Steve’s Genealogy Blog

While visiting family graves in St. John’s Cemetery in Worcester, Massachusetts, I came upon the grave of George A. Hanley and his wife Anne Rembiszewski. Anne Remiszewski was the sister of Charlotte Rembiszewski who, in turn, was the wife of Henry Slowatycki. Henry was the brother of Walter Slowatycki and (bear with me here) Walter was the father of my cousin’s wife.

The Grave Marker of George A. Hanley and Anne Remibiszewski - Front

SOURCE: The Grave Marker of George A. Hanley and Anne Remibiszewski - Front, St. John’s Cemetery, Justice Section, Row 3, Lot 15 (Worcester, Worcester Co.), Massachusetts, photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 09 Sep 2005.

The front of the monument reads:

HANLEY

1918 GEORGE A. HANLEY 2000
HIS WIFE
1925 ANN REMISZEWSKI 1996

The front of the monument, however, is by no means as interesting as the back of the monument.

The Grave Marker of George A. Hanley and Anne Remibiszewski - Back

SOURCE: The Grave Marker of George A. Hanley and Anne Remibiszewski - Back, St. John’s Cemetery, Justice Section, Row 3, Lot 15 (Worcester, Worcester Co.), Massachusetts, photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 09 Sep 2005.

The back of the monument reads:

JAMES A. HANLEY +1917
HIS WIFE
JENNIE M. HANLEY +1912
THEIR CHILDREN
BRIDGET +1888     JAMES F. +1947
ELENOR +1897     SARAH +1952
JOSEPH +1914     CATHERINE +1957
GEORGE A. +1938     IDA M. +1961
JOHN E. +1939     CLARA E. +1966
MARY J. +1941     CHRISTINE E. +2002

The back of the monument shows the name and year of death of George A. Hanley’s father (George A. +1938), the names and years of death of what at first glace appear to be eleven aunts and uncles, and the names and years of death of his grandparents.

Christine E. who died in 2002 is, in fact, the daughter of George A. Hanley and Anne Remiszewski, not his aunt. I have not yet confirmed the relationships of any of the other people named on this monument.

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

The parents of James R. And William J. Hoey were buried in St. John’s Cemetery in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts. Their grave is adjacent to that of their sons’.

The Graves of John W. Hoey, Sr. and Anna M. Mattrick

SOURCE: Grave Marker of John W. Hoey, Sr. and Anna M. Mattrick, St. John’s Cemetery, Shrine Holy Family Shrine, Lot 683 (Worcester, Worcester Co.), Massachusetts, photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 09 Sep 2005.

The marker readers:

HOEY

1904 JOHN WILLIAM HOEY 2003
HIS WIFE
1905 ANNA M. MATTRICK 1993

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

My cousin Geraldine was widowed in January 1962 after being married only a short time. Her husband, James R. Hoey, is buried in St. John’s Cemetery in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts. William J. Hoey, the brother of James, was buried in the same lot in 2004.

The Graves of James R. Hoey and William J. Hoey

SOURCE: Grave Marker of James R. Hoey and William J. Hoey, St. John’s Cemetery, Shrine Holy Family Shrine, Lot 682 (Worcester, Worcester Co.), Massachusetts, photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 09 Sep 2005.

The marker readers:

HOEY

1937 JAMES R. 1962
1932 WILLIAM J. 2004
HIS WIFE
1945 KATHLEEN KENNEY    

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

Allister Daniel Rawding was the grandfather of several of my maternal first cousins. He immigrated to the United States from Nova Scotia, Canada and died in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He is buried in St. John’s Cemetery in Worcester with his wife and three of his children.

The Gravestone of the Allister Daniel Rawding Family - Front

The Gravestone of the Allister Daniel Rawding Family - Back

SOURCE: Grave Marker of Allister Daniel Rawding and Family, St. John’s Cemetery, St. Jude Section, Lot 16 (Worcester, Worcester Co.), Massachusetts, photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 09 Sep 2005.

The inscription on the grave states:

FRONT:

RAWDING

OUR LADY - PRAY FOR US

BACK:

ALLISTER D. RAWDING SR.
MAY 19 1893 - DEC 5 1964
HIS WIFE
HANNAH CURRAN RAWDING
JUNE 8 1889 - FEB 25 1956

JOHN W. RAWDING
OCT 5 1916 - MAY 8 1975

ALLISTER D. RAWDING JR.
JAN 14 1925 - JAN 15 2000

John W. Rawding and Allister D. Rawding Jr. are sons of Allister D. Rawding Sr. and Hannah Curran Rawding. Although not listed on the monument at the time this photograph was taken in 2005, a daughter, Phyllis A. Rawding Crowley is also buried here.

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

While in Vilnius, I visited the Rasos Cemetery where many famous Lithuanian, Polish, and Byelorussian writers and artists are buried. On the day I was there, various groups of students were there, having been given the day off from school to tend to the graves in the cemetery in anticipation of the Day of the Dead.

Entrance to Rasos Cemetery

SOURCE: Entrance to Rasos Cemetery. Photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 25 October 2007.

Rasos Cemetery was founded in 1769 by Bazyli Miller, the mayor of Vilnius. In 1801, a chapel and belltower were built.

Grave of Józef Piłsudski

SOURCE: Grave of Józef Piłsudski. Photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 25 October 2007.

Józef Piłsudski’s grave in Rasos cemetery is somewhat controversial, since Polish Marshal Piłsudski was not only a hero in the fight for Polish Independence, but was also the key figure in the Polish annexation of the Lithuanian city of Vilnius. Piłsudski’s body is buried in Wawel Castle in Kraków, but at his request, his heart was cut out and buried in Vilnius with the body of his mother.

Grave of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis

SOURCE: Grave of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 25 October 2007.

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis was a renowned Lithuanian painter and composer. He died in 1911 at the age of 35, leaving a legacy of about 250 painting and 300 works of music. Some of his works can be seen and heard online.

Graves of Polish Home Army Soldiers

SOURCE: Graves of Polish Home Army Soldiers. Photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 25 October 2007.

Buried near the front of the cemetery are the bodies of members of the Polish Home Army who died during World War II. Their graves were destroyed during the years the Soviets were in power, but were rebuilt by the Republic of Poland in 1993. Until 18 September 1939 when Soviet forces invaded the city of Vilnius, three soldiers always stood guard at the entrance to the cemetery. They refused to give up their arms to the Soviets and were shot. They are buried next to Piłsudski’s heart.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

My mother, Jane A. Niedzialkowski Danko, was buried on 19 April 1980 in St. Francis Shrine - A, Row D, Grave 8 at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Albany, New York.

Jane A. Danko Interment at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery

SOURCE: Jane A. Danko Interment at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery. Photographer Unknown. Photographed 19 April 1980.

Grave of Jane A. Danko, Our Lady of Angels Cemetery

SOURCE: Grave of Jane A. Danko. Photographed by Stephen J. Danko. Date of photograph unknown.

The stone reads:

DANKO

SORROW IS NOT FOREVER.
LOVE IS.

FRANCIS J.                    JANE A.
1924-                           1922-1980

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

The grave of Paul Charron and Zenaide Patenaude is in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Waterford, Saratoga County, New York, not far from the grave of Zenaide’s mother, Osithe Gamache Patenaude.

The Grave of Paul Charron and Zenaide Patenaude - Front

The Grave of Paul Charron and Zenaide Patenaude - Back

SOURCE: Paul Charron and Zenaide Patenaude grave marker, St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Section Unknown (Waterford, Saratoga Co.), New York, photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 10 Sep 2005. 

The inscription on the gravestone states:

FRONT:

CHARRON

BACK:

PAUL CHARRON
1874-1943
HIS WIFE
ZENAIDE PATENAUDE
1870-1959 

Zenaide Patenaude married Paul Charron. Their daughter, Alice, married my uncle John Danko. John Danko and Alice Charron Danko were my Godparents.

St. Joseph’s Cemetery is the final resting place of a great number of French Canadians who moved to Cohoes, Albany County, New York.

Yesterday, I mentioned that information on the gravestone of Ozite Gamache Patenaude was useful in finding her birth and baptismal record. Ozite was buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Waterford, Saratoga County, New York.

The Gravestone of Ozite Gamache Patenaude

SOURCE: Ozite Gamache Patenaude grave marker, St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Section Unknown (Waterford, Saratoga Co.), New York, photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 10 Sep 2005.

St. Joseph’s Cemetery is a Roman Catholic Parish Cemetery located at 40 Middletown Road, Waterford, Saratoga County, New York. Although the cemetery is in Saratoga County, the parish to which it belongs is in Albany County: St. Joseph’s Church, 65 Congress Street, Cohoes, Albany County, New York.

The gravestone is seriously weathered and difficult to read. In another generation, the incription might be totally obliterated. As best as I can tell the inscription reads:

Ozite [Gamache?]
Epouse de
Charles
Patenaude
Decede [?]
19 Mai 1889
Agee de [?] ans

Translated from the French, the inscription states:

Ozite [Gamache?]
Wife of
Charles
Patenaude
Died [?]
19 May 1889
Age [?] years

My cousins Helen and Chris tried to obtain additional information on the burials in this small cemetery from the caretaker, but he was not able to help them.

Józefa Skowroński (Josephine Skowronski) married Czesław Pszczółkowski (Chester Pszczolkowski).  They are buried in St. John’s Cemetery in Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts with James Paul Carlberg.

The Monument for Chester Pszczolkowski, Josephine Skowronski, and James Paul Carlberg - Front

Photograph copyright 2007 by Louise Gagnon. Used with permission.

The Monument for Chester Pszczolkowski, Josephine Skowronski, and James Paul Carlberg - Back

Photograph copyright 2007 by Louise Gagnon. Used with permission.

SOURCE: Chester Pszczolkowski, Josephine Skowronski, and James Paul Carlberg grave marker, St. John’s Cemetery, Section Unknown (Gardner, Worcester County), Massachusetts, photographed by Louise Gagnon, 12 Mar 2007.

The front of the monument reads:

PSZCZOLSKOWSKI

The back of the monument reads:

CHESTER PSZCZOLKOWSKI
1887-1959

HIS WIFE
JOSEPHINE SKOWRONSKI
1891-1989

JAMES PAUL CARLBERG
AUG 7, 1971

With this monument, I’ve published photographs of the monuments of all the children of Małgorzata (Margaret) Podeszwa.

Pawel F. Skowronski, the brother of Alexander Frank Skowronski, is buried with his wife, Marianna H. Zaborczyk, and their great-great grandson, William Ojerholm, in Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts.

The Monument for Pawel F. Skowronski, Marianna H. Zaborczyk, and William Ojerholm - Front

Photograph copyright 2007 by Louise Gagnon. Used with permission.

The Monument for Pawel F. Skowronski, Marianna H. Zaborczyk, and William Ojerholm - Back

Photograph copyright 2007 by Louise Gagnon. Used with permission.

SOURCE: Pawel F. Skowronski, Marianna H. Zaborczyk, and William Ojerholm grave marker, Notre Dame Cemetery, Section Unknown (Worcester, Worcester County), Massachusetts, photographed by Louise Gagnon, 12 Mar 2007.

The front of the monument reads:

SKOWRONSKI

PROSZE O ZDROWAS MARJA

The back of the monument reads:

PAWEL F. SKOWRONSKI
1890 - 1959

HIS WIFE
MARIANNA H.
1888 - 1971

GREAT GRANDSON
WILLIAM OJERHOLM
1963-1963

The inscription on the front, translated from the Polish, reads: I ask for a Hail Mary.