Shete Boka National Park, Curaí§ao

Upon arriving in Curaí§ao, my first view was of a lush, verdant coastline with well-maintained houses sheltered by rocky outcrops .  Traveling across the island, however, my preconceptions about Caribbean islands as tropical rainforests were quickly shattered .  A visit to the Shete Boka National Park on the north coast of the island revealed the true nature of the island, much of which was dotted with cactus!  The rocky north coast was magnificent with spectacular views of waves crashing against the rocks.
 First View of Curaí§ao

First View of Curaí§ao

SOURCE:  First View of Curaí§ao (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.
 Landscape at Shete Boka National Park

Landscape at Shete Boka National Park

SOURCE: Â Landscape at Shete Boka National Park (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.
 Rocks and Waves

Rocks and Waves

SOURCE: Â Rocks and Waves (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.
 Steve the Explorer

Steve the Explorer

SOURCE: Â Steve the Explorer (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Felipe Carneiro on 28 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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A Pleasant Day in San Juan

While my time in San Juan, Puerto Rico was brief, it certainly was pleasant .  I stayed at the Caribe Hilton which has a beautiful property on the sea with a private beach, swimming pools, and lots of recreational options .  I could see Fort San Gerónimo from my hotel room and, down by the beach, I could see beautiful vistas out to the Caribbean .  I tried to take a photo of a school of fish in the water, but the photo looks more like abstract art than fishes .  All in all, a relaxing visit to San Juan.
 Fort San Gerónimo

Fort San Gerónimo

SOURCE:  Fort San Gerónimo (San Juan, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 26 March 2011.
 All the Little Fishies

All the Little Fishies

SOURCE:  All the Little Fishies (San Juan, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 26 March 2011.
 Looking Towards the Sea

Looking Towards the Sea

SOURCE: Â Looking Towards the Sea (San Juan, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 26 March 2011.
 Genealogist on Holiday

Genealogist on Holiday

SOURCE: Â Genealogist on Holiday (San Juan, Puerto Rico); photographed by Felipe Carneiro on 26 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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Bienvenido a San Juan

Welcome to San Juan!  My spring vacation began in San Juan, Puerto Rico .  My first order of business was to take a nap, but an evening stroll around the area of my hotel allowed me to take a number of interesting pictures .  My stay in San Juan was brief, barely over 24 hours, but it was long enough for me to realize that I might have to return to Puerto Rico for another visit!

Twilight Over the Caribbean

Twilight Over the Caribbean

SOURCE:  Twilight Over the Caribbean (San Juan, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 25 March 2011.

Sculpture at La Ventana al Mar

Sculpture at La Ventana al Mar

SOURCE:  Sculpture at La Ventana al Mar (San Juan, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 25 March 2011 . 

Public Art by the Sea

Public Art by the Sea

SOURCE:  Public Art by the Sea (San Juan, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 25 March 2011.

American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus)

American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus)

SOURCE: Â American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) (San Juan, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 26 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Death and Burial of Maryanna Dymek – 1858

Maryanna Dymek, presumed mother of Szymon Dymek and Mikołaj Dymek, daughter of unknown parents, died on 17 November 1858 in Piasutno, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland .  She was buried on 18 November 1858 in Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland.

The Death and Burial Record of Maryanna Dymek - 1858

The Death and Burial Record of Maryanna Dymek – 1858

SOURCE:  Parafia pw. Znalezienia Krzyża Św. (Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland), “Akta urodzeń 1852-1862 [Records of Deaths 1852-1862],” folio 59/56 recto, entry 145, Maryanna Dymek, 18 November 1858; filmed as Księgi metrykalne, 1771-1863; FHL INTL microfilm 0,948,383.

Click on the image above to view a higher resolution image. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Death and Burial Record of Maryanna Dymek. Translated from the Polish, the record reads:

145 Piasutno

This happened in the village of Mały Płock on the sixth / eighteenth day of November in the year one-thousand eight-hundred fifty-eight at the hour of two in the afternoon .  There appeared Szymon Dymek, forty years of age, and Mikołaj Dymek, thirty years of age, both peasant farmers residing in Piasutno, and they stated that yesterday at the hour of eight in the evening, Maryanna Dymek died in Piasutno, eighty years of age, a peasant farmer mother and widow, daughter of a family whose given names and surnames are unknown .  After visual confirmation of the death of Maryanna Dymek, this document was read aloud to the illiterate declarants and was signed by Us.
[signed] The Reverend Franciszek Sakowicz, Pastor of Mały Płock, Maintaining the Records of the Civil State

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Birth and Baptism of Józef Plona – 1857

Józef Plona, son of Józef Plona and Maryanna Dymek, was born on 17 July 1857 in Piasutno, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland. He was baptized on 18 July 1857 in the parish church in Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Plona - 1857

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Plona – 1857

SOURCE:  Parafia pw. Znalezienia Krzyża Św. (Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland), “Akta urodzeń 1852-1862 [Records of Births 1852-1862],” folio 246/234 verso, entry 138, Józef Plona, 18 July 1857; filmed as Księgi metrykalne, 1771-1863; FHL INTL microfilm 0,948,383.

Click on the image above to view a higher resolution image. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Plona. Translated from the Polish, the record reads:

Piasutno 138

This happened in the village of Mały Płock on the sixth / eighteenth day of July in the year one-thousand eight-hundred fifty-seven at the hour of four in the afternoon .  There appeared Józef Plona, a peasant farmer residing in Piasutno, thirty-six years of age, in the presence of Józef Kołdys, thirty-eight years of age, together with Paweł Kołdys, thirty years of age, both farmers from Piasutno, and he showed Us a child of the male sex, born in Piasutno yesterday at the hour of twelve noon of his wife Maryanna née Dymek, twenty-four years of age .  To this child at Holy Baptism performed on this day was given the name Józef, and his Godparents were the afore-mentioned Józef Kołdys and Agnieszka Kołdys .  This document was read aloud to the declarant father and witnesses and was signed only by Us because the declarant father and the witnesses do not know how to write.
[signed] The Reverend Franciszek Sakowicz, Head of the Parish of Mały Płock

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Birth and Baptism of Józef Dymek – 1855

Józef Dymek, son of Szymon Dymek and Rozalia Lemańska, was born on 12 August 1855 in Piasutno, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland. He was baptized on 13 August 1855 in the parish church in Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Dymek - 1855

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Dymek – 1855

SOURCE:  Parafia pw. Znalezienia Krzyża Św. (Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland), “Akta urodzeń 1852-1862 [Records of Births 1852-1862],” folio 149/139 recto, entry 144, Józef Dymek, 13 August 1855; filmed as Księgi metrykalne, 1771-1863; FHL INTL microfilm 0,948,383.

Click on the image above to view a higher resolution image. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Dymek. Translated from the Polish, the record reads:

Piasutno 144

This happened in the village of Mały Płock on the first / thirteenth day of August in the year one-thousand eight-hundred fifty-five at the hour of twelve noon .  There appeared Szymon Dymek, a peasant farmer residing in Piasutno, thirty-three years of age, in the presence of Józef Gietek, twenty-eight years of age, together with Mikołaj Dymek, thirty-one years of age, both farmers from Piasutno, and he showed Us a child of the male sex, born in Piasutno yesterday at the hour of four in the afternoon of him and his wife Rozalia née Lemańska, thirty-four years of age .  To this child at Holy Baptism performed on this day was given the name Józef, and his Godparents were the afore-mentioned Józef Gietek and Katarzyna Trzcinka .  This document was read aloud to the declarant father and witnesses who do not know how to write.
[signed] The Reverend Julius Kulisz, P[astor] of M[ały] Płock

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Birth and Baptism of Wiktor Dymek – 1862

Wiktor Dymek, son of Stanisław Dymek and Anna Milewska, was born on 24 July 1862 in Niksowizna, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland. He was baptized on 25 July 1862 in the parish church in Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Wiktor Dymek - 1862

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Wiktor Dymek – 1862

SOURCE:  Parafia pw. Znalezienia Krzyża Św. (Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland), “ Akta urodzeń 1852-1862 [Records of Births 1852-1862],” folio 248 verso, entry 185, Wiktor Dymek, 25 July 1862; filmed as Księgi metrykalne, 1771-1863; FHL INTL microfilm 0,948,383.

Click on the image above to view a higher resolution image. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Wiktor Dymek. Translated from the Polish, the record reads:

185 Niksowizna

This happened in the village of Mały Płock on the twenty-fifth day of July in the year one-thousand eight-hundred sixty-two at the hour of nine in the morning .  There appeared Stanisław Dymek, a peasant farmer, forty-three years of age, residing in Niksowizna, in the presence of Jakób Guzmieński, twenty-two years of age, together with Jan Kuza, thirty years of age, both peasant farmers from Niksowizna, and he showed Us a child of the male sex, stating that this child was born in Niksowizna yesterday at the hour of three in the afternoon of himself and his wife Anna née Milewska, forty-two years of age .  To this child at Holy Baptism on this day by the Reverend Bukowski was given the name Wiktor, and his Godparents were Wojciech and Małgorzata Milewski .  This document was read aloud to the illiterate declarant and witnesses and was signed by Us .  [signed] The Reverend Franciszek Sakowicz, Pastor of Mały Płock, Maintaining the Records of the Civil State

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Birth and Baptismal Record of Maryanna Dymek – 1855

Maryanna Dymek, daughter of Ignacy Dymek and Rozalia Chaberek, was born on 16 May 1855 in Piasutno, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland .  She was baptized on 17 May 1855 in the parish church in Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Maryanna Dymek - 1855

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Maryanna Dymek – 1855

SOURCE:  Parafia pw. Znalezienia Krzyża Św. (Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland), “ Akta urodzeń 1852-1862 [Records of Births 1852-1862],” folio 137/127 verso, entry 75, Maryanna Dymek, 17 May 1855; filmed as Księgi metrykalne, 1771-1863; FHL INTL microfilm 0,948,383.

Click on the image above to view a higher resolution image. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Maryanna Dymek. Translated from the Polish, the record reads:

Piasutno 75

This happened in the village of Mały Płock on the fifth / seventeenth day of May in the year one-thousand eight-hundred fifty-[five] ‡ at the hour of two in the afternoon .  There appeared Ignacy Dymek, a peasant farmer residing in Piasutno, thirty years of age, in the presence of Paweł Gietek, thirty years of age, together with Adam Trzcinka, forty years of age, both farmers in Piasutno, and he showed Us a child of the female sex, stating that this child was born in Piasutno yesterday at the hour of three in the morning of his wife Rozalia née Chaberek, thirty years of age .  To this child at Holy Baptism performed by Us on this day was given the name Maryanna and her Godparents were the afore-mentioned Paweł Gietek and Maryanna Trzcinka .  This document was read aloud to the declarant father and witnesses who do not know how to write.
[signed] The Reverend Juliusz Kulisz, P[astor] of M[ały] P[łock]

A marginal notation indicates that the priest left out the last digit of the year (five) when he wrote the record.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Birth and Baptism of Katarzyna Dymek – 1855

Katarzyna Dymek, daughter of Mikołaj Dymek and Maryanna Lemańska, was born on 05 August 1855 in Piasutno, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland. She was baptized on 06 August 1855 in the parish church in Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Katarzyna Dymek - 1855

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Katarzyna Dymek – 1855

SOURCE:  Parafia pw. Znalezienia Krzyża Św. (Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland), “Akta urodzeń 1852-1862 [Records of Births 1852-1862],” folio 147/137 verso, entry 135, Katarzyna Dymek, 06 August 1855; filmed as Księgi metrykalne, 1771-1863; FHL INTL microfilm 0,948,383.

Click on the image above to view a higher resolution image. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Katarzyna Dymek. Translated from the Polish, the record reads:

Piasutno 135

This happened in the village of Mały Płock on the twenty-fifth day of July / sixth day of August in the year one-thousand eight-hundred fifty-five at the hour of one in the afternoon .  There appeared Mikołaj Dymek, a peasant farmer residing in Piasutno, thirty-two years of age, in the presence of Stanisław Cieślak, twenty-six years of age, together with Antoni Kuza, forty years of age, both farmers from Piasutno, and he showed Us a child of the female sex, born in Piasutno yesterday at the hour of three in the morning of his wife Maryanna née Lemańska, thirty years of age .  To this child at Holy Baptism performed on this day was given the name Katarzyna, and her Godparents were the afore-mentioned Stanisław Cieślak and Rozalia Dymek .  This document was read aloud to the declarant father and witnesses who do not know how to write.
[signed] The Reverend Juliusz Kulisz, pas[tor] of Mały Płock

Because this couple gave birth to another daughter named Katarzyna on 11 March 1853, the first Katarzyna probably died between 11 March 1853 and 05 August 1855.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Birth and Baptism of Franciszek Dymek – 1857

Franciszek Dymek, son of Stanisław Dymek and Anna Milewska, was born on 05 January 1857 in Niksowizna, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland. He was baptized on 06 January 1857 in the parish church in Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Franciszek Dymek - 1857

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Franciszek Dymek – 1857

SOURCE:  Parafia pw. Znalezienia Krzyża Św. (Mały Płock, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland), “ Akta urodzeń 1852-1862 [Records of Births 1852-1862],” folio 224/212 recto, entry 2, Franciszek Dymek, 06 January 1857; filmed as Księgi metrykalne, 1771-1863; FHL INTL microfilm 0,948,383.

Click on the image above to view a higher resolution image. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Franciszek Dymek. Translated from the Polish, the record reads:

Niksowizna 2

This happened in the village of Mały Płock on the twenty fifth day of December in the year one-thousand eight-hundred fifty-six / sixth day of January in the year one-thousand eight-hundred fifty-seven at the hour of one in the afternoon .  There appeared Stanisław Dymek, a peasant farmer residing in Niksowizna, thirty years of age, in the presence of Łukasz Alicki, fifty years of age, together with Józef Kuza, thirty-four years of age, both farmers from Niksowizna, and he showed Us a child of the male sex, stating that this child was born in Niksowizna yesterday at the hour of seven in the morning of himself and his wife Anna née Milewska, thirty years of age .  To this child at Holy Baptism on this day was given the name Franciszek, and his Godparents were the Honorable Reverend Piotr Łuniewski and Katarzyna Grotek .  This document was read aloud to the declarant father and the witnesses and was signed only by Us .  The father and witnesses do not know how to write.
[signed] The Reverend Juliusz Kulisz, pas[tor] of Mały Płock

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

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