PolishOrigins(TM) Forum

Re: Surname: Potenska

kelesney — Sun May 06, 2012 8:46 pm

Author: kelesney

Posted: Sun May 06, 2012 8:46 pm

g
thank you for the departure dates from europe...i did not see them on the ellis island site. i will modify the chart and re-post it
plus, the information on how they traveled is appreciated as well as the possible route taken.
thank you again for your wonderful assistance...and great wealth of information.
: )

Re: Surname: Potenska

Anonymous — Sun May 06, 2012 8:08 am

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Sun May 06, 2012 8:08 am

Karen,

it looks ok to me. I have noticed you didn't fill in some departures dates: Piotr 16 May 1900, Bronislawa 14 Oct 1901, Bronislawa 21 Aug 1902.
Also, Piotr mentioned he was going to meet his brother-in-law. Therefore, either he had a sister or Stanislawa had a brother.
People went on foot, by horses or by wagons until the nearest train station. Then they took a train to Hamburg or Bremerhaven. Ships from these German ports used to make a stop at other ports, such as Antwerp, Bolougne sur la mer, Southampton, Havre.
Gilberto

Re: Surname: Potenska

kelesney — Sat May 05, 2012 11:07 pm

Author: kelesney

Posted: Sat May 05, 2012 11:07 pm

hi gilberto
pardon the delay in my response as i was trying to wrap my head around these possible new facts.
would you mind reviewing the possible chronology i put together from the information you provided?
in addition, i have started to look further into the surname extensions you suggested and at the ship manifests for possible other people from the same place of origin.

thank you
karen

Re: Surname: Potenska

Anonymous — Thu May 03, 2012 8:13 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 8:13 pm

Karen,

I understand that Stanislaw and Feliks married in Poland and had Czeslawa there. Then they immigrated and left Czeslaw with Bronislawa in Poland. One year later, Stanislawa went back and brought Bronislawa and Czeslawa with her.
As to the date on naturalization papers it would not be the first time dates are incorrect (and ship names or arrivals dates, too).
Potenski is the masculine form, Potenska is the feminine form. In polish records names are declensioned, so you will see it as Potenskiego, Potenskiej, Potenskiem, Potenscy, depending on its positon and function. On search engines you should try all these endings (and Potensky, too).

Gilberto

Re: Surname: Potenska

kelesney — Thu May 03, 2012 7:52 pm

Author: kelesney

Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 7:52 pm

thank you for the information you provided...it is much appreciated. But, it did get me to ponder a bit about some facts and do some double checking.

[little background info: sisters were stanislawa and bronislawa potenska, brothers were feliks and peter celmer...with understanding that the celmer brothers arrived first to the states.]

i do have a few questions/comments and i'll relate them to the three paragraphs you posted:

Paragraph 1. the first bit of research you mentioned...we already had and it's nice to have someone confirm our records. where you cite Czeslaw that is actually the daughter 'Creslawa' who became Charlotte (my grandmother).

since i am new to understanding polish genealogy, it goes that i am also unfamiliar with naming practices for surnames. you mention 'Potenski'...though my great-grandmother Stanislawa's last name is known and shown to be 'Potenska'. is this the paternal surname spelling?

2. hmmm...what is the likely hood of the sister Bronislawa returning to Poland? That is something I have never heard happen between the sisters as a family fact. I can ask my aunt. I will follow up with checking records for Brooklyn to see if there is any indication of them there per the address you indicated.

3. This last bit of information is curious. It is true that Glasgow was part of his venture to the new world. However, his naturalization papers state he departed from Rotterdam, Holland via SS Glasglow and arrived on 15 Dec 1900 in NY, NY.

I truly appreciate your responses to my query. Chasing after facts years after they occurred is quite a puzzle.
karen

Re: Surname: Potenska

kelesney — Wed May 02, 2012 3:14 pm

Author: kelesney

Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 3:14 pm

gilberto
stay tuned...reviewing records we have and will get back with you soon.
karen : )

Re: Surname: Potenska

Anonymous — Tue May 01, 2012 9:01 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 9:01 pm

Additional info:

Felix Zelner and Stanislawa Zelner, from Lomza, departured from Glasgow on Dec 6, 1900, ship S.S. State of Nebraska and arrived on Dec 25. He was 27 and she, 22. They went to a friend's (Victor Stochilick) place at 376 Oakland St., Greenfood, Brooklyn, NY.

Re: Surname: Potenska

Anonymous — Tue May 01, 2012 8:18 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 8:18 pm

A Bronislawa Potęński arrived at Ellis Island on 29.Oct, 1901, travelling with a Stanislawa Celmer and her son Czeslaw. They were going to meet Stanislawa's husband, Felix Celmer. He was a brother-in-law to Bronislawa. Therefore, I assume Stanislawa's maiden name was Potenski. They departured from Antwerp, on Oct. 14, on ship S.S. Friesland. Their names are crossed out on the manifest. She mentioned her last residence as Krzywo.

Bronislawa appears again as arriving on Aug 31, 1902. Departured from Rotterdam on Aug 21, on ship Statendam (looks like). She listed her place as Kopkus (there is a Kopki, near Lomza). I believe it is the same Bronislawa, because their birth year is the same (1883) and she was goint to meet her brother-in-law P. Zelmer (Celmer?) at 14th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.

Gilberto

Surname: Potenska

kelesney — Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:51 pm

Author: kelesney

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:51 pm

POTENSKA was the maiden name of my great-grandmother Stanislawa from the village Krzewo east of Lomza. she was born in 1874. she had a younger sister named Bronislawa (Michalina) born 1884.

Stanislawa married Feliks Celmer (Krzewo). Location of marriage (unknown). They had several children who died before they immigrated to the US. However, one daughter was born there named Creslawa in July 1901 who became my grandmother 'Charlotte'. Location of birth (unknown). Mother and daughter immigrated together to the US with the younger sister/aunt.

Any surname and/or family information [especially, possible birth/wedding/death records] would be greatly appreciated.

we know nothing of the POTENSKA/POTENSKI family history.

thank you