A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter V is for Viking!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. 

I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter V is for Viking! 

My father has a father that came from Germany and a mother from Russia Poland or Poland. I started to dig back using last names and found there were others with the name, including Nur where I found their marriage entry,  and it started following the Bug River up to Dansk or Danzig as the area has gone by both names. 

Upon doing a tiny bit of research, I found there was a link to the Vikings and this area of Poland.

The link from Poland to the area. Credit

On my maternal side we have a Larsen which comes from Denmark which was probably viking land, but I haven't gotten that far in my research. 

Alrup or now Aarup in Denmark where my great grandmother says she came from. Credit: GoogleEarth

However, my father has done his DNA and what shocked us was when Norway came up on his DNA. Its light but its there. We couldn't figure it out because as far as we know we had his father come from Germany and his mother from Russia Poland. 

My father's link to Norway and the Vikings.

However when I did a search, we found there IS a link. Way back in the eighth century if you can believe this web entry which I posted above.

In some researching looking for my paternal grandmother's ancestry, I found one of the last names/surnames follows up one of the rivers, which shows they were merchants which used the river for selling. Due to this, I can believe my father's ancestors, on his maternal side, can go right back up the river to Danzig or Ddansk. 

As you can see by the yellow dots the line was going up river. I had more but lost it when I changed computers. Map credit: GoogleEarth

Add this to where the Vikings were, I can believe they found the land and did trade and/or pillaged towns there. I wasn't sure of the DNA and Vikings side but following up paperwork which matches makes it hard to question history doesn't it?

A-Z Blogging Challenge -The letter M is for Malkinia Gora, Poland & Minnesota!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. 

I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter M is for Malkinia Gora, Poland & Minnesota!

Malkinia Gora, Poland

This is the last place of residence of my grandmother and great grandmother in Poland. I know this because on their ship manifest they've put it down. 

The area described above from Google Earth

1920 Ship Manifest from Ellis Island website. You can clearly see Malkin (which is the area of Poland I was talking about) and New Jeresy. 

Also, I can further say they were in this area because my great grandmother's sister was married in the area just before my grandmother and great grandmother left Poland for good. 

My paternal great aunt's marriage certificate in 1919. 

This was not far from where my grandmother was born and my great grandparents were born, married and lived together before leaving for the US. 

They left Malkinia Gora and walked/train/caught wagon rides to Danzig and left from there. With the way things were during this time, they had very little food, due to World War 1 just ending, and the Russians making their way towards Warsaw in fighting all around them. I can only imagine what it was like to get from where they were up to the port. 

This Google Earth image shows where the fighting was during the time my grandmother and great grandmother were trying to leave Poland before Warsaw fell.

St Paul, Minnesota

This is where my maternal great grandparents married in the late 1890s. 

What makes this so interesting, is no one in the family picked it up until I was able to get first my great grandfather's immigration paperwork. Then when I was given my great grandparents and 2x great grandfather's immigration paperwork it was written in there. 

Taken from Annie Gauquie's naturalization paperwork I got from NY Orange County Registrar. Shows where they got married.

I asked my cousins about it and no one knew. 

Then I went in search of the wedding certificate itself. It took some time but eventually I was able to find it. 

My great grandparent's wedding certificate from Minnesota. Taken from FamilySearch.org Minnesota, County marriages area. 

Just after I did find it, my cousin in New York, posted a picture. It was of my great grandfather's wedding ring someone found in a couch which everyone thought was lost. Only for years later the couch was moved and the ring was found. 

Picture from Cousin Teri of our great grandfather's wedding right from our great grandmother.

What was even more touching was what was said to be inscribed on it.  

For all the doubt I had about my great grandfather, at least at one point it sounds like my great grandmother did love him.