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Archiver > NJHUNTER > 2004-05 > 1085759943


From: john newman <>
Subject: Re: [NJHUNTER] Polish ancestors
Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 08:59:03 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <20040528152317.14270.qmail@web60906.mail.yahoo.com>


Also, as for surname alternative spellings... if the surname ends with "-ski" you should realize that the proper ending for a female is "-ska" and this seems to be done on the Ellis Island database on an irregular basis - going back and forth from "-ski" and "-ska".

Also, Alice's recent post reminded me of a techique I used to narrow down my search. probably in the later 1890s and then throughout, the ship manifest often asked what town the passenger had lived in. Since some of the surnames I was researching were uncommon - like "Wieszczek" I was able to pinpoint a small area in Galicia, Poland where the family most likely came from. Eventually, I discovered my ancestor through a mis-spelling, and my method was proven right. I also came across other relatives this way, as later passenger lists asked who you would be staying with when you arrived, and a few gave my ancestor's name, the relation, and even the street address.

Sharon and Harry <> wrote:
John, you're absolutely right about the spelling. I couldn't find Harry's father and his family and I KNEW they came through Ellis Island. One night I was awake and couldn't get to sleep and it came to me that the spelling was wrong. Instead of ColQuhoun, they had input ColGuhoun. I should have known as much of our mail comes to us addressed wrong! Sure enough - there they all were. Sometimes the people at Ellis Island or those on the ships filling out the ship manifest must have "corrected" the names they thought couldn't possibly be spelled that way!

Sharon

john newman wrote:
the problem with Ellis Island is the variations on the spellings. I have Polish ancestors that I have been able to track through the site, but it was difficult. What was the surname? Also, you have to remember that Poland was divided into three pieces: Germany, Austria and Russia all had a share and there was no Poland at that time. Russia tried to get rid of polish culture, so if your ancestors were from that area, they may have russian-ized spellings. For example, Polish has no "v" - the "w" has the "v' sound - a russian variation of the name may have a "v" instead of a "w."

Also, you have to realize that the date of imigration on the census is not usually correct. Even naturalization papers do not seem to have the correct dates. So I would suggest expanding the year of immigration as well as looking at variations on the name.

Also try http://www.polishroots.com/ and look at their newsletter gen dobry for some help.

Sharon Smith wrote:
I have a question on the same line--
what year are you speaking of the German empire?
my grandmother came over from POLAND and I can not find her on any
passenger or immigration list--
not on the Ellis island database--
but from the census I know she came over in 1912 when she was 8 years old.
any help as where to look?


> [Original Message]
> From: Alice
> To:
> Date: 5/25/2004 3:26:50 PM
> Subject: Re: [NJHUNTER] MOCULAK, STANLEY U.S. Navy vs. Census
>
> Possibly I can shed some light on this although I am not an expert...
In
> researching a part of my family that immigrated from what is now Silesia
> Poland and was, when they immigrated, Prussia, or to be a bit more exact
> part of the German empire....I was given a document that had belonged to a
> relative that shows that he was not a citizen of this country and if it
> looked like they came from Germany during world war 1 they had to go to
the
> post office where they lived and register. They were given a document
that
> says they were an "enemy alien"
> (I have his copy) and they must have this document on themselves at all
> times...I would assume from this information that I have that your
relative
> had not become a citizen and would not have been allowed to inlist if he
> gave his birth place ..And perhaps the family did not want anyone to know
> they had not gone through the citizenship process..I would imagine that
you
> could check his military record the way you would anyone else though. I
> would suspect there are others who found themselves in similar
circumstances
> who wanted to serve and I have heard of many who fibbed about there ages..
> I hope this little bit of information may help you to solve the mystery...
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
> To:
> Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 12:29 PM
> Subject: [NJHUNTER] MOCULAK, STANLEY U.S. Navy vs. Census
>
>
> > Hi List,
> >
> > I am confussed about this & hoping someone can offer some reason as to
> why.
> >
> > I have a distant relation STANLEY J. MOCULAK fom NJ. In the 1920
Census
> he appears in the U.S. Naval Operating Base in Norfolk, Virginia.
> > .............
> > First: he gives his age as 22, instead of 19/20 (born 10/28/1901)
> >
> > Second: states he was born in NJ (was born in Poland)
> >
> > Third: states parents were born in Penn. (they both were born in
> Russia, Republic of Poland - states so in Death Cert. too)
> >
> > Fourth: I do have a picture of him in the Navy that he sent my great
> grandparents. So I do know he was in the Navy & this was confirmed by a
> relation that knows some things about my great grandparents + children.
> >
> > Fifth: his Death Certificates states he was never in the Armed
Service
> (which I know for a fact that he was in the Navy)
> > ..............
> > Didn't the Navy do any checking prior to having men in the service?
> >
> > Is there anyplace I can check this out?
> >
> > I know it would not be a child of his.
> >
> > Thanks for any suggestions and/or help.
> >
> > Jan
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ==== NJHUNTER Mailing List ====
> > Visit the Updated Hunterdon County GenWeb page at:
> > http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter
> >
> > ==============================
> > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration
> > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more.
> > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> ==== NJHUNTER Mailing List ====
> Visit the Updated Hunterdon County GenWeb page at:
> http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter
>
> ==============================
> Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration
> Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more.
> http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237



==== NJHUNTER Mailing List ====
Visit the Updated Hunterdon County GenWeb page at:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter

==============================
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Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more.
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==== NJHUNTER Mailing List ====
Visit the Updated Hunterdon County GenWeb page at:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter

==============================
Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration
Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more.
http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237



Harry and Sharon Moore Colquhoun
Belle Mead, NJ

Our family website
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hscc/

Website for The Griggstown Reformed Church:http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~griggstown/



---------------------------------
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==== NJHUNTER Mailing List ====
Visit the Updated Hunterdon County GenWeb page at:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter

==============================
Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration
Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more.
http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237


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