Oh My Brother - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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

Topic Info:
In one of my presentations, I talk about how we have to understand how a word is being used and I use "brother" as an example. Is it being used to indicate the male child of your parents? Or just one of your parents? Or of a step-parent? Or how about a brother in the church? How about in a fraternal organization, union, or military unit? Have fun with this week's theme—there are a lot of ways you can interpret it!

I have one brother and my husband's brother, or my brother in law, calls himself my brother which, in a way is correct.

However, no one at all can compare to my brother. Ever.

My brother (middle) with his 3 older sisters. This picture was taken in the 1960s. Credit: M. Schmitz

I've stated before I'm one of five children my parents had. I was the 'baby' or the last one. My brother was the 4th, or the one closest to me in age. In fact, technically, I'm the only one who can call him Big Brother. This is something I've actually told him...when he was alive. His response was to laugh.

Charles Adam Schmitz Sr. 

My brother and I in 2000 at a niece's graduation ceremony in Montgomery. NY. Credit. B. Fitzgerald 

My brother and I were the only two really at home (the 2 oldest had moved out the middle sister was more out of the house than in it) still when our parents divorced in the 1970s. I remember drips and drabs from when we still lived there, which is great due to the fact my parents divorced before I turned 4.

We had stole green beans off of the bushes before they could be picked. He was looking one way and I was looking the other, both of us laughing the entire time.

Both of us walking on the pile of boards my father had stacked in the back to use and how a nail went up through my shoe and into my foot and me falling after because my brother jumped down as I lost my balance and over I went just after the nail went through my foot.

The times my brother and I would look at each other and just by the looks on our faces start laughing. We did this a lot over the years because we didn't have to say much, but a look said it all.

The times he made the mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving because my mother told us, he was "the best damned one of us who could make them". His response was a roll of the eyes and a laugh. Mine was to walk by and whisper "Sucker!" with a smile which would make him laugh harder as he used the hand mixer to make them.

If either of us needed anything, we would be there for each other. He'd call me to watch my nephew and he knew I would do it without question. I would ask him to check over a car or give it a tune up which he would do again without question.

Since I moved to Australia, we did talk but it had slowed. However, when we visited, it was like we hadn't been apart at all and we picked up where we left off.

The group of us in 2010 when we visited. Credit: B. Fitzgerald 

Like most of my family in the US, they always get the time difference wrong, but if I heard or seen a message come through, I'd answer and he knew this. In the past few years, being the non-technical person he was, he would use whatever program he was in to contact me. Sometimes it would be Facebook and other times LinkedIn of all things. It didn't matter if it was 3am my time, I would sit there and chat with him over the internet because if he contacted me, he needed me.

This lasted until August 2018 when contact stopped and I was so busy, I hadn't stopped long enough to call him. I had made plans that no matter what the 3rd weekend in January 2019 I was going to call him. Everything else can be put on hold.

Too bad it was too late to make that call. I missed by 3 days.

My brother took his own life on January 16, 2019 in the morning hours.

My brother's picture, memorial card with a small urn with remains. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

So instead of putting in a phone call to him, we were on an airplane to farewell him less than a week later.

My brother's flowers, sympathy cards and remains in February 2019. My brother made the table and box pictured. He was very talented. Credit: K. Schmitz

As of now, 6 1/2 months later, I still miss him. Every. Single, Day. And there's not a thing I can do to bring him back. At all.

He was so very young at 55 years old. Yes, 55.

We had plans to see July 4th fireworks the next time we were over during the holiday. We wanted to get our first alcoholic drink together as we hadn't done that before. However, these are promises and plans which had ended that morning.

He is and was my brother. And my Big Brother. Nothing will ever stop that. Ever.

And I wouldn't want it any other way.

Talk it out
If you feel depressed, sad, hurting, mad - communicate with anyone. Everyone. My brother did started to this, but the doctor's stopped listening. Then he stopped talking.

If you need help in the US:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call 1-800-273-8255 or Chat

"The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness." Taken from the prevention lifeline website.

If you need help in the Australia:

Lifeline Australia

Call 13 11 14 or Chat or Text

Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au

There is help out there...you just have to ask.

You just have to speak up. Credit

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. 

The Challenging Jagodzinski / Barry Family - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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

Topic Info:
What would genealogy be without a few challenges. (And yes, this is similar to a theme we had at the beginning of the year. I'm willing to bet you have more than one challenging ancestor -- I know I do!) Who has been a challenge to find? What location is challenging to research?

Honestly, I could have sat here and done a few different areas of the family as I still have brick walls around, but nothing frustrates me more than the Jagodzinski or Barry area of my family. This is my grandmother and her father's side of the family.

Janet Dorothy Jagodzinski Gauquie. Credit J. Gauquie

Using the Jagodzinski (also used Jagodrinski) and Barry as last names
As far as I've been told, my maternal grandmother was born Janet Jagodzinski in May 1911 in Pennsylvania. I have not been able to find her birth entry, certificate or church entry as yet. Her life from 1911 until 1930 is basically a mystery.

I found her father's Declaration of Intention in 1930 and what I think is their entry in the 1930 US census which matches basic information in 1930, but this is it until....

In 1934 and 1935 I found she was living in Newburgh, NY and going by the name of Janet Barry according to some US City Directories. I believe this is her as I've found other information as Janet Barry which I'll get to later.

The highlights above show my grandmother and her sister Pauline living and working at the same place. Credit

I have not found her entry in the NY state marriage index either, but where they married in NY or in Pennsylvania? This is the question...

In the 1940 census, Grandma Janet is married and located with my grandfather, Louis, my uncle and mother and in Newburgh, NY. It backs up she was born in Pennsylvania and she was living in Salisbury Mills, NY in 1935 and on a farm. This farm would have been my great grandfather, Jules Gauquie's, farm I believe (below).

This is the family farm which Janet probably mentioned on the 1940 census about where they were living in 1935. Credit. J. Fitzgerald taken Jan 2019

It wasn't until I ordered in 2 more pieces of information which started to unlock the name confusion information and mystery - but not completely.

I ordered in my grandmother Janet's Social Security Application she filled out (below). There it listed her mother and father reminding you she filled out the form, so she should know who her parents are right? On the form, her father, my great grandfather, was listed as Leo Barry and her mother's name Bernice Ostrzycki. My mother told me her grandfather's name was Appolanus Jagodzinski and her grandmother's name was Bernice but didn't know what her maiden name is/was. Yep I'm confused...who was the correct father? Where they the same?

Janet's Social Security Application. Credit: Social Security Administration

The other form I ordered in was my grandfather Louis' Railroad Board record. On this, he put my grandmother's name down as Janet Barry Gauquie. Interesting as she was actually born as Janet Jagodzinski I was told. I cannot find her birth certificate to find out and I've looked several times, so what's going on?

My grandmother's name on my grandfather's RailRoad Retirement Board application. Credit: RailRoad Retirement Board 

This locked in my grandmother's maiden name as Janet Barry, which then I found the city directories I mentioned above, but as far as I knew my mother told me her birth name was Janet Jagodzinski.

Anyhow, I asked my cousin Jason if our grandmother's name was Barry or Jagodzinski. He didn't know anything about this side of the family and said he'd try to ask his father. My mother had 2 brothers - one had died in California and Uncle Jimmy was still living in New York. Uncle Jimmy is Jason's father. However, no one, not even other cousin's who knew of our grandmother, knew about the last name, so it was an unanswered question.

Earlier this year (2019), we had to go back to New York, and I met up with my uncle and cousin's. As we were talking, he came out with "You know they used the Barry name right?" meaning his mother's family.

My mouth dropped open and I nodded slowly saying I had some idea they did but nothing of proof. Then I asked the one question I wanted to know - why? The answer was as easy as "They were having problems getting employed because of the name so they changed it to get jobs and to sound more American." Standard answer but it was the answer I had come down too, but didn't have any confirmation until then.

The feeling I felt after my uncle told me the information on the Barry/Jagodzinski last name connection. Credit

One question answered, but many more to go about this family.

Janet Jagodzinski / Barry's father
I had found out about Grandma Janet's mother, Bernice, and had found her HUGE family. I do mean huge and some are still in Pennsylvania and others have moved south for different reasons.

On the other hand Grandma Janet's father, Appolanus Jagodzinski / Barry, is more of a question mark. On Grandma Janet's Social Security Application she put down Leo Barry, which the last name matches if you believe the Barry story above.

Where did the Leo come from? Talking to some other Polish researchers and I found many people with the name Appolanus had Americanized it to Leo. This makes my great grandfather's whole name Americanized now and very common unfortunately.

However, where did he come from? Where is he?

I have very little information on Appolanus I have to admit. I've had the US Immigration Service do searches on him and found a Intention for Naturalization which wasn't completed and in Pennsylvania. Of course the arrested for Robbery which was a mistake and he can't remember anything probably wasn't a good thing. However, it did contain something interesting. It confirmed he was in Pennsylvania and in New York - both places I know my ancestors were.

Appolanus' Declaration of Intention Paperwork from US Naturalisation Service

Appolanus' 2nd page - love the Robbery line above.

Further it contained Alien Cards from the 1940s and early 1950s so I could track where he had lived.

One of the many Address cards Alien's had to fill out until the 1950s. Credit: US Naturalisation Service

I was able to locate another Declaration of Intention in September 1930 where my great grandmother, all great aunts, uncles and grandmother are listed on this paper.

Appolanus' Declaration of Intention paperwork in the 1930s with wife and children listed. Credit

The problem is the information just - stops - until his obituary shows up in 1967 which I had just located in January 2019. He wasn't even listed on his wife's obituary which was interesting but not fully unexpected. My mother told me everytime someone referred to him as a pain and no one wanted him or anything to do with him because he was mean.

As for where he's buried, I found in January 2019, he's buried next to his wife, Bernice in New Windsor, New York.

Where they are buried with my grandmother behind the cross. Credit: J. Fitzgerald Taken 2019

The information he gives out is very little and I can't trace it back at all. I would love to know where in Poland he comes from, but even with using the ship manifest and Declaration of Intentions, it doesn't narrow it down at all to me because there could be many places called the same thing in Poland.

This is what I feel like doing everytime I try to unravel this side of the family. Credit

Janet Jagodzinski's siblings?
This is another huge problem I have. It seems like the surviving sons, stayed in Pennsylvania for some reason. I have no idea why other than they must have wanted to stay close to their mother's side of the family, but have no idea if they had done this. However, talking to the Ostrzycki's, and their ancestors, and they always said that Bernice and her family just disappeared. They used to hear some news when Bernice called, but lost contact once she passed away.

My grandmother's sisters? I found them around the Newburgh area too.
Aunt Honey, or Genevieve who was the youngest sister, was married and had children. My mother and her were very close until my mother left my father.

Aunt Honey, Genevieve Jagodzinski, in her later years. Credit 

Pauline, or Apolonia I think was her formal name listed on the Alien Cards, was the oldest. I know she had married and had children. At least one of these, Alberta, went to school with my father. He says she lives in Florida now, but hasn't told me where or how to contact her. There is very little information on Pauline other than the census information I've been able to find and according to my father.

Wilma, who was the second youngest sister, I found lived with Pauline at one point but went under the name of Vilma which was Americanized name, and she lived in Newburgh, NY as well.

I obtained this information from the 1930 census, which had Bernice as Virginia, Leo Jagodzinski, and the kids which all match the obituaries I had found. And I found Pauline and Vilma on the 1940 census, by then all the kids had up and married and/or moved out like Vilma.

The 1930 Census listing the Jagodzinski's including Leo and ages. Credit: US Government

However, once again, they all disappeared. I know very little information on most. The one I have the most information, but even this is spotty, is Genevieve. I think this is because my grandmother and mother were close, so they stayed in touch until the early 1970s. However, this is only a guess as my father said my mother and Genevieve were always talking on the phone and I can't remember them speaking after my parents divorced in the 1970s.

Who were and are these Jagodzinski's? Do they still go by the name Barry or have the reverted back to the name Jagodzinki's?

Last week, I was in a meeting and one person brought up a statement which was "Most of the time people just have to ask and others have a hard time saying no."

I'm now taking the time to ask - Where ARE you??? Please come and talk to me....

Credit

Long awaited Reunion of Gauquie's - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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

Topic Info:
Summer time is often time for family reunions. Does your family hold reunions? If not, perhaps you could write about a family reunion you would like to have or an ancestor who you would like to be reunited with. Maybe share the story of an ancestor who was separated from his or her family and whether or not they were reunited.

Growing up I was told, on my father's side, everyone was dead due to assassination in Poland. The German side wasn't talked about - at all.

On my mother's side, relatives just weren't talked about and, when pushed, I was told they were dead. This was the case until I let it be known I was doing genealogy and would like to know details. Then she started to talk to me around 2006 and started to talk about names and a few stories. However, when I started to check out the stories, I found they just didn't add up.

The only "reunion" of family I had was when I was about 8, my mother's mother, Janet, with who I share my middle name, was found and was able to come to our house from the mental hospital for Thanksgiving on South Montgomery Street in Walden, NY. However, she was on so much medication, she didn't say anything and just sat there, eyes open, and didn't say a word. One time she did turn and look at me before turning around to face the table again.

The next family reunion I've had came in 2019. Due to my research, I was able to find my mother's brother and his children. One of the children, Jason and I had talked over email and on one of the genealogy groups I created for the family. When my brother passed away in January 2019, we were going to the US anyway, so we decided to have a small reunion.

The Gauquie Family Reunion in 2019 in New York. Credit: Brett Fitzgerald

We met at my cousin's house in New York and spent hours talking about the family, talking about how my uncle, and in turn my mother, grew up, and different things I've found over the years. Uncle Jimmy told me I had met him before, but I don't remember it so I must have been very young.

We had a great time and we were very thankful for my cousin Jason in hosting the meeting at his house and to his sister Jenine and Uncle Jimmy for coming along.

Future Reunions
Hopefully, next time I can plan more reunions so I can meet more relatives out there. I'd love to have a reunion in Pennsylvania for those relatives and another in New York so more relatives can come along to that one.

The BBQ area of Thomas Bull Memorial Park. Credit

I was thinking maybe a BBQ and day at either the Hil-Mar Lodge or at one of the other local parks nearby like Thomas Bull Memorial Park.

The Lodge in 1931 just after the family sold it. Credit

Hi-Mar Lodge was where my grandfather was born and where my great grandparents had made their home in 1900. It would be a great as closure if we could have a reunion there, but we shall see.

A Soldier in Spanish-American War and Philippines Independence -Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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

Topic Info:
In the U.S., we'll be celebrating Independence Day on Thursday, so it seems appropriate to have the theme of "Independent." You could feature a Revolutionary War veteran, an ancestor who had an independent streak, or an ancestor of independent means. Be creative!

I have to admit I didn't know where to go with this topic. I had 2 people my female ancestors who had married into families who fought in the Revolutionary War. The two families, though, I have tracing back to being against separation with England (aka loyalists) The last names were the Galloways (had a tavern which served as George Washington's HQ in 1777) and the Gardners which had links to this time.

Galloway link from quote from Monroe, NY which was known as Smith's Mill or Smiths Clove. My great grandfather lived on Clove Road mentioned above.

Whig State Convention in 1834 showing David Gardner (ancestor of Charles T) attending

However, I haven't been able to fully complete my links back to the Revolutionary War, although I have much evidence showing they are from around these areas including the fact, some of my family still live around here and others within our family have lived in the area since the 1960s at least!

Of course, I could have then talked about the area I grew up around as there's enough Revolutionary War history to fill books with. However, its not personal or ancestoral to me and I want it to be, so I'm going about it a different way.

Who was my first ancestor to fight for the US?

My first ancestor to fight for America was in the Spanish American War which I recently discovered thanks to one of my cousins who had me digging for more information on my Great Great Uncle Charles Gauquie when I found someone served in the military in the 1800s. He started the pathway of independance for the Philippines when the US recieved the islands after the Spanish American War and then by using a law, they had their independance returned to them. Notice the non-use of guns.

Charles Gauquie's Childhood and Military history
Charles Gauquie is my great grandfather's brother who was born on Feb 2, 1876 in Brussels Belgium. 

By his father's naturalization paperwork first filed in 1892 and then the 2nd paperwork in 1898, he has put they had been in the US since about, 14 years or 1884. However, according to his brother Jules' naturalization paperwork they arrived on April 4, 1888.

The first information I received was in the newspaper The Argus on July 12, 1898. This would have put them in the US for at least 10 years when he decided to volunteer as a 22 year old.

Chas was/is Charles Gauquie who was working for the railroad. Credit 

July 1898 and the company Charles signed up for is now known as another name. Also Charlies (in red) is now a private. Credit

Another newspaper article listing where Charles was living in 1898. Credit

And to make it even clearer he did serve in the Spanish American War, here's his card.

Charles' card for the war. Credit

As for his records these below were the only ones I could find of his time serving.

Charles' Service records - short and sweet but tells us where he went and who he had engaged. Credit

Not too much else of his serving is known by his records. However, I searched on newspapers for this area around this time. These accounts are below.

This is where the Philippines is. I bet Charles didn't even know where in the world he was. Credit

This is where he helped give the Commonwealth of the Philippines independence during the Spanish American War and then a few years later they received it from the United States once things had calmed down in the area and by a law - not guns.

According to Charles' records, he didn't get there until Jan1900, but this is what was happening when he did arrive. Credit

January 1900 Exactly where he would have been fighting and it was in the newspaper. Credit

This is a few days later about the fighting there. Credit

Another newspaper article at the same time as the one above but with a different point of view. Credit

And as Charles' military record shows, he was out of the military by June 30, 1901. Also, he was not wounded at all which is great news.

He came home, married and had children. At least one of which has served in World War 2.

In January 2019, I got to visit with him and take a picture of his headstone which is in Salisbury Mills, NY.

Jan 2019 at St Mary's. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

I found someone had put this on Find A Grave for him. This must have been under the snow in the above picture. If I would have seen it, I would have taken a picture. Credit