A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter O is for Ostrzycki!

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.  

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

The letter O is for Ostrzycki!

My maternal great grandmother's married name is Valerie Ostrzycki. This is her Americanized name. Walter Ostrzycki was my maternal great grandfather. These are my immigrants from Poland on my grandmother's side. 

My 2x great grandparents with my great grandmother listed. Credit

My mother never knew this side of her family. The closest she heard was "We have some family in Pennsylvania." and that was it. She didn't know names or anything. 

Then I started my research. I searched for my grandmother's name which was Janet Gauquie. This led me to some information on my grandfather's side which you run with because you never know when you'll get that information again as we  know in genealogy. 

Anyhow, long after I started to search on her name again. I came across an obituary which listed Janet Gauquie as the daughter of Bernice Jagodzinski. It also listed a Genevieve which, in my gut, told me was the person I knew as "Aunt Honey". 

My great grandmother's obituary listing my grandmother (in yellow). Credit on image.

From there I had a name and a place which I started to research. Before long, I started to find cousins and cousins and great aunts and uncles. Wow! It was really amazing just how many people who were family we didn't know about. 

One of these searches also produced a picture of Valerie Ostrzycki. On her headstone. This made me suck in my breath when I saw it. Not only because it was a picture of my 2x great grandmother and her headstone, but because it was like looking at MY mother. 

My 2x great grandparent's headstones in PA. Credit

You be the judge - do they look alike? 

My 2x great grandmother Credit

My mother, Jo Ann Credit: Jo Ann J. Fitzgerald

Anyhow, then I contacted one of the cousins and gave them some background. He was, and still is, leery about me and our side. Even after I shared a picture of my mother. However, we did talk a few times and exchange pictures which he gave me another of my 2x great grandmother which shows a great likeness to my mother but the slight and thin of her body hasn't been passed along or at least not to any of us. 

This being said they did know someone was in New York but didn't know where to look. 

My Great Aunt Genevieve "Aunt Honey" Credit

I did contact someone who had Aunt Honey on their family tree as well. She was the aunt I thought she was because I saw some pictures of her and the person I remember were one in the same. Once again I filled her in on who I was and why I was contacting her. She replied back asking why I was contacting her. I asked her if she knew why my grandmother was in the hospitals and if there were any family members who wanted to get to know us. 

Well, wrong thing to say because I was told she had a mental problem, which they were told never to talk about, and no. No one wanted to know us and she never replied back. 

Some times you hit gold and other times black coal. The black coal was this second person. 

Anyhow, this lead me to start a Facebook group for this side of the family. Since then, it has been growing by leaps and bounds and now we've even joined up Walter's brother's family to ours and have a relative from even farther up the chain who still lives in Poland. 

We're learning from each other and we must get together next time we hit the states.  This is the gold and not the coal.

The gold among the coal. Credit

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter N is for Nur!

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 N is for Nur!

Nur is in Poland. 

Nur and areas where my great grandparents and grandmother were born/married/lived from Google Earth

This is where my paternal grandmother's parent were married in 1905. 

Adam and Maryanne's (my great grandparents) wedding entry in Russian. Credit

This was held, according to the transcriptions I've had done. I had two different sources transcribe the document so they were independent and I could see if they had come up with the same information. 

Anyhow, this document gave me great insight to the life both great grandparents had and an insight at my 2x great grandparents. 

One translation of the above wedding certificate

I could tell where they were both living, the state of their lives and occupations, where they lived and how much church meant to them. 

I could tell where their parents were, their names, if they owned a business, and if they were alive or dead. Very telling times for people around this time due to them being under Russia's influence and control. 

A-Z Blogging Challenge -The letter M is for Malkinia Gora, Poland & Minnesota!

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.  

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

The letter M is for Malkinia Gora, Poland & Minnesota!

Malkinia Gora, Poland

This is the last place of residence of my grandmother and great grandmother in Poland. I know this because on their ship manifest they've put it down. 

The area described above from Google Earth

1920 Ship Manifest from Ellis Island website. You can clearly see Malkin (which is the area of Poland I was talking about) and New Jeresy. 

Also, I can further say they were in this area because my great grandmother's sister was married in the area just before my grandmother and great grandmother left Poland for good. 

My paternal great aunt's marriage certificate in 1919. 

This was not far from where my grandmother was born and my great grandparents were born, married and lived together before leaving for the US. 

They left Malkinia Gora and walked/train/caught wagon rides to Danzig and left from there. With the way things were during this time, they had very little food, due to World War 1 just ending, and the Russians making their way towards Warsaw in fighting all around them. I can only imagine what it was like to get from where they were up to the port. 

This Google Earth image shows where the fighting was during the time my grandmother and great grandmother were trying to leave Poland before Warsaw fell.

St Paul, Minnesota

This is where my maternal great grandparents married in the late 1890s. 

What makes this so interesting, is no one in the family picked it up until I was able to get first my great grandfather's immigration paperwork. Then when I was given my great grandparents and 2x great grandfather's immigration paperwork it was written in there. 

Taken from Annie Gauquie's naturalization paperwork I got from NY Orange County Registrar. Shows where they got married.

I asked my cousins about it and no one knew. 

Then I went in search of the wedding certificate itself. It took some time but eventually I was able to find it. 

My great grandparent's wedding certificate from Minnesota. Taken from FamilySearch.org Minnesota, County marriages area. 

Just after I did find it, my cousin in New York, posted a picture. It was of my great grandfather's wedding ring someone found in a couch which everyone thought was lost. Only for years later the couch was moved and the ring was found. 

Picture from Cousin Teri of our great grandfather's wedding right from our great grandmother.

What was even more touching was what was said to be inscribed on it.  

For all the doubt I had about my great grandfather, at least at one point it sounds like my great grandmother did love him. 

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter L is for Linden, NJ (Wojtkowski/a) or La Guardia!

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 L is for Linden, NJ (Wojtkowski/a) or La Guardia!

When my grandmother and great grandmother arrived in the US via Ellis Island, my great grandfather lived in New Jersey in various areas. Within a few months of my grandmother and great grandmother arriving, they lived in Linden, New Jersey. 

Linden, NJ to New York, NY Map from Google Earth

She went to school and they moved around this area. In fact, my great grandparents lived in this general area the rest of their lives and are even buried nearby. 

A note from my grandmother's Naturalization file regarding her schooling.

My grandmother moved in New York City, Manhattan, for a few years where she met my grandfather. I think this was during the Prohibition (1920s), when she was a cigarette girl. 

What my grandmother looked like working. Credit

She loved to tell the story of how the cops would do a raid of the bar and she used to go into telephone booth and lay on the floor with the box above her head. Because she was so small, 4 foot 10 when she passed, they used to just walk right on by her. Remember this was in the time of prohibition and they were usually selling alcohol in some shape or form usually. 

Anyhow, after she met my grandfather they moved back to Linden. My father grew up in this area until he was about 10 give or take a few years. 

My grandmother in Linden, NJ in 1930s
in this family picture copyright J. Fitzgerald

This was on Linden's website until late 2018. Its the same building my grandmother was standing in front of in the 1930s.

The way my grandmother is standing with her hand on her waist, you can tell she's pregnant in the picture. According to Linden's website, they give different classes to the public in the building, so I think she probably came here for a check up or for a class. 

My father, who my grandmother was pregnant with in the above picture, lived his early life around Linden. NJ. Below is him in front of a fire hydrant.

My father during Linden, NJ summer late 1930s.
Copyright J. Fitzgerald

My grandmother and great grandfather used to travel back and forth from Newburgh, New York to Linden, New Jersey, after my grandparents and father moved away. 

Where does La Guardia fit into this?

You are probably asking about La Guardia fitting in as I mentioned this above. 

Well, my Great Uncle Stanley had married a woman by the name of Mary. They were living in Linden, New Jersey. Anyhow, remember how I was saying the family traveled from Newburgh, New York to Linden, New Jersey? 

One of these times, Great Uncle Stanley and Mary were coming up to visit my grandmother and ended up in a really bad car accident. Mary was killed. 

This happened in La Guardia not far from where the airport is. 

A map showing Elizabeth (on lower left) to LaGuardia (on upper right)

This may look far from Elizabeth, but many freeways lead you directly to that area, so it doesn't take long - you just have to make sure you get on the right freeway! In fact, to go up to northern NY, you must come this way to get the freeway to go up that way. Its quicker. 

Once again, I stumbled onto this information. I was looking through city directories to find out more about my great uncle's. I found one which listed him with a Mary and I asked my father about it.

US Directory listing my Great Uncle Stanley and Mary in 1957.

This is when I was told about Great Uncle Stanley being married to Mary. My father can't remember her last name. I think I might have figured it out, because of a census which listed Stanley, Mary and her family they were boarding off. However, I cannot say for sure it was them. 

This is how and why La Guardia is mentioned as well.