Written letters to my grandmother, Lillian Dziekan

I call myself an old soul. I've always loved bird watching (since I was five!), I love lighthouses, I love scrapbooking and telling family stories and I love genealogy. Growing up I loved writing and I would write my grandma and ask her questions about her life. I would also package stationary for my grandma so she always had something to write me back on. I kept all of the letters we wrote back and forth and I scrapbooked a page on them. I am so thankful that I did this as it has helped me with my genealogy journey.

My grandmother, Lillian Kopec Dziekan, My brother Gregory Dziekan and my Grandfather Raymond Dziekan Sr. 

Correspondence from Lillian (Kopec) Dziekan to me (Briana Dziekan Fisher).


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5-14-02

1. Hello Bree and Joe,

I had a lovely day for Mother's day, all my kids were over.

Here are the answers

Grandpa had 8 siblings, he was the 8th child and his youngest sister was a girl named Florence. Grandpa is the only living sibling left. 

Grandma:
My mother was a wonderful mother. We were poor and without a father (They were married in a Catholic church but left us 3 girls for another woman with money who also had a husband.)

2. She (My mother) never swore, drank and worked part-time cleaning homes. I worked part time in high school to pay for my school books and clothes. 

I graduated from high school in 1947. Married Grandpa in 1948. 

Grandpa:
His mother was very stern but had to raise her 9 children since her husband died at the age of 41. Grandpa quit high school to go to work and then joined the navy when he was 17 years old.

3. Question
My childhood - Poor but a relaxing home. We were on welfare, living in a rented home. I also remembering as a childhood waiting for the Goodfellow's truck for our only Xmas gift. Those were in the depression years. 

I slept with my older sister Mary in the front bedroom. My mother and younger sister slept in the back bedroom.

We had a coal stove in the living room.

Where did I keep my things:
We had a bedroom set with drawers and a back porch for other things. 

On my 25th anniversary (wedding) my sister and I left for Poland. Grandpa did not want to go. A country about 50 years behind time, still under German's rule. 

After my mother died he came to visit us and stayed with my younger sister and then returned home to his 3rd wife. He always said God punished him and he did not have any more children with his 2 other wife's cause he did not support his 3 girls. Love Grandma. 

3. My mother dressed wearing nylons and a dress. She had brown hair and brown eyes. I always remember that she would pick up people's laundry to our home (washed and ironed). Brought the laundry in a wagon to our home and walked them delivered. My mother was a lovely, lovely lady. Died at the age of 69 years from a heart attack.

4. My father had blonde hair and hazel eyes. I was five years old when he left for Poland. He entered the country illegally from Canada. The judge sent him back to Poland cause he wanted to live with his girlfriend who was my godmother. Grandpa's father died when he was 9 years old. All he said he had dark hair and very tall. 

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So Lillian's father, Peter Kopec, left the family for her Godmother and was deported to Poland for failure to take care of his three girls. It sounds like her life was not easy after he left them, and her mother was a very hard worker trying to support them.

Grandpa Raymond Dziekan Sr. was one of 9 kids and his mother was very strict.

Peter Kopec is a big mystery to me in which I am still researching. I found a woman on Ancestry who is a third cousin to my father, in which I believe her great-grandfather, Joseph Kopec, is Peter Kopec's brother!

More letter's to come. I'm so glad I wrote my grandmother and asked all these questions!

52 weeks - Week 1

Thanks for joining me. I am going to do the best I can to do 52 ancestors in 52 weeks. 

I'm going to start with - well 'Start'. 

This is my first genealogy blog so my first entry will be about my Grandmother, Lillian (Kopec) Dziekan. 

Lillian Dziekan was the most kind and caring person you would have ever met. I still remember her giving me (wet) kisses and big hugs. She loved her family and they meant everything to her. 

I loved writing letters growing up and grandma was one of my penpals. Thank goodness I saved all those letters as they have given me the most amazing clues to her life. Now that she has passed on there are so many more questions I wish I would have asked. 

One of the big mysteries I'm trying to piece together is her father, Peter Kopec. PI will get to the big mystery in a moment.

Lillian's Vital Information:

Let's start with Lillian and where she was born.

Peter Kopec married Katherine Guzik and had three daughters, Lillian Deloris Kopec, Mary Helen Kopec and Genevieve Kopec (Gerry). 

Lillian Deloris Kopec was born in Detroit, Michigan on August 11, 1929. 

Census 1930

In 1930 we see her on the first census records. 

1930:

Residency - 4827 Lawndale Ave, Detroit, MI; Owned house with $5000; No a farm.

Head - Peter Kopec - 

*Anything in red means these are clues to researching back further.

• Male, White, Age 30
• Born in Poland
• Married at age 23. 
• Can read and write. 
• Father - Born in Poland. 
• Mother - Born in Poland. 
• Spoke Polish before coming to the USA.
• PA: The individual began the naturalized process and has submitted a declaration of intention.
• Arrived in 1924. 
• Can speak English
• Job - Laborer - Auto Manufacturer
• Was working
• Not a Veteran

Wife - Catheryn (Her name is spelled multiple different ways).

• Female, White, 31, Married
• Born in Poland
• Was married at age 24
• Can read and write.
• Father - Born in Poland. 
• Mother - Born in Poland. 
• Spoke Polish before coming to the USA.
• PA: The individual began the naturalized process and has submitted a declaration of intention.
• Arrived in 1924. 
• Can speak English
• Job - None

Daughter - Mary

• Female, White, 6, Single
• Born in Michigan
• Attended school
• Father - Born in Poland. 
• Mother - Born in Poland. 

Daughter - Lillian

• Female, White, 8/12 months old, Single
• Born in Michigan
• Attended school
• Father - Born in Poland. 
• Mother - Born in Poland. 

Others I am not sure their relation to the Kopec family. Most often than not people lived with the family that they knew. The ironic part about these roomers are they are not Polish, so I am wondering if they knew each other through work? John S and John H both worked in Auto Industry.

• John Syriki - Roomer. Male, white, 45m Married at age 17. From Poland. Spoke Polish. Laborer in Auto Manufacturing. 
• John Haviman - Roomer - Male, White, 50, Married, Married at age 30. Born in Michigan. Laborer in Auto Manufacturing. 
• Emma Haviman - Roomer - Female, White, 48, married, married first time at age 28. Born in Michigan.
• Glenn Haviman - Male, 14, Roomer, born in Michigan.

NOTE - Need to request birth certificate.  

Census 1940 

On April 6, 1940 you can see a few things changed:

1. Where is the father, Peter? 
2. They are in a new home, renting on a new street. 
3. Their daughter, Gerry is listed on this census. 
4. Catherine is spelled yet another different way. 
5. Mary was the one who gave the information for the census and she was 16.
6. Catherine's age was 31 years old, ten years before in the 1930 census, yet 43 in 1940.
7. Catherine is still listed as married, yet Peter is not in the picture. 
8. In 1930, it said Catherine was getting her first papers, in 1940 it says, Alien.
9. Name is spelled Kopek, not Kopec.

Wife - Head - Catherine (Her name is spelled multiple different ways).

Residence: 4441 Elvers Street, Detroit, Mi. Lived here in 1935. 

• Female, White, 43, Married 
• Born in Poland
• Alien
• Job - None
• Made income other than money wages or salary. 

Daughter - Mary

• Female, White, 16, Single
• Born in Michigan
• Attended school

Daughter - Lillian

• Female, White, 10, Single
• Born in Michigan
• Attended school

Daughter - Genevieve

• Female, White, 9, Single
• Born in Michigan
• Attended school

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Timeline:

A better close up:

Grandpa Raymond's handwriting on the back of this wedding photo. The corners are cut off. Grandpa had a habit of getting angry and tearing photos which could explain the tear in this one. 

I need to get this actual record but you can see the following:

• Married at age 19 to Raymond Dziekan in Detroit, Michigan on Nov 20, 1948. She was 19. 
• Her name is spelled Kopec. 

Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952

Name:

Lillian Kopec

Gender: Female

Race: White

Birth Year: abt 1929

Birth Place: Detroit, Michigan

Marriage Date: 20 Nov 1948

Marriage Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA

License County: Wayne

Age: 19

Residence Place: Detroit 10, Michgian

Father: Peter Kopec

Mother: Catherine Guzik

Spouse: Raymond Dziekan

County File Number: 747957

State File Number: 426721

Film: 360

Film Title: 82 Wayne 423425-426750

Film Description: Wayne (Dates TBD)

Death:

A wonderful gentleman on findagrave went out and took a photo of Grandma and Grandpa's grave marker.

Obituary:

DZIEKAN, Lillian Dolores, age 83, passed away peacefully on July 25, 2013. 

Lillian was a resident of Garden City for 50 years and enjoyed being a member of the Garden City Senior Center. A longtime member at St. Raphael Catholic Church until her move to Howell made it difficult. 

She is the beloved wife of the late Raymond; dearest mother of Raymond (Linda), Shirley O'Neil, Randy (Linda), Ryan (Linda), Jim (Nancy), Gary (Jennifer), and the late Suzanne. **

Loving grandmother of Sharlene (Walt), Jeremy (Keri), Briana (Joe), Greg (Audrey), Teresa (Paul),Timothy, Katherine (Kevan), Lindsay (Collin), Andy (Danelle), Sarah, Megan, Jared, Mitchell, Kelly, Bethany, Sophie, Jenna. 

She is the adored great-grandmother of Troy, Joey, Justin, Maeve, Anthony, Emily, Kaitlyn. 

Sister of Genevieve Lyberg and the late Mary Helen Kopec. 

The family will receive friends on Sunday, July 28th, from 1:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Service for Lillian will be held on Monday, July 29th at 11:00 am at the funeral home. 

Burial will be immediately following the service at Glen Eden Memorial Cemetery. 

The family suggests donations in memory of Lillian be made to the charity of your choice. 

Please share a memory or thought with the family. 

**No the three Linda's for wives of the children are not a mistake. Ray and Ryan both married Lindas. Randy's first wife passed suddenly and later he remarried a Linda. Only the two youngest boys married a non-Linda! 

US. Public Records list her on Rush street in 1992, which is where she lived until she was too old to live on her own anymore. I have so many fond memories of this house. She had a room of photos where all of her grandkids had photos on the wall. It was my favorite room. I'd go in there and look at what she had new. I always hoped she had one of me. It could be what helped fuel my passion for genealogy.

Name Lillian Dziekan

Birth Date 1929

Address 30335 Rush St, Garden City, 48135-3406 (1992), MI

The next blog entry I will delve into the Peter mystery and explain some of grandma's favorite things by going through the letters she sent to me over the years.

52 weeks in 2018

I'm no stranger to blogging. I blogged for years at designsbybriana.blogspot.com and eventually found new hobbies and other activities to take my time, but I've always missed writing.

I dabbled in photography and scrapbooking but I fell hard in love when I found DNA research and genealogy. I work in IT for a living and it's always the best feeling when something you were trying to figure out suddenly comes to you. You figure out your big mystery and you feel like you're on top of the world. That is what genealogy is to me, but at the same time, I learn about people who I share DNA with.

Amy Crow is well known in the field of genealogy. There is a challenge this year to do 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks.

https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

Week 1 challenge is start - and that is where this blog takes me. I am hoping to share photos and stories of my ancestors and I kindly welcome any help or corrections along the way.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by!

Shown are me and my boys about 2008. We were living in Dallas at the time and Justin was about two years old. Justin is on the left, and Joey is on the right.