Individual Details
Areti G. Kostakos
(10 Mar 1908 - 7 Mar 2008)
Is a widow living in Brooklyn (as of January 1995).
Is 10 years younger than husband, John.
Was the last one from her family to come to the U.S.
# # #
On August 2, 2003, Carol Petranek, Catherine Kostakos (mother) and Georgios Kostakos (cousin) visited Areti at her home in Brooklyn, New York. At the time of this visit, Areti was about 95-96 years old. She was living in her own home at 1462 E. 17th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11230, where she said she has lived for the past 55 years. She has a live-in housekeeper to assist her. She is clever and very bright, sprightly, most alert, and has a strong personality with very defined opinions, and a wry sense of humor often making jokes about herself or others ("I not a spring chicken") She can walk on her own without a walker or any other assistance. She is short, about 5 feet, and thin. She has a lovely face that is remarkably unlined. At first, she didn't understand who we were, but after Georgios explained the family connection she expressed great joy at seeing us. We sat at her dining room table and she had her housekeeper bring out cakes and juice.
Areti told us that her name came from her mother's side of the family.
As an aside, Georgios met us at Areti's house at 4:00 on Saturday afternoon. He had talked with his mother about this meeting, and they decided it was best not to tell Areti that I was coming because she might make excuses as to why she couldn't have guests. When Georgios arrived, he explained then that she would have visitors and she changed clothes and was ready to greet us. I explained that I would like to talk with her about her family, and her perception was "why do you want to do this? No one cares. My own grandchildren don't want anything Greek." I reassured her several times that people do care, and that what she had to say was very important to us. She was happy to talk with me and spoke openly about whatever questions we asked. She was able to remember people very well, but not dates. Georgios was a tremendous help in explaining questions that she wasn't sure of, and in reassuring her that it was okay to talk with us.
Areti said that as a child in St. Johns, she wanted to be a teacher but her mother did not want her to go out of the home. She received schooling in St. Johns, about the equivalent of a high school education, which was unusual for a girl in her day. She learned a little about dressmaking, but after a while her mother said, "you've learned enough, now you stay home." Areti said, "I live to learn." It was obvious from her tone of voice that she was disappointed that she was not able to progress further in education. However, she said that "my mother taught me to be independent." She mentioned several times that she is an independent woman and she lives on her own because she doesn't want her son or his family to take care of her: she said in a fiercely independent tone of voice, "No one takes care of me."
Areti explained that daily life in Greece was very hard and people had no conveniences. It took all the energy and time of a family just to take care of everyday needs and to scrape by. However, it was a good, clean life centered around family. No older people ever talked about their families or their ancestors or their lives because their daily existence kept them consumed. One can tell from the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice that Areti loves her family. She said with a softness in her voice, "the family goes on forever" as children are born.
Areti shocked us by telling us that her father, Grigorios, did NOT come from Mani or Anavrete, but from Pyrgos. Pyrgos was an area that was very difficult to get to because it was over the western mountains in the Peloponnese. The mountains are very rocky and it is hard terrain, but Pyrgos is in a fertile plain. Grigorios was born in Pyrgos, and his father, Andrew, was also from Pyrgos. Grigorios came by himself to St. John's looking for work. He found work with her mother's brother, Panagiotis (Peter). They got to know each other, and after a while, Panagiotis told Grigorios that he liked him and gave his sister, Maria, to marry him. They married in St. John's and remained there in an area known as "Kozi". Areti never saw any of Grigorios' family because it was hard for them to travel from the mountains. She doesn't remember ever meeting her grandfather Kostakos.
Areti said that she married her husband, John, in Greece. She said she was 20 when she married. [Georgios Kostakos had put her birth year at 1906 (Kostakos Ref-1.]) Her husband had been a widower for several years, and had one child by his first marriage. They had one child together (George).
Areti told us that she has dreams or visions almost every night. She sees her husband, John, who keeps coming to her and saying "when are you coming to be with me?"
Areti said her brothers were "perfect" Kostakos'. She also said that Georgios (or Gregorios') grandmother died 6 months before he was born. I didn't write down who this was.
Info from Areti Kostakos Lambrinos, Aug. 2, 2003 meeting with Carol Kostakos Petranek.
###
DEATH:
March 8, 2008 - email from Georgios Kostakos re Areti's death on March 7:
"Areti Lambrinos passed away yesterday, Friday, 7 March. She was taken to the hospital the previous evening because she could not breathe and was vomiting all night, but there was nothing they could do. She had been bedridden for several months now. The last time I saw her, a month or so ago, she would not turn her head to see me and would not talk. In fact, she had given up completely over the last couple of months, and before, she was saying that she was tired of living. May God rest her soul. The wake will be at Valley Stream on Sunday (2-4 pm and 7-9 pm), funeral home tel. 516-825-2900, and the funeral at Hempstead, Long Island on Monday [March 10], at St. Paul's Church, at 12 noon. I'll try to go to the funeral and I can light a candle on your behalf if you want. Her son's telephone number if you would like to call him (George) or his wife (Helen) is: 516-826-6027. Love, Georgios"
March 10, 2008 - I called the funeral home and asked about an obituary, and I was told that there was not an obituary published. The director said that today was her 100th birthday, and that she was buried in Cyprus Hills on Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn.
March 11, 2008 - I sent an email to Georgios regarding her 100th birthday, and he replied: "I heard about Areti's birthday from the priest in his eulogy--amazing coincidence indeed. I asked George, her son, who did not pay so much attention to it, as we know that even Areti/Rita herself was not sure about the accuracy of her documents, her exact date of birth, etc. In any case, she left full of years and with all our good thoughts and thanks for her life."
Events
Families
| Spouse | John Nicholas Lambrinos (1892 - 1979) |
| Child | Living |
| Father | Grigorios Andreas Kostakos (1854 - 1935) |
| Mother | Maria G. Theodoropoulos (1862 - 1958) |
| Sibling | Anastasia G. Kostakos (1891 - 1974) |
| Sibling | Andreas Grigorios Kostakos (1892 - 1981) |
| Sibling | Konstantinos Grigorios Kostakos (1894 - 1965) |
| Sibling | Georgios Grigorios Kostakos (1898 - 1993) |
| Sibling | Kalliopi G. Kostakos (1903 - 1999) |
| Sibling | Stavroula or Stella G. Kostakos (1902 - 1988) |
| Sibling | Panagiotis Grigorios Kostakos (1913 - 1944) |
Notes
Alternate Birth
General Archives of Greece, SpartaDimotologion (Town Register), Agios Ioannis, Lakonia, dated September 11, 1955
received by Carol Petranek on March 30, 2006
Family #126; individual numbers 663-672
Kostakos, Grigorios; father Andreas; mother - Anastasia; born 1854 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence Agios Ioannis; occupation farmer; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; recorded in male register in Agios Ioannis, serial #32/2; removed from record on September 11, 1955 due to death
Kostakos, Maria; father: Georgios Theodoropoulos; born 1862 birth place Agios Ioannis, permanent residence Agios Ioannis; occupation housework; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; death date July 3, 1958.
Kostakos, Anastasia, born 1891 in Agios Ioannis; Greek Orthodox; permanent residence: Agios Ioannis; occupation housework; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; removed from record on September 11, 1955.
Kostakos, Andreas, born 1892 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America [note: he returned to Greece and died there]; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; registered in Male Register in Agios Ioannis #447/4
Kostakos, Konstandinos, born 1894 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; recorded in Male Register in Agios Ioannis # 469/5.
Kostakos, Georgios, born 1898 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence Agios Ioannis; occupation farmer; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; recorded in male register in Agios Ioannis, #873/6; married; number 127.
Kostakos, Kalliope, born 1900 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; went to America.
Kostakos, Stavroula, born 1902 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; went to America.
Kostakos, Areti, born 1902 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; went to America.
Kostakos, Panagiotis, born 1913 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence Agios Ioannis; occupation farmer; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; number 128; date deleted from record September 11, 1955.
Birth
Rita LambrinosUnited States Social Security Death Index
Age 100
Given Name Rita
Surname Lambrinos
Birth Date 10 Mar 1908
State New york
Last Place of Residence Brooklyn, Kings, New york
Previous Residence Postal Code11230
Event Date 07 Mar 2008
Citation"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JBDL-BZ5 : accessed 31 October 2015), RITA LAMBRINOS, 07 Mar 2008; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
March 10, 2008 - I called the funeral home and asked about an obituary, and I was told that there was not an obituary published. The director said that today was her 100th birthday, and that she was buried in Cyprus Hills on Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn.
Alternate Birth
Marriage record dated January 13, 1929 gives Areti's age as 19 (1910)Marriage
Metropolis of Sparta, Marriage IndexBook: Sparta,1927-1935; Year: 1929, Entries: 1-23
Entry #9
License Date: January 12, 1929
Marriage Date: January 13, 1929
Groom: Ioannis Lambrinos; age: 35; father: Nikol., village: Vlachochori
Bride: Areti Kostakou; age: 19; father: Grigorios; village: Alaimbey
Church Name: Agios Dimitrios of Tseramio
Second marriage for groom; first marriage for bride
Image DSC_0037
Photographed at the Metropolis of Sparta in Sparta, Greece by Carol Kostakos Petranek, July 2017
***
Sparta Marriages 1835-1935
Marriage: Jan 13 1929, Tsiramio, Sparta, Greece (Τσιράμιο, Σπάρτα, Ελλάδα)
Groom Name: Ιωάννης Λαμπρινός (Ioannis Lamprinos), age 35
Birth: Circa 1894 Βλαχογύριον(Vlachogyrion)
Age: 35
Father: Νικόλαος Λαμπρινός (Nikolaos Lamprinos)
Bride Name: Αρετή Κωστάκου (Areti Kostakou), age 19
Birth: Circa 1910, Αλαίμετη(Alaimeti)
Age: 19
Father: Γρηγόριος Κωστάκου (Grigorios Kostakou)
Ordinal Number: 9
Church: Αγ Δημήτριος (Ag Dimitrios)
Source: Metropolis of Sparta
Photographed at the Metropolis of Sparta in Sparta, Greece by Carol Kostakos Petranek, July 2018
Immigration
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
S.S. Edison, sailing from Piraeus on Jun 9, 1929; arriving in New York on June 25, 1929
Lambrinos, Areti, age 20, female, married, housewife, able to read and write Greek; nationality, Greek; place of birth, Agios Ioannis, Greece; Immigration Visa #2017, issued at Athens, Greece on June 4, 1929; last permanent residence: Mistra, Greece; name and address of nearest relative or friend in country from whence came: father-in-law Nik. Lambrinos, Mistra, Greece; final destination: Chicago, Illinois; have a ticket to that destination? no; passage paid by husband; in U.S. previously: no; whether joining relative or friend: Acc [accompanied?]. by husband Amer. Citiz. 817 N. Leavitt St, Chicago, Ill; whether alien intends to return to country from which came: no; intend to be permanent resident in US; intends to become citizen; good health; height: 5'1"; dark brown hair.
Lambrinos, Nicholas, age 10, male, single, scholar; can read and write Greek; nationality Greek; born in Agios Ioannis, Greece; Immigration Visa #2017, issued at Athens, Greece on June 4, 1929; last permanent residence: Mistra, Greece; name and address of nearest relative or friend in country from whence came: as above; final destination: Chicago, Illinois; have a ticket to that destination? no; passage paid by fatherin U.S. previously: no; whether joining relative or friend: Acc [accompanied?]. by mother as above; whether alien intends to return to country from which came: no; intend to be permanent resident in US; intends to become citizen; good health; height: 5'1"; dark brown hair.
# # #
This doesn't make sense - going to Chicago??
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
S.S. Edison, sailing from Piraeus on Jun 9, 1929; arriving in New York on June 25, 1929
Lambrinos, Areti, age 20, female, married, housewife, able to read and write Greek; nationality, Greek; place of birth, Agios Ioannis, Greece; Immigration Visa #2017, issued at Athens, Greece on June 4, 1929; last permanent residence: Mistra, Greece; name and address of nearest relative or friend in country from whence came: father-in-law Nik. Lambrinos, Mistra, Greece; final destination: Chicago, Illinois; have a ticket to that destination? no; passage paid by husband; in U.S. previously: no; whether joining relative or friend: Acc [accompanied?]. by husband Amer. Citiz. 817 N. Leavitt St, Chicago, Ill; whether alien intends to return to country from which came: no; intend to be permanent resident in US; intends to become citizen; good health; height: 5'1"; dark brown hair.
Lambrinos, Nicholas, age 10, male, single, scholar; can read and write Greek; nationality Greek; born in Agios Ioannis, Greece; Immigration Visa #2017, issued at Athens, Greece on June 4, 1929; last permanent residence: Mistra, Greece; name and address of nearest relative or friend in country from whence came: as above; final destination: Chicago, Illinois; have a ticket to that destination? no; passage paid by fatherin U.S. previously: no; whether joining relative or friend: Acc [accompanied?]. by mother as above; whether alien intends to return to country from which came: no; intend to be permanent resident in US; intends to become citizen; good health; height: 5'1"; dark brown hair.
Ancestry.com. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Original data: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls); Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957; (National Archives Microfilm Publication T715, 8892 rolls); Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Residence
1933 City Directory, Brooklyn, New YorkR L Polk & Co., page 1102
Lambrinos, John (Arete), cook, 1794 Sheepshead Bay Rd
Source: MyHeritage, accessed August 27, 2020
Census
1940 Census, Brooklyn, Kings, New YorkED 24-1310, sheet 20A; ancestry.com
address: 76 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn
Lambrinos, John, Head, male, white, age 48, married, born in Greece, Naturalized, lived in same place in 1935, occupation: cook in restaurant
Lambrinos, Rita, wife, female, white, age 31, married, born in Greece, Alien
Lambrinos, Nicholas, son, male, white, age 22, single, finished 8th grade, born in Greece, Naturalized; occupation: counterman in restaurant
Lambrinos, George, son, male, white, age 8, single, finished 2nd grade, born in New York
Costakos, Andrew, brother-in-law, male, white, age 49, single, finished 8th grade; born in Greece, Naturalized, lived in same place in 1935, occupation: manager, restaurant
Source Citation: Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, Kings, New York; Roll: T627_2580; Page: 20A; Enumeration District: 24-1310.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.
Town Register
General Archives of Greece, SpartaDimotologion (Town Register), Agios Ioannis, Lakonia, dated September 11, 1955
received by Carol Petranek on March 30, 2006
Family #126; individual numbers 663-672
Kostakos, Grigorios; father Andreas; mother - Anastasia; born 1854 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence Agios Ioannis; occupation farmer; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; recorded in male register in Agios Ioannis, serial #32/2; removed from record on September 11, 1955 due to death
Kostakos, Maria; father: Georgios Theodoropoulos; born 1862 birth place Agios Ioannis, permanent residence Agios Ioannis; occupation housework; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; death date July 3, 1958.
Kostakos, Anastasia, born 1891 in Agios Ioannis; Greek Orthodox; permanent residence: Agios Ioannis; occupation housework; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; removed from record on September 11, 1955.
Kostakos, Andreas, born 1892 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America [note: he returned to Greece and died there]; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; registered in Male Register in Agios Ioannis #447/4
Kostakos, Konstandinos, born 1894 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; recorded in Male Register in Agios Ioannis # 469/5.
Kostakos, Georgios, born 1898 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence Agios Ioannis; occupation farmer; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; recorded in male register in Agios Ioannis, #873/6; married; number 127.
Kostakos, Kalliope, born 1900 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; went to America.
Kostakos, Stavroula, born 1902 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; went to America.
Kostakos, Areti, born 1902 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence America; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; went to America.
Kostakos, Panagiotis, born 1913 in Agios Ioannis; permanent residence Agios Ioannis; occupation farmer; Greek Orthodox; place of Greek citizenship Agios Ioannis by birth; married; number 128; date deleted from record September 11, 1955.
Death
Rita LambrinosUnited States Social Security Death Index
Age 100
Given Name Rita
Surname Lambrinos
Birth Date 10 Mar 1908
State New york
Last Place of Residence Brooklyn, Kings, New york
Previous Residence Postal Code11230
Event Date 07 Mar 2008
Citation"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JBDL-BZ5 : accessed 31 October 2015), RITA LAMBRINOS, 07 Mar 2008; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
Endnotes
1. Town Register-Greece (Dimotologion Koinotikos).
2. Funeral Home.
3. T-715, Ship or Roll Number : Roll 4522 Image 314-315 (Ancestry.com) Source Information Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867..
4. "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KQL5-5SF : accessed 16 March 2016), Rita Lambrinos in household of John Lambrinos, Assembly District 11, Brooklyn, New York City, Kings, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 24-1310, sheet 20A, family 176, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 2580..
5. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JBDL-BZ5 : accessed 16 March 2016), RITA LAMBRINOS, 07 Mar 2008; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing)..
6. "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 for." New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 for. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
10. T-715, Ship or Roll Number : Roll 4522 Image 314-315 (Ancestry.com) Source Information Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867..
11. "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 for." New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 for. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
12. 1940 US Census.
13. "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KQL5-5SF : accessed 16 March 2016), Rita Lambrinos in household of John Lambrinos, Assembly District 11, Brooklyn, New York City, Kings, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 24-1310, sheet 20A, family 176, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 2580..
14. "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KQL5-5SF : accessed 16 March 2016), Rita Lambrinos in household of John Lambrinos, Assembly District 11, Brooklyn, New York City, Kings, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 24-1310, sheet 20A, family 176, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 2580..
15. General State Archives of Greece, Sparta Office.
16. Family Member.
17. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JBDL-BZ5 : accessed 16 March 2016), RITA LAMBRINOS, 07 Mar 2008; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing)..

