Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Talking about cemeteries

Although I am always interested in learning more about my Hanaway relatives (and believe me, it is by far the largest family tree I have!)and where my Hanaway ancestors are buried, I have been lucky to find some of my other great grandparents graves as well. On the far south side of Chicago, many of my Polish relatives raised their families. MANY of my Wozniak, Sawicki, Ziolkowski, and Wieczorek ancestors are buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Calumet City, Illinois, which is located just on the border of Illinois and Indiana. In fact, after visiting their office, I walked away with a huge listing of Wozniak and Sawicki burials in all the Catholic, Cook County, Illinois cemeteries. All I had asked for was if I could find out if any of these specific relatives had been buried in Holy Cross and much to my delight they gave me that listing! What a listing it is too. The people in the office are extremely helpful! Of course, this list doesn't by any means indicate that all these particular Wozniak and Sawicki people are my relatives, but just the same it is a great resource! It lists the name, date of burial and the cemetery where the individual is interred. I discovered that my GGGG Grandmother Regina Polus is buried in an unmarked grave at Holy Cross Cemetery. That's right, Regina was born in 1811 and immigrated here to the United States in the late 1800's with her son. According to the 1900 Federal Census, she lived with my Great Grandparents Ludwig and Stella Sawicki in the Hyde Park area for a while. I believe that my GGGG Grandmother Regina Polus died in 1911 shortly before her 100th birthday. Although I am unable to locate Regina's grave, I was successful in finding her granddaughter (my Great Grandmother) Stella Sawicki and my Great Grandfather Ludwig Sawicki's graves, and my Great Grandparents Joseph and Mary Wozniak graves as well.
Check out that cemetery office and don't be afraid to ask them about burial records and who may be buried in that particular cemetery. You never know who may be there!
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The Family

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck

Genealogy Pox, author unknown

WARNING: GENEALOGY POX IS VERY CONTAGIOUS!

SYMPTOMS: Continual complaint as to need for names, dates and places. Patient has a blank expressions, sometimes deaf to spouse and children. Has no taste for work of any kind, except feverishly looking through records at libraries and courthouses.
Has a compulsion to write letters. Swears at mailman when he doesn't leave mail. Frequents strange places such as cemeteries, ruins, and remote desolate country areas. Makes secret night calls and hides phone bills from spouse. Mumbles to self. Has strange, faraway look in eyes.

NO KNOWN CURE!

TREATMENT: Medication is useless. This disease is not fatal, but gets progressively worse. Patient should attend genealogy workshops, subscribe to genealogical magazines and be given a quiet corner in the house where he/she can be alone.

REMARKS: The unusual nature of this disease is that the sicker the patient gets, the more he or she enjoys it!