Forum | PolishOrigins :: View topic

Author

Message

hpuzio

Joined: 05 Mar 2025
Replies: 5

Back to top

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2025 8:06 pm Post subject: Name Questions

Great Grandparents:
• Agnes Walerko (B. 17 October 1920 in Garfield, NJ - D. 16 March 2001 in Palm Bay, FL)
• Peter Adam Puzio Sr. (B. 6 April 1914 in Garfield, NJ – D. 1 November 1994 in Palm Bay, FL)

Agnes's Parents:
• Wilhelm Walerko (B. 25 Sep 1893 (His WW2 Draft Card says Nisko, Austria/Galicia?)
- Also found his Ellis Island arrival was 9 Oct 1912 New York as departed from Bremen, with a relative Jozel Walerko?

• Marianna/Maria Borowiec
- Born sometime in the 1890s.
- Married Wilhelm Walerko in 1915 in New Jersey.

Peter's Parents:
• Andrzej/Andrew Puzio
- Unable to locate anything about him.
- Died when Great-Grandfather was young - 4 or 5.

• Marya/Mary Rembisz
- Born in 1895 or so in Poland.
- Possibly in a place called Wilcza Wola according to a relative.

• Peter Barczewski (Mary Rembisz married him after Andrew passed away - Not biologically related to him)[/list]

Last edited by hpuzio on Fri Mar 07, 2025 7:11 pm; edited 1 time in total

Sophia
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 05 Oct 2014
Replies: 1532

Back to top

Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2025 6:16 am Post subject: Re: Name Questions

hpuzio wrote:

Hello! I am helping my grandfather research his Polish ancestry and have run into some issues.

1) Andrew Puzio
This is my great-great-grandfather who died when my great-grandfather was small. We can find no record of him (Outside of his marriage record to my great-great grandmother, Mary Rembisz). We don't know his birth or death date. Is it possible his name is different? Like Andrzej Puza or something of the sort?

2) Puzio, Walerko, and Borowiec
We are not certain if they may have been changed at any point in time.

If anyone has any insight that would be helpful.

Hi hpuzio,

All three surnames you listed are reasonable spellings. If you go to a genealogy website like Family Search (free, you just have to register) or Ancestry (not free) or the like, you can find people with those surnames. You are correct that your Andrew would be Andrzej in Polish records. Occasionally, you might find it as Jedzrej. Your Mary could have been Maria, or possibly Maryanna.

Here is a map showing the distribution of people with the Puzio surname in Poland:
https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/Puzio
As you zoom in on the map, you get more and more localized place names (shown below the map) where they live.

Similarly, a surname distribution map for Borowiec:
https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/Borowiec

No results there for Walerko, unfortunately.

You mentioned that you do not know the birth date or death date of your great-great-grandfather, so I would recommend that you at least try to create a bracket of years when you expect he might have lived. For example, someone researching today might have a great-great-grandparent born in the 1860s, while someone else's great-great-grandparent might have been born in the early 1900s. You should be able to take your living family members for whom you know their dates of birth, and make an educated guess about their ancestors. That will help you when you go to look for records.

Out of curiosity, how did you hear about the Polish Origins forum?

Best regards,
Sophia

BarbOslo
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 19 Nov 2022
Replies: 1615
Location: Norway
Back to top

Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2025 4:28 pm Post subject:

Hi,
You have already received good advice and tips from Sophia. It is very likely that your great-great-grandfather's family comes from today's Subcarpathian Voivodeship. We can try to help you. Does your grandfather have any documents you could share with us?
In the Subcarpathian Voivodeship I see these surnames similar to Walerko. Ex. Walerian, Wala, Walaria, Walerus
Regards,
-Barb

hpuzio

Joined: 05 Mar 2025
Replies: 5

Back to top

Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2025 7:58 pm Post subject: Updated Info.

Thank you both so much for your prompt replies!

To Sophia, The name distribution map has been very helpful. Can you recommend any specific ways to begin researching the names (I.e. Wilhelm Walerko) in those areas? Ancestry and Family Search have been very limited in that regard.

As far as how I heard about the forum, it was a little bit of dumb luck lol. I had been talking with a couple of Polish ancestry researchers who ended up ghosting me and ultimately I was looking for somewhere to get help from. This forum popped up. Very Happy

_________________

To Barb,
The Subcarpathian Voivodeship sounds about right. It looks like Wilhelm Walerko was born/resided in a place called Nisko.

We unfortunately have no documents or anything that isn't on the computer. From what my dad has said, there was a really bad house fire that destroyed a lot of their documents and things.

__________________

I've asked some extended family and have this additional info:

1) Great Grandparents are:
* Agnes Victoria Walerko - B. 17 October 1920 – D. 16 March 2001

* Peter Adam Puzio Sr. - B. 6 April 1914 – D. 1 November 1994

2) Great-Great Grandparents Through Agnes:
* Wilhelm Walerko - B. 25 Sep 1893 (His WW2 Draft Card says Nisko, Austria/Galicia?)
* Also found his Ellis Island arrival was 9 Oct 1912 New York as departed from Bremen, with a relative Jozel Walerko?

* Marianna/Maria Borowiec
*Probably born sometime in the 1890s
*Found nothing about her on Family Search and cannot afford Ancestry.
*Married Wilhelm in 1915 in New Jersey.

3) Great-Great Grandparents Through Peter:
*Andrew Puzio
*Have been unable to locate anything about him at all.
*Died when Great Grandfather was young - 4 or 5.

Mary/Marya Rembisz
*Born 1895 in Poland.
*Possibly in a place called Wilcza Wola? According to a relative.

BarbOslo
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 19 Nov 2022
Replies: 1615
Location: Norway
Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 2:47 am Post subject:

Hi,
Manifest from 1912 says:
Wilhelm Walerko, 21 years old (born abt. 1891) from the village of Nowosielec (belongs to Nisko). Father Jozef residing in Nowosielec.

His WW1 Draft Card says:
Born September 25, 1891 Neisko (Nisko).

His WW2 Draft Card says:
Born September 25, 1893 Nisko

Sophia / Trish are you able to find:
the 1915 New Jersey wedding record
the death record for Mary Walerko - 14.03.1872 Garfield, New Jersey. Mary's obituary says she left behind siblings in the United States, Poland and Brazil.
the death record for Wilhelm Walerko - 03.09.1856 Garfield, New Jersey

-Barb

Sophia
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 05 Oct 2014
Replies: 1532

Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 6:37 am Post subject:

Just a few quick finds, to add to your collection.

The family appears to be Roman Catholic. I can see from the PGSA (Polish Genealogical Society of America) some of your family in what were called "Jubilee Books," the sort of thing that used to be printed when a parish was having a significant anniversary. There are entries for the Walerko surname at St. Stanislaus Kostka RC church in Garfield. For Borowiec, I see a Kunegunda Borowiec and a Wladyslaw Borowiec in 1943 at Holy Rosary RC church in Passaic.

Also note this search result:

https://pgsa.org/pgsa-search/results/?pgsa_search=other_search&surname=Puzio&first_name=&type=match-first&records=jubileeother

If you follow the two links for "Andrzej Puzio" you will see one in which he is listed in 1943 as a donor and a member of a committee at Holy Rosary RC church in Passaic. The other entry for him is rather interesting, showing his name appears in a memorial in 1928, same church. That is not necessarily an indication that 1928 was his year of death, merely that the church celebrated an anniversary in 1928 and someone printed a memorial in the jubilee book in his remembrance. At any rate, you may have two Andrzej/Andrew Puzios in the family?

I see a death date for Wilhelm Walerko of September 1956 in the New Jersey Death Index. The file number is 35666. Probably worth obtaining this document. In the death index, they use code numbers to represent towns, and it shows he both lived and died in 02306. No time at the moment to look up what place that was. Perhaps you can explore it.

Best regards,
Sophia

Trish
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 23 Sep 2020
Replies: 547

Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 9:13 am Post subject:

BarbOslo wrote:

Hi Everyone,
Sorry I'm a little late to the party. Embarassed

Here are all the documents that Barb mentions above. I am posting thise records in case you do not have them.

Do you need census records or the obituary for Wilhelm?

I will write more in a bit.
Regards,
Trish

1912 Manifest -
Name Wilhelm Walerko
Gender Male
Ethnicity/ Nationality Polish
Marital Status Single
Age 21
Birth Date abt 1891
Birth Place Galicia
Other Birth Place Nowozielec
Last Known Residence Nowozelez, Galicia
Departure Port Bremen
Arrival Date 9 Oct 1912
Arrival Port New York, New York, USA
Residence Place Galicia
Final Destination Passaic, New York
Height 5 Feet, 6 Inches
Hair Color Blonde
Eye Color Blue
Complexion Fair
Money in Possession 30
Person in Old Country Jozel Walerko
Person in Old Country Relationship Father
Person in Old Country Residence Nowozelez, Galicia
Person in US Andrzey Wor
Father Jozel Walerko
Ship Name Kronprinz Wilhelm

WWI Draft Card
Name Wilhelm Waleiko
[Wilhelm Walerko]
Race Caucasian (White)
Marital Status Married
Birth Date 25 Sep 1891
Birth Place Austria
Residence Date 1917-1918
Street Address 195 6th St
Residence Place Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey, USA
Draft Board 1
Physical Build Medium
Height Medium
Hair Color Light Brown
Eye Color Light Blue

WWII Draft Card
Name Wilhelm Walerko
Gender Male
Race White
Birth Date 25 Sep 1893
Birth Place Nisko, Poland
Residence Place Bergen, New Jersey, USA
Military Draft Date 1942
Next of Kin Mrs Mary Walerko

Wilhelm Walerko WWIi Draft Card.jpg

Description:

Filesize:

105.75 KB

Viewed:

0 Time(s)

Wilhelm Walerko 1912 Manifest, Page 1.jpg

Description:

Filesize:

928.34 KB

Viewed:

0 Time(s)

Wilhelm Walerko 1912 Manifest, Page 2.jpg

Description:

Filesize:

958.19 KB

Viewed:

0 Time(s)

Wilhelm Walerko WWI Draft Card.jpg

Description:

Filesize:

400.46 KB

Viewed:

0 Time(s)

Sophia
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 05 Oct 2014
Replies: 1532

Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 9:41 am Post subject:

Hi Everyone,

Thanks, Trish, for posting the images. It makes it easier for me to come back to each of them and see little details.

Hpuzio, I see that Wilhelm Walerko had the same employer on both his WWI and WWII draft registration forms. If you want to read a little about the Forstmann and Huffman Woolen Mill, here is one source (scroll way down the page, or use the "find" function on your browser and use "Forstmann" as your search term):

https://www.tccweb.org/newjersey.htm

Also, the Historical Society of Garfield has some images on their facebook page which show the interior of that mill:

https://www.facebook.com/GarfieldHistoricalSociety/posts/a-look-inside-the-forstmann-hoffman-woolen-mill-that-was-located-lanza-avenue-ph/1269939440007979/

Best,
Sophia

Trish
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 23 Sep 2020
Replies: 547

Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 11:22 am Post subject:

BarbOslo wrote:

Sophia / Trish are you able to find:
the 1915 New Jersey wedding record
the death record for Mary Walerko - 14.03.1972 Garfield, New Jersey. Mary's obituary says she left behind siblings in the United States, Poland and Brazil.
the death record for Wilhelm Walerko - 03.09.1856 Garfield, New Jersey

-Barb

Hi Barb,

Here are the obituaries for Wilhelm and Marianna.

The family had two sons and 3 daughters. The one daughter is Sister (Nun) stationed in Brazil. She was Sister Mary Rosealema of the Felician Sisters Order.

Marianna Borowiec Walerko's sister was Sophia Czesniewska living in Garfield, New Jersey. Her brother was Franciszek (Frank) Borowiec living in Poland.

Wilhelm and Marianna are buried in St. Mary's Cemetery.
https://stmarystnicholas.org/locate-a-loved-one/

I am also attaching the 1977 Obituary for Sophia Borowiec Czesniewska.

The 1915 marriage certificate can be obtained by the New Jersey State Archives. Here is the link for the NJ State Archives. The form to order the marriage record on the website.
https://wwwdnet-dos.nj.gov/DOS_ArchivesDBPortal/index.aspx#VS

Still looking!
Regards,
Trish

The_News_1956_09_05_49.pdf

Description:

Download

Filename:

The_News_1956_09_05_49.pdf

Filesize:

286.26 KB

Downloaded:

869 Time(s)

The_Herald_News_1972_03_15_4.pdf

Description:

Download

Filename:

The_Herald_News_1972_03_15_4.pdf

Filesize:

217.76 KB

Downloaded:

830 Time(s)

The_Herald_News_1977_06_14_8.pdf

Description:

Download

Filename:

The_Herald_News_1977_06_14_8.pdf

Filesize:

415.87 KB

Downloaded:

889 Time(s)

Trish
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 23 Sep 2020
Replies: 547

Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 11:55 am Post subject:

Hi Everyone,

This is a possible manifest for Marianna Borowiec. I like this one for she is going to Passaic, New Jersey. Wilhelm's manifest stated he was going to his brother-in-law's in Passaic, New Jersey. So maybe this is where Wilhelm and Marianna met.

Regards,
Trish

Name Marya Borowiec
Gender Female
Ethnicity/ Nationality Ruthenian (Russniak) (Ruthenian)
Marital Status Single
Age 19
Birth Date abt 1893
Birth Place Galicia
Other Birth Place Tomaszowce
Last Known Residence Tomaszorce, Galizia
Departure Port Bremen
Arrival Date 11 Sep 1912
Arrival Port New York, New York, USA
Residence Place Galicia
Final Destination Passaic, New Jersey
Height 5 Feet, 4 Inches
Hair Color Blonde
Eye Color Green
Complexion Fair
Money in Possession 30
Person in Old Country Katarzyna Boroziec
Person in Old Country Relationship Mother
Person in Old Country Residence Tomaszorce Galicia
Person in US Jozefa Bosowier
Person in US Relationship Sister
Mother Katarzyna Boroziec
Sibling Jozefa Bosowier
Ship Name Kronprinz Wilhelms

Marianna Borowiec Manifest, Page 1.jpg

Description:

Filesize:

861.13 KB

Viewed:

1 Time(s)

Marianna Borowiec Manifest, Page 2.jpg

Description:

Filesize:

888.69 KB

Viewed:

0 Time(s)

BarbOslo
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 19 Nov 2022
Replies: 1615
Location: Norway
Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 12:09 pm Post subject:

Thanks Trish and Sophia.
For 3 hours I have been "running" between parishes, and I did not find any matches. I assumed that the Manifest for Wilhelm Walerko is correct. We have been given abt. year of birth, place where he came from and father's name. We also have his date of birth from WW1/2 Draft Cards.
The village of Nowosielec in the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century it belonged to the parishes of Racławice and Jeżowe. Both are indexed on Genetyka, but checked the church books again. Parish Nisko is not indexed, so I checked “page by page” with a good margin. No last name Walerko to see. No Wilhem (or Guilherme). I checked similar surnames with a father named Jozef. There I found Jozef Wdowiak, Watras, Wojtak, Warchol. Surname Warchol is most often seen in the church books for this area. But none of these are similar to Walerko. So everything indicates that from the first registration in the USA the surname was changed or that we have to look elsewhere. I believe that the New Jersey Marriage Record, 1915 could give us more answers. What about naturalization?

-Barb

Trish
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 23 Sep 2020
Replies: 547

Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 1:53 pm Post subject:

BarbOslo wrote:

Hi Barb,
Per the census records, Wilhelm was naturalized between 1920-1930. The 1930 Census says he was naturalized. Wilhelm's naturalization record is not online. The naturalization record should be at the New Jersey State Archives.

New Jersey's records are detailed, but it still would be hit or miss finding the exact name of the town on the marriage record for Wilhelm and Marianna.

By any chance could Hpusio contact the church they were from and get copies of the marriage record and the baptismal records for the children? The name of the town could be listed.

Regards,
Trish

Trish
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 23 Sep 2020
Replies: 547

Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 2:31 pm Post subject:

Hi Everyone,

Here is another mystery. I found the naturalization record for Jan Czesniewski who is the spouse of Zofia Borowiec. Check out the name of the town for Zofia.

Note: I still cannot find a naturalization record for Wilhelm. I would check the New Jersey State Archives for it.

Note: I do not know if the manifest I found for Marianna Borowiec is correct. I'll keep looking.

Regards,
Trish

Jan Czesniewski Naturalization.jpg

Description:

Filesize:

1004.05 KB

Viewed:

0 Time(s)

Sophia
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 05 Oct 2014
Replies: 1532

Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 3:30 pm Post subject:

Hi Trish,
There are a few towns:
Nowosielec (north of Rzeszow)
Nowosielce (east of Rzeszow)
Nowosielce (south of Rzeszow)
Nowosiółki (southeast of that second Nowosielce)
Looking at Wilhelm's manifest, I was interpreting it as Nowosielec (hence, north of Rzeszow). The Jan Czesniewski document that you just posted gives me pause.
Barb, how do we know which place we need to look at? Is it proximity to NISKO which is the clue?
Sophia

BarbOslo
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 19 Nov 2022
Replies: 1615
Location: Norway
Back to top

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 4:13 pm Post subject:

I don't know which Nowosielec it is.
Is it possible that Wilhelm Walerko is from Nowosielec and the Borowiec sisters Mary and Sophia from Nowosielce?
I don't think so. I think they both come from the same place. I'll see if I can find the Manifest for Sophia from November 1906. Who came first, Mary or Sophia? Did they come together. And to whom they traveled.

-Barb

PolishOrigins Forum