Steve’s Genealogy Blog

Anastasia Rita Meleski’s first husband, Albert F. Blackman, died on 11 Jul 1966.  The Certificate of Death for Albert Blackman is not the Standard Certificate of Death.  It is, rather, a Medical Examiner’s Certificate of Death.  I’m not sure what circumstances required a Medical Examiner’s Certificate.  Perhaps the fact that Albert was a relatively young, 51-year-old man when he died prompted the investigation.

Medical Examiner’s Certificate of Death for Albert F. Blackman

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Medical Examiner’s Certificate of Death for Albert F. Blackman.  The Certificate shows that:

• Albert F. Blackman, a 51-year-old white male, married to Rita Meleski, died on 11 Jul 1966 at 147 Cullinane Drive, Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
• Albert was a veteran of World War II and had resided at 147 Cullinane Drive for 10 years
• Albert’s usual occupation was as a writer for the Record American; he apparently did not have a Social Security Number
• He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts; his father was Clifford Blackman who was born in Boston, Massachusetts; his mother was Jane Goodrich who was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts
• The informant was his wife, Mrs. Rita Blackman of 147 Cullinane Drive, Marlboro, Massachusetts
• The cause and manner of Albert’s death was heart disease, presumably coronary sclerosis - he was found dead in bed
• Albert’s death was not an accident, suicide, or homicide, no autopsy was performed, and his death was not related to his occupation
• The death was certified by R. N. Rittenhouse, M.D. of 540 Bolton St., Marlboro, Massachusetts on 11 Jul 1966
• Albert was buried in Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester, Massachusetts on 14 Jul 1966 by John J. Brown & Son of 95 West Main Street, Marlboro, Massachusetts
• The certificate was filed on 12 Jul 1966 by Rita T. Lapine and the burial permit was issued on 12 Jul 1966 by Peter P. Cottone, an Agent for the Board of Health
• The Certificate of Death was recorded in Volume 72, Page 35 of the 1966 Death Certificates of Marlboro June 2 - Dec 30 to Medford Jan 1 - Mar 31
• Miscellaneous other numbers on the Certificate include a handwritten 9-28 and a stamped number that appears to be 028935; the word MEDICAL appears in large print across the face of the document

Albert died very young.  It’s no wonder that Anastasia Rita remarried two years later.

The certificate states that Albert’s mother, Jane Goodrich, was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, but other documents, including Albert and Anastasia Rita’s Marriage Certificate and Jane Goodrich’s Birth Record, state that Jane was born in Everett.

One curious statement on the Death Certificate form itself is that the Agent of the Board of Health certified that a satisfactory STANDARD Certificate of Death was filed.  In fact, a Standard Certificate of Death was not filed - a Medical Examiner’s Certificate of Death was filed instead.

After finding the Marriage Record for Albert Francis Blackman and Anastasia Rita Meleski, I looked for the Birth Record for Albert.  Apparently Albert was born in 1915, so his birth record was not available at the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics or on the website of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS).  The only repository that holds the Massachusetts Vital Records for 1911-1915 is the Massachusetts State Archives, so I’ll have to wait for a chance to visit the archives for this record.

I then looked for the Marriage Record of Albert Blackman’s parents, Clifford A Blackman and Jane A Goodrich, since their names were on the Marriage Record of Albert and Anastasia Rita.  This record was on the website of the NEHGS, and as I mentioned in a previous article, the records on the NEHGS website are much superior to the microfilm images available through the Massachusetts State Archives.

Marriage Register for Clifford A Blackman and Jane A Goodrich

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Register for Clifford A Blackman and Jane A Goodrich.  The record states that:

• Clifford A Blackman and Jane A Goodrich were married on 17 Sep 1907 in Boston, Massachusetts
• Clifford was 25 years old, this was his first marriage, he lived at 56 Francis Street in Boston, and his occupation was as an Editor
• Clifford was born in Boston and his parents were Allen Blackman and Abbie F Peterson
• Jane was 23 years old, this was her first marriage, she lived at 18 Sunset Street in Boston, and her occupation was listed as “At Home”
• Jane was born in Everett and her parents were Charles I Goodrich and Helen C Sherlock
• The couple was married by Sinon J Grogran, a priest whose residence was at 1545 Tremont Street in Boston
• The marriage was recorded on 18 Sep 1907 as entry number 5259

Tomorrow: A girl named James

Tracing my ancestors of my maternal grandmother, Helen (Helena) Meleski (Chmielewska) is one of my most difficult brick walls.  The reasons this line is so difficult are that:

1. My grandmother never liked to talk about her past.
2. This line lived in what is now Lithuania and Lithuanian records are not very abundant in the Family History Library.
3. I’m not exactly sure where my Chmielewski ancestors lived or where the parish was.

To be honest, I do have living relatives in Lithuania.  One of my cousins, Liliana, was born there but now lives in the United States.  Liliana’s mother is still living in Lithuania, but doesn’t know much about our common ancestors, Wincenty Chmielewski and Anastasia Wojnowska.

This is what I do know about the Chmielewski line.  Living individuals are not represented in this chart.

Descendants of Wincenty Chmielewski

Generation No. 1

1.  WINCENTY CHMIELEWSKI was born in Gubernia Wilenska, Russia, and died in Gubernia Wilenska, Russia.  He married (1) SCHOLASTYKA WOJTCZUKA before 1874. He married (2) ANASTASIA WOJNOWSKA after 1886.  She was born in Gubernia Wilenska, Russia, and died in Gubernia Wilenska, Russia.

Children of WINCENTY CHMIELEWSKI and SCHOLASTYKA WOJTCZUKA are:

2. i. JOSEPH CHMIELEWSKI was born 03 Apr 1874, Wilno, Gubernia Wilenska, Russia /Lithuania, and died before 1934 in Massachusetts.

ii. STEPHANIE S. MELESKI was born 07 Feb 1886, Butrimonys, Alytaus Region, Russia, and died 31 Jan 1973, Worcester City Hospital/Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.

iii. ARTURS CHMIELEWSKI was born about 1880.

iv. VINCENT CHMIELEWSKI, JR. was born about 1891.

Children of WINCENTY CHMIELEWSKI and ANASTASIA WOJNOWSKA are:

3. v. HELEN ANNE CHMIELEWSKA was born 15 Feb 1897, Trakai, Gubernia Wilenska, Russia, and died 23 Nov 1980, St. Vincent Hospital /Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.

4. vi. ONA CHMIELEWSKA was born 18 Jun 1899, Likiskiai, Co. Butrimonys, Alytaus Region, Russia, and died 31 May 1969, Alytus, Alytaus Co., Lithuania, USSR.

Generation No. 2

2.  JOSEPH CHMIELEWSKI (WINCENTY) was born 03 Apr 1874 in Wilno, Gubernia Wilenska, Russia /Lithuania, and died Bef. 1934.  He married KATARZYNA WARCHOL 01 Oct 1894 in Chicopee, Hampden Co., Massachusetts, daughter of JAN WARCHOL and MARY UNKNOWN.  She was born between 1873 - 1880 in Poland, and died 28 Aug 1928 in Massachusetts.

Children of JOSEPH CHMIELEWSKI and KATARZYNA WARCHOL are:

i. HARRY JOHN MELESKI was born 03 May 1898, Holyoke, Hampden Co., Massachusetts, and died 08 Jan 1981, Hahnemann Hospital /Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts. He married MARGARET WERME, after 1930.  She was born 23 Feb 1902, Massachusetts, and died 22 Apr 1983, Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.

ii. FRANCIS J. CHMIELEWSKI was born 04 Oct 1901, Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died before 2000.

iii. HELENE RITA MELESKI was born 02 Dec 1904, Holyoke, Hampden Co., Massachusetts, and died 08 Jun 1993, St. Vincent Hospital /Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.  She married ZYGMUND STANLEY MIKOLOSKI, about 1929; born 21 Dec 1899, Bielsk, Powiat Plocki, Gubernia Płocka, Kingdom Poland; died 09 Oct 1972, Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.

iv. ANTHONY P. MELESKI was born 14 Jun 1907 in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died 23 Oct 2000 in MetroWest Medical Center, Leonard Morse Campus /Natick, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.  He married ANNA M. KOSCIUSKO, daughter of ADAM KOSCINCZYK and VALERIE HELEN BURAKIEWICZ.  She was born 01 Apr 1910 in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died 16 Sep 2002 in Medway Country Manor /Medway, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts.  Her parents were married 21 May 1906 in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.

v. ANASTASIA RITA MELESKI was born 22 Feb 1911, Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died 01 Jan 2000, Mayflower Place Nursing Center /West Yarmouth, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts.  She married (1) ALBERT FRANCIS BLACKMAN 08 May 1946 in St. Mary’s Church, Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, son of CLIFFORD A. BLACKMAN AND JANE A. GOODRICH.  He was born about 1914-1915, Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 11 Jul 1966, 146 Cullinane Drive /Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. His parents were married 17 Sep 1907 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.  She married (2) BERNARD JOSEPH IZBICKI 04 Jun 1968 in Our Lady of Częstochowa Church /Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.  He was born 12 May 1910, Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died 30 Apr 1985, Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.

3.  HELEN ANNE CHMIELEWSKA (WINCENTY CHMIELEWSKI) was born 15 Feb 1897 in Trakai, Gubernia Wilenska, Russia, and died 23 Nov 1980 in St. Vincent Hospital /Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.  She married KOSTANTY NIEDZIALKOWSKI 10 Jul 1918 in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, son of TEOFIL NIEDZIALKOWSKI and KSAWERA ZYGMUNTOWICZ.  He was born 28 Oct 1892 in Pomaski, Powiat Makowski, Gubernia Lomzynskiej, Congress Poland, and died 14 Mar 1978 in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.

Children of HELEN CHMIELEWSKA and KOSTANTY NIEDZIALKOWSKI are:

i. JANE ANN NIEDZIALKOWSKI was born 06 Oct 1922 in 194 Prescott Street /Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died 16 Apr 1980 in St. Peter’s Hospital /Albany, Albany Co., New York.

ii. FREDERIC FRANCIS NIEDZIALKOWSKI was born 26 May 1924 in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and died 23 Jan 2005 in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.  He married JANICE VIRGINIA QUINTIN 05 Jun 1948 in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, daughter of LEOPOLD QUINTIN and CELINA FONTAINE.  She was born 19 Aug 1925 in Fall River, Bristol Co., Massachusetts, and died 05 Apr 2005 in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.

4.  ONA CHMIELEWSKA (WINCENTY CHMIELEWSKI) was born 18 Jun 1899 in Likiškiai, Co. Butrimonys, Alytaus Region, Russia, and died 31 May 1969 in Alytus, Alytaus Co., Lithuania, USSR.  She married JONAS SAMSANAVICIUS.  He was born 28 Jan 1887 in Stakliškes, Co. Jeznas, Trakai region, Gubernia Wilenska, Lithuania, and died 17 Jul 1980 in Panevežys, Panevezio, Lithuania.

Children of ONA CHMIELEWSKA and JONAS SAMSANAVICIUS are:

i. ELENA SAMSANAVICIUTE, died Abt. 1996.

ii. VYTAUTAS SAMSANAVICIUS, died Oct 2000.

iii. JUOZAS SAMSANAVICIUS was born Abt. 1927; died Abt. 1936.

As I look over the records I’ve posted so far on the Chmielewski line, I see I’ve rather neglected this family.  I’ve only posted one birth, marriage, or death record for the Chmielewski/Meleski family, although I’ve posted cemetery records, images of gravestones, naturalization papers, and notices of change of name for this family.  As I post additional records, I’ll link the events listed on this page to the actual records.

Despite the fact that I have so little information on my Chmielewski ancestors, my cousin Liliana has provided me with a lot of information about our cousins living in Lithuania and Russia.  Since Liliana still visits her mother in Lithuania regularly, I’ll have to see what I can do to travel back to Lithuania with her someday so I can walk through the ancestral family villages and visit the church archives.