This blog is to tell the life stories of my ancestors - families include: Wojtkowski/a, Gauquie, Jagodzinski, Schmitz, and Larson.Please feel free to contact me if you believe you are related.
"My job is to solve, not to judge. Always remember that." - Excerpt from Gone Forever by Scott Blade
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic overview:
Here are a few ways you might interpret this prompt: an ancestor who
moved a long distance, an ancestor who traveled for work, an ancestor you took
a road trip in order to research, an ancestor who was a mechanic or was
involved in the automobile business.
My husband and I do road trips when we can. My husband and I are both working on our family histories, so it can get interesting. We live in Australia, and so we go on more road trips to put his family history together. However, this being said, we usually go back to where I grew up in New York every few years, so we intend to do as much research road trips as we can mix in with catching up with family and friends, which makes it a busy time.
January and February 2019, we did the normal road trip - Fly from Melbourne Australia to Newark, New Jersey to visit family in the Hudson Valley in New York. It was for the sad event of my brother's death, but the upside was many treasures and information was found even with the limited time we had.
First up, the bad picture at the entry point in California. I'm going to apologize ahead of time for it. Out of the bad pictures you can have, this one was the WORST. You know its bad even when my husband says "Boy, that was a bad picture. The future generations are going crack up at that one!" Oh yeah it was bad.
Basically what I looked like (minus bags under eyes) in dog format. Credit
Then we went to check in and then off to see my father, who still lives in the area. This started the research trip, as my father, who's in his 80s, like to recap history now. It helps I am now open to it as well, but he does intend to repeat himself, but sometimes the repeating you catch something you didn't the first time and can ask questions about it.
Myself and my father at the VFW in New Paltz, New York.
Besides, my brother's ceremony, we did get to spend a bit of time with my sister in law and nephew which was really good. I think it was helpful, to spend time with them and talk things out as we were, and still are, all still grieving.
Anyway, some of the highlights of the research trip:
Found out how my parents met - at a movie theater where he worked.
Mentions where my father lived and where he worked. Credit
Found out about what he knew about my mother's father and oldest brother which was what I had heard and already figured out.
My grandfather is 39 and proves what I had thought due to the way my mother talked. Credit
Found out about how much he knew about my Uncle Jimmy and how much time he spent with them and my great grandmother (their grandmother) and how little time he spent with my great grandfather (their grandfather).
I got to drive around where my great grandfather on my mother's father's side had land and got to take a picture of the house where my grandfather was born. Its since been sold a few times and is not in the family.
The house where my great grandparents lived, and my grandfather and all his siblings lived in Blooming Grove. Picture taken January 2019. Copyright B. Fitzgerald
Found out where my mother's side were buried including grandparents, great grandparents, great aunts and uncles. We never knew where my grandmother Janet was buried and I found a headstone with her information on it, but we still have to clarify if her remains are buried there, but my gut is saying she is.
Various pictures around cemeteries we visited. Credit: J. Fitzgerald
Visited my great uncle's name on the war memorial in Newburgh. I have his wings which he gave to my mother and my mother gave to me.
The wings of James J Sherman. Credit J. Fitzgerald
Memorial which has Jimmy's name listed we visited January 2019. Credit: J. Fitzgerald
Memorial which has Jimmy's name listed, close up, we visited January 2019. Credit: J. Fitzgerald
Found out why my grandmother's last name changed to Barry from Jagodzinski. I researched it and found they were probably berry farmers in Poland, but found they had changed it, so my great grandfather (and family) would be more Americanized name. They were thinking they were being passed over for jobs and other things due to their name.
Spent some quality time with my cousins and Uncle Jimmy learning more and having questions answered if we knew.
My Uncle and cousins on my mother's side with me in February 2019. Credit J. Fitzgerald
Also, visited where my paternal grandparents had their bar and grill in the 1940-1960s in Newburgh.
As you can see, it was a full two weeks we were there. We always have things to do and try and do fun stuff, as well, so we went to see Washington's Headquarters for my husband's family history is part of (a relative did a smaller tower in Ireland as a tribute to Washington) and we went for a walk over the Walkway over the Hudson.
My husband at a snowy Washington's Headquarters in Newburgh Jan 29, 2019. Credit J. Fitzgerald
My husband at Walkway over the Hudson Jan 28, 2019. Credit J. Fitzgerald
Even with snow and ice mixed in with a memorial, you can always find something to with genealogy.
In the next few hours, it'll be ANZAC Day here in Australia. We have these every year.
A picture taken while waiting for the ceremony to begin in 2015.
We usually go into the city, but its gotten too big and crowded in the last few years, so last year we went to the service not too far from us at Bunjil Place.
Australia's use this as a time for reflection on a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand military. I use this to remember those ancestors which have fought - like Memorial Day in the USA. However, this day here is much more solemn here than what Memorial Day is the US.
On this day, I'd like to remember some of the people who fought both in the military and as civilian. You see, many people think of the soldiers, but what they don't understand is many civilians who were at home and living their lives, ended up in the middle because of the location of where they lived.
WWI. Russian Poles in war zone living in ruins. The Eastern Front was more fluid than the Western Front. Armies movements over great stretches of land caused extreme civilian hardship. Ca. 1915-1917 Credit
James 'Jimmy' Sherman
Jimmy is my mother's cousin. Her Aunt Florence, her father's sister, married and had Jimmy. He was her only child, but had a few step children from her husband's first marriage.
He's the only person within the family, that I know of, that's never returned from service.
He was first listed as MIA and then later KIA in Italy on a training mission.
Jimmy's wings which he gave my mother only weeks before his death.
The official report of what happened to his aircraft. Obtained from W. Williamson.
I always think of him this time of year still on patrol over Italy.
Tablet in the American War Memorial in Italy from Find a Grave. Thank you to the volunteer who took this picture.
The memorial in Newburgh, NY with James J. Sherman's name on it. Credit: J. Fitzgerald
A memorial of those killed in WW1 and WW2. A close up of his name is above with the finger. Credit J. Fitzgerald
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
The Topic:
Our ancestors' religious traditions can lead us to many discoveries.
Have you used church/synagogue/meeting records? Do you have an ancestor who was
in the clergy? Have you visited an ancestral church?
I've done past posts on religion in my family during another challenge I've taken a few years ago.
However, for this challenge, its asking different questions.
Church Records
Part of St. Patrick's Church (Credit Picture: FB Group)
I do have a few church records from Germany, Poland and Belgium, but I haven't really found too many in the US. I know one of the places, St Patrick's in Newburgh, NY, has records on myself and my siblings but I've been told their filing is so bad they can't find anything. I do know I've contacted them in the past asking for a copy of my own baptism, because I lost mine during a house fire, and never received a response.
However, I was able to get some items from Germany and Poland (thanks to a relatives and researchers who went there for me!) and in Belgium, I found these through sites like FamilySearch.
Faith or not
Earlier this year, I was asked by a cousin, if we had anyone in the family was Jewish. My response was "none that I've found - yet." Religious faiths, and if you have them or don't, don't bother me. You are the way you are by the decisions you make or the decisions of those around you before you can make your own or so that's my belief. If you believe in religion, that's fine. If not, that's fine too.
programmer at my job. We were talking about his fiance who's just arrived and how they were looking forward to their marriage and her settling in here in Australia. We've been working together for a few years, so we had a great relationship.
Then the towers were attacked. The next day, the programmer was supposed to be in, and he never came in. My mind was on the people there, due to us having first responders within the family and one of my nephews were down there in one of the World Tower Buildings. Once I found out my family was ok, although they had lost some close friends, I calmed down and was able to work my way around it.
The next day the programmer was back and I went to sit and talk to him about the program and how to maybe get past the bugs we had been working on. After about 10 minutes, I stopped because I could see he was upset. I asked him if he had someone within the Twin Towers or if he was getting treated differently. He admitted he had people who were treating him differently, but he was more upset about me. When I asked why, he said he feared I would blame HIM for what happened. I told him I knew the answer to this, but did he cause what happened to the Towers? His response was immediate and a no as I expected. I told him the answer was as expected and I held no blame but anyone who either directed or flew those airplanes into the buildings. He acknowledged that I didn't treat him any differently and thanked me. I told him it wasn't his fault. We all have bad eggs in different societies and he thanked me for being so great about it all. However, by the next morning, his manager called and talked to my manager and told her the programmer wasn't coping with the events and wouldn't be back. She wanted to make it clear we had done nothing wrong. As my manager knew of our conversation from the day before, she knew I had held no ill feelings for the programmer even though others were dealing with the Muslim faith in different ways and some weren't good.
There are bad people in all religions or non religions and in countries around the world. That's life and what we have to deal with. Not everyone is good and not everyone is bad.
Clergy
In the past, I've commented about how many people within my family are in the Clergy. It was
interesting to find these out. Some of these are below from a my cousin Jacqueline in Belgium (Thanks!).
Bertha Emma Barbara Verhaeghe known as Sister Maria Rufina
Jean Amand Verhaeghe in his office at church before his death
Picture of Oskar Verhaeghe as priest
Pic of Remi Eugene Verhaeghe as priest
Pic of Remi Leon Julien
These (above) are all gone way in the past. We do have some current clergy as well.
There are many on Vimo as well. This is one I have started to watch a few times.
Pastor Lon Ostrzycki - Bethlehem Baptist Church, Hazel Green, AL
There are others as well, but my mind has now gone blank. I do know of many of the family do teach Sunday school, play to piano/organ or helps around the church.
Church
I do know some of the churches my family has frequented in the US due to obituaries and where they are buried. I do have a few who are buried on church grounds and for that to happen, they must have a certain amount of years with the church I believe.
Some of the current churches are below.
This is where myself and my siblings were baptized. My Uncle John and paternal grandmother Jean held their funerals Credit
My mother's father's line (Gauquie's) have been members here since at least 1900. Credit St. Mary's Washingtonville
My great grandparents (and great aunts and uncles) can see this view when standing at their graves they are this close. I know some of my distance cousins were buried here too. We went to visit them in January 2019, and it had snowed out, but it was getting nippy, so we didn't stay long. We did take some pictures and visit. I know we missed headstones, but we will be back.
My grandparents (Gauquie) and great grandparents (Jagodzinski/a) attended here. St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Picture credit GoogleEarth.
My grandfather Louis Gauquie, I believe, attended church at St Mary's until he left home at an early age and settled in Newburgh. Sometime later, he started to attend this church. I do know my great aunt Genevieve Jagodzinski/Barry and great grandparents Bernice and Appolonius Jagodzinski/Barry attended here as well. I know the funerals of Louis, Bernice and Appolonius were all held here. Bernice, Appolonius, and my grandmother, Janet, all are buried in the church cemetery.
In January 2019, I visited all the resting places of these ancestors. I never had any proof of where my grandmother was buried. However, during this visit, I found her headstone before I located her parents which were just in front of the headstone with her name on it.
I do have other churches throughout the US which holds other relatives, but I haven't visited for research - yet. One of these is Saint Columba Cemetery in Chester, New York.
What makes this so unbelievable, is one of my friends from high school, got married in this church. At this point, I wasn't doing genealogy or know any of my family history. However, I found many of the people who are my cousins (Van Rompaye's) and who married into other families (Palmer's & Fellner's) are all buried within the cemetery.
Me coming out after the church ceremony at my girlfriend's wedding at Saint Columba Church in 1995. Credit: B Fitzgerald
Part of the invitation of the wedding (picture above).
I'm wondering if my 2x great grandfather could be buried within the cemetery as well, but its something I'll have to research on my next trip over.
Visits to Cemeteries
One thing we do each time we go to the US, is visit the cemeteries of my relatives. I figure if they didn't make me, then I wouldn't be here, so why wouldn't I pay my respects?
Although, now I hold mental conversations with them while we visit telling them of what I've found and how the frustrate or how they make me proud. I'll leave you with the various pictures I took this past January/February 2019 visit below.
My great grandparents, Jules and Annie Gauquie, at St Mary's
My great aunt Mary Gauquie at St Mary's
My great uncle and aunt along with cousins at St Mary's
A cousin at St Mary's
A cousin at St Mary's (same as one at top different angle)
Me, my brother (in urn) and my grandmother at St Francis. Sorry about how bad I look.
My great grandparents, with my grandmother (their daughter in back) at St Francis.
My grandmother at Cedar Hill.
My step grandfather at Cedar Hill.
My Uncle at Cedar Hill.
My maternal grandfather and great aunt at Calvary Cemetery
