In 1944, my grandparents were listed in the city directory with three of their five children. My mother, Jane A. Niedzialkowski, is listed as a clerk. This occupation is different from her occupation of key punch operator as listed in the 1943 directory
Kostanty, Helen, Raymond, Jane, and Frederick Niedzialkowski are listed in the 1944 Worcester Directory published by R.L. Polk & Co . The eldest child was married and living outside this household. Another child was still too young to be listed.
Curiously, my grandfather also seems to be listed a second time in the same directory, residing at a different address.
Worcester Directory 1944 Entry for Kostanty and Helen Niedzialkowski and Family
Worcester Directory 1944 Entry for Kostanty Niedzialkowski
SOURCE: Massachusetts City Directories, Worcester 1944, page 632, Kostanty Niedzialkoski; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 03 December 2007); citing Polk’s Worcester (Worcester County, Mass.) City Directory Vol. 1944 CI. 1944. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk & Co.
Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Worcester Directory 1944 Entry for Kostanty and Helen Niedzialkowski and Family. The brief record states the following:
Kostanty Niedzialkowski resided at 40 Barnes av;
his wife Helen also resided at 40 Barnes av;
his son Raymond was in the United States Coast Guard and resided at 40 Barnes av;
his daughter Jane worked as a clerk for Grafton & Knight and resided at 40 Barnes av; and
his son Frederick was in the United States Navy and resided at 40 Barnes av.
Konstanty Niedzialkowski is also listed as a set-up man at Worcester Pressed Steel Co. who resided at 100 Barber av.
In both entries, the surname is misspelled. In the first entry, the name is spelled Nieczialkowski and in the second entry the name is spelled Niedzalkowski. My grandfather’s first name is spelled Kostanty in the first entry (which is the way he usually spelled his name) and is spelled Konstanty in the second entry (which is the proper way to spell the name).
The name Damian Niedzialkowski again appears in the directory (misspelled as Damiam Niedzalkowski). He may or may not be related to my grandfather, but the circumstantial evidence indicates that he is probably a distant relative.
One of the most interesting parts of this directory entry is that the family now resides at 40 Barnes Avenue, the house which my grandparents would live for the rest of their lives. I understand that my grandmother bought the house and that it was entirely in her name. Knowing that this address first appeared in the 1944 directory suggests that the house may have been purchased in 1942 or 1943, and thus will help narrow my search for real estate records for this property.
Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko
