How can one person overcome so many different disasters - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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

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Our ancestors faced any number of disasters — natural, personal, financial. Perhaps you've had a disaster in your research. How did they (or you) overcome it? (Or maybe they didn't?)

My great grandfather, Adam Wojtkowski, faced many of the above mentioned disasters. He was born on December 21, 1886 in Wojtkowice, Russia Poland (now Wojtkowice-Dady Poland in Mazowieckie County, Podlaskie Voivodeship). However, at the time of his birth, it was within Russia's territory due to the partition of Poland which started in 1795. 

A 1938 Picture of Adam. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

Due to this, he's had a vast amount of disasters. 

Personal Disasters

These had probably started before he was even born, due to the partition of Poland in 1795 in the area. Where they were located was right on the border between where the Russian border abutted up to Poland, which is why they were in so much turmoil. 

You can see this map illustrating the partitions back in 1886 where the Russian Empire is. Credit

Poland today where the red marker is marks where Adam was born. Credit

If you can see where Warsaw is in the above map, and where the red is in the map above that, you can see just how close they live to the border. 

Due to this, over time Adam, and his family, had lost many things. One would be the land he owned and probably the mill his mother owned. 

When he married in Nur in 1905, the document states he owns farmland which was given to him by his father. His mother owns a mill in town. Due to the uncertainty and the changes the Russian government was bringing in where certain people could not own property. 

Adam and Mary's marriage certificate in Nur Russia Poland in 1905 with translation on right. Credit

As it was, since 1873 the area had started to be Russificated. 

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As Adam was born prior to this date, could it be his family or others his family knew who were removed from being a senator? 

As it was, his new wife, Marja Slepowonska, came from an titled background, as did he but he never took advantage of it, where the town his wife was born, Murawskie Nadbużne, and his father in law had land. This, too, was probably lost when the Russians formally took over the land before the first World War. Many Poles lost any land they had and was basically left to starve during this time. 

Credit: As Noted above

Credit: As Noted above

Credit: The Daily News, on 26 Jan 1905, Page2

Credit: Unknown due to loss of internet but in newspapers March 3 1905

Over the years, the Polish must have still be resisting and fight back. Credit

Credit

Credit: -The Sun, New York NY 1833-1916

Credit: As Noted above

Credit: As Noted above

As you can see, it was not a very good time for people of Russia-Poland. 

Financial Disaster

Further, if the possibility of losing his farm, his mother losing her home and business, and over time they lost their religion due to Russification, and they were slowly starving wasn't enough - his brother decided to fight back against the Russians and we believe was in the Polish Socialist Party. However, this is pure speculation due to having no evidence to support this. To this day, we do not know what happened to him nor his full name. During my grandmother's time, she would only say her father had a brother and no one knew what happened to him. She did have a picture, but I'm not sure what happened to it once she died. I never saw the picture again. I believe she probably gave up hope of him due to the Iron Curtain in this area when she died. The family was on the closed off area of the curtain while we were on the other side. 

Finally, Adam had enough. He decided to go to the USA. It was a huge move for someone who was a farmer and never left the small farming community they lived in. An even bigger move was now they had a daughter who was less than 3 years old, my grandmother. Going to the US was a huge move beyond this as many people died on the way over and then they were stopped at the border by the government. 

It was less than a year since the Titanic had sank so this would have worried him as well. 

I believe what helped him with his decision was he left with two others from the town they were in according to a ship manifest I found. 

If you look at who was there and where they were born and where they were going, this was exactly who was in my grandmother's (Adam's child) Naturalization Papers as witnesses. Credit: Ellis Island

This is backed up by his immigration paperwork I found regarding the time and ship name. I believe the last time was misheard due to the accent and was written wrong. Due to Adam's daughter, my grandmother, naturalization paperwork, the statements coming from the men who went to the US with them, you could tell Adam was very well liked. 

Credit: US CIS

Credit: US CIS

Further, I believe he left his daughter and wife with her sister's family in Malkinia because he either already lost the farm or he didn't want his family left there with the soldiers coming around. There were instances where soldiers came through and raped women, killed children and men and then once they took all of their food, burnt the house and barns down so the family couldn't live there any longer. 

Anyhow, off he went with the others from the village. 

We know from the ship manifest he was destined for Bayonne, NJ. It says he's going to be with a Charia Wojtkowski from the same town he was born in. This is the only time this name had been mentioned or seen before or since. 

Personal Disaster

Anyhow, in July 1914, World War 1 starts.  I think it was probably then he thought he had lost his wife and his daughter in this war. This was due to the Eastern Front being along the edge of where they lived. 

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I know that letters were getting stopped before the war broke out, but once the war is starting, they censor even more and keep even more envelopes from coming in or going out. 

Meanwhile, the US government has the World War 1 Draft registration cards, which he fills out in June 1917. He even states he has a wife and 2 children. However, my grandmother always said there was just her, so I'm thinking they must have lost another child in Poland which could have been from shooting or from starvation. 

Credit

I do know by 1918, Adam has his own grocery store, so he must have been doing better. I do know that he had a great relationship with the public as it was s successful business. I was told many times people drove from all over to buy his pickles, kielbasa and other meats because they were so good.

Then came the Treaty of Versailles and Poland was once again on the map in 1918. The mail by then must have been getting through, but there was fighting between the Polish, Russians and Germany as the Treaty set out that they must be a Poland but not where the borders are, so now everyone was fighting over the land. This lead to the area where my grandmother and great grandmother being flip flopped between Germany and Russia, which would have influenced the mail they got or didn't. It would have been a terrible time for them all. 

I do know he had helped others from his town by letting them stay there with him as is listed in the 1920 US Census. I believe they were from his town because they had the same last name and had come from Poland. 

Adam's info starts on line 81. They are all Polish and all have the same last name which tells me its probably people from the same town. Credit

However, in August 1920, it was decided his wife and daughter were to come to the US as well. They had to get through and around all of the fighting and even a closed Port of Danzig at one point! 

Credit as above.

Then they were reunited at Ellis Island and he took them to their new home. 

From there they settled into their new home and new country. Adam became a citizen in 1925, in which his daughter - my grandmother - received her citizenship; however, later she would also file on her own and take the oath to become a US citizen. 

Financial Disaster

I believe they were doing well. I heard my father say several times that Adam had many properties he owned in Linden NJ including his butcher and grocery store. He now had 2 sons as well as his daughter and they were all doing well. 

Then the 1929 stock market crashed. Again I know from my father and he was told by his mother, that when Adam died, she found a huge truck full of stocks and bonds which were no good. So not only did he have many properties, but he also had much of his money in stocks and bonds. 

Then almost overnight it was gone. I think he thought that it wouldn't last very long and things would be back to the way it was. However, he was wrong. 

He still had his shop, but as people couldn't pay their bills and people started to not have money for even food, so his shop started to fail. I was told many times, people would come to him and not have any money, but he would give as much as he could to them so they could at least eat. He did this until even his own family was starting to feel the strain. 

1930 US Census which is highlighted. See how under occupation its odd jobs? Credit

By April 1930, he had sold his shop and was doing odd jobs according to the US Census. I do know sometimes between April and when the City Directory for Linden came out, he was working at AM Cyanamid Co and they had moved to 103 11th Street from Silver Street. My grandmother, his daughter, was working there as well according to her Naturalization paperwork. 

1940 US Census which lists where they were and what were they doing in 1935. Credit: US Census Bureau 

I know by April 1935, which is referenced in the 1940 US census, he was back to having his grocery and butcher store and they were living at the top of the store like before. Adam's finances were back and he was back to doing what he loved. 

A picture my grandmother took of them in front of their shop with a friend around 1930s-1940s. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

Personal Disaster

After this, Adam suffered the loss of his beloved wife Mary who died on January 10, 1939. He visited her often and picked out their spot to be together forever. He also paid for each of his children to have a grave next to them. 

Mary's, and later Adam's, resting places in NJ. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

However, a few years later, a friend who was staying with them, passed away. Her children had all grown up and her husband up and left her. Adam was contacted to help as he was a close friend. My grandmother gave up her grave to have their friend rest there as there was no money to bury this dear friend of them all. 

It was later on they found someone had used one of my great uncle's graves to be buried in as well. My great uncle Stanley is buried in the resting place Adam had paid for though as I've been told. This is on one of my to do lists. 

In 1934, my grandmother married and had my father, so Adam was now a grandfather as well. 

In June 1942, his son Stanley gets drafted and went off to fight in World War 2. 

Stanley gets married in 1942 as well. However, his wife, Mary, dies before they can have any children. 

Alfred signed up in April 1945 and joined Stanley in the US military. 

Both returned from war. 

In 1946, his son, Al, was married in Pennsylvania. They moved around a bit, so they were distanced from Adam now. 

Personal Ending

I do know in 1955, Adam was told he had a hole in his stomach. There was nothing they could do for him but they also told him he didn't have long to live. Instead of giving up, he kept on working and doing what he enjoyed. However, just before his death, he finally closed his butcher and grocery store as none of his kids wanted it and he couldn't work in it any longer. 

It wasn't long after this he was in the hospital making him as comfortable as they could before he passed away in June 28, 1954. Apparently he lived months after they told him about the hole in his stomach. In fact, they had to put a notice in the business directory about him dying because people were still arriving at his business looking for him because he was that well liked. 

The Business directory where it lists that he died. Credit

Where is death was listed in the newspaper. Credit

My father was in the US Navy sailing around the Mediterranean when his mother's note reached him about his grandfather dying. 

Let's make the News - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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

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Week 29's theme is "Newsworthy." Did any of your ancestors make it into the paper? What's an event that would have been newsworthy in their lifetime?

I've been trying to talk about other ancestors in my family, because it seems like I generally keep going back to the same few over and over again. If you feel this way too, sorry! Usually, I read the topic given to us by Amy (above) and then an idea of who I can use comes at me and I run with it. Honestly, I'll try and talk about other people more often! If you find I start doing this again, do me a favor? Leave a comment saying something about talk about another ancestor. I don't even realize I do it. I was just sitting here and thinking, after writing multiple posts, that I seem to talk about the same ones. 

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Anyhow, this is another interesting topic because the Gauquie side of the family seemed to make the newspaper all the time. In some respects it was great because I was able to track where they were and what they were doing (many times person x visited x at home would be the only thing mentioned). It was good but after awhile it seemed weird. 

I'm going to run with the topic of "What's an event that would have been newsworthy in an ancestor's lifetime?" This way I get to talk about another side of the family I don't much talk about - The German Schmitz family! 

I have stated in past posts my paternal side of the family comes from Rheinland Germany area. For those of you who don't know where that is, it's the closest side to France, Belgium and Luxemburg. 

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My paternal grandfather, who was born here and lived in this area of Germany until he was 19 years old when he left to join his aunt and uncle in Brooklyn, NY in 1926. 

I do know on 1 January 1926, the city of Cologne is badly hit by flooding in the Rhine River. Also, as you can see, the other areas around it are having their own issues from flooding in Paris to earthquake in Luxemburg. 

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Could this be a reason why my grandfather left Germany for the USA? 

From his marriage document, my grandfather put he was born in Cologne. His birth entry says differently but I'm thinking he said this because it was the closest and biggest town nearby. People sometimes did this. 

My grandfather, Mathias, birth entry in Germany. Credit: Uwe Kruse for obtaining the above at the church and the tree. 

My grandparents' second marriage certificate. Notice the Birthplace entry for my grandfather. Credit: FamilySearch

The first of the Locarno Treaties were signed on October 1925 by Germany, France, Italy and Britain. It stated that the Rhineland should continue its demilitarised status permanently. The demilitarisation came about under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 under articles 42, 43, 44(source). These treaties marked a dramatic improvement in the political climate of western Europe during this time.

On February 14, 1926 the Nazi Party hold the Bamberg Conference in an attempt to strengthen Adolf Hitler's control over the party.(source) Could there have been talk around the area that Hitler wanted more control? Could this be a reason why he left? He didn't want to be in the middle of this? 

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In 1923, the last Americans left their headquarters in Koblenz in January. It was handed over to the French. This was in response to German failure to pay reparations under the Treaty of Versailles, France and Belgium occupied the industrial Ruhr area of Germany, most of which lies across the river on the east bank of the Rhine, until 1925.(credit) Due to the Locarno Treaties, the German foreign minister negotiated withdrawals of Allied troops from this area. In 1926, withdrawal from the Northern Zone around Cologne and the withdrawal in 1929 from Central Zone around Koblenz and withdrawal from the Southern Zone around Mainz, resulting in the end of the occupation in 1930.(credit) Less than 6 years later and Hitler returned military troops to this area.(credit)  Could the Northern Zone withdrawal by the Americans in 1926, influenced his decision to leave? Or did he hear rumors about Hitler and ran? 

Then you have the whole hyperinflation of the German mark in 1921-1923 where people were using their money to heat their homes. (Credit) In 1925, there was finally some stabilization of the mark due to debts were reinstated to compensate creditors partially for the catastrophic reduction in the value of debts which was before the hyperinflation started. Government bonds and mortgages were reevaluated and brought it back into line where things were prior. Most of this was brought on by reparations from the war and people wanting the government to pay. To ended it, a new currency (the Rentenmark) was introduced.(credit) and in 1923 as the government took actions to stabilize the currency,  the lower classes found themselves unemployed while the middle classes did relatively well (source). Post-war Germany never fully recovered, and mass unemployment eventually allowed Hitler to rise to power in the 1930s. (credit) Could these be further reasons why he left? As soon as he could get enough money together, did he leave? 

My Grandfather Mathias, left this area in Germany in 1926. 

Mathias' entry is at the bottom in Red. Credit

Look at how many reasons why he had to leave. Further, this isn't counting on any family disagreements be might have had with his family either. As my family, to this day, loves to squabble between us. 

Hitler repudiated Locarno Treaties by sending troops into the demilitarized Rhineland on 7 March 1936.

Once my grandfather arrived, he stayed with this Aunt and Uncle. However, I believe these were relatives of his Great Aunt and Uncle.

The last line at the bottom shows who he is going to stay with and where his last residence was. Credit

From here he went and filled out two Intention of Declarations to become a US Citizen before finally getting it in 1939. He changed his name from Mathias to Matthew probably to sound more American. He was married in 1934 to my grandmother, my father was born in 1934 as well, and they moved from NYC to NJ to be closer to my grandmother's father. 

Picture off of his 1930 Declaration Form

Picture off of his 1939 Declaration Form

Then World War 2 broke out, and he volunteered for the US war effort. Only to get sick and spend most of it in the infirmary from what I've been told (I haven't verified this as yet but know he was later part of the American Legion, see below, supporting other vets). 

After, they moved to Newburgh, NY to own a business. They had my uncle in 1947. Meanwhile, he had a number of tickets and other write ups in the newspaper. 

His sons get married and he soon as grandchildren. 

His son's wedding announcement.  Source: The Evening News, Newburgh, NY Dec 2, 1970

From what I haven't been able to find was after his youngest sons 1970 marriage, he just drifts off. Nothing more is written about him nor am I able to find anything. 

My father says he last saw in the Veteran Affairs hospital in Castle Point, NY. Mathias knew he was dying and he was in the hospital the last time my father saw him. I did find his Social Security Death Index about him but no obituary and nothing on where he's buried. 

Mathias (also known as Matthew) Social Security Death Index. Credit:As above.

This is why when you research someone, it's important to include a history of events around where they are at the time and things going on locally and within the country. There's still so many questions around my grandfather, but I do recognize I'll probably never know exactly why he moved from Germany to the US.