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 Info:
The theme this week is "Thief." We don't always like to admit it, but sometimes our research uncovers people who have run afoul of the law. Have you found someone who didn't exactly have a clean record?
This is a very hard topic for me. Only because we really hadn't had a thief in the family. Yes, there had been many times people got arrested for drinking or drugs but not thievery.
The only thing we have close is my renegade great grandfatherApolonius Jagodzinski.
I call him renegade because he's one of my brick walls. I have basic paperwork on him from the time he came over on the ship and landed into Ellis Island. However, from there its spotty until the 1940s when the government wanted all aliens to register if they moved. And boy did he move all over New York and New Jersey according to his Alien forms!
Apolonius' Alien Change of Address Card. Credit: USCIS
Another aspect of making it so hard to trace him was he started to change his names and went by various ones. However, when he died the obituary and his headstone were both in his correct name, so there is that.
Apolonius' Obituary giving
more background. Credit: As on image
Apolonius' and wife Bernice's headstones taken by great grandchild J. Fitzgerald in 2019.
Credit: J. Fitzgerald
Thief or not Thief?
Well this is where it's tricky and remember above I stated he's the closest thing to one. This is because in New Yorkhe had to sign up using Alien Registration Form because he never followed through on his intention to become naturalized for some reason.
My great grandfather Apolonius Jagodzinski's Registration Form page 1. Credit: USCIS
My great grandfather Apolonius Jagodzinski's Registration Form page 2. Credit: USCIS
Anyhow, when he applied, he actually stated on the second page that he had been arrested, by mistake, and gave Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the place. However, he gave no other information other than the charges had been dismissed.
This is a section of the above document from the same credited source. How you not remember something like this I wonder?
I wonder how you can be arrested by mistake?? This still puzzles me?
Anyhow, I've looked all over the place and still haven't found any documentation on him being arrested. This includes the newspapers, mug shots, and everything.
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic Info:
"Solider" in the theme for Week 47. What discoveries have you made regarding ancestors who served in the military? What about an ancestor who tried to stay out of the military? You could also interpret it as someone who "soldiered on," always trying to reach a goal despite some hardships.
The 7 military branches of the US military. Credit
I'm going to take each of the armed forces (listed above). I know there are 7 of military branches (being United States Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps), but I'm going to cover the main armed forces which report into Washington, DC themselves.
The 6 armed services branches of the US military. Credit
Spot the differences?? Keep in mind, in some areas, we've had more than one person serve in that part of the armed services. This makes it difficult to narrow down which relative to use for each.
Sailor (US Navy) - My father
My father, Matthew in 2015 at at Veterans event. Credit: Plattekill Veterans Committee
This is one I grew up with due to my father being in the US Navy and "did his twenty" or was in service for 20 years. He made it to grade of Chief within the submarines. Although we knew he was a submariner, we never talked about it because of the classified nature of his missions. In fact, many of the people I went to school with didn't know my father was in the US Navy at all.
He would tell us about the guys he served with or about things like him being made Chief and then having to run around to get the correct uniforms within the time limits and almost not making it.
In fact, I think I shocked him when I started putting his service record around and found information on some of his missions. However, being classified and could not confirm nor deny where he went or why.
For many years, the family seemed to miss out on having a father. I think he went out on the sub in spirit and just never really came home to us. We've always felt we sacrificed having a father for our country.
Soldier (US Army)- My Nephew
This one I actually changed his diapers and watched grow up. There was a time during his high school years he seriously had me concerned because of what he was doing with playing off people against each other and stuff like that.
TJ getting pinned. Credit: T. James (FB)
TJ up close while serving. Credit: T. James (FB)
However, after I left the US and moved to Australia, I lost contact with them. It didn't help I was/am fighting with my sister Jean, which is his mother. Further, when I was looking him up, I was shocked to find he went into the Army and did a short stint.
TJ while serving. Credit: T. James (FB)
I guess he grew up just fine after all. Marine (US Marines)
Although I haven't been able to pinpoint anyone which fits into this group, I suspect some of the people who say they are in the US Army are actually a Marine but haven't identified themselves as such to anyone.
We do have a high amount of people who have served in the US Army though. Airmen (US Air Force)- My Uncle
Usually when I speak of Airmen or of being in the Air Force, I speak about my first cousin, James J. Sherman. However, this time I'm going to speak about my uncle Louis.
Uncle Louis is my mother's older brother she grew up with. Honestly, after she told me he had died when I was younger, I just never looked into her any further. This past year, when I met up with my other uncle, Jimmy, and he made a comment he wished he knew what happened to his brother.
US Business directory in 1959 for my Uncle Louis and Aunt Edith. Credit: Ancestry
After we came back to Australia and I took some time out due to the loss of my brother, I went looking to see what I could find out about him. I might have met both my uncle's when I was very young, I did not remember them at all. I was shocked to find he first served in the US Navy, and then years later, he served in the US Air Force.
Uncle Louis when he was in the US Navy. Credit: Ancestry
The highlighted sections are when Uncle Louis was in Nebraska working in USAF. Credit
Between 1961-1968 they move from Lincoln Nebraska to California. Again here he works for the US Air force. I believe he must have been within the SAC or Strategic Air Command as they, too, moved to California around this time.
It was a long way from the man who went around always drinking until he couldn't remember and then try and go home to pass out as my father told me when I asked Dad about him. I guess he might have made some changes if he went back into the military as an airman.
Auxiliary - Myself
A close up picture of my pin. Credit: J. Fitzgerald
My father, who is mentioned above under the US Navy, served internationally. As such he can and has become a member of the VFW - Veterans of Foreign Affairs. He has done so now for years. In fact, much of the conversations we have are around the organisation.
In February 2019, when we were over in NY, I was asked if I wanted to be in the Auxiliary meaning the VFW Auxiliary. I hesitated because I live in Australia and its not like I can be a helpful and productive member of the group.
My card as an annual member of the VFW Aux. Credit: J Fitzgerald
I could see my father had stopped what he was doing and braced himself for the turn down. This told me it did matter to him if I became a member or not. It REALLY mattered to him and his body language told me as much. I agreed and became a member.
I now possess my VFW Auxiliary card and membership and my father took care of it - the application and even the payment because it matters that much.
Sometimes it's the small things which matter the most to some people and you have to take the time to watch, talk and listen or else you will miss important things.
As you can see, we've had someone serve in each of the main armed services. I've kept the above to the close linked family members only or else I'd be here all day and we wouldn't want that!
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic Info:
The theme for Week 46 is "Poor Man." Like last week, I encourage you to be creative with this theme. How could a person be poor -- financially, "pitiable," poor judgement? Or perhaps you have an ancestor who helped the poor.
Once again my mind went to the being poor as in with money, but then bounced to what made me feel poor in regards to relationships. As I've alluded to in prior posts was family and its role into these types of feelings. The when I received the topic information from Amy, I got to thinking about the last sentence in her topic statement of someone helping the poor. These are what I'm going to tackle in this post.
I'm not going to go into the family aspect of the topic, as I'm trying to be politically correct as not everything has to be online. Keeping in this line, I'll reply to the topic by doing an ancestor who helps the poor.
Ancestor that helped the poor
I've written before about my great grandfather Apolonius Jagodzinski. He also went by the name of Leo Jagodzinski and Leo Berry. The names to were to sound more American than the others.
On his travel manifest, he labelled the person he was there to meet up with was Sister Agnieska Jagadzinska which was under the relative column. I took it Agnieska was his sister as a sibling.
This is off of Apolonius' travel manifest in the relative column. Credit: Ellis Island
However, when I was commenting on one of the many genealogy groups in Facebook, someone looked it up and took the above entry in another direction.
What if Agnieska, now called Agnes to make it more American, was his sister but also a sister as in nun? I never would have put the two together. The Jagodzinski family is one huge brick wall for me. However, I'm the type of person who likes to check out all angles and information anyway.
I went looking and found some interesting information when looking at things this way.
I did find someone by this name come over from Europe in 1901. However, the person who's listed comes from a German background and is going to Philadelphia PA and not Pittsburgh where Apolonius went. I could speak away everything but the German background as Apolonius was Polish and its known as such as my great grandmother, Bernice, would speak in Polish/Russian (according to her Grandson Jimmy - my uncle) so the German background is out.
There was a woman by this name who got married and had at least one child and she put down the entire time she was German.
There was the last residence town name as well - gousawa. There were no towns by this name. I did find a reference to a mill - Gousawa Mill, Poland. Could this be a match of area? The only thing I could find was in Lebanon the country. Other than that, it was a dead end. This did not have many, if any, concrete connections, so I've discounted this link.
Then I came across the 1910 census in Paris, Michigan. It had an Agnes Jagodzinski listed among other women. There was a principal, classmates and a novice listed under relationship. When I scanned across it said she (and her parents) were born in Russia Polish and she was 31 years old. She arrived in 1902 in the US and knew English. Her occupation was listed as housekeeper in a sisters home on her own account. She could read and write English.
Part of the 1910 Census showing Agnes and who she lived with and around. Credit
This fit into her brother's Apolonius' information. He said he came from Poland Galiana, which I think is Golina, and he was going to Pittsburgh in 1905. This would have been in the Russian Particician when they left.
This show the particicians when Agnes and Apolonius arrived in the US. Credit
Agnes could have left PA and went to Michigan as by this point I have her brother married and in PA as a married man to my great grandmother.
From Family Search. Regarding the marriage of Apolonius and Bernice.
If we take Agnes was a sister and was going to be or became a nun (as in sister) then this fit the story.
I was able to find a death certificate for Agnes and it was in Allegheny Pennsylvania. This is where Apolonius said he was going to come although by the time she died in 1952, Apolonius was in New York with his family.
What I found interesting on the death certificate was she was a part of the Felician Sister Community and the person who gave the information on her was another sister - Sister Mary Bernadine. She was in Ohio Valley Hospital which is nearby the area Apolonius and Bernice had one child, Stefan, who died in 1915 in Ohio.
These are all very important as I know on my side we've (and I've had) cysts on my ovaries. Personally I've dealt with anemia due to heavy periods and pain like I was giving birth (what I've imagined) prior to them performing a hysterectomy on me. I believe this is probably what Agnes was experiencing, which caused her heart not being able to take it any longer and she died. Remember back in the 1950s there wasn't the knowledge as there is today.
I do know my grandmother, which if Agnes is the person listed, would have been my grandmother's aunt, had heart problems which followed her for life. However, to be fair, on my grandmother's mother's side, there were heart problems there as well.
Further, my Aunt Honey's daughter, Genevieve, has passed away due to uterine cancer. I'm not sure of much more than this, due to the one medical thing my mother told me, but could this be another link with Agnes? It is possible.
There are too many things that add up and I'll say Agnes is the Agnes, my great grandfather Apolonius, had written down.
"The Felician Sisters, officially known as the Congregation of Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Assisi, is a religious institute of pontifical right whose members profess public vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience and follow the evangelical way of life in common."
I sat back and smiled. I think...I know I found her. This Agnes was part of the St. Francis of Assisi which is associated with the church my great grandparents went to and are buried into one of their cemeteries.
But what about helping the Poor?
Being a housekeeper and cook for them would have meant she would have "profess public vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience and follow the evangelical way of life in common."
In fact, they list one of the 8 provinces as being where Agnes had been in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. Once again, another link to Agnes and my great grandparents.
As you can see there are links and Agnes spent her entire life helping the entire public.
There are others who have helped the poor as well, but I figured I'd talk about another ancestor which I haven't mentioned before.
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic Info:
Our ancestors are more than names and dates on a chart. This week, share something that you've learned that brought more context to an ancestor's life. Have you learned why she moved from one area to another or why he held a certain occupation? Tell the story this week.
I tell people I help with looking up information the facts are the bones. However you need get to get other things to put the person together or to put flesh on the person. These other things could be finding yearbook, directories, and newspaper articles and/or talking to people about them. This week's post is is talking about doing exactly this - putting the flesh and life back into the ancestors.
I've done this several times with examples I've used here on my blog posts. These were like with my 2x great grandfather Jules among others. But if you don't have some of these clues, like they disappear after being in the newspapers, this in itself is also telling and I always ask and wonder- what are you hiding?
Where to start?
For people who have never done any research before they always ask "Where do I start?" and I tell them at the beginning which means yourself. I've actually taught a class for beginners and have done this.
When the people look confused, and they always do, I tell them put down what you know. Full name at birth. Your birth date and the full name of your parents. List siblings if you have then and their ages at the time of your birth. Then I ask do you know where the family lived when you were born. When/where did they get married? Divorced? Remarried? This is the basic stuff which is called Birth, Death or Marriage or BDM or vital records information which is recorded by most officials after a laws were passed to collect this information by governments.
Context - The next step
Then you go on to fill in when or what year you started daycare? School? Sports? Death of grandparents/parents/siblings come next. And the list goes on and on. By the end, they should be able to look down the list and feel like this is them.
One of the many ways you can make a timeline of information for your ancestors. Credit
Once the people feel like they have listed everything about themselves, then they start with their parents the same way, then the grandparents. Usually by the time you hit either the grandparents or sometimes even the parents you don't have much, but what you do know you list because this will tell you where to look next.
Using history and locations
You list what things formed or might have formed the ancestor are you researching. Was something in the world that happened which affected them, you or what you/they did? Put it into the timeline. People usually do it for later in life, but if the person you're researching lived in Europe, why not use what happened in history to help with their entire life timeline from start to finish? This might give reason why they might have moved or travelled places.
For instance, my grandfather, who was born in Rheinland, Germany left there in the 1926 and set off for the United States. Why? Why did he do this?
Border of France and Germany after WW1 in 1918-1919. Rhineland is where it says League of Nations notice the 1926 year above? Credit
I went looking to see what was happening in this part of Germany during this time. At first I thought hyperinflation started, but this happen around mid-1921. This being said, it ended in late 1923, but the economy is like a huge ship in the middle of the ocean. When you try and turn it, it takes a long time to get there so this could be a reason why.
This would have affected the unemployment as well. But was this a "problem"? During the hyperinflation, unemployment had been high and in 1926 there were about 2 million still unemployed, but started to slow down and continued to do better until 1929. This, too, could have been a factor.
All the above, might have pushed him to leave Germany behind and go live with his aunt and uncle in Brooklyn. True, it might not have done anything, but at least it does give everyone a bit of what was happening in (my grandfather's) Mathias' world and some reasoning behind his decisions.
The beginning timeline for my grandfather Mathias. Credit: J. Fitzgerald
What else to use? There is much more context information you could look up. It all depends on where they lived and if they made the newspapers or not. Did they play cards to raise money for a charity? Did they let kids in their river for them to donate money to an emergency services? Did they eat something which made everyone sick? Did they get a parking, speeding or fine for being drunk? All this could be reported in the newspaper, gazettes, etc. Believe it or not, I've had all of these come up in the researching I've done. I even had one poor guy think the train had stopped and opened the door and stepped out only to find the train was still moving. True it was reported he had been drinking too. This was for a headstone I found when I took some photos to upload onto a volunteer website and I went looking for information on the poor guy and imagine my shock at this information. Sometimes there's just nothing you can find and so you have to let it go for a while before coming back to it in the future. Is context 100%? Using context is not 100% (is anything really?), but it does give you more of what their lives were like and what they had been dealing with. It might have even been something like a fight with his parents and off he went to the US but we'll never know for sure. However, it lets everyone know there could be more to the story and the reader of your notes gets to learn a bit of history of the area from around where your ancestor came from.
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic Info:
The theme for Week 45 is "Rich Man." I encourage you to be creative with this theme. Of course, if you have the proverbial "rich uncle," feel free to write about him, but think about other ways that one can be "rich." Also think about names. Any Moneypennys or Banks in the family tree? How about an ancestor with the first name of Wealthy?
This is contrast to next week's topic of poor man.
What's within the word 'rich'?
Many people look at it and immediately think rich = MONEY! Others think of the name Rich or Richard, which we do have a person within the family with the name (Hi Rich! *waves*). I do admit the first came into my mind almost immediately and I shook my head. But within a minute it went to what makes me feel fulfilled or happy to make me rich. It was only after I sat down to start to write, I thought of the third type of Rich being the name.
Word for the rich (cha ching!)
Money is one thing my family's never had. Instead we try and pride ourselves on helping others with no thought to how we can profit from it. Being rich you can be in so many other ways like helping others and through your family.
This is not the thing which can bring you to being the richest person on Earth. Credit
Remember, money can't buy you love - in body, mind or spirit! Or in things like courage, honest, truthful, decent, respect, and so many other ways which doesn't cost a thing.
Richness in other ways
In some respects, when it comes to helping others, our family does do this pretty well, which I've written about before. This can make you one of the richest people by what it gives to you without cost. Like respect, feeling good about yourself, self esteem, decency and many other ways.
I've been told I try and find the sunshine and good in everyone. I don't know how true this is, as I think I'm very cynical usually. I figure everyone deserves to start with a blank slate with me and I form my own views on each person so everyone is treated fairly.
An Award at one of the Learn Locals I used to teach for.
If this makes me a rich and well thought of person, then I guess I am. And if things start to go badly, I try and rescue it and make a positive out of it if I can.
I don't go looking, but I also know how to add and put scenarios together to come up with a result. I try and limit the bad results but they do happen.
I guess that's why when people ask the question, "What would you go back and change if anything?" I really have to think hard because it's usually something I hadn't done or said only because I hadn't thought of it - hindsight is great. This year this question has come back to me more times than ever before with the death of my brother, sure can change it if we go back but guess what? Sometimes the outcome will still be the same too.
Top of the Richness on My List
My husband, Brett, and I at Sam's Point in New York in 2019. Credit. J Fitzgerald
I'm rich for having my husband, who always has my back, and my father in law, Noel, for the same.
My father in law Noel in 2019 at a wedding. Credit J. Bishop
My brother will always be within my heart and make me the richest of rich for just being in my life.
My brother and I telling dirty jokes at Valley Central High School in Montgomery NY in 2000. Credit: J. Fitzgerald
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic Info:
Week 43 is all about "Transportation." Did an ancestor take a long trip? Did anyone have an occupation involving planes, trains, or automobiles?
This is an interesting topic as long trip is like asking how long is a piece of string? Some consider anything outside of the nearby towns as a long trip while others consider going from Europe to the US or going from Europe to Australia as a long trip. Like I said... how long is a piece of string?
Long Trip question
We've had people move from Eastern Europe and go to the US. We've also had people who once they've gone from Europe to the US, then continued onto the midwest, Minnesota, and then turned to go back to New York. We've also had people who were born in New York, then move to Nebraska, before going to California where they finally settled and had their family and then died. Then you have people like myself who was born in New York and moved every 3-5 years constantly until 1997 when I moved from New York to Australia and have only lived in 3 different addresses is over 20 years living here.
Occupations
The planes, trains and automobiles occupations are interesting and I can fill them all! Yep, we're that skilled in my family.
Planes
The planes area is interesting but I can fill this occupation at least twice. My Uncle Louis Gauqie Jrwas in the Air Force and chances are high he either flew them or helped get them in the air.
Taken from a Business Directory in Nebraska. Credit
The other person was my mother's cousin Jimmy - or James J. Sherman. He was in the Air Force and died in a training accident in World War 2.
James Jules 'Jimmy' Sherman's High School Yearbook picture in 1942. Credit
Jimmy is circled. This picture was put on Find A Grave. Most of his crew, and himself, died on a training mission in WW2. Credit Michel Beckers
I currently hold his wings he gave my mother right before he shipped out to Europe where he went down with the plane.
Louis P Gauquie worked for ERR for many years.
My grandfather's positions (some) when he worked on the railroad.
Credit: Railway Retirement Board
Trains
My Grandfather, Louis P Gauquie, and his brother, William Gauquie, both worked for the railway. I know my grandfather had a few different positions within the ERR orErie RailRoad.
His brother worked for them for a short time before getting out and running a farm for awhile.
Automobiles
Yep, here we are with the topic of automobiles. It's really interesting because I had a paternal great grandfather, Adam Wojtkowski, who never learned how to drive. He didn't want to learn, so he would go from NJ to Newburgh, NY and back on the bus. It got to be where the bus drivers knew him quite well.
Then you have my paternal grandmother, Adam's daughter Jean. While she was never scared of the car, she had a bad run in with a car and train when she lived in New Jersey. It was around 1935-1936 when the car she was a passenger in, collided with a train to where my grandmother was thrown through the glass windshield, across the front of the car and into the street and train. The male friend who was driving had knee injuries but mainly was alright.
Note: I've been looking for more information on this train accident in the newspapers, but there had been many accidents around this time and I haven't been able to find it yet.
The bystanders didn't know if my grandmother was alive or not, but they called the 1 ambulance the tiny town had, which they had to wait for, and was new in the town. They got there and Jean was alive, but they didn't know if she'd stay that way. They hurried her to the hospital.
It took her a long time to get better, but mentally they didn't know if she would ever recover because mentally she thought her son, my father Matthew, was in the car with her. No matter who told her he was fine, she wouldn't believe them and thought they were lying and he was dead.
The only way to get to her to believe them was for her to be taken to the window where Jean's husband Matthew was, her son (my father) Matthew who was about 12 months or so old, and her father Adam was. They wouldn't let her son up to see her because they were worried he'd bring germs into the hospital with him (this was standard policy up until at least the 1980s). After she saw him, she improved.
She had a few scars which were noted on her naturalization paperwork.
Above is a record of the scars on Jean's face from her intention for naturalization paperwork. Credit: Immigration Services
Another record of Jean's scars from her citizenship certificate. Credit: Immigration Services
Also, she had glass shards come out of her skin for the remainder of her life. I used to stay over with her and when she felt them, I used to climb behind her and try and help them come out of her skin and wipe them away for her.
I believe this accident was probably one of the main reasons why she was so cautious when she drove and always drove much slower than the speed limits. It was known to look out the window at one of the main roads and see traffic backed up behind her due to how slow she was driving.
Late 1970s at my father's in Newburgh, NY. My grandmother Jean and I.
My grandmother had one but in bright Robin egg blue. Credit
It always makes me smile when I think of a small 4 foot 10 inch (in high heels) woman driving a Chrysler Chargercar down the road in bright Robin egg blue. When she got out, you could see her pillows for both her back and under her butt. She needed the high heels otherwise she couldn't reach the car pedals!
On my mother's side, we have someone who owned a car garage and someone who owned a transport company too. They both lived in Chester, NY.
My mother's great Aunt Farillda/Pharailde Galloway (nee Gauquie) married Frank Galloway in 1901 who was a farmer at this point. In 1920 Frank went from farming to mechanic with his own garage called Galloway Garage inNewburgh, NY.
1923 Write up and picture about Galloway's Garage. Credit
1923 Write up and picture about Galloway's Garage. Credit
Although it did move in 1954 to another spot within Newburgh, NY.
August 1954. This shows by this point the Galloway Garage had moved. Credit
It was passed down from father to son until at least the mid 1970s.
1973 Advertisement in Valley Central's Yearbook Credit
The next relative of my mother's, I've mentioned above, is her cousin about 3 times removed named Louis Van Rompaye.
August 1936 in the Middletown Daily Times shows relationship to Van Rompay to Gauquie's
Louis came to the US in the early to mid 1890s. I believe this is who my grandfather is named after as Louis and my great grandfather were very close due to my great grandfather's mother being a Van Rompaye.
During the years where Louis was controlling his own business in early 1900s. Credit
Anyhow, Louis opened up a milk transport business which picked up milk from local dairy farmers, like my great grandfather Jules, and transported it to businesses which then sold it to the public. This continued for years until about the 1960s when they branched out to LP and oil, soon stopping the milk transports (I believe).
Shows how transport of milk in 1945. Credit as above.