Close to Home - 52 Ancestors challenge

This is a prompt from 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.

Information on the Topic
 Is there an ancestor who didn't move far from where he or she was born? Perhaps an unmarried aunt or uncle who always lived with their parents? Maybe you have an ancestor who lived not far from where you live now or you've made a discovery close to home.

This is a very interesting topic for me as before and after migrating to the US, overall my ancestors didn't move far from their roots. There are some who did, but the main bulk of people stayed around the areas. This being said, my mother and her family is a particularly interesting in this area. 

When I was growing up, my father was in the US Navy. Anyone who knows the military knows they can get sent any place in the world upon finishing boot camp. As I didn't really have any aunts or uncles who were really around, and my parents divorced when I was young, I just figured we stayed in an area where my mother liked and Dad was around the area so we stayed or had to for custody reasons. 

However, in my teens I started to realize this wasn't the case. 

My maternal side

I hurt my knee in 7th grade. When the doctor wanted to send me to Cornwall Hospital, which was nearby, my mother told him absolutely not. She was not going in that hospital. I do know she always turned away from certain areas of the surroundings and refused to go visit or shopping in areas. There was always no reasoning as to why she wouldn't, but she wouldn't and that was the end of it. When my knee was injured, she even told the doctor she'd go down to NYC before she'd go to THAT hospital. My mother was never one for driving in any bigger towns let alone NYC. We did have to go down to NYC a few times, but she always had friends drive us, so to actually say she'd go down there before she'd go to THAT hospital, something was up. I thought it was strange but let it go. By the way, I did go to the hospital but we always had to make it first thing in the morning or not at all. 

When my sister moved to Salisbury Mills and wanted us to come visit, my mother wanted to know where exactly it was and who was going to be there. Again strange but that's my mother. Other things cropped up but Mom always worked around them. 

Then when I graduated from Vocational School and we had to go to Middletown, she hated to go there but she was with it. On the day Mom was reserved with things but she was always like that. Then when we went in and I went to line up with my class and she had to find a seat in the bleachers, I left her and everything seemed fine. Then ceremony went well and then I went to find her after. She turned when I called out to her and her eyes had the look of ice in them. What on earth made her so mad? The only words she would say to me was "We're leaving. NOW!" and turned and walked out the door. No congratulations to graduating or on making honor society, no well done for winning outstanding student, and no well done. Nothing other than a wall of ice. By this point in my life I was used to it and I turned and followed her out carrying my certificate and plaque in my hands. Would you believe she sat in the passenger seat all the way home and not a word said. When I parked the car, she turned to me and asked me "How DARE you!" and got out. I couldn't figure it out and it stumped me. 

It wasn't until years later when I was doing research, I found out the probable reason why - The area her family lived in was there as the school had students from the entire county which encompassed the areas she would never travel. I found my Great Great Grandfather, Aloyse (also known as Charles), lived in the area around where we would go in and do stuff be leave just as fast. Aloyse came to Orange County NY around 1884 from Belgium. Here it was 107 years later and the family lived around the area still. It was amazing I hadn't run into any cousins I didn't know about because everyone lived within a 30 mile radius of where my Great Great Grandfather and Great Grandfather lived. In fact, my Great Uncle lived only about 40 miles from where my family was! 

Credit: Google Earth on August 19 2020

As you can see by the map above marked is one of my cousin's, who still lives in the area. This means my family has lived in this area as of this year 136 years! Wow. 

True my ancestors had moved around a bit - living in PA and NJ for a few years - but everyone always seemed to float back to the area. Even my parents, who moved around because of the US Navy, moved back to the area just before Dad got out of the service. 

My paternal side

My father was born in NYC as that's where both of his parents lived at that point in time. However, within a few years, they moved back to where my grandmother settled upon migrating from Poland in 1920 (her father came over first in 1913), which was Linden, NJ. This is where my great grandparents and great uncles all lived at one point. They stayed there until my father was about 10 or so. Then they moved to Newburgh, NY. 

They moved around the town but never left after settling in. Even after separating, my grandmother still lived in the same town and my grandfather lived farther out, but would always visited or worked in the town. 

My uncle moved away to attend college, but once he finished and married, he came back and settled a bit farther out but within a 10 or so minute drive from my grandmother. In fact, this part of the family lived in this part of NY until my uncle's death in 2002, and then my aunt moved to Florida where my cousin John's family had settled. Since then, my aunt's other son has joined them in Florida. 

On my father's side, most of us live around the area (except me who moved countries). I lived in the area until I moved to Australia in 1997. My oldest sister is in Kansas, the next sister lives in the Carolinas some place, and the next oldest sister lives near the PA and NY border. My brother lived down the street from my father's house until his death in 2019. I think once my father goes, our main link with the area will go too. I do have friends around the area, but the main reasons why we go there will really be gone. 

My great uncle's all had kids and they have families. From what I've researched, some of one great uncle's family stayed in NJ, and the other great uncle had moved to the Carolina's as well. I believe this family still lives somewhat in the area or at least that's what I found in 2019. 

Before the move to the USA

Both sides of my family lived around the same areas for generations I've found in my research. 

Maternal side

As I mentioned above, we had been in the same area of NY for over 130 years. Prior to this, they had lived in Belgium. The family had moved around a bit, but always stayed around 20 miles around Boezinge, Belgium. 

Credit from Google Earth on August 19, 2020

As you can see, we had stayed around this part of Belgium since the early 1700 which makes it over 150 years in this area. Some of the ancestors are marked as to their relationship to me. In fact, I found I still have cousins in this area today. One of the problems is they speak very little English, so I'm in the process of taking a 3 week online class to learn Dutch. I'm not sure if it's going to work though! 

As for my mother's mother's side, they arrived in 1905 from Poland and settled in PA. They lived there until about 1930 when they headed for New York in which some of my cousins still live today (see map at the top of this post). Some cousins, I found, still live in PA too. Some have moved to Kentucky, Alabama and Florida. 

Credit: Google Earth on August 19 2020.

Prior to this, from the birth and marriage entries, it seems like they were around the same area in Poland which is about 115 miles south from Gdansk/Danzig port. I believe they lived around there for generations from speaking to my cousins which knew the ancestors verbal history better. 

Paternal side

As I mentioned above, my father's side generally stayed around the same areas. 

When my grandfather, Mathias, came over in the 1920s from Germany, his aunt and uncle lived in Brooklyn. There was a huge amount of German settlers in the area which is why I believe they settled in there. 

My grandfather branched out and lived in NYC and that's where he met my grandmother. They married in NYC, and then he moved to Linden, NJ. He was in WW2, but then he came back. Shortly after, he took a trip to Newburgh, NY. After that, he and along with his sons, all stayed in this area. I do know he died not far from Newburgh, NY, but haven't a clue where he is buried. I'm still looking for the information but I believe it could be around Beacon, NY somewhere. 

Prior to him coming to the US, I found his family lived in the Rhineland in Germany for generations. If the researchers notes are correct, then we lived all over this area (see map below) since the 1700s which would make it 320 years or 226 years before my grandfather left Germany for the US. 

Credit: Google Earth on August 19 2020.

As for my father's mother, same thing goes with her side of the family. Grandma Jean I've written about many times. She was born and stayed there until she was 10 with her mother, cousins and family in 1920. I know for a fact, this side of the family still lives near there - they live in Warsaw but have a country house around here according to my father's cousin. 

I know where my great grandparents were married, Nur, and where they were born - Murawskie Nadbużne and Ciechanów. I do know from doing my DNA there are some matches either there once or still there because one DNA cousin came from Zuzela. My father's DNA came back as being able to be traced back to the 8th century "when The first waves of the incoming Slavs settled the vicinity of the upper Vistula River and elsewhere in the lands of present southeastern Poland and southern Masovia." (Credit). 

According to things said by my father and grandmother, my great grandmother was once part of the upper class of Poland society called Sejm. In fact my great grandmother's maiden name was Murawski after the town and they owned a farm. I think my great grandfather's history is pretty important too as according to the marriage document he was the owner of his father's farm due to his father's death. His mother owned a flour mill in town. This is back in 1905, so you can see just how "rich" they were compared to some others. 

When I started to go back on my grandmother's mother's side, I started to find out a bit about the family but due to language barriers and the complex software and file formats it's difficult and I'll have to look into it in the future. It seems by the tiny bit of digging, each generation moved south along the Bug river waterway. 

Credit: Google Earth on August 19 2020

If the information I was finding and the DNA  is correct we've been in this area of Poland centuries. 

Conclusion

My husband regularly looks over to me and tells me my entire clan of ancestors are "Stubborn and don't move easily". I look at him and laugh and agree. It doesn't matter which area you reference, my maternal and paternal are both stubborn and don't move with ease at all and that's just fine. 

Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Out of Place

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

Topic:
Did you ever find an ancestor in an unexpected place? I recently discovered that my 3rd-great-grandmother didn't die in the county where I found her in every census. Instead, I found her living 4 counties away from there -- in the county where I currently live. She's even buried here. (I'm still trying to figure out why.) Maybe you found an ancestor in a record you didn't expect (like finding a member of a pacifist religion serving in the Civil War). Or maybe there's an ancestor who always seemed "out of place" with the rest of the family.

I have a few ancestor's which could probably fit this selection. One is my great grandparents and the other would probably be my mother's maternal side moving to Newburgh, NY. For each of these, there are questions around them, but I think I'll stick with my great grandparents.

I've mentioned before my maternal great grandparents - Jules and Anne Gauquie. Well Jules' formal name was Joannes Julius Van Rompaye Gauquie. He was born to an unwed mother, this is where the Van Rompaye comes from, but when his father found out, he married Jules' mother. I think there were many Joannes, as it was a common name among the region, which is why he was always called Jules, or that's what I've put together over time.

What area are you questioning? 
According to the topic, did I ever find them in an unexpected place, is the question to be answered. Boy, did I ever find them in a weird area. I'll explain below.

After I found my grandfather's last name, I did searches on the name and started to find family on things like the census of 1910, 1920, 1900. This lead me to Belgium, but I had a hard time to where to get started. I found a system like Ancestry, but it was for Europe called Geneanet. I posted what information I had there in hopes to find my great grandfather's family. After I had help finding Jules' birth entry in Belgium, I could then narrow down when he came to the US.

I contacted the county clerk in New York where they were apart of. I asked them if they had Jules or Annie's passport applications as I was looking for information about them. Also, it would be great to see if the applications had pictures so I could see what they looked like, but this was a bonus.

Soon after I received information on them both and she asked me if I knew an Aloyis Gauquie. This left me stunned because according to the birth entry this was Jules' father! I answered back stating he was Jules' father. Within hours I had an email with copies of all (Jules, Annie, and Aloyis!) their Naturalization Paperwork.  Most of it confirmed the information I had already from my research.

Part of Aloys Gauquie Naturalization paperwork. Credit: Orange County, NY Register 

What shocked me is when it stated Annie and Jules' got married in St. Paul's Minnesota from Annie's Declaration of Intention paperwork. As far as I knew, we had NO relatives there.

Page 1 of Annie Gauquie's Petition for Naturalization listing where she was married. Credit: Orange County, NY Register

Why St. Paul's Minnesota?
This is the question I went searching for many times. This and why did they leave their countries to come to the USA. Both of these questions have answers which are pure speculation on my part.

Where St Paul MN and NY are on a map. Credit for map: Google Earth

But come on this is the 1890s and this was no small trip. If you went straight without stopping from one circle to the other its 982 miles. For back then, this is a huge amount of area to travel and expensive.

Here's some history of Minnesota. France had come to this area in the 17th century and Europeans came here in the 19th century driving out the Indians.  Minnesota Territory was named in 1849 and became the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858 (credit). So for Jules and Annie to be married there in 1896, it would have still been pretty young part of the country.

Robert Street Bridge in St Paul, MN Credit: LOC

You can see just how small and how less populated it was in this 1896 picture from the Library of Congress.

It was researching the Homestead Act in 1862 facilitated land claims by settlers which started me thinking about why they went there. Could it be they wanted to claim land there? But it could have been the railroad industry, led by the Northern Pacific Railway and Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad, advertised the many opportunities in the state and worked to get immigrants to settle in Minnesota (credit).

I could see Annie travelling there if she thought she could get work either on a farm or on the railway. However, would Jules? I know from the census I found, Jules was a farmer which put my thinking back to the Homestead Act and farming.

Then I found Jules had cousins in Minnesota named Jerome or Jerry/Gerry and Camiel Gauquie. I did some researching for the areas of Lake Benton, Ivanhoe, and Vallers area and its still about 150 miles which is a huge trip for Jules. However, maybe he came for a visit and ended up getting married on the way back.

Jules and Annie's marriage license and certificate in 1896. 

As I know by their marriage certificate I found, they did get married and stayed married in New York until Annie passes away in 1931 from pneumonia at St. Luke's Hospital, Newburgh, New York. 

Annie and Jules' resting spot in Blooming Grove, NY during my visit January 2019

I really want to know how they met and what attracted them to the other along with how they chose to go to St Paul, MN.

What we do know what is written inside Jules' wedding ring my cousin found a few years ago.

Jules' wedding ring my cousin Teri found. We had thought it lost forever.

It looks like it says 8 K gold. There are 2 suggestions for the rest.

A Loves JG (Annie loves Jules Gauquie) or it could say AL to JG which is Annie Larson to Jules Gauquie.

What do you think it says?

Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Surprise

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

What the topic can cover:

What is something surprising that you've found in your research?
What is a surprise that one of your ancestors had?
Have you found something in a surprising place?

With a theme like "Surprise," you never know what you'll find!

First up, I have to stay I don't like surprises. I knew with researching, I would find some but overall I just don't like them. This is due to most of the time when I get a surprise, its a really bad one. An example of the last one was when my family called me to tell me about my brother's death. Another would be after almost a year of people wanting me to celebrate my birthday I relented and September 11th happened that year. Yep, those types of surprises I get.

Anyhow, if I have to say surprises in my research, I'd have to say my mother's family when she told me for most of my life her brothers, my uncles, were dead. Then I started to research and found one uncle alive and not far from where I grew up and the best thing? I found I had 3 cousins I knew nothing about. Bonus!

Credit

The next hurdle was to see if they wanted contact, so I contacted one of my cousins, Jason. Another bonus as he was just as excited to find out about me as I was about him.

Credit

Then we started to talk about where we lived and we were both astounded at just how close we lived and didn't even know it. However, the ways my mother acted or reasons she gave not to go to certain areas now I understood. She knew they were there, but didn't want contact for some reason.

Copyright map of GoogleEarth Yellow are towns of my uncle and cousins. The blue are my mother and myself

The best thing is Jason wanted to keep contact. And we have since we found each other. We've even compared some memories and we faintly remembered meeting each other when he was 18 months or (or around) and I was about 3 1/2. We barely have a memory but its there even if its a slight one.

Then earlier this year when we had to go back "home" to attend my brother's services, I finally got to meet them in person.

My uncle, my cousins and myself in January 2019 in New York.

Now we just have to keep the link alive...

My play on the old rhyme...

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again."

Source: The Dorling Kindersley Book of Nursery Rhymes (2000)

My take:

Jo Ann's family sat on a wall,
Jo Ann's family had a great fall;
All Jo Ann did
Was put the family back together again!

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter L is for Linden, NJ (Wojtkowski/a) or La Guardia!

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 L is for Linden, NJ (Wojtkowski/a) or La Guardia!

When my grandmother and great grandmother arrived in the US via Ellis Island, my great grandfather lived in New Jersey in various areas. Within a few months of my grandmother and great grandmother arriving, they lived in Linden, New Jersey. 

Linden, NJ to New York, NY Map from Google Earth

She went to school and they moved around this area. In fact, my great grandparents lived in this general area the rest of their lives and are even buried nearby. 

A note from my grandmother's Naturalization file regarding her schooling.

My grandmother moved in New York City, Manhattan, for a few years where she met my grandfather. I think this was during the Prohibition (1920s), when she was a cigarette girl. 

What my grandmother looked like working. Credit

She loved to tell the story of how the cops would do a raid of the bar and she used to go into telephone booth and lay on the floor with the box above her head. Because she was so small, 4 foot 10 when she passed, they used to just walk right on by her. Remember this was in the time of prohibition and they were usually selling alcohol in some shape or form usually. 

Anyhow, after she met my grandfather they moved back to Linden. My father grew up in this area until he was about 10 give or take a few years. 

My grandmother in Linden, NJ in 1930s
in this family picture copyright J. Fitzgerald

This was on Linden's website until late 2018. Its the same building my grandmother was standing in front of in the 1930s.

The way my grandmother is standing with her hand on her waist, you can tell she's pregnant in the picture. According to Linden's website, they give different classes to the public in the building, so I think she probably came here for a check up or for a class. 

My father, who my grandmother was pregnant with in the above picture, lived his early life around Linden. NJ. Below is him in front of a fire hydrant.

My father during Linden, NJ summer late 1930s.
Copyright J. Fitzgerald

My grandmother and great grandfather used to travel back and forth from Newburgh, New York to Linden, New Jersey, after my grandparents and father moved away. 

Where does La Guardia fit into this?

You are probably asking about La Guardia fitting in as I mentioned this above. 

Well, my Great Uncle Stanley had married a woman by the name of Mary. They were living in Linden, New Jersey. Anyhow, remember how I was saying the family traveled from Newburgh, New York to Linden, New Jersey? 

One of these times, Great Uncle Stanley and Mary were coming up to visit my grandmother and ended up in a really bad car accident. Mary was killed. 

This happened in La Guardia not far from where the airport is. 

A map showing Elizabeth (on lower left) to LaGuardia (on upper right)

This may look far from Elizabeth, but many freeways lead you directly to that area, so it doesn't take long - you just have to make sure you get on the right freeway! In fact, to go up to northern NY, you must come this way to get the freeway to go up that way. Its quicker. 

Once again, I stumbled onto this information. I was looking through city directories to find out more about my great uncle's. I found one which listed him with a Mary and I asked my father about it.

US Directory listing my Great Uncle Stanley and Mary in 1957.

This is when I was told about Great Uncle Stanley being married to Mary. My father can't remember her last name. I think I might have figured it out, because of a census which listed Stanley, Mary and her family they were boarding off. However, I cannot say for sure it was them. 

This is how and why La Guardia is mentioned as well. 

A to Z Blogging Challenge & The letter A is for Apple!

Earlier this year, 2017, there was another 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, 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…

Day 1 - The Start and The letter A

Let’s see… The letter A is for Apple!

I was born and lived in the Big Apple – or as some people know it as New York. 

Credit 

Credit

To start with, I was born at West Point Military Academy hospital at West Point, NY.

Part of my West Point birth certificate.

The story goes:

At my father’s end: He was doing night duty when I was born at 11:11pm. He was away from port and serving on the USS Robert E Lee with the call sign SSBN 601 or how the military say it he was away from Charleston, NC on a load out when the Red Cross came running up to him to tell him I was born. Soon after, the commander came down and congratulated him on another girl (I made the 4^th girl and he had 1 boy).

Credit

Video above is from YouTube - see film for Credit

At my mother’s end, she was at home relaxing with the rest of the kids (I was to be the youngest). She felt the contractions come on and called my paternal grandmother who didn’t live far from them. Grandma came over in her charger and Mom got in. Along the way from Newburgh, NY to West Point, it was dark, windy and raining. To my mother, my grandmother was driving very slowly. After my grandmother dropped my mother off at the hospital, she went back to our house to watch the other kids.

After my parents divorced, I lived in many places due to my mother’s need to move every 3-5 years. By this point, my father’s retired and they have divorced. I’ve lived in places like Newburgh, Walden, Maybrook, Montgomery, Lyon Mountain, and Utica to name just a few places and sometimes multiple places within the same town.

Google Maps Used with locations I've lived/mentioned above with yellow pins

You could say I took a huge bite out of the Big Apple! 

Requests for more information in NY and NYS

I was born and raised in the state of New York. I didn't realize until I started to do my family history, both of my parents were born in New York too. I knew growing up my paternal grandmother was born in Poland and we had German from some place in the family. Then I did ask a few things and

1939 picture of paternal grandfather Mathias

was told we had Polish on my mother's side and Irish mixed in there some place. As you do, you take it at face value when you are growing up. My parents, other than my asking, never spoke about their family histories because it just wasn't done. My paternal grandmother, and the only grandmother I can remember having a true relationship with (as the other was in a mental hospital), talked when we were together every now and then about her family - Damn Russians or Ruskies, about how her family was killed in Poland, my family and cousins are all gone from there, my Dad's brother died fighting in a war in Poland, how Germans/Nazi's and the Gestapo would come to town and how they were treated, and about how she had great times in the rivers with her cousins and how they were the last ones to leave Danzig - they closed the gate right after then as they crossed to the ship to sail to the US.

When I decided to start looking, I knew it was going to be tough because of all of the historical fighting but you just have to keep chipping away at it a piece at a time. Now, over 15 years later, I've found cousins, and know a bit more about those ancestors.

Taken from http://www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/contact/images/oem-regions-old-vs-new.jpg

There is still one area that confuses me - New York City and New York State. I've tried to request my grandparent's information and it sounds simple. You look at the guidelines, say you want a certificate for genealogy purposes, and pay money. However, that's not always the case.

New York State Dept of Health (Vital Records Section, Genealogy Unit) or form DOH-4384 form says:

The first point I met as I told them they were deceased and the dates, I told them their social security numbers, and their birth dates. Point 2 is about the number of years to wait for both birth and death which is what I was after.

The details:
These are about my grandparents on both sides. My grandmothers were born in the years 1910 and 1912. My grandfather's were born in the years 1906 and 1909. The birth records would have needed to be before 1938 as I did the request in 2013 (2013 - 75 = 1938). As you can see, I should have been able to receive these forms.

The death records were the ones I was worried about because of the dates. My grandmothers died in 1999 and 1988. My grandfather's died in 1975 and 1981. The death records would have needed to be before 1963 as I did the request in 2013 (2013-50=1963). As you can see, these requests would have been asking for the 3rd point, which is does.

As for the marriage documents, I would love these as well and had requested them. One set of grandparents were married in 1934 and the others in about 1935. One set I was able to obtain from a natualization documents and FamilySearch film I ordered in. The other one I wanted and the 50 year rule applied (2013-50=1963) and these I should have been able to be sent due to the marriages being prior to this date and both parties being deceased.

A Letter about my request they send every 6-12 months. Dated 2015.

Instead I get a letter stating before they'll release ANY of the information I need to show direct linage to them. I can't do this only because my parents haven't released their birth certificates to me, so I'm stuck. I do however, get a letter about every 6-12 months about them needing more information. Above is a letter from them in 2015 about my request.

However, I emailed the county my ancestors lived in, thinking I would have a similar problem to this for my requests for my maternal great grandparents information. This one came as a shock as within a week I received an email back stating they would go look and would I need it all or just sections? I was shocked. Within 3 months I had the full set of documents plus one more family member they had found for me sent to me AND it was FREE. I was shocked.

I thought I was the only one going through this, but talking to others on different Facebook pages I found I was just like many others.

The past 6 or so months, I've been following the Reclaim the Records requests. They've been trying to get files, which should be released to the public but isn't, for awhile too. They are getting the same mixed responses as I am. I felt this was comforting and full support their efforts.

I'm going to take some excerpts of one of their emails they've sent out to tell you about their "A Tale of Two Records Requests"

Six weeks ago, we submitted two records requests to two different government agencies, and so far we've had two wildly different responses and experiences. And yet both of these agencies are supposed to be operating under the same law, the same forty-year-old New York State Freedom of Information Law. It's amazing how different two agencies can be.

And then the email goes on about the best:

We are happy to report that, so far, New York's Department of Health has been excellent about this request. They have clear FOIL instructions online on their websites, for would-be records requesters. They acknowledged the receipt of our records request within five business days, as required by law, and assigned a unique tracking number to our request. They let us know that they would need twenty more business days to do some more research into the matter, also as allowed by the law. They then responded again and gave us a timeline for a potential records release, with a projected date of March 18th. They included in that notice a direct phone number for their legal department. And when we then called them up, they were very helpful about our request on the phone.

Which is great as its in the system and should get something back - a yes or now. Not a need more information after having the information for months.

And then the email goes on about the worst:

The City Clerk's Office never responded with any kind of acknowledgment of our request, even though they are required to do so within five business days. They don't have any FOIL information at all on their website for would-be records requesters, nor do they list their Records Officer on this public listing of all New York City FOIL contacts. which is very unusual for a city agency. We had even sent them a friendly "heads up" e-mail (you can read it online here) two weeks before the FOIL request was made, letting them know that a request would be coming their way soon. They never replied to that e-mail.

We then sent two follow-ups to our official FOIL request, one on January 14th and one on January 29th. Again, they never responded at all, in violation of the law. We've tried calling them, at multiple official New York City phone numbers, and we've left messages, and they all go unanswered. We even thought about using their website's general purpose Contact Us form, but it only allows a limited number of words and will inactivate the form's Submit button if you try to post more than that -- hardly a way to submit a public records request.

At this point, a total non-response to a records request from an agency is considered, under the law, to be the same as a denial of a request, except with extra bonus points for not following the rules. 

So, we had our awesome attorneys at Rankin & Taylor write up our Constructive Denial Appeal letter, and it went in the mail over a week ago.

 Again, this is the same state but just different people responding to the requests. What the hell New York? Get with the program and start doing your job. Don't keep people guessing and release the information, by law, you are supposed to release and don't just hold everything up. If you cannot release certain information state why but give the information you can.

Goodbye Balmville Tree

The saying "whatever is old is new again"? Well sometimes this is not the case. In fact, sometimes when you cannot make it "new" then people just say get rid of it and get rid of it. Unfortunately, society has gotten more and more like this and it is very sad. People don't stop and take a breath and look around enough. Eventually, if something is not done, we will be without more and more iconic things until they are all gone.

A case in point, is the Balmville Tree located in Balmville, New York. This is near where I grew up and even I, who was not a nut for anything military or historic, knew it was there. Did I love it or like it? Of course not...but I knew it was there regardless. Why wouldn't it be - it was there for over 300 years!

Picture taken in 2015 and is on the Balmville Tree Wikipedia page

The Balmville Tree was a eastern cottonwood tree and was New York State's smallest state's forest.once they took ownership of the land in about 2000. It is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, since 2000, the tree kept having structural problems and the state kept trying to revive the tree. However, this past week, it became a danger to the community and has been cut down to just a stump.

The tree, is estimated, to have been around from 1699 until this past week when New York cut it to its stump - 2015.

If only we could talk to the tree and find out what its seen and been through in those times. It would truly be something to sit back and marvel at. From the hanging's back before and when George Washington rode through, to industrialization and now to the technology era.

A plaque about the tree - taken fromhttps://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQTpOfeNfOoqlHj0bbvzWgXCgfBoUbnNCWSoAeXfvR64JGCfg0IRA

Many of the residents came to either get parts of the tree to turn it into something - a cup or mug - or cuttings to see if they can get cut offs to take, so the tree will never be forgotten. I do wish the state would have went and put a cut off in its position, so the tree could live on. As far as I'm aware, this was not the case, which is sad.

Remember, not everything you can get back or replace. It looks like now all we have is our memories of the tree and for us to pass along stories of the tree and what took place there.

 

 

Our picture we took in June 2000

Below are the pictures of the plaques that are or were around the tree which tell you about its history.

 Bye Balmville Tree - You will be remembered in our memories.

In Deep with the Book of Me - Dream Trip

This seems like an interesting topic for those those of us who do Genealogy -

Background: This prompt was inspired by a blog post written in September 2014 by Jennifer Shoer who blogs at The Scrappy Genealogist. I wasn't the only one inspired because +Tessa Keough & the team at the Legacy Virtual Users Group Community at Google + hosted a hangout in October 2014 and you can see that recording here.

Topic: You are going to plan your dream trip. Where do you want to go and why?
Genealogical connections, revisit because of happy memories, or perhaps you just feel a connection to somewhere else? What do you want to do when you get there?

The trip can be as long or as short as you would like it to be. Forget about the constraints that you might feel and be aware of. This is an opportunity to dream and perhaps sow the seed for a future adventure.

My Genealogy Dream Trip

What's funny is my husband and I have been talking about going back to the land of our ancestors. We've been talking about it for probably a good 3 or 4 years now, because we're starting to find information on exactly where our ancestors were.

My starting point would be to go back to the United States. However, it would be to parts I've never really spent time in.

New Jersey
This would be my starting point. If my father wanted to come along, I would be more than willing for him to accompany me. We would start at the old addresses I had of my paternal side:

• 1920 address: 49 7th Avenue, Hudson, New Jersey(great grandfather)
• Sept 1920 address: 25 Silver Street, Bayonne (great grandparents and grandmother)
• 1930 address: 103 11th Street, West Linden (great grandfather)
• 1937-1942  address: 108 W 15th Street, West Linden  (great grandfather & business)
• 1943 address: 200 Jefferson Ave, Linden, (grandparents)
• 1943 address: 1814 Clinton Street, Linden (great grandfather)
• March 1943 address:  1907 S Wood Ave, Linden (Distant cousin of grandmother)
• March 1943 address: 1907 S Wood Ave, Linden (Cousin Czeslaw of Great grandfather)
• March 1943 address: 666 Broadway Bayonne (Cousin Vincent of Great grandfather)
• October 1920 address: MJ Donohoe School (known now as #4 school), Linden, NJ
• November 1922 address: #2 school, Linden, NJ (grandmother)
• 1939 address: 816 Henry Street, East Linden  (grandmother)
• Bayway Cemetary, North Linden, NJ (Great grandparents)

New York

• 1934 address: 433 East 72 St, NYC (grandfather)
• 1934 address: 399 East 78th St, NYC (grandmother)
• 1934 address: St Monica's Church, 405 East, 79th St, Manhattan (grandparents married)
• I would also have my father take me to the places he remembers. He has mentioned in the past the old store my great grandfather had and its still a store today in New Jersey. 
• He mentioned a German bar my grandfather often visited as well in Linden.
• I would also visit the New Jersey Archives to see if they had any local information on my great grandparent's business as it was very well thought of. I would look up my great grandfather's obituary as well. Lastly, in the late 1930's my grandmother was involved in a very bad car and train accident and my grandmother almost died. 
• Lastly, I would have my nieces, with their children, meet me in New York City to go to the Statue of Liberty. I would then tell them all the story of my grandmother and getting to New York.  I would follow this by them meeting my father as they didn't know him growing up. 

The next stop on my dream trip would be to Pennsylvania. My oldest sister, Theresa, has already said she wants to come along with us on this one. This visit would be for my maternal grandmother's side - the Ostrzyci and Jagodzinski side.

Pennsylvania (Ostrzyci's)

• 1910 address: 7 Stewards Row West Carson Street, Allegheny, PA - (Felix Brother of Bernice)
• St Adelberts Cemetery, Allegheny, PA (Felix buried)
• 1915-1976 address: 1202 (Lower) Crest Avenue, Charleroi (2x great grandparents lived most of their lives and died, Kurpieski's lived (Laura sister of Bernice, Josephine sister of Bernice)
• Calvary Cemetery, Charleroi  (where my 2x grandparents and other cousins/aunts/uncles are buried, Kurpieski's)
• Charleroi Cemetery - Vicki/Valeria Woncheck (Grand Niece of Bernice, Frank, Stanley Jr Brothers of Bernice)
• Christ Lutheran Church of Charleroi (Dorthoy Ostrzycki Johnson - Bernice's niece)
• St Mary's Anglican Church, Charleroi (Vicki/Valeria attended)
• 819 Gallowfield Ave, Charleroi (Vicki Carl J Spallino Funeral Home)
• Charleroi-Moessen Hospital (Where Bernice's brother in law died)
• Polish Ladies Auxiliary of Chareroi - Laura Kurpieski a member
• 1918 address: 205 Fever East Pittsburgh (Adam Ostrzycki)
• 1933 address: 369 Hayes Ave, Washington, PA (Adam)
• 1930 address: 939 McKean Ave, Washington, PA (Steve)
• 1940 address: 1223 Crest Ave, Charleroi (Steve)
• 1970 address:  Calvary Bible Church of North Charleroi & choir (Steve - left for Tennessee-ministry-then Alabama)
• 1976: St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church, Charleroi (Josephine)
• Prior to 1962 Address: 16 Perry Lane, Pittsburgh, PA (Josephine Bernice's sister)
• Need to look up Corning Glass Works in Charleroi (2x great grandfather)

(Jagodzinski's)

• Saint Catherine's Cemetery, Leechburgh, PA (Alfred - great uncle)
• St. Martha's Roman Catholic Church, Leechburgh (Alfred's daughter married)
• 1962 Address: Rd 1, Vandergrift (Alfred's address)
• Leechburgh High School (Alfred's children attended)
• 1917 address: Cemetary ?, Leechburgh (great grandfather)
• West Leechburgh Steel Co, West Leechburgh, PA (great grandfather)
• Visit to Leechburgh (Bridget/Bernice lived)
• Visit to Pittsburgh - Stella (sisters to Bernice)
• St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Oakmont, PA (Valma  Dunn - Bernice's sister)
• Vandergrift, PA - (Apolonius aka Juggs - Mom's cousin lived/died here)
• Thomas M. Smith Funeral Home and Crematory, 930 Center Ave, Pittsburgh (Mom's great aunt had Valma Dunn had her arrangements done)
• 1948-1983 Wean United (Janet's brother Jug or Appolonius worked)
• 1943 Leechburgh High school (Janet's brother Jug or Appolonius graduated)
• St Gertrude Roman Catholic Church in Vandergrift (Janet's brother Jug or Appolonius chruch)
• Vandergrift VFW (Janet's brother Jug or Appolonius member)
• Armstrong Conty Sports Hall of Fame (Janet's brother Jug or Appolonius plaque)
• St. Gertrude Cemetery Vandergrift (Janet's brother Jug or Appolonius buried)
• Need to visit the Charleroi, Vandergrift, Leechburgh, Pittsburgh genealogy/history area for references Charleroi needs to be searched for Laura in Charleroi Mail newspaper for local politics.

I will also want to check cemeteries near Newburgh, NY for my great grandmother Bernice, great Aunt Geneieve, maternal grandfather and great aunt Florance, and St Mary Church and Cemetery in Salisbury Mills, NY.

I would also meet up or  have a huge picnic to meet any of my cousins in one of the nearby parks in Orange County, NY. as I haven't met many.

St. Paul Minnesota

Europe

I would then take my time and go through the places listed in my great grandparents and grandparent's documents I found. These are below.

Poland
My paternal side comes from these areas of Poland:

 

My maternal side comes from these areas of Poland:

 

Germany
 My paternal side comes from these areas of Germany:

Denmark
 My maternal side comes from these areas of Denmark:

Belgium
My maternal side comes from these areas of Belgium:

My Husband's dream trip would be to Ireland (whole thing), Germany, and places along France/Belgium border for his genealogy.

I think I need to win the lottery. *grin*