Unusual Name for Ancestors - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Another prompt by 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. It's run by Amy Johnson Crow.

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This week's topic features on people who sometime ridicule celebrities for the "unusual" names they choose for their children. Clearly, they haven't looked at some ancestral names, like "Strange Powers" or "Preserved Fish." Who's name in your family tree makes you smile? (Of course, feel free to interpret this theme however you'd like!)

Unusual names people pick for their children have been topics of discussion between my friends and myself. Truly, I don't understand why someone would name their child 'ABCDE' but there you go someone has done it. 

As someone who has a name which people ALWAYS screw up, it gets to be very annoying, so why would they do this intentionally if only to make that child pay in the future? I can only imagine the person who goes to research them in the future thinking someone had it wrong when filling out the forms. 

Anyhow, as I was doing my family research, I did run into some people who had unusual names. The two who immediately come to my mind are my maternal grandmother's father - Appolanus Jagodzinski (born 1888 in then Poland) and my maternal grandfather's great grandfather - Aloysius Hyppolitus Gauquie (born 1847 in Belgium). 

Yes very different names overall and not the same generation either. However, these two had more in common than having very different names - they both immigrated to the US from the country they were born, disappeared for a time in main documents of the US, and they ended up changing their names without doing it formally. 

My Ancestors Unusual Names

Appolanus Jagodzinski (born 1888) 

I've written about him, and this side of the family, before on many posts. You can see those here. 

I have talked about how he disappears, reappears under different names, and the disappears again. However, the whole family gets on it including changing their names at times. 

This post, I'll center it around my other unusual ancestor name. 

Aloysius Hyppolitus Gauquie (born 1847)

When I came across his name I was intrigued about why someone would name their son Aloysius. However, as I know that side of the family, and by research, many of the children took names, as was the custom, from someone of the Catholic faith. In this instance, I think they took his name from the Pius of Saint Aloysius. 

This is Pius of Sat Aloysius. Credit

His middle name, Hyppolitus, was the one that always made me smile or laugh because it made me think of the animal hippopotamus. When looking at the church angle again, I found there was a Saint Hippolytus of Rome.  However, there's nothing there which adds up to a birth date or time but this Saint was mentioned as having a huge impact on Christian beliefs.

Saint Hippolytus of Rome Credit

Our other relatives on this side of the family are named Jacobus, Jean Baptist, and many other Catholic or Christian names. 

The last name Gauquie, while sometimes has a diacritical mark over the ie, sounds French. However, it depends on who you talk to. I have been able to trace the name back to the early 1700s and while its on the border with France, it was still within Belgium. I do know there are relatives in France, but the majority are in Belgium. 

However, what I know about him? He was anything by a Saint. Although, in his defense he had been drafted into the Belgium Army at a very young age. I think this did things to him mentally, but I could be wrong. 

Aloysius' Birth entry in 1871 in Belgium. Credit

Aloysius' Birth entry translation from above. 

Aloysius' Military Draft form Credit

Anyhow, he does his time in the draft, gets out, and finds out on the way home, he's a father by a servant which is on the other side of the country. His parents find out about it, and very soon after, his birth is registered, he's married to the servant, and the child has his name. 

Aloysius' son's birth entry and the side note of which explains who Aloysius is, etc. Many other documents follow this page as proof. Credit

However, within 2 years of the birth of his daughter, their 3rd child, being born, his wife dies. 

In 1877, his daughter is born. Above is the birth entry. Credit: FamilySearch.org

His wife's death in 1878. Credit

Soon after, he moves his family from Belgium to the USA around 1879-1880. This is backed up with his and his oldest son Jules' naturalization documents. 

Part of his Intent of Naturalization document in 1892 which states he's been in the US since 1878. Credit: NY Orange County Registers Office

He works on various dairy farms in and around Chester, New York in Orange County. He becomes a US citizen. His children get married. His youngest son, Charles, goes off to serve in the Spanish American War in 1898. 

Charles Gauquie is his son. Credit

Then he disappears around the same time his youngest son goes off to serve. Could his son volunteering bring back his days serving in the draft in Belgium? I have no idea and I don't think we will ever figure that question out unfortunately. 

I do know in 1895 and 1896 he was buying and selling property in Orange County, NY according to the land deeds index I found. 

Aloyse's name is on here twice. Once with Jules and once with another person. Credit I just found this information out while writing this post. This brings up a reminder to keep checking back at your sources as it might bring up new leads. 

Around 1900, a new person has shown up - Charles Gauquie. He gets married, has a few kids and his wife had children when they married. I'm estimating around 1900. 

The 1900 US Census. Credit

By 1907, he's had one of his children, Ella, die along with one of his step children in Goshen, NY. 

His child and step child's headstone in Goshen's cemetery. Credit: Find A Grave

At first, when researching, I wasn't sure if this was Aloysius or not because let's face it, Charles and Aloysius, names are miles apart.  However, when I found him in 1910, I knew I was onto something as this was his youngest son, and everything - bar the name - matched. 

By 1910, he's now living with his youngest son, Charles and his family on a farm. There it even lists his name as Charles. 

The top names are my grandfather and his siblings (Jules' children). The first Charles is my great grandfather Jules' brother and his family which included another Charles and then it says Father and a third Charles. They lived next door to each other! Credit

However, I still wasn't sure if he was the same person. I then found him (Charles) in 1916, but it was at an Almshouse. This document says everything I needed for it to say - his age (matched), how long he was in the US (matched my estimates and naturalization), his parents names, and where he was born (matched). However, it says he was a widower, which I took as correct until I found his other family...but more on this later.

By 1916, he's now in the Almshouse in Orange County, NY. It says is destitute aka poor. 

On December 5,1917, he passes away in the town of Chester, New York according to NY Surrogate Court Documents. 

One of many pages in his estate paperwork. This one states on what date he died. Credit

Once again, the name is Charles on the documents. On other documents it lists his children and all match my relatives, so he IS or WAS going by the name Charles. My theory is it was due to his youngest child's name and his time in the military, he changed it, but I have no proof. 

The 'Other' family

Around the time he changed his name, I mentioned above he also got married. It was around about the same time he changed his name to Charles. Well if this whole situation wasn't confusing enough, I found he deserted this new family as well by 1910 as this was when he was living with his son, Charles. 

At first the above was just just a theory I had with no proof other than the few documents I found of another name. 

However, a few years ago, this all changed. I had someone reach out to me asking me about him and if I had another relative with the Gauquie last name. I replied and soon we were exchanging information back and forth. Apparently, Aloyse came onto the scene after Aloyse's second wife's husband died. They were married (but we can't say for sure where (haven't found paperwork) but I think its probably in Goshen NY as he has ties to that area including where his daughter Ella was buried in 1907. 

Further, there was the 1900 census which lists him with others. Upon talking to this person, his grandfather was one of them listed. I asked him if he knew of any documents and he doesn't either. However, a few other things point to it IS being him. 

First, I found a few newspaper clippings about someone wanting to change their last name. This is because, according to the story, when the their 2 sons were born, she gave them their last name, Gauquie, on all the birth documents. Then when Aloyse/Charles took off, she changed everyone's last name to her first husband's last name. I can't say if it was because of the stories floating around, or if she wanted her reputation to go back to what it was with her first husband, but that's what happened. Years later after the sons grew up, got married, had kids, and when the sons wanted to retire and collect retirement from the US government, they were told no one by that name existed with the social security number and name. They found out their last name should be Gauquie and not Whittman after having spent all but a few years known as Wittman. 

Requesting a formal name change. Credit

Secondly, I've done my DNA with 2 different companies for other reasons. When this came about, I went looking at the one company I had tested with. The grandson, who contacted me, matched me on DNA. Then around 2020, I did my DNA test with another company (again for other reasons), and this time not only did the grandson come up, but so did his father. We are definitely related. 

Based upon all this extra evidence, including 2 DNA matches, I confirmed that Aloyse IS Charles. 

In Conclusion

These are two of my more difficult ancestors because of how they lived and what they did or didn't do. An example, would be changing their names. It makes researching a challenge but when you finally crack the mystery you are very proud of yourself. 

Update on an earlier post

 Hi Everyone

This is an update on my post regarding Cemetery Crawl - Ancestors in 52 Weeks post regarding my mother in-law who passed in April 2021. 

As anyone who knows who's had to go through the documents and things after someone who's passed away, you know how much goes into such things. My mother in-law's estate wasn't very big, but what there was had unexpected results, shall we say which we had to deal with. 

Then we had the normal COVID outbreaks and lockdowns besides our normal everyday activities and other unexpected things governments around the world have thrown at me in the last 6 months. 

On top of all of the above, I was in the process of making my mother in-law a quilt when she passed away. My goal was to get it done before the weather turned really cold in May/June. My mother in-law passed in April, which is what the above post had pictures of. 

A picture of part of the quilt for my mother in-law

Credit: J. Fitzgerald

I turned the quilt from a quilt for her, to a quilt memorial OF her. 

The front of the quilt. You can't see the quilting, but there are roses, forgetmenots, cats, tulips, and doves within the white fabric. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

The label of the quilt which I did by hand (left) and the back of the quilt. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

Then as I finished the above, I had to get some other stuff for where I volunteer for done for the end of the year and Annual Report. 

As you can see, there was a bit going on for me, which is why there have been no posts lately. Sorry! 

New Military findings - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

 Another prompt by 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. It's run by Amy Johnson Crow.

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The theme this week is "Military." What have you learned about one of your military ancestors? What is something you've learned about one of your military ancestors?

Past posts

I've written and posted about the various military men within the family. The most notable ones probably being my father, my uncle, and my mother's cousin Jimmy. You can type in military in the search box on the right to read more about these posts. 

Jimmy was one of the reasons why I started researching genealogy because I wanted to know more about him and what happened to him. This was because my mother only knew he had died during WW2 or what she called "the war" and he gave her his wings before he left for his first assignment after his training. She was under 10 when he died in "the war" and never knew what happened to him. She never even had a picture of him. By the look on her face and the way she talked about him, I knew he meant a lot to her. You can read more about Jimmy on his page. 

This topic

We do have another ancestor, my great uncle Charles Gauquie, who served in the late 1800s for the US during war in The Spanish-American War. This, I believe, is the earliest any of my ancestors had been in the US military. 

We have had others serve in European countries, but this was a first for the US. This time the main difference, was this time it was voluntary rather than drafted by the government. 

A newspaper clip showing Chas (Charles) Gauquie being a volunteer.

  Credit

Credit

This was a short tiny war which we heard about in school but was mainly skipped over in school. However, it was only after finding this person serving in this war which made me look into it and learn from it. This is how the US gains the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippine Islands due to this war. Further, it gets Spain away from Cuba and they have no further hold around the Americas. Lastly, during this conflict the United States gained the area we now call Hawaii (and made it a state in 1959) during the conflict. (source)

Upon my searching for information on the war, I came across a war journal. In case people didn't know, war journals are great for telling you something about their ancestors and what they were doing or serving with during the war. According to the above newspaper articles, I knew who's company and regiment my great uncle Charles served in. 

Credit

Like with many of the searches you do, and sometimes its only a few words or even just one sentence which gives you so much information. This was the case for the journal. 

In this case, it proves this was my great uncle. How? My 2x great grandparents (Desire and Catherine Gauquie) in Belgium owned a bread store or bakery. It looks like these skills were passed down to Charles and once everyone found out he knew how to bake bread then it gave him an extra skill they could use. 

The company's list in the same journal. Credit

I didn't even know this grand uncle, Charles Gauquie, had served until one of the relatives I found said something about him serving in the military. When he got back, he wasn't so fine and in later years it really messed him up and he drifted around to the point his wife and children didn't even know where he was. 

However, what I was finding, was he was a farmer and seemed like he didn't move very far from his farm, so I'm not sure why the information was passed around this way? However, my job isn't to correct anyone - its to observe what's happening, what I can prove via documents and to capture everyone's views. What I do know, is I can find him up around Chester, NY and then sometimes around Westchester County (around White Plains) in NY. This is where his wife's family lived. After the war, he marries in 1902. Then in 1905, 4 years after he gets out of the military, I can find him in 1905 with his wife and 2 young children here. 

He lives a full life until 1952 when he dies in Salisbury Mills, NY. 

Credit: As noted in clip

Even in the newspaper clipping it notes he was a Spanish-American War veteran. 

What I do know, is where he is buried. In 2019, when I was visiting my great grandparents and great aunt, I noticed his family's headstone. It was upon my approaching it, I saw he does have a marker for serving, so this was new information too. 

Not sure when this was taken? 

I did take a picture of the Spanish-American War grave marker but can't find the picture. 

Here's what it looks like up close. 

Credit

It was great to see someone remembered he fought for the US military. 

If you want to support your VFW, you can do that by buying things from the VFW Store. 

Cemetery Crawl - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

 Another prompt by 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. It's run by Amy Johnson Crow.

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Cemeteries are such special places; I feel drawn even to those where I don't have any ancestors buried. Which cemetery is special in your family's history? Do you have a story about "visiting" a special relative?

The first cemetery I was in was when my grandmother died and at her ceremony at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newburgh, NY.  It was interesting because I wasn't sure what to expect, but I arrive just as the ceremony was beginning. I stood on the sidelines watching the ceremony and the people. There were A LOT of people. I had to fight my mother to be there because she wasn't going to even take me to this - her boyfriend ended up driving me and she stayed at home. I was 15 years old. 

My grandmother and I before her passing in 1988. Credit: M. Schmitz

As they finished up, it started to lightly rain. My stepmother came over to me, told me "She would want you to have this" and shoved an umbrella at me, turned and left. I grabbed the umbrella because that's all I could do. I turned and got back into the car and went home. No one else acknowledged me nor ever brought up that day. 

I never went into another one until I moved to Australia and a friend of ours died. Once again I wasn't sure of what to expect nor of what was to be done. Since then, I've gotten accustomed to them. I was at my uncle's ceremonies, my brother's, and various other people here in Australia. 

All this before I really got into genealogy. 

Once I started to get into genealogy and found out more, I relaxed more around them. Although, I'm more of a person who would rather walk around where I know someone's body is buried rather than walk over it. When or If I do, I tell them sorry, because I know I'd hate someone to be walking all over me if I were in their place. 

Since then, we've gone looking for relatives last resting spots, helping photograph smaller cemeteries, and helping where we can. Because of this we're confident and have gotten used to walking around them. I know how to act and what to do and how to look things up. 

Now when we go over to the US, we do visiting rounds of the cemeteries - cleaning grass or ice around them if need be and make sure they are all doing fine. I still have a few more I have to find and go to visit, but as we were on a timetable last time, we made much progress and will go and see others as we can. 

My grandmother and her partner Charles. We visited and cleaned off the ice on top of their headstones in 2019. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

We located my great grandparents and grandmother in a cemetery in 2019. We will now go and visit them when we go back each time. 

Credit: J. Fitzgerald

Recently, my mother in law passed away. My husband had a small chat with her before she was unable to communicate with us about where she wanted to be buried/cremated and what she wanted. She gave us a tiny bit of instruction - cremated and down with her grandmother and soon to be mother. She had her mother, my husband's grandmother's cremains, still with her when she passed. We were able to go down to where they were and lay her to rest as she wanted. 

My husband added some stuff to bring along with us: a sweater/jumper she liked, a knitted cover that covered her until her last breath, a quilt I had started for her but hadn't finished (am working on it as a memorial quilt now), some jewelry she had, and some food/drink to represent both sides of her family's history - alcohol from the area in Ireland where she had relatives and some Yorkshire puddings to represent that side of her family. 

May 2021 - At the grave site 

Credit: J. Fitzgerald

My husband said a few things, had a bit of a cry, and wished them all a Happy Mother's Day. Yep, she was laid to rest on Mother's Day. 

This being said, we had spent a few hours visiting and laying her to rest on the day. 

Credit: J. Fitzgerald

We will keep visiting, because its important to keep in mind those that had come before us. 

Baiting relatives to get a nibble - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

 Another prompt by 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. It's run by Amy Johnson Crow.

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This week's theme is "Cousin Bait," which is a term used to describe the ways we try to attract the attention of others researching our families. It could be things like blogging, having a public online tree, or leaving comments on a FindAGrave memorial. Have you successfully set cousin bait or got hooked by someone else's? (You could also take a more literal route and talk about fishermen in your family tree.)

I never heard of "cousin baiting" before until I read the above definition of it. Most people who know me, know I'm a straight shooter and if asked something directly, unless it pertains to something sensitive, I'll give my opinion whether you like it or not nor if it fits in with what you are expecting or want it to be. That's just me. 

Confession time - I've done the cousin baiting thing. Yep. Am I sorry for it? Definitely not. 

I've done it on Find A Grave to memorials until I learned I can link them, and now I email the person who's in charge of the memorial to see if we're related and then get the thing linked. 

My biggest baiting I did was for my mother's aunt Helen Lasser Gauquie. 

Picture of Helen. Credit: T. Gauquie

I was going through current people I have living and did a Google search on their names as I sometimes do. However, this time it came up as she had passed away with the past few weeks. Usually its within a few years I find them like this, but this one was so close in time I figured someone might be monitoring the memorial site as it was still active. 

My entry on Great Aunt Helen's memorial site in 2014. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

I figured I'd put our names in starting at my mother's as she was the common link between us and Great Aunt Helen. There were a few memorials and for one I put my email address (as an image so it couldn't be spammed) but I don't recommend doing this now. 

It was only about a week went by and I received an email from Helen's daughter asking me how we were related and other questions. I had just as many questions about the whole side as my mother wouldn't answer any questions whatsoever. 

We started to talk over email and Facebook, and before long we started to fill in gaps. Then she hit me with a you know who you should be talking to? Jason as he's more of a cousin to you than to me. At first this really confused me because I didn't know of a Jason. Then she told me he was the son of one of my mother's brothers. I was shocked. 

Anyhow, I contacted him and we started to talk. I found out so much information about him and that side of the family from both him and Teri (Great Aunt Helen's daughter). 

I had much to share too. I had started to link up the family in Belgium which was quite expansive. It took me a few months but eventually I was starting to see the family story evolve from where we were in the 1700s to in the 2000s. It was an interesting journey that was for sure. 

We had always said if I was ever back in the US we'd have to get together to "meet". Jason and I think we saw each other back when I was about 3 1/2 and he was about 12 months old once at our Great Aunt Honey's house. 

In January 2019, I went back to the US for my brother funeral and was able to catch up with them.

My uncle with my 2 cousins and myself in 2019. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

We still do catch up, usually over email as Jason's busy with running his company and family, and Teri's busy in New York City. 

Credit: Giphy

After all, family is very important to keep a link - if you can. Chains may be broken, but they can be repaired as well. 

Mother's Day loss - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Another prompt by 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. It's run by Amy Johnson Crow.

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Yesterday was Mother's Day in the US. This week, let's take a look at the mothers you're researching. (They do make up half of your family tree, after all!)

Usually on this day, I've posted about my mother, paternal and maternal grandmother, along with some of the others. However, this year's post about Mother's Day is one of sadness unfortunately. 

In April 2021 my husband lost his mother, Sue Yates. She had been in a nursing home or aged care facility for 9 months. She had a medical episode and someone found her and called an ambulance. From the hospital she went directly to the nursing home/aged care facility. 

Sue in 1997. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

During this time my husband lost contact with her as we saw her in the hospital in mid March 2020 just prior to lockdown for COVID-19. He did call and talk to her over the phone. However, one day he called and they put him through but it wasn't to her it was to a stranger. Come to find out, his mother had disappeared. 

However, upon making queries and talking to various nurses, he was lead to the aged care/aged care facility she was at. The downside no one knew who we were or why they didn't know about us. This brought us to around October or November 2020. 

My mother-in-law stabilized and then started to go downhill before she passed away in April 2021. 

Credit

It was, and is, a very tough time for everyone involved. In fact, it was only the day after Mother's Day when we received her death certificate in the mail. 

We spent Mother's Day with Brett's mother's - great grandmother, grandmother and mother - in the cemetery. 

Its been a very difficult time and yet its also a blessing for my mother-in-law to be in peace. 

An Update on My Mother

Just as an update, my mother is in a nursing home in the US. 

One of the last pictures I have of my mother and I together. This was taken in 2011. 

Credit: B.Fitzgerald

However, as I've been trying since November 2020 to call and talk to her, but the phone just rings out. I did try and call her for her birthday in March and now for Mother's Day but still haven't managed to actually talk to her. At this point, with COVID-19 I'm not sure if she's alive nor if she'd even remember she has kids due to her dementia. 

Past posts on Mother's Day. 

My post on Mother's Day in 2015.

My post on Mother's Day in 2017.

I have posted others about my mother's, grandmothers and various great grandmother's. If you want, you can just search the blog for these posts. 

The Gauquie Sister School of Dance - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

 Another prompt by 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. It's run by Amy Johnson Crow.

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The birds are singing, so what better time for the theme of "Music." Any musicians in the family? How about someone who loved music and dancing? What about someone who makes you think of a song?

All my siblings and I all admit we cannot hold a tune to save our lives. However, there are people within the family that can do that and dance like crazy. 

I never knew about them until I started to do research. One of my cousins actually asked me if I knew about the dance studio in Washingtonville and I knew nothing about it. Imagine my surprise when I did find out about it. 

Who ran the Gauquie Sisters School of Dance? 

Two of my first cousin, once removed cousins. They were sisters of my grand Uncle James. 

Bernadette and Maryanne were the ones to run the dance studio. Louis Peter is my grandfather. 

Taken from Ancestry. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

They started when they were very young with singing and dancing according to the many newspaper articles. These are just a small sample.

Bernadette was only 3 years old and Mary Anne wasn't that much older. 

Credit  My Heritage

Credit: As above

The Gauquie Sisters are now a featured item. 

Credit: As above

Credit: As above

The top shows their mother is the director of the top show in which they now have the Gauquie sister School of Dance name and business. 

Credit as above

Maryanne continued even after she was engaged and later married. 

This shows they were even trying to do some good with their talents. 

Credit as above.

This shows they even sang with other groups to fine tune their craft. 

Credit as above.

One of the many advertisements in the newspaper. 

Bernadette has now married and is continuing with the dance school. 

Credit as above.

The School of dance is still going even after all this time - this is in the 1980s. 

Credit as above.

In the late 1980s its still going strong. 

Credit as above. 

I do not know when the Dance school actually closed. I have gone looking for it from time to time but couldn't find it. In fact, I found the address, but you can tell by the roads nearby this is the same family, but I think the dance studio located at 183 E Main St, Washingtonville, NY. When I looked this up, it was a family farm with what looks like a small office out the back which I think was the dance studio. 

Credit as at March 31 2021.

However, I still haven't been able to find anything about the school closing. 

What I have found was until at least 2008, Bernadette was active with drama, singing and dancing. However, it looks like she spent her time teaching this to her students at Bishop Dunn. 

Credit 

And according to her obituary, which I found while I was writing this post up, she had cancer for 4 years. This means the "Anything Goes" musical in 2008, was probably one of her last times doing the musical as she would have found the cancer in 2014 or 2015. 

I do have to look at her sister, Maryanne, but I believe she would have retired by now based upon age. However, I could be wrong as many people sing and dance or at influence others in later years. Maryanne, or any of her children, if you are reading this please feel free to contact me.