Forum | PolishOrigins :: View topic - Can't read the handwritten city name.

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shel.bednar

Joined: 31 Dec 2016
Replies: 3
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 5:46 am Post subject: Can't read the handwritten city name.

Hello!

My name is Shelley Bednar. I recently started researching my father's side of the family as I was fortunate enough to get an ancestry DNA test for Christmas. We know so much about my mom's side and even my father's grandmother's side of the family, but we know very little about my great grandfather. My mom's sister is part of the Church of Latter Day Saints and did an immense amount of research for us, but has since developed rapidly-progressing dementia, and I really wanted to pick up where she left off, with my dad's side of the family. I was told his name is Peter J Bednar, but that his last name was Bednarz prior to immigration and he then dropped the Z. The tough part is, talking about his past was completely off-limits for my dad and grandfather growing up, and my grandfather and Peter have passed and we don't really have anyone left to lead us in the right direction. I would really like to know who Peter's parents were and how many siblings he had and what his actual nationality is and where he grew up (or at least what life would have been like for him then). I uncovered a nephew of his who was living with him during the 1920 US Census, named Peter Kayder (who I've since found out is actually James Peter Kayder), so I'm assuming he at least had a sister. James immigrated in 1915 and was naturalized in 1928 and immigrated from Bremen, Germany, but was born in Zbaraz, according to his naturalization paperwork.

Here's what I know about Peter. He had 3 children, one of which was my grandfather, who was originally named Aloise (also spelled Aloyouis) and later changed his name to Albert G Bednar, then named my father Albert G Bednar Jr. His wife's name was Martha Cwiklinski. According to the 1920 US Census, he immigrated to the US in 1905. He would've been around 15 years old at that time, but I can't seem to find anything from 1905 that could possibly list his parents' names. I'm confident he was born June 29, 1889 and died on March 25, 1970. His death records show an autopsy was not performed, but according to my father, he committed suicide and my grandfather found him hanging in the garage. I was able to locate his military draft registration card, which I attached (along with his picture). It lists a city in Poland as the city in which he was born, but I can't quite make out the handwriting to determine the actual city name. It appears to be something along the lines of Stasz (or maybe Stany) Baraj, but I can't seem to find anything close to that name around 1889. My aunt swears up and down there is some document out there somewhere that says he was born in Austria, but everything I've found says Russian Poland.

I've tried looking up birth and/or christening records and I know that whole side of the family was Catholic, but I don't really know where to start, so it's been a challenge. I apologize if this is a rooky question, but I'm losing sleep over this and I'm dying to find out, with certainty, where he and his parents are from and what on earth they must have gone through that Peter refused to even talk about where he immigrated from at all. Any direction or assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated and would really mean a great deal to me. Please let me know if you need any other information and I'll try to provide it to the best of my ability.

Thank you,
Shelley Bednar

Joseph Cwiklinski and Peter Bednar.jpg

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This photo is of Peter Bednar and his father-in-law, Joseph I Cwiklinski. Joseph is on the left and Peter is on the right. He's a spitting image of my father when he was younger.

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Zenon
PolishOrigins Team Leader

Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1515
Location: Poland
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 7:34 am Post subject:

Welcome to the Forum Shelley!

Indeed, you don't have too many clues to start with..

However, my Polish eyes see the first word on the registration card as Stary (an old). We know that your ggrandfather had nephew from Zbaraz. I look quickly at the map nearby Zbaraz and I found only one place starting with the word Stary, which is Stary Zbaraz located next to the Zbaraz, see map: https://goo.gl/maps/EiTmPudJ2612 .

Because it is the only clue we have at this stage this is what I would start with. I would try to find baptism records of Peter in the old Zbaraz and Stary Zbaraz parishes (Greek catholic and/or Roman catholic parishes, if you are not sure about religion of your ancestors). I know that the second word in the registration card seems to be starting with "B". But phonetically saying Zbaraz the "Z" could me unheard for non-Polish speaking person.

While checking the records you could verify if the Bednarz or Kejder (Keyder) families lived in that area in 19th century, at worst case.

The availability of records for Zbaraz and Stary Zbaraz you will find here: https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/259691?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Good luck Exclamation

shel.bednar

Joined: 31 Dec 2016
Replies: 3
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 10:45 pm Post subject:

Hi Zenon,

Wow that was fast! Thank you so much for your help! This gives me a great starting point. I look forward to discovering more about my family. What a great way to ring in the new year!

Thanks again!!! Smile

dnowicki
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Replies: 2783
Location: Michigan City, Indiana
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:16 pm Post subject: Re: Can't read the handwritten city name.

shel.bednar wrote:

Hi Shelley,

Along with the good suggestions you received from Zenon there is another way to begin your search. The attached civil marriage license return gives the name of the priest who blessed Peter and Martha’s marriage. He was Polish and would have been likely to correctly have entered Peter’s place of birth/baptism in the church marriage register. At a minimum, the marriage register should contain the names of Peter’s parents. The more likely church where the marriage may have taken place is St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr (6549 E. 65th Street, Cleveland, Ohio). Another possible (but less likely) church would have been Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Cleveland. St. Stan’s is mere 0.2 mile from where Martha lived in 1910 and Immaculate Heart of Mary is farther from where she lived. (R.C. marriages almost always took place in the parish of the bride.)
I would suggest contacting St. Stan’s and requesting a copy of the actual entry in the marriage register or, if the parish is unwilling to send that, a transcript of all the data in the register for that marriage. You don’t want a marriage certificate since that would not contain the names of Peter’s parents nor his place of birth/baptism.

Wishing you success in your research,

Dave

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mcdonald0517
PO Top Contributor & Patron

Joined: 27 May 2012
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 9:49 pm Post subject:

Hello,

Here are a couple of more pieces to your puzzle. I found documents for 1920, 1930, and 1940 census. It seems that his wife Martha died shortly after the 1930 census. Attached is a marriage license application for Peter and his new wife dated Sept 2, 1931. The application provides the names of Peter's parents - Joseph Bednar(z) and Mary Bejcek.

Also, the 1920 census indicates that Peter was naturalized as a citizen in 1912. I found the index for 2 naturalization records In Cleveland Ohio for 1912 - one of them could be his. If so, it would include his place of birth.

Peter or Piotr Bednarz
B. 1888 Austria
Age 24
Civil action in 1912, Cleveland, Ohio
FHL Film # 1819028

Peter Bednar
B. 1889 Austria
Age 23
Civil action in 1912, Cleveland, OH
Film #2380531

I suggest you keep an open mind about his birth possibly being in Austria. Both of these naturalization indices list Austria - perhaps this is the document your aunt remembers. And, these records correspond with the date of naturalization indicated in the 1920 census which is 1912. You can request his naturalization records by using the FHL film numbers given in the index from the state of Ohio.

Finally, I also found his World War II draft registration card. The place of his birth us written here more clearly, and seems to confirm Zenon's suggestion of Staryi Zbarazh which, at the time of his birth, was part of Galicia, Austria. The record is attached.

I hope this helps! BTW, I found all of these records on ancestry.com

Best,
Cynthia

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shel.bednar

Joined: 31 Dec 2016
Replies: 3
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 12:30 am Post subject:

Wow! Thank you all so much for your help! This is incredible news! I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for your help. My father was very excited to learn the names of his great grandparents and I'm looking forward to learning more about them.

Thanks again! Smile

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