Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:46 pm
Post subject: Grinezell (sp?) from Grodno, Poland
My name is Krystin Radke and I live in Northern CA. I moved here from Massachusetts in 1982, and I was born in Providence, RI in 1972. I am researching my mother's paternal side of the family. Her grandfather, known as "Stanley Grinchell" to the family in the United States, was born in Grodno, Poland on April 15, 1891. I have seen one record state 1892 but I believe 1891 is correct. He came to the U.S. (Providence, R.I.) after his birth, between 1892 and 1914. I have found information on www.ancestry.com that shows his WWI Draft Registration Card dated June 5, 1917, his name appearing as "Stanislaw Grinezell (last name sp?)". Written above his name is "Grinchell" which is the Americanized version of his Polish surname. He signed the card "Stanislaw Grinchell". In the 1922 Providence Directory he is listed at "Stanley Grinchell". He uses this name on everything post 1922.
I also found his WWII Draft Registration Card. There is a section that asks for the "name and address of person who will always know your address". He entered "Mrs. Wladeslawa Grinchell" and stated that she had the same address as his. His wife's name was "Anna" which is confirmed so I believe Wladeslawa to possibly be his mother. The odd thing is that in all of the Providence Directories between 1914 and 1945, I see all of the family members he resided with. Wladeslawa is never mentioned in any directory as residing with him or anyone else in the family. Since he changed the spelling of his last name to "Grinchell" after coming to the U.S., he must have changed Wladeslawa's as well. I believe her true Polish married last name is "Grinezell" or "Grinizell", something like that. I'm having trouble reading the WWI draft card so I am not exactly sure of the proper spelling. I do not know her maiden name.
I have been looking for the pre-U.S. spelling of his last name for years and finally found a huge clue from his WWI draft card. I believe his true Polish name to be "Stanislaw Grinezell" or "Grinizell". If anyone knows anyone with the surname "Grinezell" or "Grinizell" born in Grodno, Poland, please let me know. I would love to know where to look to trace my lineage.
Thank you!!!
Krystin Radke
krystinradke at yahoo.com
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magdalenanegron
Joined: 21 May 2010
Replies: 11
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Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:20 pm
Post subject:
Hi there,
Unfortunately, Grinezell and Grinizell don't sound like Polish names at all. If you are trying to establish Wladeslawa's (correct spelling in Polish would be Władysława) last name from an old document, bear in mind that American clerks recorded those names based on verbal statements rather than written records. I believe that the first "e" in the name Grinezell is actually a "c": Grinczell. The sound "cz", common in Polish language, reads as you would read the "cz" in "Czech Republic", for example. Now, "Grinczell" sounds more Polish. Grynczel is a Polish surname (12 or more people with last name Grynczel live in the area of your interest, actually). Here is a link that may be helpful: http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/grynczel.html
Good luck in your search!
Magdalena.
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ShelliePO Top Contributor & Patron
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Replies: 1000
Location: Atlanta, GABack to top |
Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:03 pm
Post subject:
Hi Krystin,
Your posting is very interesting. Try the Steve Morse Ellis Island site and do a search using the " Is Phonetically" setting for Grinzell: http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/eidb/ellisgold.html?
several results show men with surname spellings of Grenczl, Grinczl, Grenczel, Grenzel and other variations. Several of them have Grodno in their manifests. One result for Stanislaw Grenzel, born 1890 might be who you are looking for.
It is possible that the original spelling of your g-grandfather's surname is very similar to Grenczel / Grinczl.
I hope this helps you.
Shellie
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magdalenanegron
Joined: 21 May 2010
Replies: 11
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Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:26 pm
Post subject:
Gryncel, Grynczal, Grynczyl, Grynczuk... there are tons of them : )
Here is a link to a page where you can look up Polish last names (scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see what I mean by "there are tons of them") http://www.stankiewicz.e.pl/index.php?kat=44&sub=537
It is a good reference if you would like to establish the spelling of your g-g-mother's surname.
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