Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Maternal Line Brick Wall - Jagodzinski/Barry

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

The Topic information:
Brick wall is a phrase that strikes fear in the heart of many a genealogist. Who is a brick wall ancestor for you? Who is one that you broke through a brick wall to find? How did you do it? You could also interpret this more literally, like with a family photo of a brick house or an ancestor who was a bricklayer.

One thing I've learned since starting genealogy, is there's just not enough time to do things. I might be concentrating on my maternal line and then my paternal line will start having information available and visa versa. Its been this way ever since. In fact, in the last week, I've had this exact thing happen. My paternal line, though a DNA cousin, had new information she sent to me (Thanks cousin!). Anyhow, I've been concentrating on my maternal line as I've been separating out my tree from my husband's tree on ancestry due to when they did upgrades information went wacky with the names and dates, so I decided to start again which is no small job.

Maternal Line Brick Wall - Jagodzinski/Barry
I would probably say the biggest brick wall I have is my grandmother Janet, and her parents and especially her father. I have found new information in the last few months, but there's more questions than answers mainly.

Usually you start with birth certificates. I have tried finding this for my grandmother (born Janet Jagodzinski but later changed it to Janet Barry) but not to be found. In fact, all of her sister's and brother's I haven't been able to find theirs either. I have found one of their son's death certificate. His name is Stefan Jagodzinski and born on Sept 26, 1915 and died Oct 16, 1916.

His death certificate. Credit

Other than a few documents which list the family (2 Declaration of Intentions, a census where one name had changed and one is missing but all other information is correct) there isn't much on this entire family from the time Bernice/Bronislaw marries until she dies.

My first index search from the NIS gave me this page

and this page. Credit NIS. I love the Robbery mistake and don't remember areas.

Later on in my searches, I found the above paperwork. Credit

I can find her on her father's Declaration of Intention but nothing after that until her obituary.

My great grandmother's obituary which locks in her children's names and places.Credit as above

When I found my great grandfather's obituary in January 2019, this locked in the information even further.

As you can see, the children's names are the same and locks in my great grandmother's name too. Credit

The obituary's locks in everyone and the places.

I had also found on some of my grandmother's documents she's put Jagodzinski Barry in - this includes her social security form, her husband's railway next of kin form - and this started to appear. When I found my great aunt Genevieve's bride index list, her name on this was Barry too.

Notice the Barry on my grandmother's name Credit Social Security Administration

Once again notice the Barry is added after. Credit: Railroad Retirement Board

My oldest Uncle's Social Security Change on his Death Index. Notice his mother's name is Barry. Credit

The last entry on the bottom is for my great aunt Genevieve. Credit

My great aunt Pauline's and Vilma/Valerie's 1940's US Census. They were both Barry's but Pauline married Harold Davis but Vilma still has the Vilma Barry name. Pauline is just as much of a ghost as all the others even after she marries.

It was in January, I found out why they started to go by the name Barry - it was more American than Jagodzinski. My Maternal Uncle Jimmy said this is the reason for the change. I had a feeling this was the case, but he didn't know why they picked that name. I knew the reason because I went looking.

 They took the e out of berry and replaced it with an a. Credit

However, my great grandmother, Bernice, and her side of the family, I can find out information about. The whole family has their lives played out in the newspapers.

Death certificates? Well, I've been trying to get my grandparents (all of them) certificates for years, but NY is really awful for dealing with. My maternal cousins (Hi out there!) are currently working on trying to get our grandmother Janet Gauquie's death certificate but the state and county are playing off against each other and causing us more headaches. Yes, we have her Social Security Death Index information, but even that isn't helping.

Credit

At least I was able to find out where my great grandparents and grandmother are buried and I was able to visit them in January 2019.

My great grandparents (front) my grandmother (back). Picture on left back unknown. Credit. J. Fitzgerald

After looking for years, I found my grandmother and her parents. My brother (on top of the headstone as he had just died thus why I look like something ran me over) and I went to visit January 2019. Credit: J. Fitzgerald