosoff(Gladys) his wife died in 1995.
My dad, Ted Tosoff, moved to the Vancouver,B.C.
area in 1945-1946 after he had served
in the Canadian Armed Forces.He
married my Mom Vivian in June 1948.
My grandfather's name possibly was anglicized -
changed to the English spelling of
TOSOFF when he arrived in Canada or the USA.
I have asked my parents to look into
other information to post here --
specifically the original Bulgarian
surname and given name of my
grandfather.
Update as of April 7th, I have found that there was aStefan Tosoff in the USA.
He lived in Toledo and Lucas Ohio.He was born in 1884 and died in 1968. This could possibly be the relative
my grandfather came to North America with.More information will be published on a separate Webpage when I get that opportunity. If anyone who comes across this page and reads this posting and knows how I can access more info regarding this latest turn of events,please do email me or sign the guestbook directing me how I may find out more about this exciting discovery!
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December 6, 1998