Which is easier to find.... Ancestors in 52 Weeks

This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.

Topic Info:
Not all ancestors are tough to research. This week, who has been easier to research than others?

Jimmy Sherman (I believe) taken before his death.
Credit: University of South Florida Libraries, USAF

Growing up, my mother never spoke about her side of the family. When I pressed she told me they were all dead and we didn't need them. However, once she told me about her cousin James 'Jimmy' Sherman, on the cusp of my leaving to get married, I started to get interested. After things with my marriage settled down, which took a bit of time due to the 3 fires and a wedding and moving countries, I started asking questions. My mother didn't give me much, so I had to take what I could get. 

Louis Gauquie in undated picture.
Credit: J. Gauquie

One piece of information was my maternal grandfather's name, Louis Gauquie (left). Yes, growing up I didn't know his name, but knew he was dead. (However, among my research I found he had died when I was very young.) I went researching and things started to grow.



Once I was able to pinpoint my grandfather's name and knew about the location, I started finding great aunts and uncles as he was 1 of 7 children that my great grandparents had. Then I went looking to learn more about this side of the family - who had lived only about 10 minutes away from where I mainly grew up in the Hudson Valley in New York. 

Picture of Helen Gauquie who passed away in 2014. Credit

From there I found Helen Gauquie, who had just passed away, when I did a normal search on Google. From there I was able to pinpoint Helen's children and I left a message, including contact information, on the memorial page. Before long, I was contacted by my mother's cousin, Teri, and she put me in contact with my direct cousin and uncle. My cousins and uncle I met in January/February 2019. 

Anyhow, this led me to trying to figure out the rest of the family, which was a waterfall of information when I started to find it. By waterfall, I mean, I found out a lot about my mother's aunts and uncles, and then I started to find out about their children, and so on. Once I was confident about them, I turned my sights onto my great grandparents and trying to go backwards. 

Jules Gauquie born Joannes Julius Van Rompaye Credit: Gail Boo Ancestry

I found out a bit about Jules Gauquie. About him being a farmer, helping out the fire departments, and letting kids use his pool, things along those lines. I found his obituary and found he had gave something to all his kids. However, when I started to ask my mother's cousins about him, then we started to learn things about public vs private personality. 

I had found out where Jules came from - Belgium. However, I didn't know how to go about getting the information I needed and stumbled across a website called Geneanet and their boards where you can ask questions. I asked a question and within days I had people helping and sharing where they were getting information. In fact, they found the birth entry of Jules Gauquie, who was actually born Joannes Julius Van Rompaye. This was due to the fact his father, Aloysius Hyppolitus Gauquie was chosen to be in the first Belgium military draft according to the documents behind the birth entry. These documents listed Jules' parents, grandparents and areas within Belgium. 

By this point, I was telling my cousin, who is a Gauquie, about what I had found. One of my helpers in the Geneanet website pointed me to the Belgium Archives. We all wanted some of the questions everyone started to have answered. 

My 3rd Great grandfather Desire Gauquie's entry in Belgium Archives translated.

It took me about a month working with the Belgium website to try and figure out who belongs with who in the entries, which went from Dutch, to French, to what I think is Flemish Dutch to get through the records, but thankfully the Belgium website can be translated to English. I had pages of notebooks written with people's names and information about them along with screenshots, so I could go back and reference what I had been finding.

I used what people call the FAN technique or even use the words cluster genealogy to describe it. I read about it but never had used it before but thought it would be a good use here. 

One of my many FAN sheets I've used to show connections.

Before long, I sat back and looked at what I had found and Wow! I believe I found quite a bit of the family links and where we all come from. Along the way, I was contacted by another cousin of mine who lives in Paris, France of all places. He agreed with my findings and he had gone back one more generation which isn't online. He actually went to one of the locations and into the church to find my what I think is my 7 x great grandfather dating back to the 1700s! 

This cousin's line comes off this person who had a son who went to Paris and the other stayed in Belgium. 

These trees (above) were put together by cousin Herve in 2015. Credit: H. Costille

I'm still trying to put more branches on this side of the tree, but to do this, I have to go page by page in FamilySearch looking at original documents in other languages looking for other people in the family. 

Because of how much information I had and am encompassing, I started up a few Facebook groups, one of which being the Gauquie Genealogy group, so any relations can get to know the other, share information as its a private group, and we can put this Humpty Dumpty family egg back together again. 

The chart from my 2x great grandfather Desire and the stars above are some of the business and people listed below. Credit. J. Fitzgerald

So far, because of the group, we've found connections to the Gauquie Hotel and the family who resided there, the family connection to Galloways Garage in Newburgh, NY, the family connection to Devitts in New Windsor, and the connection to the Van Rompaye Trucking Corp in Chester, NY. 

My 2x great cousin Louis Van Rompaye in front of his business in Chester, NY over 100 years ago. Credit

Of course there are still questions, but this list is starting to get smaller - Thankfully. I just need the time to sit down and go through FamilySearch for the information. 

Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Out of Place

This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.

Topic:
Did you ever find an ancestor in an unexpected place? I recently discovered that my 3rd-great-grandmother didn't die in the county where I found her in every census. Instead, I found her living 4 counties away from there -- in the county where I currently live. She's even buried here. (I'm still trying to figure out why.) Maybe you found an ancestor in a record you didn't expect (like finding a member of a pacifist religion serving in the Civil War). Or maybe there's an ancestor who always seemed "out of place" with the rest of the family.

I have a few ancestor's which could probably fit this selection. One is my great grandparents and the other would probably be my mother's maternal side moving to Newburgh, NY. For each of these, there are questions around them, but I think I'll stick with my great grandparents.

I've mentioned before my maternal great grandparents - Jules and Anne Gauquie. Well Jules' formal name was Joannes Julius Van Rompaye Gauquie. He was born to an unwed mother, this is where the Van Rompaye comes from, but when his father found out, he married Jules' mother. I think there were many Joannes, as it was a common name among the region, which is why he was always called Jules, or that's what I've put together over time.

What area are you questioning? 
According to the topic, did I ever find them in an unexpected place, is the question to be answered. Boy, did I ever find them in a weird area. I'll explain below.

After I found my grandfather's last name, I did searches on the name and started to find family on things like the census of 1910, 1920, 1900. This lead me to Belgium, but I had a hard time to where to get started. I found a system like Ancestry, but it was for Europe called Geneanet. I posted what information I had there in hopes to find my great grandfather's family. After I had help finding Jules' birth entry in Belgium, I could then narrow down when he came to the US.

I contacted the county clerk in New York where they were apart of. I asked them if they had Jules or Annie's passport applications as I was looking for information about them. Also, it would be great to see if the applications had pictures so I could see what they looked like, but this was a bonus.

Soon after I received information on them both and she asked me if I knew an Aloyis Gauquie. This left me stunned because according to the birth entry this was Jules' father! I answered back stating he was Jules' father. Within hours I had an email with copies of all (Jules, Annie, and Aloyis!) their Naturalization Paperwork.  Most of it confirmed the information I had already from my research.

Part of Aloys Gauquie Naturalization paperwork. Credit: Orange County, NY Register 

What shocked me is when it stated Annie and Jules' got married in St. Paul's Minnesota from Annie's Declaration of Intention paperwork. As far as I knew, we had NO relatives there.

Page 1 of Annie Gauquie's Petition for Naturalization listing where she was married. Credit: Orange County, NY Register

Why St. Paul's Minnesota?
This is the question I went searching for many times. This and why did they leave their countries to come to the USA. Both of these questions have answers which are pure speculation on my part.

Where St Paul MN and NY are on a map. Credit for map: Google Earth

But come on this is the 1890s and this was no small trip. If you went straight without stopping from one circle to the other its 982 miles. For back then, this is a huge amount of area to travel and expensive.

Here's some history of Minnesota. France had come to this area in the 17th century and Europeans came here in the 19th century driving out the Indians.  Minnesota Territory was named in 1849 and became the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858 (credit). So for Jules and Annie to be married there in 1896, it would have still been pretty young part of the country.

Robert Street Bridge in St Paul, MN Credit: LOC

You can see just how small and how less populated it was in this 1896 picture from the Library of Congress.

It was researching the Homestead Act in 1862 facilitated land claims by settlers which started me thinking about why they went there. Could it be they wanted to claim land there? But it could have been the railroad industry, led by the Northern Pacific Railway and Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad, advertised the many opportunities in the state and worked to get immigrants to settle in Minnesota (credit).

I could see Annie travelling there if she thought she could get work either on a farm or on the railway. However, would Jules? I know from the census I found, Jules was a farmer which put my thinking back to the Homestead Act and farming.

Then I found Jules had cousins in Minnesota named Jerome or Jerry/Gerry and Camiel Gauquie. I did some researching for the areas of Lake Benton, Ivanhoe, and Vallers area and its still about 150 miles which is a huge trip for Jules. However, maybe he came for a visit and ended up getting married on the way back.

Jules and Annie's marriage license and certificate in 1896. 

As I know by their marriage certificate I found, they did get married and stayed married in New York until Annie passes away in 1931 from pneumonia at St. Luke's Hospital, Newburgh, New York. 

Annie and Jules' resting spot in Blooming Grove, NY during my visit January 2019

I really want to know how they met and what attracted them to the other along with how they chose to go to St Paul, MN.

What we do know what is written inside Jules' wedding ring my cousin found a few years ago.

Jules' wedding ring my cousin Teri found. We had thought it lost forever.

It looks like it says 8 K gold. There are 2 suggestions for the rest.

A Loves JG (Annie loves Jules Gauquie) or it could say AL to JG which is Annie Larson to Jules Gauquie.

What do you think it says?

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter S is for South Carolina, USA (James, Wojtkowski) or St Mary’s Church!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. 

I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter S is for South Carolina, USA (James, Wojtkowski) or St Mary’s Church!

Current Generation

South Carolina has recently been in the headlines because of Hurricane Florence. We have family there with my second oldest sister, Jean, moving down there around 1998 or so. Her husband, at that point, Tommy, wanted to be around his mother as she was getting up in age. 

Copyright J. Fitzgerald of picture. Jean with Steven on lap, Midgie (the dog), Jean's husband Tommy, with TJ on his lap. Taken at Jean's father, Matthew's, house in Newburgh, NY in 1980.

Currently my sister, now my ex-brother in law Tommy and two nephews, TJ and Steven, all live down there. I know Tommy and both nephews are fine after the storm. My sister and I don't talk so I don't know how she is. I believe she got remarried but I cannot confirm this either. 

Few Generations back

I have found when I was doing research on the Ostryzki's, one of them, Adam, and his wife moved to South Carolina. 

Google Map of the area.

1940s WW2 register with a VA address. I do have others which are in the late 1930s as well. Credit

They settled in and had a daughter named Victoria. She grew up, was educated as a nurse, got married and moved to the United Kingdom with her husband. However, within a handful of years, she died still in her prime. 

Victoria's March 1964 Report of death in England. Credit

Unfortunately, the paperwork I found says it was a drug overdose. 

You never know what you're going to find. 

St Mary's Church

You are probably thinking what does St. Mary's Church have to do with my family? 

Well, the Gauquie's have gone to this church for years. In fact, the main immigrants to the US, Jules and Annie, along with most of their children, are all buried here. 

Jules and Anne's daughter. Credit

Jules and Annie who were the first to come to the US. Credit

Charles & Kathryn and their children. Credit

James and Anne Gauquie. Credit

I know there are more, but these are samples and they are all buried at St. Mary's Church and Cemetary!

Credit

During my great grandparent's lifetimes they were big supporters of St. Mary's Church. They did many fundraisers for them and attended most Sunday's. 

My one cousin, Teri, still goes sometimes today. 

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter H is for Hamilton, Ohio!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. 

I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter H is for Hamilton, Ohio!

The person who married Jules Gauquie after his first wife, Annie, died was Belle Reu Lehmkuhl. 

This was Belle's second marriage after her husband, Karl Lehmkuhl, died. I know he died sometime between 1925 and 1930 due to the census. The New York State Census in 1925 has them together (see the red box below).

Carl and Belle listed in the 1925 NYS census.
Credit NARA

But by the 1930, the Business directories have her listed as a widow (see red square below)

Belle's listing in a NJ directory as a widow in 1930.
Credit US City Directory

Then on October 20, 1934, Belle became Jules' second wife. 

I was able to find the brides index for NY state. 

1934 Brides marriage index
Credit Ancestry

And here's Jule's entry on the Groom index for NY State. 

1934 Grooms marriage index
Credit Ancestry

I don't have their marriage certificate as yet, due to NY state laws. However, below is the 1940 US Federal Census. 

1940 US Federal Census listing Jules and Belle as married and had been since before 1935. Later I found when they had married.
Credit: NARA

She was very active within the community and with Jules' family as you can see by the below newspaper articles. 

Belle is mentioned the above article in red.
Credit 1945 - 15th Oct - Mrs Julius Gauquie Red Cross Volunteer - Middletown Times Herald

Belle is mentioned above in red.
Credit: 1946 Oct 5 Middletown Times Herald

Belle mentioned above in red.
Credit: 1949 Dec 31- Middletown Times Herald

She remained his wife until he died in 1946. After he died, she lived around the area for a bit and was still active within the community and buying/selling land. 

Belle mentioned above in red.
Credit: 1956 Sept 16 Middletown Daily Record

Credit The Evening News April 25, 1957

Credit is above.

Credit is above.

However in 1984, she moved to where her daughter lived from her first marriage – Ohio. 

If going in a direct line, from Blooming Grove to Hamilton Ohio where Belle moved after Jules died.

Actually, she lived in Cincinnati, Ohio and ended up dying there in June 1984.

This is Belle's obituary and burial information. The article on the right gives her maiden name and ancestry.
Credit The Evening News Jun 25 1984

According to the above article she was brought back to NY to have all the services and to be laid to rest in Washingtonville, NY.

Blogging challenge: Power without Glory

There's been another Blogging Challenge by Family Tree Frog. This is part of their Family History month which is August here in Australia. I know its October - its late, but I'm working on it! 

They posted this on their blog and the challenge: 

"Power without Glory - 
Frank Hardy's novel covers a wide range of notorious characters from criminals to Archbishops and politicians, wrestlers to gamblers and everyone else in between.  One of the themes is conscription during WW1 but you can interpret the title as broadly as you like.  Were your ancestors powerful in some way? Legitimately or  not.  Did they have a stoush with the authorities or strong political beliefs? Lets hear their story.  Where will your imagination run to??" 

I have a few ancestors I can say fit this topic of notorious characters including criminals to Archbishops and politicians, wrestlers to gamblers all everything in between. 

The question is - where do I start because there have been MANY of them. *laugh* 

I guess I'll start where the topic starts: Criminals 

I have had a few grand uncles and at least one cousin (that I've done research on) which have had been arrested and did a bit of time. 

The one which always gets me is my mother's grandfather (my maternal great grandfather) - Apoloniusz Jagodzinski or Leo Barry/Berry or many of the other names he goes by. 

Background
When I started to do my research I asked my mother if she knew the name of her grandfather and she gave me the name Apoloniusz Jagodzinski. Away I went to do my research and found a shipping manifest for the area around where my mother told me about. Then that's where the information ends. 

Years go by and I find out about A files and C files in the US Immigration and have them pulled looking for more information. They sent me his Alien file. What can I say - interesting to say least! See part of the file below. 

Credit from USCIS

I love this section of the statement

Excerpt from page 2 of above document. Credit USCIS.

Anytime I need a laugh I pull this out and take a look. 

What makes this so much more interesting, I started to look for my grandmother and her siblings including his wife and found they had disappeared until my grandmother married my grandfather in the 1930s. Then some of them reappeared around where my grandmother was. This including a person who sometimes lived with them - Leo Barry/Berry. 

Next I ordered in my grandmother's social security information and there it was again - Leo Barry. 

Credit Social Security Administration

Then when I looked at one of my uncle's information and up came that damned name again - Leo Barry. Then there's a notation regarding a change.

Credit Ancestry and SSA

In case there's a doubt, my great grandmother's obituary, or my grandmother Janet's mother, has the name's in it except for the last name Barry.

Credit: 1964 Oct 3 -Bernice Jagodzinski Obituary - The Times Herald

Go figure! However, I still can't find out anything about this criminal charge for some reason.

Next topic: Archbishops and politicians

We have many different higher priests and nuns on my mother's side of the family. They are in Belgium and the US.

My great grandfather - Jules Gauquie - had put down he was in public office. However, I still can't find anything about it. This is according to his naturalization paperwork.

Credit: Orange Country Registrar

If you look closely enough, you can see where he says he holds office!

Credit Orange County Registrar

The one I'm most impressed with is on my father's side though. He married my great aunt in Poland. They married just before World War 2, in 1919. In fact, my grandmother was probably even at their wedding!

Credit: K. Wyrzykowski family photo

Anyhow, after they married they moved to an area where my great uncle and his father were in office. My great uncle's father was the equal to a Mayor of the town of  Siedlce, Poland. My great uncle was the secretary of the town until his father passed and then HE became the Mayor or government official. In fact, the whole family, that was alive, helped where they could.

During this time, World War 2 happened. As many people know, Poland has been a mess for over 100 years, and during WW2, many horrible things happened as we know. But do you know, the Nazi's made Poland their disposal area. Then on top of that, you have the Soviets take what was left, moved people into their land more or kept people there only to basically starve them.

My great aunt and uncle were people I admire. My great uncle lost his brother during this time to the Gestapo. They came and arrested him for some trumped up reason. He died at Auschwitz and, yes, he was Polish.

What they did for others should put them into sainthood. For Jewish or any other child or children under suspicion they spent their own money to pay for and put them in the orphanage with false paperwork saying they were Catholic. If they could fit anyone into places in their homes or businesses they did again with false documents.

Keep in mind, if they were found by soldiers, all of them would have been murdered. They saved hundreds if not thousands of adults and children. By the end, they didn't have any money or anything else left of value, but people had their lives. My cousin, their grandson, sent me a few of the documents and thank you letters from people they have saved.

All documents are from K. Wyrzykowski and private family papers.

Next topic: wrestlers to gamblers

I grew up with my grandmother telling us about one of my grand uncles and his gambling. Further, I was told he was wanted by the mob for money owed and was on the run. He only stopped because he ended up with cancer and they knew he only had a tiny bit of time to live. 

If the stories I've been told are to be believed, both of my grandfathers, on my maternal and paternal sides, were all gamblers and drinkers. This is a family story and I don't have any proof. 

I don't have any thing else which can fit this topic. 

In closing
All families have their scandals and secrets. Some have more than others. We just have to see if we can find proof of them and if not, its just a story which can be passed down with the note of it being unproven. 

No matter if they were good or bad, they are all our family and we have to admit to them being in the trees it just depends if we shake the tree or not.