Ed. Note (Stephen F Payer[3]): The following article was written by Milton Tokash, grandson of Marianna Payer and George Julius Gyomber. Edited very lightly for WWW presentation.

In writing about various organists, I cannot help recalling the family of organists - the Dumbiers, of whom I will write a few paragraphs. The late Julius Dumbier was born in Slovakia December 25, 1890. He came to America July 1907. He was one of fourteen children. His oldest brother, Constantine, was born in Audenried, PA (not far from Hazleton PA) where his father was an organist in Hazleton before that. Rev. Ignac Jaskovic, the first Slovak priest in America came to America in 1882 to his relations the Dumbiers, in Audenried. The parish of St. Joseph was started in Hazleton, PA and the church was erected at the same time as the church of St. Steven in Streator, Illinois. The Hazelton church claimed to be the first in America even though the Streator church was the first to celebrate Mass. Father Jaskovic, who also served the church in Passaic, NJ, and started the Catholic News --- the fourth Slovak periodical in America --- was a cousin of the Payer family which is well known in McAdoo, PA.

The elder organist Dumbier traveled with Rev. Jaskovic from house to house --- well before there was a church, and there performed wedding and baptismal services. Thereafter the elder Dumbier (father) returned to Slovakia and took with him his American born son, Constantine, who completed his education in Preshove (Presov?). Constantine then again came to America where he served (as organist)in various locations. We knew his widow well in Brooklyn. The Family Dumbier gave the American Slovaks four organisits. Ladislav also got his education in Presove (Presov). Julius was the third son, and Desider, who has been the organist in Elizabeth NJ for these many years was the fourth.

The late George Dumbier, the father of these four organists, whose name was also written by some as "Gyomber" (Hungarian version) was the first Slovak organist in America according to his quartet of sons. After him came organist Jambra who was the second Hazleton, PA, organist. Jambra was best man at Ladislav Dumbier's wedding.