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Long Lost Relatives and the Treasures They Bring
In a previous post, ‘Unearthing Family Treasures: The Power of Reaching Out to Distant Relatives’, I discussed how reaching out to long lost relatives can help you further your research. Last month I was able to meet up with cousins I had never met and received the ultimate family treasure- unseen photos and a handwritten letter. Proof that reaching out can truly be a blessing personally and genealogically.
After taking the DNA test from Ancestry.com I was able to reach out to a cousin on my paternal grandfather’s side. She was born and raised on the west coast so I had never met her before. Her and her mother made a trip to Indiana to visit with some other family members and asked if I could meet up. My paternal side has always been a bit of a mystery. Why? A question I have never been able to fully answer.
We met up for lunch but what she brought me meant I suddenly had no interest in eating. She brought a photo album containing photos of family I had never seen. The icing on the cake? Photos of my grandfather. Although I knew my grandfather up until he passed 5 years ago at age 97, I never had very many photos of him. The album also held a few pictures of my father as a child.
My grandfather, Hans The Best Part
That wasn’t the best part of the heirlooms. The cousin brought a letter. A 28-page letter written by my great aunt (Hans’ sister) to her granddaughter. The letter describes her experience on the ship from Bremen, Germany to the United States. She also briefly describes the humiliation of Ellis Island and physical examinations they had to endure. Reading a first hand account of a relatives experience with immigration in the 1920’s is priceless.
An excerpt from the letter in which she describes when they left and being examined in Leipzig before departure The letter describes her jobs as a teenager in the her new country and the hardships she endured as a new wife and mother. First hand accounts truly paint a picture of the hard times my grandfather and his family had to go through to make a life here. It wasn’t easy by any means. From what I was told, my great grandmother also hated it in the United States and wanted to go back to Germany. However, we know the history of Germany in the 1930’s and 40’s so that was not even an option.
My grandfather, Hans The pictures, letter and stories I heard that day from long lost relatives is something I will always cherish. Family history comes from all of us. You can’t get the full family story from vital, immigration or military records alone. We need to keep the stories going through the bloodlines to continue. Knowing your history is know yourself.
Take the chance and reach out to family. Tip: Take a photo of all of you together when you do meet up. We forgot!
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Polish Marriage Records and The Website You Need!
Do you have deep roots in Poland? Are you looking for Polish marriage records or more information on extended family? There is a website that can help: The Poznan Project.
Spychalski Family 1912 The Poznan Project is an indexing website for 19th century marriage records within the former Prussian province of Posen. Records might also be included from nearby areas. The website boasts close to two million records to search. Once a record is located in the database you can contact the coordinator to obtain a copy of the record.
On the main page of the website, do a simple search on the right side by entering in a last name. If too many matches come up you will need to narrow down your search by using the advanced search. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and use the advanced search form to enter in more information. Try first names, a date range or record type (Civil, Protestant, or Catholic). The drop down for first names gives examples of names including the English versus Polish version.
If you know a region in which your family lived, try to set the search area on the advanced form. You can click on the magnifying glass to see a map and narrow down your search criteria.
My 3rd great grandfather was John Spychalski and he married Anna Bohacz in Poland before they arrived in the United States. I also know he was born about 1825. I do not know exactly where he was born but I do know it was in the Posen.
In the advanced search I entered in Joannes/Jan/Johann for the first name and last name as Spychalski. For the bride I only entered in the name Anna. The search results show three exact matches. The second match on the list is a hit! Joseph Spychalski married Anna Buchacz (close to the Bohacz I have in my records). The ages also match their estimated birth dates.
The records come back as Catholic in the Posen area of Sadki. The record also shows a fact I never knew- Anna’s mother is listed as Catherine Buchacz! If you click on ‘original record’ next to the indexed record it will bring up a pop up. Within the pop up is information on where the original record is located and how to obtain the record.
You won’t gain tons of information from this Polish marriage records index. However, it can provide a marriage year you may not have known. The record may also show a mother or father’s name that you did not have before. The parish town can also give insight into where to look for further research. Write to the coordinator or parish to obtain the original record.
Polish marriage records may not apply to your particular research. However, it shows that not all records and information can be found on the major sites like Ancestry.com. Often, just one piece of information can take your research in a whole new direction.
You can also check out my resources and links page for more great websites. Keep researching and don’t forget the small sources!