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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, January 7, 2024, pg. 6 Remember when you were growing up in school, that sometimes the teacher chose or placed persons by alphabetical order? That was great if your last name was towards the front of the alphabet; but what about if your last name started with the letter Z? You would be the last in line, placed in the last seat way in the back, and given the last opportunity to accomplish a task after everyone had already completed it. Your name file would be in the last file cabinet at the very bottom in the back. There might not be a sandwich left for you by the time the "food cart" came around to check off your name. Sound familiar? I was wondering who in Albion would be the "last" listed in alphabetical order under the "Zs" in old Albion city directories, or at Riverside Cemetery? There I discovered Albion surnames such as: Zabonick, Zachary, Zamora, Zaremba, Zasucha, Zatalokin, Zedler, Zeindler, Zeltman, Zenoniani, Zick, Zielinski, Ziemba, Zimmerman, Zozulia, Zuehlke, Zuraviell, Zuck, Zurn, and finally, yes, Zyk. Louis Zyk (1866-1936) was one of several hundred men who came to work at the Albion Malleable Iron Company in the early 20th century. The Malleable heavily recruited workers in Europe, mostly in Italy, Poland, and White Russia (Belarus). These men and their families lived in the so-called "Foreign Settlement," of company housing located just north of the plant, and westward along Austin Avenue. Mr. Zyk had immigrated to America from his native Russian Empire around 1896, and lived in Albion in for about twenty years before his death. Louis worked at the Malleable as a laborer after coming to Albion. His surname appears in the 1928 directory as "Zuck," and living at the Harry Handricks residence at 924 Austin Avenue. Who knows what the correct/original spelling was? Spellings often got changed here in America. Towards the end of his life, Louis was placed in the County Infirmary (Poor Farm) in Marengo Township near Marshall. He died there of heart problems seven weeks later, on October 18, 1936. His death certificate stated that he was widowed. He was buried in Riverside Cemetery in Albion, Block 129, Lot 131. His name is "the last of the alphabet" of burials in Riverside. Block 129 contains 540 individual lots, rather than family lots. Many persons interred here were too poor to afford tombstones. Such is the case for Mr. Zyk, whose grave does not have a tombstone. His www.Findagrave.com listing number is 8059077 in case you'd like to leave "virtual flowers" on his listing page. From our Historical Notebook this week we present a 1916 photo showing the "Foreign Settlement" company housing along Austin Avenue, the area where Mr. Zyk lived. How many of our readers have surnames starting with the letter "Z?"  The "Foreign Settlement" company housing along Austin Avenue in 1916.
All text copyright, 2026 © all rights reserved Frank Passic | Artwork copyright Maggie LaNoue © 2026
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