It's Their Story Stupid !........

               

     For over a decade I have been using Ancestry among other sources and devices to collect all of the information that I possibly could about my family here in the States.  Names are not always the same.  Neither are labels.  Even old stories must stay suspect but far more interesting than loosely collected, always suspect, "facts". 

       Seeking truths that compel you to feel like you know your ancestor personally.  That you find compelling similarities between you even though you have occupied the same place a hundred years apart.  Those are the things that should move you forward on your family tree.  

          Let me share with you an example.  An immigrant on my tree became a successful business man.  He married but his wife and he failed to produce children before she tragically died.  He was broken, wealthy man.  So he "arranged" a second wife for himself via an arranged marriage at the cost of $10,000 prenup.  He had two lovely daughters, although one mysteriously has no Birth Certificate......and the story goes on with drama after a mystery, and a mystery after a drama. 

      I must leave the boredom of statistics and develop what I have uncovered as their unique life stories.  I hope that you will come back to enjoy reading them as much as I have enjoyed discovering them.  CAJ

                

  Next:  Sister Stories             

Luck, Sweat, and Cheers

      Have you ever had one of those "I know her." moments?  Well, I did the moment I saw this lower picture that my Serafin cousins sent to me.  They had asked me to help identify the people in it.  The Bride was the one that pushed my button.  She was in my photo.  She was seated in the corner of my "Brzezinski Party Photo".   A bottle in her hand instead of flowers but the hair...that hair was the same. So if she was in my photo, was her groom? Yup, seated on the floor.  So if he wasn't seated with his bride was the top photo a pre-party or post-party photo?  The only way to find out was to find out who got married and when.

         The beauty with all the hair acting as a witness was Anna Markiewicz Serafin.  Using her hair you can see her in the back row of the Brzezinski photo.   

     So "Anna Markiewicz" was the only identifiable person in this wedding party.  What did I know for sure about Anna?  I already had the date of her arrival from what was then considered Russia.

   It reads: 18 Yr old unmarried servant girl Anna Markewicz was born in Russia.  Her mother Emelia remains and her father is already in the U.S..  Final destination is JACKSON, Michigan.  Her Arrival Date: April 30, 1912

   So this tells me that both events in the photos occurred after that date.  Time to comb through all the marriage licenses in Jackson County starting in April 1912 for a marriage with at least one Russian Pole and Anna Markiewicz as witness.  Thank goodness for computers.  Seeing the actual written recording of the marriage in the bottom photo was exciting to say the least.

      

 

Minor Players?

 

So here we are back at the original photo of "The Party".   Kind of like "Finding Waldo" try and find the the folks who are in BOTH these photos.  Identifying those people completed the puzzle.  (One more photo to come so check back.)

The Beginning.......And The End.....

    

“Move Along !” came the cry of the ship’s steward. A river of human beings pushed and shoved their way up the sagging gang plank.  Third class accommodations aboard the Saale was obviously going to be crowded. Each passenger was an emigrant heading off to a land they did not know with only what belongings they could carry.

People were grumbling in all sorts of languages. Screams and sobs were mixed in along with the barely audible wailing of a very small infant. His name was Bernard and he was but six weeks old. Bundled in a woven bag that would serve as both carrier and cradle he dangled around his mother’s neck. His father Juljan could not get his mother to relinquish him so that her husband could hold him higher in the fresh air.  So he did what he could by placing himself as a barrier between his family and possible miscreants or diseased in the group. His one arm tightly held her waist so they could not be separated. His other arm and back were loaded as a pack mule with as many supplies as he could carry for his wife and first born son.

Suddenly there came loud crash from farther up the gangplank.  Another passenger’s suitcase which he had been carrying on his head tumble down toward the little family and out of instinct Juljan covered his wife and son with his own body.  The case lost its’ momentum and landed on the back of an old German man who went to his knees in pain. Only the quick arms of fellow passengers kept him from falling overboard.

Maryanna could feel Julian’s grip on her waist just under Bernie tighten and surprisingly it calmed her just a bit. She was forced to admit herself that her own Father had been right. A woman traveling alone to America was a very dangerous thing to do.

 “Mrs. Kurzynowski...  I want to ask you one last time if you are sure you want this? Your husband has gone to extraordinary measures to save your marriage.” Her lawyer translated for her just as he had done through two years of litigation. She looked directly at the judge and pronounced as firmly as she could, “Yes”. Maybe now Julian would stop asking her to remarry him and she could go on with her life as the independent woman she was born to be. 

 The divorce was granted and a notation was placed on the paperwork requesting to keep this news out of the local paper. Being labeled a “divorcee” in 1920 carried a stigma that gave energy to wagging tongues and inspiration to small minds. All of which Maryanna hoped would disappear with the healing salve of time. As for all the pain, arguments, and secrets, their memory would fade too.  She would surround herself with her children and grandchildren and run her  store. Julian would have to just move on alone.

Author's copyright 2012

 

Smile ! ..........Evolution Part 2

SMILE !  Family photos have been the source of great pride and angst since the invention of the camera.  Usually at the same time.

Just behind Joe Brezinski, with her hand on his shoulder is Helen Kurzynowski.  Dangling his hand over Helen's shoulder is Joseph Kurzynowski, and to the right is the eldest brother Bernard Kurzynowski. 

   

Joseph Kurzynowski moved to Grand Rapids.  Became a Labor Lawyer married and had one son.

Helen Kurzynowski married, was widowed, became a nurse.  She had two children.

Bernard Kurzynowski served in WWI, started his own business, married and had two children.

Definitely appears to be a family get together.

*Take special note of the beautiful lady seated at the bottom corner of the photo.  

                                          

 

PUZZLES.....DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THEM??????????

 

This is the backdrop for my Blog.  The photos below help to solve the mysteries surrounding it.

Try to identify as many folks in the picture above by using the photos below.  Hints and Facts to Come.....

                                                          FOLLOW FOR ANSWERS........

First Puzzle Pieces

This is part of the photograph that makes up the backdrop for this blog. The photo that has "haunted" me for over a decade. I have copied it.  I have dissected it. Thanks to some good people who are both family and friends that I made along the way; I can now say, "I think I have the photo's origins and surrounding story." Or at least most of it. 

The couple seated left of center is Stella and Andrew Brzezinski and since the photo was found in the attic of a member of the Brzezinski family it seemed a safe assumption that this was a celebration surrounding their wedding. 

Stella Kurzynowski was born November 28, 1897 in Jackson, Michigan.  She was the eldest daughter of Juljan Kurzynowski and Mary Chlebus Kurzynowski, Russian Poles from Suwalki who came to the U.S. in May of 1892 with their infant son Bernard.

Andrew Brzezinski was born in Poland on November 22, 1892 and arrived in the United States on August 8 1907.       * Note the reference to Blackstone St. in Jackson, Mich.

They were married on December 28, 1913 making her 16 and him 21.  They lived long happy lives and produced many children, Grandchildren, and Great-Grandchildren.

The rest of the individuals will be identified as time goes on and I can add more facts that have led to my ultimate conclusions about not only this photo but others and the amazing story of my family behind it.

Just a quick side note;  I had the good fortune to visit with the Brzezinski's son, Joe when I first started my dive into my family's past in Jackson. (2007)  This is what he had to say about his mother:  

Me:  Your Mother was very beautiful.

Joe:  Yes, yes she was and she knew it. LOL

Me:   How About your Grandmother?  What do you remember about her?

Joe:  I was told that Grandma Mary owned the first car north of Michigan Ave and she drove me in it to my Baptism at St. Joe's.

Other than that she didn't like us kids leaving the neighborhood.

Stop by again for more unraveling of the story behind the "photo from the attic".

Clue to take note of.....The year of their wedding......