After I found the Naturalization Index Card for my Great Aunt Stephania, I looked up her Declaration of Intention on a microfilm that contained images of the Original of the three copies of the Declaration that were prepared . The Original was retained by the clerk, the Duplicate was forwarded to the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, and the Triplicate was provided to the applicant.
Original Declaration of Intention for Stefania Chmielewska – 1940
Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Original Declaration of Intent for Stefania Chmielewska – 1940 . According to the definitions of Original Source and Derivative Source, this document is an Exact Image of an Original Source.
The Declaration states that:
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Stefania Chmielewska made her Declaration of Intention No. 52410 to become a citizen of the United States in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, County of Worcester, in the Superior Court of Massachusetts of Worcester
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She resided at 15 Charlton St., Worcester, Worcester, Mass.
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Her occupation was a rooming house keeper
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She was 54 years old, female, white, medium complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair, 5 feet 2 inches tall, 120 pounds, with no distinctive marks
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She was of Polish race and of Polish nationality
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She was born in Likiszki, Poland on Jan. 7, 1886
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She was not married, had no children, and had not previously made a Declaration of Intention
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Her last foreign residence was Likiszki, Poland
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She emigrated from Bremen, German and entered the United States at New York, N.Y. under the name of Stefania Chmielewska on Sept. 16, 1901, but did not know the name of the ship on which she had traveled
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She submitted her Declaration at Worcester, Mass. on November 25, 1940
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Her Certificate of Arrival was No. 1x 81667
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The Declaration was signed by William C. Bowen, Clerk of the Superior Court
The Declaration shows that Stefania’s surname was corrected from Chmielewski to Chmielewska . The Certificate of Arrival number was also corrected: the space for the number shows xxxxxx and the actual number is typed to the left of the clerk’s name.
As fate would have it, not only did Stefania forget the name of the ship on which she sailed, but she reported the wrong date of arrival.
I’m not sure where Stefania’s birthplace of Likiszki is, but two choices are likely: the village Likishki Vel’ke [LikiÅ¡kiai], Alytaus, Lithuania and the village of Lilishki [LiuliÅ¡kiai], Vilniaus, Lithuania.
Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko
