Jane Niedzialkowski Danko

Posted on October 3, 2006 by Steve

My mother, Jane Niedzialkowski Danko, was born on October 6, 1922 .  She would be 84 years old on Friday, but she died at age 57 .  At her birth, she was given the name Jennie Niedzialkowski, but she used the name Jane for most of her life .  Here are some photographs of my mother in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.

Sky Farm

About 1927 – Sky Farm
Jane Niedzialkowski (third from the right in the middle row)
Fred Niedzialkowski (second from the left in the front row)

Ray and Jane First Communion

1934 – First Communion
Ray Niedzialkowski and Jane Niedzialkowski

Pa and Jane 1934

1942 – Worcester, Massachusetts
Kostanty Niedzialkowski (Pa) and Jane Niedzialkowski

Frank and Jane Danko Wedding

May 22, 1947 – Wedding Day
Frank and Jane (Niedzialkowski) Danko

Posted in Daily Journal, Dańko, Niedziałkowski | Comments Off on Jane Niedzialkowski Danko

World War II Army Enlistment Records for Edward and Bernard Niedzialkosky

Posted on October 2, 2006 by Steve

Joe Beine, author of the Genealogy Roots Blog, posted an article yesterday about the World War II Army Enlistment Records database at NARA .  I visited the NARA website and conducted a search for records of my relatives .  I found quite a few records, including one for Edward W . Niedzialkosky and another for Bernard P. Niedzialkosky .  Both of these men were first cousins to my grandfather, Kostanty Niedzialkowski.

The record for Edward W. Niedzialkosky reads as follows:

Army Serial Number:  31073487
Name:  Niedzialkosky Edward W
Residence: State:  Massachusetts
Residence: County:  Worcester
Place of Enlistment:  Ft Devens Massachusetts
Date of Enlistment Day:  18
Date of Enlistment Month:  03
Date of Enlistment Year:  42
Grade: Alpha Designation:  Private
Grade:  Code:  Private
Branch: Alpha Designation:  Branch Immaterial – Warrant Officers, USA
Branch: Code:  Branch Immaterial – Warrant Officers, USA
Field Use as Desired:  #
Term of Enlistment:  Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Longevity:  ###
Source of Army Personnel:  Civil Life
Nativity:  Massachusetts
Year of Birth:  05
Race and Citizenship:  White, citizen
Education:  Grammar school
Civilian Occupation:  Traktor Driver* or Truck Driver, Heavy or Chauffeur or Truck Driver, Light
Marital Status:  Single, without dependents
Component of the Army:  Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Card Number:  #
Box Number:  0391
Film Reel Number:  3.112

The record for Bernard P. Niedzialkosky reads as follows:

Army Serial Number:  31511069
Name:  Niedzialkosky Bernard P
Residence: State:  Massachusetts
Residence: County:  Worcester
Place of Enlistment:  Ft Banks Boston Massachusetts
Date of Enlistment Day:  08
Date of Enlistment Month:  05
Date of Enlistment Year:  46
Grade: Alpha Designation:  Private
Grade:  Code:  Private
Branch: Alpha Designation: Â No branch assignment
Branch: Code:  No branch assignment
Field Use as Desired:  #
Term of Enlistment:  Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Longevity:  ###
Source of Army Personnel:  Civil Life
Nativity:  Massachusetts
Year of Birth:  28
Race and Citizenship:  White, citizen
Education:  Grammar school
Civilian Occupation:  Gunsmith* (Armorer.) or Diesel Mechanic (Automobile mechanic, Diesel engine.) or Camera Repairman (Camera repairman, still camera.) or Instrument Repairman, Nonelectrical (Instrument maker.) or Utility Repairman (Mechanic, general.) or Equipment Maintenance Man, Motion Picture (Motion picture equipment repairman.) or Radio Repairman* (Radio electrician.) or Office machine Serviceman or Electric Motor Repairman or Refrigeration Mechanic* or Shop Maintenance Mechanic or Master Mechanic or Locksmith* or Calker
Marital Status:  Single, without dependents
Component of the Army:  Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Card Number:  #
Box Number:  0451
Film Reel Number:  3.173

For my own files, I copied the records, reduced the font size and the table cell size so each record would fit on one page, and converted the files to PDF .  Click on the links to see the PDF files for the World War II Army Enlistment Record for Edward W. Niedzialkosky – 1942 and the World War II Army Enlistment Record for Bernard P. Niedzialkosky – 1946.

On his blog, Joe Beine explains the origin of this database .  These particular records are of great value since a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in Saint Louis destroyed about 80% of the records for US Army personnel discharged between November 1, 1912 and January 1, 1960.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

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Top Ten Reasons The Genealogue is Better Than Your Morning Cup of Coffee

Posted on October 1, 2006 by Steve

The Genealogue is one of the genealogy blogs read regularly, and I’ve set up an RSS feed to be alerted to new posts .  The author, Chris Dunham, warns that the site contains “Genealogy News You Can’t Possibly Use” .  Here are the top ten reasons The Genealogue is better than your morning cup of coffee:

10 .  Chris Dunham is descended from not one, but two Salem witches.

9 .  When Chris leaves for vacation, he not only notifies his readers that he will be away from the computer, but he provides directions and a detailed map if one needs to find him in an emergency.

8 .  Chris doesn’t pretend to know everything, except of course that which he, himself invents.

7 .  The Genealogue has participated in Censuswhacking.

6 .  Like Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak’s contest to find out what happened to Annie Moore, The Genealogue has launched a immigration research contest and has offered a fabulous reward for the lucky person who discovers Where’s Arne?

5 .  Chris Dunham’s profile shows that his occupation is “Unprofessional Genealogist” .  Of course, that still doesn’t compare with the occupation of Alfred Goold, whose occupation is listed in the 1901 British Census as “living on condensed milk”.

4 .  Chris is the proud author of The Genealogist’s Glossary, described as “Recommended for every family historian who has ever laughed at the archives or giggled in a cemetery”.

3 .  The Genealogue’s Top Ten Lists provide valuable guidance that genealogists knew they never needed . Â Cases in point are the Top Ten Genealogist Pick Up Lines and the Top Ten Ways to Make Genealogy More Exciting.

2 .  The Genealogue Exclusive in which Chris interviewed Annie Moore is the best piece of genealogical journalism on the net .  Chris even managed to scoop The National Enquirer and The Weekly World News on this one!

1 .  Caffeine has been shown to increase blood pressure .  The Genealogue has been shown in unsupervised, uncontrolled, non-clinical studies to lower blood pressure .  We all want to make sure you live long enough to finish your genealogy.

 

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The Big Book of Names

Posted on September 30, 2006 by Steve

After my recent posts where I mentioned that my grandfather listed his mother with two different names in two different documents (Xaveria Zygmuntowicz on his Certificate of Marriage and Ksavera Napierkowski on his Application for a Social Security Account Number), I received an email from Drew Smith of the Genealogy Guys Podcast.

Drew found a site with a wealth of information about Polish given names.  The site is part of a Polish e-card site and is called Wielka księga imion or The Big Book of Names.  In Polish, the word imię is the nominative singular form of the English word name, and imion is the genitive plural form, translated as of names.  Imię specifically refers to first names or given names.

Drew Smith provided me with a direct link to the name Ksawera.  I’ll translate the information on that page here:

The Big Book of Names

KSAWERA

Feminine form of the first name – Ksawery.  Diminutives: Kszwerka, Ksawercia.  Other forms: Ksaweryna.  Foreign forms: Xavera, Xaveria (Latin), Xaviera, Xavier (English), Xaveria (German), Xavií¨re (French), Javiera (Spanish), Saceria (Italian), Ksaverija, Ksavera (Southern Lexicon).

Since the name Ksawera is the feminine form of the name Ksawery, I also took a look at the page for Ksawery, which provides a whole lot more information:

The Big Book of Names

KSAWERY

Nickname of Saint Francis, apostle in India, originating from the name of the place of his birth, the castle Xavier in Spain.  Often suitable as a second name in combination – Franciszek Ksawery [Francis Xavier].  Diminutives: Ksawerek.  Other forms: Ksaweryn, Zawery.  Foreign forms: Xaverius (Latin), Xavier (English), Xaver, Xavierius (German), Xavier (French), Javier, Xavier (Spanish), Saverio (Italian), Ksaverij, Saverij (Russian), Xaver (Czech, Slovak), Ksaver, Ksaverije, Saver (Southern Lexicon).  Feminine form: Ksawera, Ksaweryna.

SURNAMES:

Ksawer, Ksawera, Ksaweryna, Ksaweyński

PATRON:

Św. Franciszek Ksawery [Saint Francis Xavier]

WELL-KNOWN PERSONAGES:

Paweł Ksawery Brzostowski, initiator of peasant reforms (March 30, 1739-November 17, 1827).  Franciszek Ksawery Dmochowski, polish painter (December 2, 1762 – June 20, 1827). Ksawery Bronikowksi, Polish journalist and statesman (1796-1852).  Ksawery Pillati, polish painter and draftsman (1843-January 31, 1902).  Frances Xavier Cabrini, first saint in the USA (July 15, 1850 – December 22, 1917).  Franz Xaver Josef Conrad, Austrian field marshal (November 11, 1851 – August 25, 1925).  Franciszek Ksawery Brziński, Polish composer (September 6, 1867 – August 6, 1944).  Ksawery Franciszek Prauss, activist Polish Socialist Party, co-organizer Association of the University of Workers (November 1874 – December 14, 1925).  Xawery Dunikowski, Polish sculptor (November 24, 1875 – January 26, 1964).  Ksawery Pruszyński, Polish writer (December 4, 1907 – June 13, 1950).  Javier Perez de Cuellar, was the Secretary General of the United Nations Organization (born January 19, 1920).

HEROES OF ART:

Ksawery Horsztyński in the tragedy of J. Słowackiego Horsztyński (1835).  Ksawery Biliński in the three-volume novel Fame and Glory of J. Iwaszkiewicz (1956-62).  Ksawery Kopystka in Of a Bag of Wheat of S. Czernik.

IN POETRY:

There were times, Xavier, where sleepy dreams
Superstition commanded to pick up the world for a gift display.
The age of reason and faith overthrew the altar,
Which the superstition of the idle once dedicated in a dream.

-Cyprian Godebski, “Dream”

I have to admit, my ability to translate Polish poetry is pretty weak.  Translating poetry is an art, and I’m sure I haven’t adequately conveyed the intent of the poet in the translation above.

Even though the site is in Polish, it’s easy to find the equivalent of Polish names in other languages, diminutive forms of the names,  other forms of the names, and masculine/feminine equivalents.  The Polish abbreviations for other languages, as used on this site are:

  • łac. = Latin
  • ang. = English
  • niem. = German
  • fr. = French
  • hiszp. = Spanish
  • wł. = Italian
  • ros. = Russian
  • czes. = Czech
  • słowac. = Slovak

I’ll be spending some more time on this site, looking up other names of my Polish Ancestors.

And, finally, thanks to Jasia of Creative Gene who provided a third hypothesis to explain why my great grandmother seems to have had two different maiden names .  The Big Book of Names provides an entry for Janina, showing the diminutive form Jasia.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

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Don’t Believe Everything You Read – Or Should You?

Posted on September 29, 2006 by Steve

Yesterday, I posted the Marriage Certificate for my grandparents, Kostanty Niedzialkowski and Helena Chmielewska .  In that document, my grandfather listed his parents as Theophil Niedzialkowski and Xaveria Zygmuntowicz .  I found one other record for my grandfather that also lists the names of his parents – Kostanty’s Application for a Social Security Account Number (SS-5).

SS-5 for Kostanty Niedzialkowski

Kostanty Niedzialkowski’s SS-5

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Application for a Social Security Account Number for Kostanty niedzialkowski – 1936 .  The record states that:

  • Kostanty Niedzialkowski received Social Security Number 034-09-4891
  • He was living at 18 Huntington Avenue, Worcester, Massachusetts
  • Kostanty was working for Worcester pressed Steel, 100 Barber Avenue in Worcester
  • He was born on October 28, 1892 in Poland and was 44 years old in 1936 when he applied for his Social Security Account Number
  • His parents were Teofil Niedzialkowski and Ksavera Napierkowski
  • He was a white male

In this document, Kostanty stated that his mother was Ksavera Napierkowski .  However, in his Marriage Certificate, he stated that his mother was Xaveria Zygmuntowicz .  What’s going on here?

Did Kostanty forget his mother’s maiden name in one or both of these documents and simply guess at her name?  The first name could be different spellings of the same name in both documents – Xaveria and Ksavera – but there is no way the surname could be variants of the same name.

Is the name of Kostanty’s mother incorrect on one of these documents?  If so, which one?

Clearly, the document that would answer this question is Kostanty’s Birth and Baptismal Record from Poland .  Unfortunately, I could not find his Birth and Baptismal Record in the Parish Records where he said he was born, nor could I find the Marriage Record for his parents.

I did find Birth and Baptismal Records for what appear to be two brothers and a sister, and these three records list the mother as Ksawera Zygmuntowicz .  However, this is not clear evidence that Kostanty’s mother was the same woman.

Here are two hypotheses on the correct name of Kostanty’s mother . Â The first assumes that only one of the two documents is correct and the second assumes that both documents are correct:

  1. Kostanty’s mother’s maiden name was Ksavera Zygmuntowicz and he simply made a mistake on his SS-5
  2. Kostanty’s mother was married twice, meaning that either Napierkowski or Zygmuntowicz was her maiden name, and the other name was the surname of her first husband

The only Szwelice parish records where I found the surname Zygmuntowicz were the Birth and Baptismal Records for Kostanty’s brothers and sister .  In Szwelice, the surname Napierkowski is extremely common .  At this point, I assume that Ksawera was from a different parish, and that Teofil married Ksawera and the couple gave birth to Kostanty in Ksawera’s parish, not in Szwelice .  Which parish that was, I have no idea.

This document contains two other interesting facts .  Kostanty was working for Worcester Pressed Steel in 1936 .  He continued to work at Worcester Pressed Steel until he retired in 1961 .  In 1936, the family was living at 18 Huntington Avenue in Worcester .  This house was owned by Kostanty’s uncle, Frank Niedzialkosky.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

Posted in Niedziałkowski, Zygmuntowicz | 4 Comments

The Marriage of Constantine Niedzialkowski & Helena Chmielewska

Posted on September 28, 2006 by Steve

My grandparents, Helena Chmielewska and Kostanty Niedzialkowski, were called “Ma and Pa” by their descendants .  The proper Polish spelling of Pa’s name was Konstanty Niedziałkowski, but for most of his life he spelled his name Kostanty Niedzialkowski .  For his marriage record, he used the English equivalent of his first name: Constantine.

The Marriage Certificate of Constantine Niedzialkowski and Helena Chmielewska

Marriage Certificate for Kostanty Niedzialkowski and Helen Chmielewska – 1918

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Certificate for Kostanty Niedzialkowski and Helen Chmielewska – 1918 .  This record states that:

  • Constantine Niedzialkowski, age 25, residing in Worcester, Massachusetts married Helena Chmielewska, age 22, also residing in Worcester, Massachusetts on July 10, 1918 in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • Both Constantine and Helena were white, they were both born in Poland, and they were both single at the time of this, the first marriage for each of them
  • Constantine was a machinist and Helena was a mill operative
  • Constantine’s parents were Theophil Niedzialkowski and Xaveria Zygmuntowicz
  • Helena’s parents were Vincent Chmielewski and Anastasia Wolnowska
  • The intention of marriage was entered by W Henry Towne, City or Town Clerk or Registrar, in the records of the city of Worcester on June 26, 1918 and the marriage certificate was issued on July 1, 1918
  • The couple was married by B A Bojanowski, a priest residing at 15 Richland Street in Worcester who certified that he joined Constantine and Helena in marriage in Worcester on July 10, 1918
  • The certificate was received by the city or town clerk on August 10, 1918
  • This marriage was registered no. 870, intention no. 793

The Certificate of Marriage doesn’t list the village in Poland where either Constantine or Helena was born, but at least it provides the names of their parents.

They were married by Father Bolesław A. Bojanowski, who was the fourth pastor of Our Lady of Częstochowa Church in Worcester, suggesting that Constantine and Helena were married in that church .  The 1920 US Federal Census enumerates them living in a rented apartment at 42 Perry Street in Worcester, in an area served by Our Lady of Częstochowa Church and home to Worcester’s thriving Polish community .  This area was on the east side of Worcester and was called “The Island”.

The proper Polish spellings of the names on this document are:

  • Constantine Niedzialkowski = Konstanty Niedziałkowski
  • Helena Chmielewska = Helena Chmielewska
  • Theophil Niedzialkowski = Teofil Niedziałkowski
  • Xaveria Zygmuntowicz = Ksaweria Zygmuntowicz
  • Vincent Chmielewski = Wincenty Chmielewski
  • Anastasia Wolnowska = Anastazja Wojnowska

As mentioned in previous articles, Constantine was the nephew of Frank Niedzialkosky  This means that Constantine’s father Theophil was Frank’s brother, and Theophil’s parents were Wojciech Niedziałkowski and Julianna Gutowska.

Tomorrow:  Not everything on an official document is necessarily correct – or is it?

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

Posted in Chmielewski/Meleski, Niedziałkowski, Wojnowski, Zygmuntowicz | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Marriage of Frank Niedzialkowski and Cecilia Bonislawski

Posted on September 27, 2006 by Steve

My great-great uncle Frank Niedzialkowski married Cecilia Bonislawski in 1904 . Â Certified copies of Massachusetts vital records are available from three places:  records after 1915 are kept at the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester, records up through 1915 are kept at the Massachusetts Archives in Dorchester, and all records for a particular town are maintained at the town level .  In Worcester, Massachusetts, the Worcester City Clerk has copies of the vital records from 1686 to the present.

In addition to these records, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City has various microfilmed copies of Massachusetts vital records up through 1910 .  The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in Boston has microfilmed copies of Massachusetts Vital Record in their library in Boston, and has an online index and some digital images of Massachusetts Vital Records up through 1910 on their website (access is restricted to members of the NEHGS).

I obtained a copy of the marriage record for Frank Niedzialkowski and Cecilia Bonislawski from the Massachusetts Archives .  The cost for a Certified Copy of the Record of Marriage from the Massachusetts Archives was $3 .  The City of Worcester charges $8 for the same record if ordered in person, $11 if ordered by mail .  The Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics charges $18 for records ordered in person and $28 for records ordered by mail.

The Massachusetts Archives not only provided a Certified Copy of the Record of Marriage, but they also provided a photocopy of the relevant page from the original record book .  Frank and Cecilia’s marriage is recorded as the last record at the bottom of page 483 in the original record book.

copy of the Marriage Records of Frank Niedzialkowski and Cecilia Bonislawski - 1904

Marriage Records of Frank Niedzialkowski and Cecilia Bonislawski – 1904

Original Record of Marriage of Frank Niedzialkowski and Cecilia Bonislawski

Copy of the Original Record Book

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Records of Frank Niedzialkowski and Cecilia Bonislawski – 1904 .  The records show that:

  • Frank Niedzialkowski, age 28, and Cecilia Bonislawski, age 18, were married in the City of Worcester on August 17, 1904
  • Frank was a Weaver born in Russia Poland and his parents were Adalbert Niedzialkowski and Julia Gutowska
  • Cecilia was an Operative born in Russia Poland and her parents were Adam Bonislawski and Petronella Niedzialkowski
  • The couple was married by John Moneta, a priest in Worcester
  • The marriage was recorded on August 26, 1904 and was entered as record number 774 on page 483 of volume 548

In this marriage record, Frank Niedzialkowski was still using the “w” in his surname .  Eventually he dropped the “w”, possibly because English-speaking people pronounced the name more correctly without the “w”.

Frank’s age in this record indicates that he was born in 1875-1876, which agrees with the date of 1876 on his Birth and Baptismal Record from Poland . Â  The names of Frank’s parents also agree with those on his Birth and Baptismal Record.

Interestingly, Cecilia’s mother’s maiden name was Niedzialkowska .  Although I don’t have any idea of where Cecilia was born, the fact that her mother’s maiden name was Niedzialkowska suggests that she may have been born in or near the same village where Frank was born .  I’ll have to search the Birth and Baptismal Records for Szwelice Parish for a Cecylia Bonislawska born in about 1885-1886.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

Posted in Daily Journal, Niedziałkowski | Comments Off on The Marriage of Frank Niedzialkowski and Cecilia Bonislawski

The Death of Frank Niedzialkosky

Posted on September 26, 2006 by Steve

My great-great uncle, Frank Niezialkosky died on 23 October 1955 at home on Tuttle Road in Sterling, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA.

Death Certificate for Frank Niedzialkosky - 1955

Death Certificate for Frank Niedzialkosky – 1955

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Death Certificate of Frank Niedzialkosky – 1955 .  The document states that:

  • Frank died at his residence on Tuttle Road in Sterling, Worcester County, Massachusetts where he had lived for 42 years
  • Frank died at 9 P.M. on October 23, 1955 of arteriosclerotic heart disease
  • He had been treated by Walter F. Crosby, M.D. from September 1, 1952 until his death
  • Frank was buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Gardner, Massachusetts on October 26, 1955 by funeral director John W. Bobka of 149 Franklin Street, Clinton, Massachusetts
  • Frank was a 78-year old, white male, married to Ceslevia Bonislawski
  • His usual occupation was that of a moulder in a steel foundry
  • His Social Security Number was not obtainable
  • Frank was born in Poland, and was the son of Wojciech Niedzialkosky and Julia Gutowska, both born in Poland
  • The informant of Frank’s death was his wife, Ceslavia Niedzialkosky, Tuttle Road, Sterling

This record is of great importance in tracing both my own ancestors and those of Frank’s descendants, because it lists the names of Frank’s parents, and Frank’s parents are my great-great-grandparents.

The information on this record agrees with that on Frank’s Birth and Baptismal Record:

  • The Birth and Baptismal Record shows that Frank Niedzialkosky’s name at birth was Franciszek Niedziałkowski
  • The Birth and Baptismal Record shows that Frank was born in 1876; the Death Certificate shows that he was born in 1876-1877
  • The Birth and Baptismal Record shows that Frank’s parents were Wojciech Niedziałkowski and Julianna Gutowska; the Death Certificate lists the parents as Wojciech Niedzialkosky and Julia Gutowska

Frank’s place of death was Tuttle Road in Sterling, Massachusetts, and so he died at his farm, called Sky Farm .  I don’t know why the farm was named Sky Farm .  Perhaps one of Frank’s direct descendants knows.

The entry for Frank’s Social Security Number states “no obtainable” .  Since Frank’s usual occupation was listed as “moulder, steel factory”, I would expect that Frank would have been required to apply for a Social Security Number, but the number is not listed on this Death Certificate .  I also find it interesting that, although Frank owned a farm, his usual occupation was a moulder in a steel factory.

The Death Certificate shows that Frank was born in Poland, but does not specify where in Poland .  Without a more specific location, it would be impossible to find Polish records for Frank and his ancestors .  Fortunately, I knew that my grandfather was from Pomoski, a village that was part of the Szwelice Parish in the Łomża Gubernia in Kingdom Poland, and that’s exactly where I found Frank’s Birth and Baptismal Record.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

Posted in Bonisławski, Gutowski, Niedziałkowski | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Birth and Baptism of Franciszek Niedziałkowski

Posted on September 25, 2006 by Steve

When my grandfather Kostanty Niedziałkowski came to America, he stayed with his Uncle Franciszek Niedziałkowski in Worcester, Massachusetts .  Franciszek generally used the name Frank Niedzialkoski in the United States, dropping the “w” from the surname.

I found the Birth and Baptismal Record for Franciszek in the Szwelice Parish, north of Warsaw .  As with other documents from Kingdom Poland (the Russian Partition) during the late 19th century, this document is in Russian.

Birth and Baptismal Record for Franciszek Niedzialkowski

Birth and Baptismal Record for Franciszek Niedziałkowski

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record for Franciszek Niedziałkowski – 1876 .  I wasn’t able to transcribe and translate the entire document .  I’m not familiar with some of the words used in this document, and some of the words are fairly illegible .  Nonetheless, I was able to determine that:

  • Franciszek was born in the village of Pomoski on the 8th day of an illegible month in the year 1876
  • Franciszek was baptized in the Szwelice parish on the 13th day of an illegible month in the year 1876 at 1 PM
  • Franciszek’s parents were Wojciech (Adalbert) Niedziałkowski and Julianna Gutowska, both age 40
  • Franciszek’s godparents were Franciszek Niedziałkowski and Józefa Niedziałkowska
  • Stanisław Kudkowski was present at the baptism
  • The priest who baptized Francizek was a Father Gutkowski

Wojciech Niedziałkowski had a brother Franciszek . Â Wojciech may have named his son after his brother and asked his brother to be the godfather of his child .  Wojciech’s brother was born in 1842, and the Franciszek named as the godfather is about the right age.

I’ll have to work on this document some more to try to decipher the month of birth .  I may need to go back to the original microfilm and look at other documents written by this priest in order to figure this out.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

Posted in Gutowski, Niedziałkowski | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Marriage of Andrzej Chodkowski and Marianna Mossakowska

Posted on September 24, 2006 by Steve

The earliest recorded Birth and Baptismal Record that I’ve found for any of my ancestors was that for Cecylia Chodkowska, recorded in 1767 .  However, I’ve found her parents’ Marriage Record, making this marriage record the earliest record that I’ve yet found for any of my ancestors.

The Marriage Record of Andrzej Chodkowski and Marianna Mossakowska - 1741

The Marriage Record of Andrzej Chodkowski and Marianna Mossakowska - 1741

The entire page, shown above, contains one marriage and a whole lot of deaths (on the right-hand side of the page) .  Click on the image to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Record of Andrzej Chodkowski and Marianna Mossakowska.

I wasn’t able to translate the entire record .  Some of the words were illegible, crossed out, or not in my dictionaries .  Nonetheless, I can understand the basic information in the record .  This record states that:

  • The marriage of Andrzej Chodkowski and Marianna Mossakowska took place in Krasne
  • Karol Kucharski from the Krasne Parish officiated at the wedding
  • The wedding took place on February 13, 174[1]
  • The witnesses were Józef Milewski, Paweł Krepki and Antoni Krepki

The exact year of the marriage is illegible, but looks like 1741 .  The witnesses all appear to be men .  The final line of the document apparently refers to edits in the record made by the priest.

My Latin dictionary doesn’t include words from Church Latin, so I think a dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin will be one of my next genealogy purchases .  I also need to take another look at these records .  Perhaps some of the other marriage records from this time and place will help me decipher the rest of the document.

UPDATE 18 Oct 2009: I have changed the spelling of the groom’s surname from Chotkowski to Chodkowski to reflect the spelling used by most descendants of this line.

Copyright © 2006-2009 by Stephen J. Danko

Posted in Chodkowski, Mossakowski | Tagged | 1 Comment