A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter P is for Poland!

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 P is for Poland!

If you have been reading the past postings, you have noticed I have mentioned Poland more than a few times. 

My Paternal side comes from around Nur, Poland which is on the North East of Warsaw. Where the Bug and Nurzec Rivers meet. 

Google Earth map of where the 2 rivers meet as my grandmother described.

When my paternal grandmother told me, when I was a child, was her and her cousins loved to play in these rivers. It was some of the best times of her childhood. Later, I got to know just how rare good times were at anytime in Poland. 

Anyhow, where my paternal grandmother and her side came from was Poland but before 1919 it was Russia. It was only known as Poland once again after the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919. Then Poland reemerged. This was good and bad. Good because Poland, after 123 years, was back on the map, but bad because this treaty didn't make mention just how much land Poland was to be. Because of this, Russia was trying to take over as much as it could. 

This was led to the battles all around Warsaw in 1920 when it fell. It feel and my grandmother and great grandmother were trying to get out of Poland. Eventually, my grandmother and great grandmother got out in August 1920 and arrived at Ellis Island in September 1920. 

From Google Earth on 24 December 2016. The white lines could be the track Genowefa and Maryanne took to get to Danzig (Gdansk).

From Google Earth on 24 December 2016. The white lines could be the track Genowefa and Maryanne took to get to Danzig (Gdansk).

Shortly after than the iron curtain was put up and very little information was able to get in and out. Apparently, from what I've learned from our cousin who still lives in Poland, they did write back and forth to each other keeping in mind the mail was being read before they would get it so they had to be careful. I know this as a fact because our cousin had a picture of my father when he was a boy and they had the same photo as I have of my great grandmother, her sons and my father. 

Picture of my father which is 1st cousin had in Poland. It was taken in NJ.
Credit Krzysztof Wyrzyskowski

Then World War 2 happened, and communication was cut off again. My grandmother thought everyone was killed and told me this growing up. 

I can only imagine she's smiling down from heaven at me for finding our one cousin that's left on her mother's side. I haven't been able to find any on her father's side -- yet. 

Other Poland

Golina, Poland

We do have another connection to Poland. This is from my maternal grandfather name Apolonius
Jagodzinski who is an interesting character. I've written about him before in blog posts. 

I have been able to find another naturalization paper which list Golina, Poland as the area he came from. However, I haven't traced this side - yet - because of the other areas were my research has taken off. 

Google Earth placement of Golina, Poland

Another reason is because before you can go back to the country the immigrant has come from you must gather all the information you an in the last/current country. I'm still doing this as this is a person who's changed his name countless times and has moved around a lot. I still haven't found where he's buried or when he's died. 

I do know, according to his ship manifest, he has a sister, but I haven't been able to find information on her either. 

His 1905 Ship manifest where his sister information is. Credit

This is an area for more research which I think is going to be hard because it was one of the worst parts of World War 2 was here. I've read some information on people searching here and it wasn't very easy at all. 

Wilno/Vilnius Poland

Google Earth of the area around where they lived

My maternal line, the Ostrzycki, came from Poland as well. I've done a write up on them previously.

Again, I haven't had much time to research this area of Poland. Although one of our cousin's still lives nearby and has taken some other relatives to a nearby mock up of what the house and living was like back then. She's given me some pictures of the area.

Outside of a house in the same town as my ancestors. Credit. Anna Ostrzycki

Inside of a house in the same town as my ancestors. Credit. Anna Ostrzycki

As you can see much different than what we currently have and think of for Poland! 

Anzac Day 2016

I believe I have written here about ANZAC day before.

ANZAC Day is in relation to Australia and New Zealand's soldiers who fought in World War 1 (and in particular in Turkey) and how badly they were shot up on dawn on 25 April 1915. I think the entire time I've lived here I've only missed 2 or 3 ANZAC day sunrise ceremonies in Melbourne at the Shrine of Remembrance. Last year, 2015, was a big one and we had organized to meet up with my father in law, uncles in law and other family members for the service and then we went out for cuppas after.

2011 Anzac Ceremony after sunrise ceremony finished

Normally, my father in law, myself and my husband go into the ceremony, then we come home to watch the parades on TV, while I make breakfast. Then I put on a roast in the slow cooker and then go in and catch a nap as we get up about 3am to leave by 4am to get a parking spot and good standing position.

2007 ANZAC service

This year is going to be different. We are going to go to a country service this year. The good thing is we can be much later than normal which means more sleep. The bad thing is its going to be very small - we think.

ANZAC day was started for World War 1 but since they are gone and most of World War 2 are gone as well, they have now decided to honor ANY soldier who fought in ANY war which means Vietnam and the current situations in Iran, Iraq and that area of the globe. Right or wrong this is what has been decided.

Usually I stand there and think of everyone I am related to who has served and who we have lost because of them serving.

This year I get to add one more proud soldier to the list - Prosper Valère Verhaeghe. He is my 2nd cousin 3 times removed on my mother's side. He served in Ypres, Belgium. He thought he wouldn't make it back, so his son was named after him. Thankfully, he came back from there and continued to be a baker and own his own bakery until his passing in 1975.

 My hat is off to you kind sir for your valuable service.

As per normal, I would like to thank and think of everyone else within my ancestors who has fought in wars and served over so many years.

I have also found:

• my great uncle Alfred Wotjkowski 
• my grandfather Mathias Schmitz 

also served.

There can be others I haven't been made aware of - yet. If so, drop me a line and let me know! 

How did you get started doing Genealogy?

It was about 2 weeks before my wedding in 1997 and the next day I was to get on an airplane for the next 30+ hours to fly to Australia to move there and to get married - all in one month. My mother turns to me and hands me a silver pair of US Air Force wings and tells me these are mine, but to cherish them forever. I look at them and at her and ask her who are they from and all she would say was "They were the last thing my cousin Jimmy gave me before he died." and then turns away and doesn't speak to me again about it.

1943 James J Sherman wings

Among everything else going on, it didn't hit me completely until right before the wedding day when one of the people in the wedding party asked me about the old "Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue". I told her the something new was the dress (as is tradition), something borrowed was a necklace a girlfriend from Canada let me borrow, something blue was within my bouquet and the something old was the World War 2 Air Force wings from my mother's cousin Jimmy. Everyone loved the thought of all the trinkets and the wedding happened. However, afterwards, the questions in my mind started - why were they the last thing given? Who was Jimmy? What happened to him?

Anyhow, it was a few years before life settled down and we moved into our house. Then I started asking questions and doing searches throughout the internet. I knew my husband's aunt had done some genealogy work and ask her about how I go about it, and she said she'd check in with some of her contacts to help.

Within a few months, I found out who Jimmy was - Staff Sergeant James J Sherman from the 745th Bomber Squadron 456th Bomber in the Air Force. He died in World War 2 when his plane went down on a training mission.

Upon finding out this information, I emailed the US Air Force library in Florida and upon the correspondence found letters, some pictures and other items which were his mother's things that were found at a book shop in NY. However, they would not allow them to either be copied for forwarded to me as they wanted them kept. I was told I was able to go to Florida and view them with prior warning. To date, we have not been able to visit.

The wings Jimmy or James received before heading into World War 2 and he gave them to my mother, so she could keep them for him. Only he never returned as he was listed as Missing in Action for years. It was only in 2009, I was able to show her what happened to him via reports (above) from a few others that were still alive then. 

I was proud to find he served his country the best he could. I did ask and get an answer from my mother about why he signed up for duty. She said he wanted his mother to feel safe at home and to do that he had to serve his country. In the end he did serve his country - with his life. He now has a tablet in Florence, Italy with his name on it as his body was never recovered in the ocean. I plan on visiting here and putting a wreath on his tablet in honor of the whole family.

The US cemetery in Florence, Italy where Jimmy's tablet is

After finding out this information, it made me start asking other questions about other relatives and want to find out answers. The researching but has definately hit and its not slowing down. In fact, if anything its growing with my husband starting to research his families genealogy background and now he's even deeper than me.

This year, 2014, we decided to take DNA tests through myFTDNA to see if we could get any information on other relatives. It has helped my husband, in narrowing the factions of which Fitzgerald clan he comes from, but its all theory at the moment. I have the DNA on my to do list to figure it out - if I can.