Wordless Wednesday, Luc and Aurelie Boudreau

Luc and Aurelie Boudreau (my 3rd Great grandparents)
with 10 of their children.
Belle Boudreau Deno Senesac is my 2nd Great grandmother
(looking at the picture, on the right, sitting on the chair
she is wearing glasses)
ca. 1891-1895

Wozniak naturalization record

For the last six months or so I have been using most of my free time to work on my Polish ancestors, specifically the Wozniak side of the family. I was going to attend a family reunion in LaCrosse, Wisconsin the beginning of May and wanted to share (and of course try to add to ) the information I had gathered over the years. I admit I really didn't have too much research done on this side of the family. So, for several months I devoted quite a number of hours at my favorite FHC in Chicago Heights reviewing reels and reels of microfilm. I found a few more facts that I immediately added (and CITED!) to my family tree. Two facts in particular indicated that two of my grandfathers older brothers, John and Frank were indeed here in the Chicago area at the beginning of the 20th century. Finding out that was a big milestone in the family genealogy, for these two gentlemen were mere whispers--I can't seem to find out any real concrete evidence of their lives here in the Midwest.
Of course, reviewing reels and reels of microfilm was not the only resource I investigated. I acquired the naturalization record of my grandfather's sister Agnes Modrzejewski from the City of Chicago Archives at the Circuit Court records downtown. It was easy to use Ancestry.com and get the Naturalization card but I wanted to see the actual record which is stored in the archives. The record indicated specifically that Agnes Modrzejewski, nee Wozniak was born in Warszawske, Gubernia, Poland. Best of all was a physical description of Agnes. She indicated she was 5'3" tall (taller than myself), weighed 115 pounds, (okay, I weigh more than that), she had fair complexion (me too), brown eyes (oops, mine are hazel), and brown hair (well, my natural color I suppose is a version of brown). The naturalization record also mentioned her date of arrival to the United States as being in 1904, although I clearly found a record of Agnes and her mother Mary arriving to the US in 1894. I think perhaps the family went back to Poland for a visit. Four more children were born to Mary and her husband Joseph here in Chicago between 1901 and 1906 so it is hard to imagine that Agnes actually immigrated in 1904, more likely it was 1894. Hmmmm.
One of the biggest genealogical discoveries I found was while searching the naturalization records on Ancestry.com for the last name of Wozniak. I came across a naturalization record for a Casey Wozniak. Casey was my grandfather's youngest brother born in 1910 in Wisconsin. He would have been a US citizen by birth so what was the naturalization record? Upon further research I discovered that Casey and his wife Eleanor adopted a little girl and it was her naturalization record that I was actually looking at. Who knew? What a find. Not only did that information add more names to the family tree, but I was able to find some more information about the family through Google and other internet resources.
My Wozniak family tree is certainly growing. Anyone out there know anything about a Frank or John Wozniak, born to Joseph and Mary Wozniak? If so, please contact me! Thanks.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Randy Seaver has come up with another interesting Saturday night genealogy quest. This one is on birth order and I thought I would give it a try.

Pam Wozniak Taylor, (1955-), first child, first daughter of Norbert and Arlene (Guinee)Wozniak (they had three daughters)

Arlene Marie Guinee, (1931-1998), first child, first daughter of Bert and Lucille (Hanaway) Guinee (they had 2 daughters and 2 sons)

Lucille May Hanaway, (1912-1998), sixth child, third daughter of Marion Albert and Eva (Deno) Hanaway (they had 4 daughters and 4 sons)

Eva Belle Deno, (1881-1956), only child of Theophile and Belle (Boudreau) Deno

Belle Boudreau, (1860-1946), fourth child, third daughter of Luc and Aurelie (Landry) Boudreau (they had 3 sons and 8 daughters)

Aurelie Landry, (1830-1917), third child, first daughter of Jean Baptiste and Elisabeth (Letourneau) Landry (they had six sons and four daughters)

Elisabeth Letourneau (1809-?), third child, second daughter of Amable and Elizabeth Isabelle (Bissonnet) Letourneau (they had one son and two daughters)

Thank you Randy, this was great!

A different type of headstone, tombstone Tuesday

These two different headstones are located in the Old Monticello Cemetery in Monticello, Indiana. I have never seen any other tombstones or grave markers like these two. It appears that a fallen tree was covered in cement. Notice the ornate vines, fruits and leaves which surround the trunk of the trees, all in cement! Click on the pictures to enlarge them and see the great details!

My great great grandparents, Jacob and Eliza Hanaway and several of their children are also buried in this cemetery. Unfortunately, my relatives tombstones are in very poor condition.

Wordless Wednesday, Everlasting Love

Bert & Eva Hanaway

My great grandparents,

Married 1-15-1901

circa 1954

Road trip to Bunnell Cemetery

Friday evening I was working on my family history when I realized that quite a number of my Bunnell ancestors were buried in Reynolds, IN. After using Google Maps, I found out that Reynolds, IN was about 60 miles from my sister's home in Valparaiso. Not only that, but thanks to searching "cemeteries +Reynolds, IN" in Google, I discovered that there is a "Bunnell Cemetery" in Reynolds. Wow, there was a cemetery named after some of my relatives...now I really had to see this! So, the very next day my sister Carole, my niece Hannah and I went on a little road trip to Bunnell Cemetery!


It was a beautiful day for a road trip too. The mandatory stop for ice cream made the time in the car fly by. For once, I didn't need to stop and ask for directions to the cemetery! We found it with no trouble at all. I remembered to bring the camera but forgot to wear shoes, and the ground was covered in cactus! The discoveries were so worth a number of stickers on the toes!

Nathaniel Bunnell, the son of my 4th G grandfather, Nathaniel Bunnell.
This Nathaniel Bunnell was born in Ross County, OH and
married Susannah

Susannah and her husband Nathaniel share a headstone.
Susannah's inscription faces the north
and Nathaniel's inscription faces the south.

This was the first Bunnell headstone I found. You

could easily see it from where we parked.

All in all, I found about ten Bunnell graves and a few other names I recognized from my family history. Many, many more of my ancestors, including my 3rd great grandparents are buried in the Monticello cemetery which is less than eight miles from this cemetery. My Bunnell and Hanaway ancestors came to White County around 1832 so there is a lot of family history to be found in this area!

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

Three beauties on the beach:

Mabel Hanaway Kleckner, Margaret Anderson Hanaway
Arlene Guinee Wozniak

July, 1971

Many a summer past included a visit to my cousins cottage in Stevensville, Michigan. The Hanaway clan is quite large and we are now spread out over most of theses great United States. I grew up enjoying the simple joys of gathering with family. There was a lot of fun to be had at the cottage too. Playing with my MANY, MANY cousins; running down sand dunes, fishing, swimming, boating, and of course eating pot luck dinners! Many visits were short day trips, if I was lucky, I would get to spend a night or two! Who minds sleeping on the beach with a campfire, roasting marshmallows, telling spooky stories and falling asleep under the stars? Those clearly were some special times and I cherish the memories. When I can create them for my children I jump at the chance. Although many parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are now gone, there are those of us who still take the time to get together and we always have a blast! The cottage is still in the family. When the opportunity knocks I take advantage of a little road trip with my kids and once again enjoy the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.

"You Have Family, You Have History"

I know, I know, I haven't been blogging lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working on my genealogy.

Mailed my reservation in for the "You Have Family, You Have History", Illinois State Genealogical Society Conference. This year it will be held on October 23, 2010, in Peoria. Can't wait to attend and learn even more!

I continue to work on my Sommer/Rusch relatives and am happy to say I continue to gain ground. Thanks to FamilySearch.org and lots of hours of reading microfilm I have connected even more relatives.

Two weeks ago, my cousin Marian emailed me indicating she found another relative right here in Chicago, about 11 years earlier than our ancestors! What a find! Now, perhaps we'll be able to find a cousin or two to connect with in our area. No matter, we both were excited and happy to share the information with each other! That's what cousins are for right?!!


Getting my Hanaway family trees lined up for printing. This year I will be putting a "scrapbook look" to them. Our reunion is coming up on July 18th and this year I think I will print off about nine different trees for door prizes or raffles. That's a gift I would love to receive!

July 8th the MLS Historical group will hold a meeting at the National Archives on 73rd and Pulaski in Chicago. Mrs. Eula Nichols will be present a program on the LDS Family History Centers, well, guess what? Mrs. Nichols has taught ME a trick or two using the FamilySearch.org database at the Chicago Heights Family History Center (my favorite one) and I love her assistance. Cannot say enough wonderful things about her! Most of all, she doesn't mind at all, when I ask, "just one more question." Cannot wait for July 8th! Thank you Mrs. Nichols!

One thing leads to another...

My parents, Norbert and Arlene (nee Guinee) Wozniak, divorce became final when I was about ten years old. I say final because in the early sixties it was not easy for a woman with three children to divorce her husband. My mother had a difficult time finding an attorney who would represent her-the way she wanted to be represented. She needed to keep her children and she needed housing for the four of us. In the end, it was a priest from our church (yes, a Catholic church too) who put her in touch with an attorney who handled her case until it was finalized. It took almost four years. My mother received custody of us girls and ended buying back our house from the bank.

I had no relationship with Norb after the divorce. When I was 26 years old, I searched for him and discovered he lived not far from me. So, in 1981, I had a visit with him at his home. I met his wife Shirley who seemed like a very quiet and nice woman. The visit was pleasant enough, but for reasons of our own, Norb and I never saw each other again. In 1989, I was informed through a cousin in Wisconsin that Norb had died three weeks earlier.

Recently I was searching Google, and discovered that Shirley had passed away last November. I was wondering what would have happened to the "stuff" of Norb's that perhaps no one would want and the executor of Shirley's estate would donate to a charity or even toss out. So, I wrote some letters to all the people mentioned in her obituary. I probably wouldn't have done that except for a wonderful friend who belongs to the New Lenox Public Library Genealogy Club, of which I am also a member. She constantly comes to our monthly meetings tellings us stories and showing us pictures some new found relative has shared with her. Thank you Mary! You inspired me!

One of the people I wrote to phoned me and left a message that she contacted a good friend of Shirley's and that that woman was willing to send me some photographs! Now, I haven't received them yet, but I am looking forward to the mail each and everyday! I have less than a dozen pictures of my father and several of his parents. I am hoping that the photographs I receive will include some of his parents and grandparents. Now, that would be a real family treasure!

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!

Today I took a vacation day from my GSU job and intended to spend the day at my favorite Family History Center - in Chicago Heights, IL. And, guess what...I did! Well, I spent about three hours there. I am continuing my research on my Sommer relatives and was searching through a reel of microfilm from Cleebronn, Germany when a gentleman came in to use another microfilm machine. Having the gift of gab, I didn't wait to long to ask him what records he was looking at-- tax records from the 19th century. One thing lead to another and I discovered his name is Earl Bell and he is the US GenWeb county coordinator for Nash County, North Carolina! Imagine my surprise (see you never know who you may meet until you open your mouth and ASK!) Of course I couldn't let an opportunity slip by, so I asked him a LOT of questions about tax records and his web site. It was a very interesting conversation and I learned quite a bit. Check out his link if time permits.
Now, when I wasn't talking to Earl, I was actually looking at microfilm. I couldn't believe it, but I found four more marriage records (all in German) for my Sommer ancestors, from 1691 through 1796. I also discovered several more children my 5th Great Grandfather Johann Martin Sommer and his wife Johanna Sophia Schoch had. Best of all I actually found the death records for; Johann Sophia Schoch in September, 1788, her father Georg Adam Schoch in July, 1782, Johann Martin Sommer in August, 1791, and quite a number of death records for Martin and Sophia's children. One or two of the marriage records may even lead me back another generation or two. So, I'm doing a little genealogy dance and wearing a smile on my face tonight!
Can't wait to get these records translated!

Wordless Wednesday, Mother & Son

Cecelia Sawicki Wozniak and son Norbert

ca. 1928

Photo owned by P. Taylor

Easter Sunday, when I was a little girl.....

Ah, this Easter Sunday is beautiful! The sun is shining, there is a slight breeze (when is there NOT at least a little breeze in Chicago?), and best of all NO rain in sight. Perfect weather.

When I was a little girl, we would start off our day searching for our Easter baskets. Believe it or not, I still have mine.... well used and a few missing parts, but I wouldn't part with it for anything. Oh, the things my sisters and I would find in those baskets; Silly Putty, a kite with our own roll of string, ball and jacks, chalk, and of course candy! We would put on own new dresses that my mom made for us; usually we were all dressed the same too! Add our new patent leather shoes, gloves and purse and off to church we went, looking wonderful. So where are those pictures? Hmmmm....

After church our family usually had dinner at my Grandmother Lucy's house, where of course we would meet up with almost all of my cousins. There were a lot of kids too, you could count on at least 15+ kids and five or six adults. Kids ate in my grandmother's basement on picnic tables and card tables. Adults ate in the dining room. Each family brought a dish and we NEVER ran out of food! Following dinner, the boys made haste for outdoors, while most of the older girls and women cleaned up the dishes. Then the real fun began...what we had all been waiting for....the EASTER EGG HUNT!! My Uncle Damien was in charge. I don't ever remember finding a real egg either. They were always plastic eggs with candy and money inside. Uncle Damien arranged two hunts, one for the younger kids and one for us older kids. It was a blast!

Those are some great memories!

Some traditions must be passed on as well...so my family will gather at my sister's home in a little while. We will eat a delicious meal, including baked beans (Lucy's recipe!), potatos, ham, green bean casserole and tons more, plus desserts. Whoever cooks doesn't do the dishes so it looks like my sister and I will have some free time and who knows, despite all of our kids being teenagers and young adults, you never know there still may be an Easter Egg Hunt! Happy Easter friends!

April Fools Day....Governors State University

Coming into work early this morning I was pleased to see yet another issue of our campus newsletter focused on this special day...April 1. I must admit this year they have out done themselves. I laughed out loud and have had a smile on my face all morning, so I thought I would share with you this bit of silliness. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Follow the link.

Governors State University

Fealess Females Blog Post: March 22-This is "her" life

Thanks to Lisa at the Accidental Genealogist for suggesting a month long list of blog posts honoring our "Fearless Females!"

Arlene Guinee

ca. 1945-1947

March 22 — If a famous director wanted to make a movie about one of your female ancestors who would it be? What actress would you cast in the role and why?

If they ever made a movie about one of my female ancestors I hope it would be about my beloved mother- Arlene Guinee! Of course it would have to be a comedy for my mom did have a sense of humor. Katherine Hepburn or Audrey Hepburn would have been perfect to play mom. They both were absolutely beautiful. Katherine Hepburn would have easily captured my mother's determination and independence with a sense of humor to top none. Audrey Hepburn was so pretty and petite, just like my mother! That would be one Oscar worthy movie too!

Fearless Female Blog Post...A Little Late (Surprising Fact!)

Julia K. Sommer & Maria Elisabetha Rusch Sommer

ca. 1880

photo owned by M. Devers

Within the last year and a half, I have discovered a number of my German ancestors and have written about them in several posts. Through a distant cousin I have even acquired a few photographs as well. One fearless woman I have continued to research is my Great Great Great Grandmother Maria Elisabetha Rusch Sommer. According to her daughter Catharina's death certificate (my GG grandmother) Catharina was born in Neckargemund, Germany. Wow, with that little tid bit of information, I started my "Mission Possible". Here is what I have discovered through church and village records about Maria Elisabeth Rusch Sommer.

Maria used the name Elisabetha throughout her life, she dropped the Maria. She married Johann Gottlieb Sommer March 30, 1841. They had at least ten children...

1) Johann Daniel Sommer, 1841

2) Friedericka Jacobina Johanna Sommer, 1843

3) Martin Sommer, ca. 1844

4) Jacob, 1844

5) Fredericka, 1846

6) Catharina Julia, 1849 (my GG grandmother)

7) Julia Catharina, 1851

8) Georg, 1852

9) Johann Gottlieb, ca. 1858

10) Johann Michael, ca. 1859

Unfortunately, quite a number of these children died in infancy or before the age of five. I believe Gottlieb died in 1863, I recently discovered his death record and need to send it in for translation. That left a widowed Elisabeth with at least several children to care for. I have a major blank in the history at this point in time, until she immigrated to the United States in September of 1881. She arrived with her daughter Julia, her cousin Phillipina and her granddaughter Julia K. Sommer (Daniel's daughter). At this time I do not know why her grand daughter was permitted to come with her. She lived out her last fourteen years here in Chicago, Illinois. She is buried in Oakwoods Cemetery with the simple inscription on the headstone that reads "Grandmother".

I had believed that Elisabeth was born in 1816. That is the age that corresponds to her death certificate, however, I recently had her birth and baptismal records translated and they indicate she was actually born on July 30th, 1814 at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE....ding, ding, ding....wasn't that date the SAME date that Gottlieb was born???

Yes it was! According to church records, Gottlieb was born on July 30th, 1814 at 8 o'clock in the morning. What are the chances of these two people born on the same date, in the same town of Neckargemund, marrying each other? Hmmmm, was this an arranged marriage? I have no idea at this point in time. I can't wait to continue my research on this wonderful and fearless woman!

Wordless Wednesday, Another Sisters, Sisters Photo

Sisters, Sisters....

Arlene & Shirley Guinee

ca. 1933

Smile for the Camera, Give Their Face a Place

Lucille Mae Hanaway Guinee

ca. 1927-1929

My grandmother

Original photo owned by D. Witkus

Lucille Hanaway, my beloved grandmother was the sixth of eight children. Born in DeMotte, Indiana to Marion Albert "Burt" and Eva Hanaway, Lucille had four brothers and three sisters. Her family farmed their land and by all accounts they were dirt poor but a very happy and close family. My grandmother married in 1930 to Bert Guinee and that union produced four children. My grandparents raised their children in Chicago, IL. She remained close to her siblings after her parents died in 1955 and 1956. Sometimes after mass on Sundays, my mother, sisters, and I would join Lucy for a little "drive" out to Indiana where we visited several of her sisters and/or brothers. My grandmother was very much loved and cherished by her children and her twenty four grandchildren. In the 70's, her children grown with families of their own, she decided to relocate to Arkansas where she lived in a retirement community. Being a very social woman, she had many friends and was very involved in her community and church, especially the choir! There were lots of visits from family and friends too!

There was no one who could grow a garden and flower bed like Lucy! I credit my own love of flowers and gardening to her. My favorite flower is a violet and no one could grow them like Lucy. Violets...I think all she needed to do was simply pinch a petal off, stick it in dirt and wallah....within a short period of time she has a beautiful plant. (I have written before about my many attempts to keep a violet plant alive, let alone grow one from a leaf!). The basement in her house in Chicago had two shelves full of violet plants in small clay pots! I wouldn't want to admit to how many died in my care. Her yard and garden were full of blooming flowers, especially roses. And trust me, when Lucy went on a vacation, she always took photographs of the many flowers she saw! She had lots and lots of photographs with flowers in them, many with no people, just flowers!

Lucy died shortly before her 87th birthday and is buried in Wheatfield Cemetery in Wheatfield, Indiana. Her parents and grandfather are buried in the same cemetery. DeMotte, Indiana, her birthplace is not far away. She will forever be remembered for her laugh, her giving nature, love of dogs (no wonder my family has always had at least one poochie!), her "green thumb" and most of all her love of her family and church. She was a really terrific woman, daughter, mother and grandmother.

DuPage County Genealogical Society 35th Annual Conference...a blast!

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the 35th Annual Genealogy Conference sponsored by the DuPage County Genealogical Society. What a blast! I had mentioned the upcoming conference at the New Lenox Public Library's Genealogy Club to several of the members and they were able to make it. Plus a couple of friends from the Tinley Moraine Genealogists also attended.
I wish I could have participated in more lectures because they had great speakers. Dr. John Philip Colletta, genealogist, lecturer, educator, and author of a number of great genealogy books, including his newest publication; Only a Few Bones was my favorite presenter. I was lucky enough to sit in on three of his programs; Discovering Your Ancestors' World Through Maps and Gazetteers, Passenger Arrival Records: Advanced Problem Solving and Discovering the Real Stories of Your Immigrant Ancestors. From start to finish, all three programs were presented in Dr. Colletta's humorous and extremely knowledgeable style. I also attended a program by Elissa Scalise Powell, another terrific researcher, genealogist, educator and lecturer. That program was titled The Research Cycle-Don't Pedal Backwards and was quite enjoyable as well.
So, my day was perfect, attending a genealogy conference, meeting new friends, and gaining more genealogical research insight. I was able to talk to my genealogy peers about GENEALOGY all day. No one got tired of listening to each other, sharing ideas, discussing our brickwalls, and suggesting new directions in our quest to discover our family history!
Wow, I can't wait for the next conference....

Wordless Wednesday, Roller Skates

2nd Grade, Wordless Wednesday

Arlene Guinee, 2nd grade

2nd row, 1st person on the left!

Photo privately owned by P. Taylor