What's in a Tombstone? - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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

Information on the Topic
Week 21's theme is "Tombstone." I've always felt comfortable in cemeteries. I've always been fascinated with the stories scattered among the tombstones. Have any of your ancestors left an intriguing tombstone? Maybe you have a story of your search for where your ancestor is buried. (Any ancestors in Tombstone, Arizona? <g>)

Well I am certainly different than Amy, who came up with the challenge topic, who said she's comfortable in cemeteries. 

While not comfortable, I'm not uncomfortable either. I'm just very aware that people's bodies are under the ground that we may have to walk on to get to other graves or tombstones. I think my husband, who seems very comfortable in them, thinks I'm nuts. 

I, on the other hand, when we walk over the ground, I apologize to the person there for walking on them and try and walk around where their bodies are buried. I'm just showing respect to them because its not their fault we have to walk over them or might just step on their feet. I'm very aware of this. 

Anyhow, as any regular readers to my blog know, in 2019 we went back to the US and there I found a huge amount of tombstones of my relations. I even found my grandmother which I was shocked about because we had no idea where she was buried. In fact, we are still fighting to get her death certificate and she died in 1999. Unfortunately, we'll never know what types of diseases or anything she might have had or what was done to her because she was in state custody due to needing mental care. 

After we got back and I started to share the pictures after our trip, one of my cousins asked me about one of the other tombstones. "Who is the person next to our great grandfather? His tombstone and grave seems awful close to his, so their must have been a connection. Can you find one?" 

Credit: J. Fitzgerald. Taken January 2019. My great grandparents in front and my grandmother in the back (Gauquie). 

Credit: J. Fitzgerald taken in January 2019

Well I did research it a bit both on Find a Grave, Billiongraves and even the newspapers. I didn't find much which is pretty puzzling. 

So the mystery continues....

This being said, a story was told to me by my Uncle. Apparently he was told before his grandmother Bernice died, she told everyone she did NOT want to be buried with her husband no matter what. While I thought this was weird, I accepted it for what it was worth. 

Afterwards, I found where great grandma Bernice was buried. Also what I found was while her husband wasn't buried with her, he bought to plot next to her and was buried there. He's the one that has this mystery tombstone on the other side of him. 

Credit: J. Fitzgerald. Taken January 2019. This shows just how close Pavlik was to my great grandfather. Further my great grandmother's tombstone looks like she's trying to lean away from him as much as she can! 

Earlier this month, August 2020, one of my other cousins who had a bit to do with my grandmother (his great aunt) and our great grandmother, he was told by his father that Bernice's husband was a really bad drunk. This is probably the reason why she didn't want anything to do with him. My mother told me his kids didn't want anything to do with him either. 

Sometimes Tombstones can tell you a lot and sometimes not so much...

Like with my great aunt Honey. Her name was never put on the headstone at all, but her grandson says she was buried there. 

Credit: J. Fitzgerald. Taken January 2019. The blank area is where my great aunt Honey is said to be buried according to her grandson. 

Blogging challenge: Power without Glory

There's been another Blogging Challenge by Family Tree Frog. This is part of their Family History month which is August here in Australia. I know its October - its late, but I'm working on it! 

They posted this on their blog and the challenge: 

"Power without Glory - 
Frank Hardy's novel covers a wide range of notorious characters from criminals to Archbishops and politicians, wrestlers to gamblers and everyone else in between.  One of the themes is conscription during WW1 but you can interpret the title as broadly as you like.  Were your ancestors powerful in some way? Legitimately or  not.  Did they have a stoush with the authorities or strong political beliefs? Lets hear their story.  Where will your imagination run to??" 

I have a few ancestors I can say fit this topic of notorious characters including criminals to Archbishops and politicians, wrestlers to gamblers all everything in between. 

The question is - where do I start because there have been MANY of them. *laugh* 

I guess I'll start where the topic starts: Criminals 

I have had a few grand uncles and at least one cousin (that I've done research on) which have had been arrested and did a bit of time. 

The one which always gets me is my mother's grandfather (my maternal great grandfather) - Apoloniusz Jagodzinski or Leo Barry/Berry or many of the other names he goes by. 

Background
When I started to do my research I asked my mother if she knew the name of her grandfather and she gave me the name Apoloniusz Jagodzinski. Away I went to do my research and found a shipping manifest for the area around where my mother told me about. Then that's where the information ends. 

Years go by and I find out about A files and C files in the US Immigration and have them pulled looking for more information. They sent me his Alien file. What can I say - interesting to say least! See part of the file below. 

Credit from USCIS

I love this section of the statement

Excerpt from page 2 of above document. Credit USCIS.

Anytime I need a laugh I pull this out and take a look. 

What makes this so much more interesting, I started to look for my grandmother and her siblings including his wife and found they had disappeared until my grandmother married my grandfather in the 1930s. Then some of them reappeared around where my grandmother was. This including a person who sometimes lived with them - Leo Barry/Berry. 

Next I ordered in my grandmother's social security information and there it was again - Leo Barry. 

Credit Social Security Administration

Then when I looked at one of my uncle's information and up came that damned name again - Leo Barry. Then there's a notation regarding a change.

Credit Ancestry and SSA

In case there's a doubt, my great grandmother's obituary, or my grandmother Janet's mother, has the name's in it except for the last name Barry.

Credit: 1964 Oct 3 -Bernice Jagodzinski Obituary - The Times Herald

Go figure! However, I still can't find out anything about this criminal charge for some reason.

Next topic: Archbishops and politicians

We have many different higher priests and nuns on my mother's side of the family. They are in Belgium and the US.

My great grandfather - Jules Gauquie - had put down he was in public office. However, I still can't find anything about it. This is according to his naturalization paperwork.

Credit: Orange Country Registrar

If you look closely enough, you can see where he says he holds office!

Credit Orange County Registrar

The one I'm most impressed with is on my father's side though. He married my great aunt in Poland. They married just before World War 2, in 1919. In fact, my grandmother was probably even at their wedding!

Credit: K. Wyrzykowski family photo

Anyhow, after they married they moved to an area where my great uncle and his father were in office. My great uncle's father was the equal to a Mayor of the town of  Siedlce, Poland. My great uncle was the secretary of the town until his father passed and then HE became the Mayor or government official. In fact, the whole family, that was alive, helped where they could.

During this time, World War 2 happened. As many people know, Poland has been a mess for over 100 years, and during WW2, many horrible things happened as we know. But do you know, the Nazi's made Poland their disposal area. Then on top of that, you have the Soviets take what was left, moved people into their land more or kept people there only to basically starve them.

My great aunt and uncle were people I admire. My great uncle lost his brother during this time to the Gestapo. They came and arrested him for some trumped up reason. He died at Auschwitz and, yes, he was Polish.

What they did for others should put them into sainthood. For Jewish or any other child or children under suspicion they spent their own money to pay for and put them in the orphanage with false paperwork saying they were Catholic. If they could fit anyone into places in their homes or businesses they did again with false documents.

Keep in mind, if they were found by soldiers, all of them would have been murdered. They saved hundreds if not thousands of adults and children. By the end, they didn't have any money or anything else left of value, but people had their lives. My cousin, their grandson, sent me a few of the documents and thank you letters from people they have saved.

All documents are from K. Wyrzykowski and private family papers.

Next topic: wrestlers to gamblers

I grew up with my grandmother telling us about one of my grand uncles and his gambling. Further, I was told he was wanted by the mob for money owed and was on the run. He only stopped because he ended up with cancer and they knew he only had a tiny bit of time to live. 

If the stories I've been told are to be believed, both of my grandfathers, on my maternal and paternal sides, were all gamblers and drinkers. This is a family story and I don't have any proof. 

I don't have any thing else which can fit this topic. 

In closing
All families have their scandals and secrets. Some have more than others. We just have to see if we can find proof of them and if not, its just a story which can be passed down with the note of it being unproven. 

No matter if they were good or bad, they are all our family and we have to admit to them being in the trees it just depends if we shake the tree or not.