Saturday, April 19, 2014

Murosky Family - New Relatives Discovered

Recently the Ancestry.com databases were updated to include the more than 2 million Pennsylvania Death Certificates from 1906-1924. The database included information on several Bukowski family members I knew of. The database included information on several Bukowski relatives that were previously not known. Tragically, many of these were children who died young.

Existing family members with new information:

George Murosky was the son of my great grandparents Helen Tillie Bukowski and Anthony Harry Murosky, Jr. George was born June 1, 1918 and died June 2, 1918. The cause of death indicates he was premature. Helen would have been 17 when George was born. He was buried in Trinity Cemetery, Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania.

On George's death certificate his name is recorded as George Moraswki. His father signed the death certificate as Antoni Morawski.






































Florence Murosky was daughter of my great grandparents Helen Tillie Bukowski and Anthony Harry Murosky, Jr. Florence was born March 28, 1922 and died June 6, 1922. The cause of death indicates she was premature at 7 months gestation.. She was buried in Trinity Cemetery, Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania.

On Florence's death certificate her name is recorded as Florentina Murawski. The father's name indicates Antoni Murawski but is signed by Anthony as Anthony Muroski - a shift in spelling closer to what we see today. Note the handwriting between the recordings of the two names is different.





































Both of Helen's children do not have a tombstone because my great grandparents did not have the money to purchase a stone for their graves. Helen's daughter Rita indicated her mother went often to see the graves of her deceased children.


New Relatives Discovered:

Frank Murosky is a previously unknown child to my 2nd great grandparents Anthony Murosky Sr. and Eva Zielinski. Frank was born June 18, 1907 and died October 26, 1907.  The cause of hisdeath is listed as intestinal obstruction. He was buried at St. Agnes Cemetery, Forest City, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

Frank's name is recorded as Frank Moroski. His fathers name is recorded as Anthony Moroski. His death certificate is significant as it is the first recorded instance of Eva's surname. The birth certificate indicates the family was from Russia, in 1907 Lithuania was part of Russia.




































Raymond Chanis is a previously unknown child to John Chanis and Margaret Murosky, my 2nd great aunt. Raymond was born November 4, 1917 and died August 10, 1918. The cause of death indicates he died from Gastroenteritis. He was buried in St. Anthony Cemetery, Forest City, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

On Raymond's death certificate Margaret's name is recorded as Margaret Muraski.

References:
  1. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1924 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.


Bukowski Family - New Relatives Discovered

Recently the Ancestry.com databases were updated to include the more than 2 million Pennsylvania Death Certificates from 1906-1924. The database included information on several Bukowski family members I knew of. The database included information on several Bukowski relatives that were previously not known. Tragically, many of these were children who died young.

Existing family members with new information:

Teo Fila Bukowski, my 2nd great aunt, was the oldest sister of my great grandmother Helen Tillie Bukowski. We always knew that she died after giving birth to her last child. Her death date was previously unknown. Her death certificate was included in the data base, she died on January 22, 1915. She died due to complications from her pregnancy. Her baby, listed as Baby Gaczkowski,  boy died the day after he was born January 18, 1915. The death certificate indicates the baby was born prematurely. Both mother and son were buried at Trinity Cemetery, Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Richard Pietrzak was the son of my 2nd great aunt Clara T. Bukowski and her husband Stanley Pietrzak. Clara T. Bukowski was the great grandmother Helen Tillie Bukowski's younger sister. Richard was 5 months old when he died from colitis and meningitis. He was buried October 4, 1924 in Trinity Cemetery, Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania

On Richard's death certificate Clara is recorded as Clara Bukowska, using the Polish form of the surname.

New Relatives Discovered:

Josefa Bukowski is a previously unknown child to my 2nd great grandparents Vincinety Frank Bukowski and Franciska Kwiatkowski. Josefa was born July 29, 1908 and died January 11, 1909. The cause of her death is listed as acute indigestion. She was buried at Trinity Cemetery, Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania.



































Edward Bukowski is a previously unknown child to my 2nd great grandparents Vincinety Frank Bukowski and Franciska Kwiatkowski. Edward was born February 11, 1911 and died February 12, 1911. Edward was 9 days old when he died of gastroenteritis and bronchitis. He was buried at Trinity Cemetery, Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania.




































What is most significant about both death certificates for these previously unknown children is it lists the surname for Franciska. Previously the name Kwiatkowski had not been located in any historical records

Baby Bukowski, was born to Gustave Joseph Bukowski and Elsie Gaczkowski. Gustave was my 2nd great uncle and the brother of my great grandmother Helen Tillie Bukowski. Baby Bukowski was a female born stillborn January 10, 1924. She was buried at Trinity Cemetery, Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania. Her death certificate provided the surname of her mother, Elsie, which was previously unknown.

Note some of these death certificates indicate the deceased were buried at the Old Polish Cemetery. The Old Polish Cemetery was originally the cemetery for St. Stanislaus Church. The cemetery is known today as Trinity Cemetery.

References:
  1. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1924 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Family Photo: Robert A. McDonald & Winifred A. O'Neill 50th Wedding Anniversary

These photos were taken at their 50th wedding anniversary celebration in 1945. The couple was married June 23, 1895. Robert Alphonsus McDonald was 77 years old and Winifred Agnes O'Neill was 70 years old on their wedding anniversary.

Robert was born September 27, 1867 the son of Michael McDonald and Anna Haggerty. Winifred was born September 3, 1874 the daughter of two Irish immigrants - Michael O'Neill and Ellen Cunningham.
Michelle M. Murosky: The McDonald Collection &emdash; Robert A. McDonald & Winifred A. O'Neill 50th Wedding Anniversary


 My 2nd great grandparents, Robert Alphonsus McDonald and Winifred Agnes O'Neill are on the right side of the photo between the two members of clergy. The woman to the right with the hat ruffled shirt is Caroline Loretta O'Neill.

Michelle M. Murosky: The McDonald Collection &emdash; Robert A. McDonald & Winifred A. O'Neill 50th Wedding Anniversary

The back row: Caroline Loretta O'Neill, Eleanor Monica O'Neill,  Gertrude Anna O'Neill, Alice Grace O'Neill, Ambrose Aloysius McDonald
The front row: Sr. Alfrieda (Anna Elizabeth McDonald), Robert Alphonsus McDonald, Winifred Agnes O'Neill, one of Robert & Winifred's granddaughters.
Michelle M. Murosky: The McDonald Collection &emdash; Robert A. McDonald & Winifred A. O'Neill 50th Wedding Anniversary
Sr. Aldfrieda (Anna Elizabeth McDonald), Robert Alphonsus McDonald,  Ambrose Aloysius McDonald, Gertrude Anna O'Neill

The women are listed with their maiden names.

Caroline Loretta O'Neill, Winfred O'Neill's youngest sister and my 3rd great aunt. Caroline affectionately known as "Aunt Carrie" to family members. Caroline would have been 57 in this photo. Caroline never married.

Eleanor Monica O'Neill was Winifred O'Neill's sister and my 3rd great aunt. She married James M. Mullen.

Gertrude Anna O'Neill was Winifred O'Neill's sister and my 3rd great aunt. She married Robert McDonalds's brother Ambrose Aloysius McDonald. Gertrude O'Neill and Ambrose McDonald are the parents of Virginia McDonald. Learn more about Virginia.

Sr. Alfrieda (Anna Elizabeth McDonald) was the sister of Robert McDonald and Ambrose. McDonald She was also my 3rd great Aunt.