Swissvale: Mary Bucar Begg

Mary Bucar enjoyed her life with the Yurich’s.  She was treated as a daughter.  Mary Yurich was an outstanding baker.  Young Mary learned to bake almost as well.  Her school years continued.  While she lived in Swissvale, Rankin High was only a short walk away.  Shorter than walking to Swissvale High.  As she had family ties in Rankin it was easy for her to seem to be a Rankin resident.  Mary completed her high school years and graduated from Rankin High.

The women in the household were one-half a generation apart.  In some ways Mary Bucar felt as a younger sister to Mary Yurich, and as an older sister to Alice Yurich, Mary Yurich’s daughter.  These relationships would remain as long as she lived.

Emil Begg became an increasing frequent visitor at his sister’s house.  He liked his sister and was liked by her as well, but it was more than a familial relationship, or his sister’s baking, that caused his frequent visits.  Emil had fallen in love with Mary Bucar, and was to remain so for the rest of his life.

In 1932 Mary Bucar married Emil Begg.  The couple found rooms in a house on Milligan Avenue in Swissvale.  It was a typical situation where a couple owning a home furnished the second floor as a three room apartment.  The apartment had a kitchen, living room and bedroom.  Emil continued working at the glass machine factory, and was progressing well.  In 1934 their first child was born.  Emil was the ultimate proud papa.  The girl was named Dorothy for Mary’s mother Dora, but Emil referred to her as Babe.

With the entire group of Begg siblings living in or near Swissvale, the gathering of grandchildren for the elder Mary Beg was significant.  Mary Peris Beg was called Baba by all her grandchildren.  (And by most of the community.)  All would gather for Baba’s birthday. With Dorothy, the number of grand children at the party was eleven.  Most of the children were Emil’s sisters so Dorothy was only the second grandchild with the Begg name.

2325 Buena Vista Street

In 1936 Mary Bucar Begg was again pregnant.  The apartment was not big enough for a family of four so Mary and Emil rented a little house on Buena Vista Street.  This was a short street with some 35 houses, on narrow lots.  Emil and Mary’s house was five lots from one end of the street.  Baba’s house was at the other end of the street.  Fortunately, that was treated as being in another time zone, so Emil and Mary were able to live their own lives.  Emil’s younger brother Joe lived with Baba, and would, for the rest of her life, support her.

Emil and Mary had their second child, Emil, in late 1936.  Emil Jr. was premature, and in those, born at home, days there was much concern.  However, the baby’s health improved and the family prospered.

This was the depths of the great depression, but the glass machinery factory continued to flourish.  Emil’s status grew also,  He was made a manager and the fortunes of the Begg family were bright.  In 1938 Emil bought a car, a 1936 DeSoto.   The purchase of a car in the midst of the depression is an indication of how well things were going for the Beggs.  Emil was now participating in sales for the factory and some travel, mostly by train, became part of his normal routine.

In late 1938 I was born.  I was named after my father’s best friend Sam Giordano.  Sam’s name was Salvatore, but everyone called him Sam, so I was named Samuel Begg.  The family enjoyed life in the bungalow on Buena Vista Street, but space was, again, becoming a problem.

2439 Braddock Avenue (note stairs to left)

In 1939 Emil was made superintendent of the factory.  In this position he reported to the owner.  With fortunes in such good state, Emil sought a better home for his growing family.  He rented a large home on Braddock Avenue.  Braddock Avenue was the next street down the hillside from Buena Vista.  In this hillside world there were many public stairs connecting streets.  One such set of stairs ran beside Baba’s house.  At the bottom, these stairs ran beside the house Emil rented.  Baba’s involvement in Emil and Mary’s life would grow, with only 147 steps separating them.