A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter W is for Wojtkowski!

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 W is for Wojtkowski!

My paternal grandmother's was born a Wojtkowska which is female form of Wojtkowski in Poland. Her father was Adam Wojtkowski. 

1930s picture of my great grandfather Adam in front of his store in NJ. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

My great grandfather visiting his wife's grave in 1940s. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

Adam was a great man from everything I've heard. He was born in Wojtkowice Dady, Poland. He found his wife, Maryanne - later called Mary - and they married in Nur, Poland in 1905 under Russian occupation. He loved Mary so much he had wedding banns called in his church and her church before they married. I believe the way the document is written they were married in each church as well. This is because where they lived was on the boarder between 2 counties. 

1906 wedding certificate of Adam and Marianna. The other is a translation of the old Russian Document. Credit: Archives and FB Translations

By this point, he is in early 20s and his father is already dead. His mother owns a mill. This is according to their marriage document I found. 

My father recently told me he was taken from his home by the Russian army and was forced to serve in their army. If he didn't, he would have been killed. 

WW 1 Registration card. Credit

In 1910, he welcomed my grandmother into their lives when she was born. He adored both his wife and daughter, but knew things in Poland, even in the Russian occupied areas, was getting bad. 

By December 1912 he and a few others, who were all had last names of Wojtkowski due to the name of the town, left for Germany to sail to the USA. They left during the winter months which would have been brutal and probably traveled at night so they wouldn't get stopped too much. 

1913 Ship Manifest showing Adam. Credit: Ellis Island.

However, by February 1913 they arrived in the USA.I can tell by the letters and people vouching for him and his daughter in their immigration papers, the group mainly stayed together for support. 

Statement from my grandmother's naturalization file.

Another statement from my grandmother's naturalization file. 

World War 1 breaks out and its too late to get his wife and child out of Poland. Communication is cut off or very limited. He must be very worried about his family even with them being left with his wife's family. 

1920s census showing Adam with other Polish people. Credit

Families he knows who are coming from the same small town as he was born,Ciechanów, he has them stay with him while get gets enough money to start up his own business and save up travel for his family. Eventually he's able to get something through and pays for their travel for his family from Danzig. 

In September 1920, he arrives at Ellis Island to receive his family into their new country. He takes them home to their new house and they meet up with others from the same small town who still live nearby. 

1920 Ship manifest showing his wife and daughter on their way to US and where they will be staying. Credit: Ellis Island

In October, my grandmother starts school like all other children in the United States. His wife and him have a business. 

Certificate showing where they were living in 1920.

Soon they have two sons, Stanley and Alfred, arrive to finish their family. However, with the ups come the downs. In the late 1920s, the Roaring 20s, with the stock market crash came Adam's crash as well. He lost basically everything worth money. This meant he had to start again with rebuilding everything manually. 

1931 Business listing showing where Adam was working in NJ.

He had property which he had to sell, the stocks he had - stack of them I've been told - were all crap because of the stock market. He ended up having to close his business and getting a job in a plant working to keep a roof over everyone's heads and food in their belly's. My grandmother went to work to help him too. 

By the time the 1930s came, things were starting to swing around again. They had the business back and had a house and thriving children. They were all happy. 

In a family picture in front of their store in Bayonne, NJ. 

My grandmother married and had my father, their grandchild, before long. 

However, in 1939 Mary died. He took great care of her in death as well. He bought burial plots for them all - Mary, him and one for each child. He had a huge headstone and metal piping put around their spot, to protect them against people walking on them. 

Adam and Mary's graves. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

Adam and Mary's graves close up. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

He would go and see Mary as well as keep on raising their two sons. 

Soon both sons would go off to fight in World War 2 and to help Poland. 

Once both sons were back home, he found he had cancer of the stomach. He worked up until a few months before he died. He only claimed 2 or 3 social security checks before he passed away. 

1954 Business Directory showing Adam had died. Credit 

Even though he's gone, he lives on within his children. His youngest child, Alfred, even named a son after him. 

Each one of us and future ancestors should be very thankful to him because if he didn't go to the USA, chances are we wouldn't be here today.