The Challenge

Amy Johnson Crow's second prompt is #Challenge. 

Did you know another name for Genealogy is Challenge? Seriously. If anyone is doing Genealogy and hasn't hit a brick wall then you aren't doing it right, or your family handed you your genealogy on a silver platter with a pretty bow on top.

I've faced many challenges. I've been relentless, spent numerous hours researching and finally found the answers. For instance, I know two of the four of my Polish roots. I also know a huge part of my mother's genealogy and I was able to finally trace my ancestry back to an American Revolutionary War Patriot and was sworn in as an official DAR member. 

I currently have three challenges I've been working on for some time.

1. Julia Carr. - She's important to me because if I can find her death certificate I can prove another revolutionary war patriot link. Through my research, I've become drawn to her. This is what I know about Julia Carr

• Julia Carr was born in April 1950 in Pennsylvania to William Riley Carr and Mary Withey. 
• Julia married Mathew Marmaduke Bunting in ?? 
• Mathew remarried her half-sister - Etha Julia Foor 3/20/1883 and his name was written Matthew in the record. Etha was 19 and Mathew was 33 (really 35)
• I originally through Etha and Julia were the same person since Etha's middle name is Julia, but the birth dates are very different. Julia had her first child in 1866. Etha was born in 1864 so it was impossible for Etha and Julia to be the same person.
• The last place she was seen was on the 1880 census in Metamora, Fulton, Ohio and Mathew was remarried in 1883. When Mathew was remarried in Ogden, Lenawee, Michigan, USA to Etha it said his residence was in Metamora, Ohio. 
• Therefore I believe Julia most likely died between 1880 and 1883. 

2. Peter Kopec - This was my grandmother's father. He was deported back to Poland around 1930 for having an affair and not supporting his wife and three daughters. I have a very close DNA match to his side of the family, and I match another woman who has extensive research on the Kopec side, but I can't find any records for Peter or his parents Eva and Anthony. My next step is to find his marriage records in Detroit Catholic Church or find his naturalization application. 

3. The Dziekan family. My grandfather Raymond Dziekan Sr's grandfather is as far back as I can go on the Dziekan side from Poland. His name is Ignacy Dziekan married to Mary Legawicz. They had a son John. John Dziekan is my grandfather's father, who died young from TB. The story was that they put all the patients with TB in a locked down hospital and he'd jump out of the window and walk many miles home, only to be caught and taken back to the hospital. He eventually got too weak to do this anymore and later passed away from TB. 

I found a local resource in the Michigan Polish Genealogical society that said he was researching the Dziekan side. I reached out to him and found we are a DNA match but it is about 4-5 generations back. He told me how he found his Dziekan records and I tried this and came up with nothing. I have an idea where they lived, but I'd like to find some concrete records for this side of the family.

These are my challenges and I'm open to any suggestions on getting me past my #challenges or brick walls.  

The First

I'm following Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks. The prompt for this week is 'The First'. Here is how I wanted to interpret it.

My dad's side of the family is Polish. I remember both of my grandparents speaking their special 'Polish' language. They never taught any of their seven kids because it was their way to talk without the kids knowing what they were talking of. Both of their parents came from Poland so they were the first generation to be born in the USA. 

When I embarked on this journey called genealogy I knew it wouldn't be easy since all of my family on my dad's side were from Poland and no one knew where anyone was from. How was I going to be able to find any of these records?

I decided that DNA testing was intriguing and so I did a test and then proceeded to test all my immediate family. DNA testing is really the key that helped piece a lot of the missing puzzle pieces together. 

I reached out to some close DNA matches to ask if they knew how we were related. One woman, Judy, provided me with my entire family's genealogy in Poland back to the 1700s. I almost cried when I opened the envelope. She included stories of how she traveled to Poland, how she met her extended family, how they welcomed her with open arms and how she walked through the family cemetery and gathered hundreds of years of data from the small town church. If that wasn't enough, she provided me with every single person from the beginning of the records and every branch until it met my great-great-grandmother. I was thrilled, elated and in awe. Had I not had a DNA test done, I never would have known I was related to this wonderful woman, Judy. 

These records that Judy gathered aren't online. They are only available in a small church's records in a small area of Poland. She was able to gather all those records and I finally had names and places in Poland to where one of my four branches were from (My Grandfather's mother, Victoria Baran's family). 

So 'The First' I am writing about is not only my grandparents who were the first of their family to be born in the United States, but also 'The First' of answers as to where our Polish family is from and where in Poland they lived. I was 'The First' in our family to research and find answers. Here are to many more 'Firsts' on this wonderful journey! 

Victoria (Wictoria) Baran's passenger list. This was the passenger list in Germany. She immigrated to the USA when she was 18. Her entry is the third one from the top on the right page. 

Victoria (Baran) Dziekan holding my father during his baptism.

More letters

I can't tell you how thankful I am that I liked to write my grandmother letters about her life. I treasure these letters like they are a priceless piece of art.

6-13-02

Hello Bree and Joe,

Sorry I'm so late with this letter. We are fine.

1. What did you do for fun as children?
My uncle bought us a pair of roller skates and a bicycle that we 3 girls shared. By the way, when our bike broke, Grandpa repaired the bike. His sister, Florence was my best friend. Her mother worked the afternoon shift (his father dead). I spent many many nites with her. I mean evenings.

2. Grandpa went to Boy's club every day after school. So I did not see him much. We girls played monopoly many times.

Grandpa: He delivered the Polish paper every day and earned some money. Thank God for Boy's Club!

2. Favorite Food:
My mother made soup 5 days a week and on Sunday we had meat. We did not eat pastry or candy. Drank a lot of milk, no coffee. So food was my favorite food..
Grandpa drank coffee and cakes from the bakery. His mother was a good Polish cook.

It's entirely different today. Money was the issue. Today more money and more treats, especially today. I never went to the restaurant when I was young. Grandpa and I just went to a Catholic school.

I remember I did not have a .05 to see a movie on Friday. So I stayed in class and cleaned the room. But my childhood was great. What you don't have, I did not miss.

In the 8th grade, I worked after school at a produce department. Worked after school 4 years in high school to pay for my clothes and books. I never seen any alcohol in my mother's home and never swore.

On Sunday, I would go to church and then to a movie.

Live: (Live)
Grandma and Grandpa  - We lived in Detroit, 9 blocks away. We went same Catholic school.

Bree,
I bought a new CD last week which I playing now. Called the voice by Russell Watson.

Thank you for the stationary. I played pinocle. I enjoy the senior club, met many new friends. Sometimes Grandpa and I need space. He loves to stay home. I stayed home for 10 years when I had 6 kids in 8 years.

Uncle Gary is moving to Brighton to join your dad and uncles. I will MISS him, they would come over and we would play cards and enjoy each other.

Aunt Shirley and I call each other every day. Excuse my spelling, I use to be a good speller but now going on 73 in August, I sometimes forget. Today, I'm going to have my hair done. I need a loose permanent.

Sunday is Father's Day, our sons and Shirley will be here to celebrate. Grandpa will be 76 in November and doing fine.

On Sunday's after church if no one comes over we go to Bishop Park in Wyandotte. They have boat cruises from Thursday to Sunday. We go often.

Love you, Bree.
Grandma

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Letter #2
7-15-02

Hello Bree and Joe,

We are fine and well.

1. Did we walk? Yes and rode the bus. I worked part-time downtown after school for two years. Yes, driving in a car was a treat since there wasn't a car when I was young.

2. I attended 8 years in a Catholic school before then I went to a public kindergarten class. I graduated from Chadsey High School (public) in 1947. Married in 48 to Grandpa.

My favorite nun was Sister Suzanne (4th grade | Who I named Aunt Suzanne after her). The nuns (nun) very pleasant and smiling to us kids!

2. Yes I did enjoy school, also met your grandpa there. Had many friends. They also taught us from right and wrong, plus religion.

I always walked to school. I met grandpa as a safety boy at the corner on Martin street. Her called me 'Blondie'. One day he walked me home only to be my best friend's brother.

3. I walked about a mile. My best friends were Aunt Florence and Lillian, who lived on the same street. Aunt Florence died and Lillian, I call her now and then.

My mother had 3 girls and we always used the bus.

Grandpa and I seen baby Sophie. She is so cute. Sorry! She has blond eyebrows which means she will be a blonde like her father and grandmother (me).

My father had blonde hair and hazel eyes. My mother had brown hair and brown eyes. We 3 girls all had hazel eyes and blond hair. My younger sister, Genevieve, we call her Jerrie, had ash blond. She lives in Taylor and has 2 boys. Both divorced with children, who lives with their mother.

Love you and see you on August 10th.
Love Grandma and Grandpa.

-----------------------
Things to note:
- Graduated from Chadsey High School in 1947.
- Married in 1948

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).


-----------------

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. 

-------------------

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

-----------------------------------------

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.