Semeistvo

The Anastasoff Tenekeff Family

Watch Video


Lambo Anastasoff Tenekeff was born in 1895 in the village of Gabresh,Macedonia. He immigrated to Canada with his father Anastas Kizoff in 1907. He worked as a butcher and three years later opened his own grocery/butcher store and named it Louis Meat Market. In the established Canadian community he became known as Mr. Louis.
In 1919 he sent for his fiancee Kiratza Zolumoff. They were married in 1921 and over a period of eleven years had four children (Mary, Chris, Victoria, Tsana).
In the Macedonian community the Anastasoffs were known as the Tenekeff family. Tenekeff was a nickname Lanbo's father acquired while growing up in the village of Gabresh Macedonia. In Canada and the USA Lambo was widely regarded as a leader in the Macedonian community.
Lambo had three sisters (Vonna, Tsveta and Lena), two half sisters (Stfka & Tanasa), a step sister and brother (Jimmy & Elena). he made no distinction between his full, half or step siblings.
Lambo trained his extended family members in all aspects of the grocery business and helped them to establish their own stores. As he was planning to create a grocery chain these stores were also named Louis Meat Market. Unfortunatly, Lambo passed away at an early age in 1937 and did not fulfull his dream.
More than 1,000 people attented the funeral service at St. Cyrils and Methody Macedono-Bulgarian Church located on Trinity Street. His flower and flagged draped casket was carried for two and a half miles to his final resting place in St. James Cemetery.
life after lambo was difficult for Latsa and her children. Mary and Victoria left school before completing secondary school because of their father's death.
All of Lambo and Latsa's children married and had children of their own. loving and helping to raise nine grandchildren brought Latsa much joy.
Latsa, one of the first Macedonian women in toronto to get a driver's licence, passed away in 1981 at the age of 83.

The Gelentsoff Family

Ivan Gelentsoff and his wife Dinka were born in the village of Zagoricheni, Macedonia. TYhree of their four children (Tana, Elias and Methody) were born in the village.
Ivan a sojourner, worked in Istanbul in a dairy bar. Dinka "held the fort" at home with the help of her daughter Tana and son Elias (Lou). Life was hard but it became more so under the assimilation policies of the new "Greek" occupation.
Before the first world war, Ivan immigrated to Canada. In 1921, he sent for his wife and children. In Canada, Dinka had a second daughter Evangeline (Vangey). The family's first home was on Sackville Street then they moved to Blevins Place.
Ivan passed away at a young age in 1936. Dinka also passed away at a young age in 1944 just before her youngest son Methody married. Dinka never met her son's fiancee Victoria Anastasoff Tenekeff.
On August 20, 1944, with the marriage of Methody (Ted) to Victoria (Vicky), the Anastasoff Tenekeff and Gelentsoff became one happy family.


Remebering Vicky

Watch Video



Ted's Restaurant and the Evans Family

Watch Video


Methody (Ted Gelentsoff met Victoria Anastasoff while working in Eaton's where they would meet in the tunnel. They were married in 1944 and opened a restaurant in East York in 1948. To assimilate in the primarilly British community of East York, ted adopted his father's first name (Ivan) and became known as Ted Evans.

Ted and Vicky had three children, John Dena and Gina. Ted's Restaurant served as a training ground for all three children as well as many relatives in the Macedonian community.

Ted's Restaurant was known for Ted's rice pudding, savoury dishes and its generous portions of good homemade food at a reasonable price but, it was Vicky's coconut cream, apple, cherry and raisin pies that made Ted's famous. Tde's was sold in 1969.