Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 12:42 am
Post subject: Surname Confusion Josefowicz (Weiss)
I am having a horribly difficult time finding my Polish ancestors. Since I don't find them at all in any of the obvious places, I wonder if the surname confusion is a problem in gaining any info on them. Probably the biggest problem is my grandfather's surname. On my mother's birth certificate his surname is listed as Josefowiszc (Weiss). I'm not sure that would be the correct spelling of Josefowiszc (I'm thinking Josefowicz). What confuses me is the (Weiss) listed after that name. For my mother's surname, it shows only the Josefowiszc name. My grandmother's surname is shown as Skenyetsky. However, I'm also guessing that isn't the correct spelling and it may be actually Skonieczny. Therefore, the spelling confusion could be due to the fact that someone at the hospital where my mother was born guessed at the spellings of both surnames. A big question for me is why there is a second name in parentheses for my grandfather, Josefowiszc (Weiss). Can anyone shed any light on this? I did read the article for which someone posted a link about surname confusion, but I'm not sure any of that applies in this case . . . or might it?
This family's name was spelled so many different ways in America that it's hard to know where to begin. I've seen it spelled Weise (formerly Yousovich); Wooes; Wise; Weiss; Weise, in addition to the one mentioned above. The family ended up permanently spelling it Weise.
If it makes any difference, the only thing I know about the town they came from is that my uncle said he was born in "Alexandria," which I am sure is also incorrect. His naturalization papers say "Alaxandra," which I also think is incorrect. I have narrowed it down to Aleksandrow, Aleksandrovo, Aleksandrowo (depending on where the border was at the time). I have only come up with that because of where my uncle said the town was located.
Any ideas any of you have would be so very much appreciated. I simply don't know where to go from here. Thanks!
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 9:55 am
Post subject:
Cisbo,
Were they Franciszka and Pawel?
Gilberto
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 11:04 am
Post subject:
She went by the name Frances here (which I assume is probably Franciszka). He was Carl. However, I know so little about him that for all I know Pawel could have been his real given name and he might have gone by a middle name???? I do think his given name was probably Carl, though, since he gave two of his sons Carl as middle names.
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 11:40 am
Post subject:
I just had another thought. They arrived here in 1903, maybe 1904. They first lived in Elizabeth, NJ, for a few years and then moved to Oregon (abruptly). It is said that Carl had some possible trouble with the law in NJ and left there immediately, leaving Frances behind with the children, sending for them when he settled in Oregon. I suppose it is possible that he used the name Carl to change his identity a little bit if he thought the law was after him. I would not rule out the name Pawel if there are any other factors that seem to relate to this family.
They had one son who was born before they came here, Sigman Carl "Yousovich." He was born in November 1901 in "Alaxandra" or whatever the correct spelling is. He said it was very near the Russian border.
They had a daughter, Dorothy Helen, a daughter Stella Jean (or Estella), twin sons Edward and Henry Carl, and my mother, Mary Louise.
Frances was born in 1883, as far as we know. Carl may have been born as early as 1859, but perhaps 1871 or around that year. At any rate, he was a fair amount older than she was.
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