New Century Family Story - Haddad Family

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Najib and Lulu Hadad Family

by Mary Ellen Hadad

On June 2,1901, Najib and Lulu Skeff Hadad and family arrived in United States of America aboard the La Champagne. It is noted on the ship's manifest their ethnicity is Syrian and place of residence is Beyrouth. However, they came from Zahle, a community east of Beyrouth near the Syrian border. They sailed from Le Havre, Seine- Inferior, France. Najib is listed as being 35 years old and Lulu is 30 years old. There were four children: Salim(Sam), age 11, Nassira (Hazel) is 7 years old, Nabiha (Mary) is four years old and Louis is 6 months old. The family came from Zahle , in what is now the country of Lebanon. This is a community east of Beirut close to the Syrian border. At the time they left their home in Zahle it was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The trip probably took as long as five weeks or more. Also on the ship were relatives of Lulu: the Charles John Barrack family( Mrs. Mariam Skeff Barrack was Lulu’s sister) and Richard Skeff, who was her nephew.
Upon arrival at Ellis Island, the family was sponsored by someone and lived in New York for a time. Rose, their fifth child, was born on August 7, 1901, while they were still there. The Barrack family had gone on to Trinidad and sometime in 1902 , the Hadad' s also came to Trinidad. They traveled by train and while they were in the depot in Chicago and distracted by taking care of their young family, someone stole their luggage. They lived here on West Main Street across from where the Fox Theater is now located. There is another listing in school records of their living at 621 W. Main. On September 14, 1903, Anna was born and Mike was born in March of 1905. Soon after, the family moved to Segundo. It was a difficult time for the family and both Najib and Lulu, with the help of the older children, were selling goods around the coal camps. Finally, they were able to obtain a building and began the general store that became an important part of that community .The 1910-11directory lists George and Son as having a general store. Najib is referred to as George. Samuel is listed by himself.
Sam left Segundo and eventually started with his wife, Mary Johns, his general merchandise business in Trinidad. This was the forerunner of what would become Hadad Motor Sales. The three children of this
union are Marj, Joe and George. Hazel married Joe Sawaya in 1910 and the Sawaya Wholesale had its beginnings on West Main and later at the store on Frost Street. The Sawaya children are Jess, Josephine, Fred, Jane and George. Mary married Richard Skeff in 1910 and they had a store in Segundo for several years before moving to Center,CO and later to Phoenix, Arizona. Children of Richard and Mary are Zelma, Snyder and F ozie. Louis ( called George at times) worked at the Segundo store until serving in World War I and then moved on to several places before settling in Denver. Rose was married to Saliman Ferris and they started a cleaning business in Trinidad. Later she was widowed and in 1944 married Mike Stamatakis. The Ferris children are: Joe, Catherine, Phil and Ted. Anna married Bill Malouffin 1925 and they went to Monte Vista, CO and operated a grocery store there for many years. The Malouff children are Rachel, Zella and J oe. The youngest son, Mike, married Sara Malouff in 1925 and remained in Segundo to manage the original store until in 1939, a second store was purchased. Finally in 1959, the store in Segundo was sold and the Mike Hadad family moved to Trinidad to continue operating Hadad' s Home Furnishings. Mike
and Sara's children are Najib, Lucille, Leo, Richard, Dave and Victor.

This is just a brief sketch of how our grandparents came to this country without anything of value and through hard work, perseverance and a deep faith in God were able to provide for their children and generations to come.

*Note: this will be posted with the other Century Families as soon as we can.

[cshreves]

I am not sure if this name would be one you are looking for but I went to school in Trinidad with a David Haddan. The address I have listed for him is----8040 Shroup Roar,Colorado Springs,Colo.--80908-4031. I got this address from a fellow that helps put these School Reunions on for Trinidad.
Good luck in your research.
Charlene R. Shreves
[email protected]