Preservation of American Hellenic History
Preservation of American Hellenic History
by Jason C. Mavrovitis
Their father Hristodul's Death Certificate is informative.
On April 20th 1908 at 3 p.m. this death certificate was written testifying to the death of Hristodul Zisu, Orthodox Christian of Greek nationality, Bulgarian citizen, worker by occupation, at the age of seventy, born in the town of Sozopol, the same municipality ...
By family status the deceased was married to Vasiliki Hrist. Zisu, Orthodox Christian of Greek nationality, Bulgarian citizen, housewife by occupation, at the age of sixty, born in the town of Sozopol, ... This marriage had lasted forty-five years.
Since known as a "worker by occupation," it is not likely that Hristodul owned land. Neither is there any indication that he was a commercial fisherman or a boatman. His was a poor, working family. He probably labored for landed gentry who had need of men to cultivate their vineyards, orchards, and grain and pulse fields. He may have served as a crewmember on fishing boats or worked in the shipyard. Neither he nor his wife, Vasiliki, left any information that would distinguish them from the landless peasant class.
They lived in a typical, two-story wooden house with views of the bay and harbor to the north and east, and the sea and beach to the south and west. The first floor was for storage. In its dark space were farming implements, fishing equipment and nets, wine barrels, and crocks of salted fish and pickled vegetables. The second floor consisted of bedrooms, a reception room, a dining room and a kitchen
Each morning the sisters saw their father leave their home and, with other men who like him carried rakes or shovels or scythes, walk from the town toward the vineyards and fields where he labored for the landowners. On another day, perhaps carrying nets and other implements, he would walk to the harbor and its waiting boats to hire out to boat owners for a day of fishing. Mackerel and tunny,(47) sardines and shrimp were abundant and one tenth of the catch was the share of the rowers and helpers on the boat.
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