A Look to the Past

Imbro (Mirko) Omerza was born in Bjelovar, Hrvatska Hungary on October 8, 1885. When he was 25, he married 18 year old Stephanie Josephine Exner on September 24, 1910. Almost one year later they had their first child, Emerick Joseph. Not long after they decided to move to the United States. Imbro bought a ticket on the Titanic and missed the boat. I'm sure he was annoyed at the time, but someone was looking out for him. After he got situated in Chicago he sent for his wife and son. Imbro worked at Marshall Fields in Chicago. One day he came home from work to find his house completely burned down. Nothing was salvaged. His wife and kids were at a neighbors and for a day he couldn't find them. A few years later Imbro suffered a stroke. It affected his right side and he could no longer talk. Stephanie, who spoke no english, got a job scrubbing floors. Imbro would lie in bed all day, usually mumbling. One day when Stephanie came home Imbro was gone. Some neighbors came by and took him to a sanitarium because they thought he was crazy. Imbro died there, and because Stephanie had no money for a personal grave he was buried in an unidentified group grave. He died on November 13, 1921 at age 36. Emerick was 10 years old according to record, but he says he was 8. Imbro was baptized May 8, 1954 and endowed May 19, 1954 as Emerick Joseph, Sr. Thanks to Heather, who found Imbro's parents, he was sealed to them November 5, 2005 under both names.