Polish Genealogy- Kirklewski

[ffusiak]

With Polish records, I have found that the birth date can be +/- 3 years and marriage +/- 5 years.

The only believable records are church or civil records for their original village. I never believe a US based record. The dates correlate to those mentioned in the census as 1916. but not the article. I would try to try to locate the naturalization document to rule it out.

Wilny and variation of it are actually current day Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. There are a number records in Family Search (not indexed); however, you need to know the parish and understand Cyrrilic / Russian. Lastly, your GGM parents villages are in proximity to the Lithuania border.

[poliquie]

What census are you referencing that the dates correlate? I only found a 1920 census record for my GGF and it was as a boarder in New Britain CT. Based on that record, my birthdate of 1893 is correct and it shows his immigration as being 1913. He served in the military in 1918-1919 and lived in New Britain until his death in 1929.

I am not sure of his whereabouts from 1913-1918, but his brother lived in CT, so it’s possible he lived with them. His brother married in CT and so did my GGF and GGM and I have both of their marriage records.

As I shared there are definitely two Anthony’s and my guess is they are first cousins due to naming patterns.

As for the records for Vilnius I can check it out. My dad went to language school in the military and speaks Russian

[poliquie]

Another hint to the 1913 immigration Year is the fact that his brother Albert/Albin married his wife Anna in Nov 1913. My guess is the two brothers came to the US close to the same time.

[ffusiak]

I made a mistake with the census record reference.

I did locate Anna naturalization record - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... at=1491326

and Albin's - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... at=1491326. - Albin's was born in Merecz which is now Merkine, Lithuania

[ffusiak]

With this new information, you may want to concentrate on the church records for Poland, Wilno, Merecz (Wilno-Troki)

- https://www.familysearch.org/search/cat ... ,912869-50

[poliquie]

Will definitely check out the church records. I wonder what your thoughts are regarding Anna’s name upon entering the USA. It says she came to the US as Paulina Czarnecka. I wonder about this because my GGM first husband was Jan Czarniecki and I didn’t know if there was a relationship? However Anna uses the name Anna Raczkowska on her marriage record. Any thoughts?

[ffusiak]

Looking on the shipping manifest - https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/74 ... _1555-0194

I suspect she may have been married, but the manifest has her listed as a male and single. I suspect this because her father surname is listed with a different surname that I looks like Raczkowska.

On the marriage records, do they indicate if she was married previously. This is sometimes indicate on the church record but not the civil record. Do you have both records? If not, do you know the church where they were married.

[poliquie]

Great find but I think you are mistaken regarding it listing her father as contact. If you look closer it lists mother as something Czarnecka and if you look at the 2nd page of the manifest it says her US contact is her brother in New Britain and his name appears to be Jan Czarniecki! This may be another mystery solved.

However according to her marriage certificate her mothers name was Franscika Taraszwig and father Peter Raczkowski. Based on her license it was first marriage for both Anna and Albin. I wonder if she used someone else’ passage to the US.

[poliquie]

I would assume they married at Sacred Heart church in New Britain

[ffusiak]

First, I would check with Sacred Heart Church (http://sacredheartnb.org/forms/contact) and ask them if they have a copy of their marriage record. I do not see any records on-line. (On the marriage certificate, you can Google the name of the officiant name or address and see if it correlates with the church).

Secondly, I went to check the National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/research) to see if she had an A-file (Alien Registration File), but the website does not appear to be working correctly.

As a side note, yes - it possible she came under someelse's passport. My GM actually enter the US under a neighbor's passport, it was family folklore because she would never speak about it. After her death, a family friend mention that she came over with her GP and my search began.

It took me 7 years to find her. I did some FOIA request and finally found her. Now many of the A-files indexes are on-line. I got over 50 pages documenting it all from the National Archives.

[ffusiak]

Here is Albin's arrival ship manifest - https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/74 ... PUBJs=true

[poliquie]

What location is the main contact for the national archives office? How did you find out about alien registration file? I never even knew there was a place to look up that info??

What in the world did the 50 pages from the archives contain? It sounds like it would be a book?

[ffusiak]

I am not sure where the main office is located or where they store the records. I actually got my information before the indexes were on-line at their website. I did multiple Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) for all the young female arriving on specific ship that met my GM criteria and they found it. I have used the site for other information, but they are slow - 2-4 months typically. You may actually forget that you requested information.

The information had her arrival documentation, the alias and some miscellaneous information on her arrival, then all her employment information, residency documentation and letters of recommendation.

She would as a cleaning lady for a Wall Street bank and the CEO and executives liked her. The laws changed and she need a social security card; thus the bank helped her complete paperwork. It took her five years from start to finish to become a permanent legal alien.

Although this is interesting, the more interesting story is on her arrival she got separated from her travel companions, no English, no family and only $10 in her pocket - she was suppose to go to Troy, NY to some family friends but somehow got routed to Troy, MI. Luckily she met a family that took her in and got her to Troy, NY three months later.

[poliquie]

Wow it sounds like you gained a lot of info from your searches and the info they sent you.

Today I spent time going through all the naturalization records for 1928, on the catalog.gov sight. I looked at any Anthony that showed up even though the last name was not right. I found nothing that even remotely resembled my GGF. Do you have any suggestions at how I can effectively search records on that sight? I don’t mind taking the time to flip through the pages but didn’t know if there was an effective way to narrow my searches?

Thanks again for your help you have given me new info to use for searching

[poliquie]

Btw have you used this site to find polish records? I found a lot of my family records for one of my GGM family.

https://geneteka.genealodzy.pl/