❤️ Happy Mother’s Day ❤️ — #DNA

To Moms and the greater, grander ones too …

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Happy Mother’s Day to the SoloMOMS:

Genealogical Persistence in Pacanów = Serendipity in Zborówek — #Genealogy #Polish #Alegata

Stanczyk believes in persistence and serendipity when it comes to genealogical research. This jester believes a genealogical researcher makes his/her serendipity through that persistence, the bull-dogged determinism and hard work that yields the sweet fruit. 

Oh and after a few years of experience THEN you may trust your instincts. First learn. Learn genealogical research. Learn your family including friends and geography; understand that social network then you play your hunches and trust your instincts in the face of scant or missing data. 

As usual, I have a personal story to demonstrate what I mean. This small story is part of a larger story which is part of an even larger story. But I will start with small story and roll-up fractal-like into the larger fractal pictures (uh stories).
I was trying to find Stanislaw Krzyzycki (Stanisław Krzyżycki po polskiu), specifically his birth record in Poland in the area of my paternal grandparents (cluster genealogy / social-network-analysis). That was my goal. I had many US documents and knew a lot about Stanley and his brother Walter/Wladyslaw and their life in Niagara Falls / Buffalo NY. I also saw a soft connection to my grandparents and to a Stanley Eliasz that for years I suspected was a cousin of my grandfather Joseph Eliasz. But Stanley Eliasz and Stanley Krzyzycki remained opaque to me. I tucked them into a virtual shoe-box that I would return to. This is a part of the next larger story/goal.

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, in the old country, “Poland” I had a parallel situation. I had an Antoni Elijasz who was married to Katarzyna Krzyzycka. With the launch of Genbaza (metryki.genbaza.pl) I had new avenues of research to connect America to Poland. I had a couple of Elusive Stanley Eliasz/Elyasz to resolve. 

Stanley Elyasz came to Detroit from Pacanów the same as my grandfather but there was no family memory of Stanley Elyasz. Stanley Eliasz in Buffalo was even more opaque. Eventually genbaza solved both puzzles. I knew Stanley Elyasz (Detroit) was the son of Marcin Elijasz & his 2nd of three wives, Agnieszka Skwara. I also knew that Marcin Elijasz and my great-grandfather Jozef Elijasz were brothers (two sons of Marcin Elijasz & Anna Zasucha my 2x-greatgrandparents). So I finally had Genealogical proof, not just a hunch that Stanley Elyasz was my grandfather’s first-cousin. 

I also connected Stanley Eliasz to his parents, Antoni Elijasz/Katarzyna Krzyzycki and his sister, Helena through genbaza birth records. Antoni Elijasz was still opaque and as yet not drawn as a son of Marcin Elijasz/Anna Zasucha (though that is a long held hunch). So Stanley Eliasz (Buffalo) I could not yet confirm as another first-cousin to my grandfather. But I now know his parents. 

Anyway, this small story is about Stanley Krzyzycki. For a long time I suspected my grandparent’s picture from 1913 was taken by a Krzyzycki in Buffalo/Niagara area. So any way the documents in the US led me to believe these NY Krzyzycki (Krzyzyckich ?) were related to Antoni’s wife, Katarzyna Krzyzycki. With the websites: Geneszukacz & Genbaza I was able to locate Krzyzycki in Pacanow & Szczebrzusz (try and get those American teeth & tongues around those Polish phonemes!!).

I found Ludwik Krzyzycki & Franciszka Sikora. Easily enough I found Stanley Krzyzycki’s brother, Walter/Wladyslaw and his birth record. I also found Aleksander Jan Krzyzycki too. But no Stanislaw. I did see a few possible female Krzyzyckich who could also be siblings too. But I focused on a marriage record for a Joanna Krzyzycka because I knew if she was a sister then she would be older and would be a bookend child (along with Wladyslaw) and I would expect Stanislaw to be born between these two children. So I persisted. I read Joanna’s marriage record and yes she was a sister of Stanley Krzyzycki. She also married a man whose family name I did not recognize. So I looked at Joanna’s husband and indeed he was born outside the parish (Pacanów). Now from long experience I knew there would be an alegata or two about Joanna & her husband (Antoni Bąk). I found that Joanna’s age indicated an 1880 birth. Ergo, she was older. I had my bookend child. What I did not expect to find was an Alegata of Joanna’s birth. Great I had her exact birthdate. But wait that meant Joanna was born elsewhere too, another parish besides Pacanow. Joanna was born in Zborówek! Zborówek is an adjoining parish to Pacanów. 

Ok now its getting interesting. First, I confirm Joanna’s birth by finding her actual birth record (Akt42) in 1880 Zborówek. Good. Now I walk forward, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, …,bingo! In 1885, (April 12th 1885), I found Stanisław Krzyżycki and this date matches some of his US records too! Wow that is persistence! Oh and the serendipity of such persistence? It turns out that Stanisław Krzyzycki’s Godfather is Antoni Elijasz. 

Wow, Stanley Eliasz & Stanley Krzyzycki are 1st cousins (not proven but a 75% likelihood by my estimate). So Katarzyna Krzyzycki & Ludwik Krzyzycki are siblings. Now I had proven a hard connection between Eliasz & Krzyzycki who came to America. 

I also have Eliasz & Krzyzycki in:
Pacanów, Zborówek and Szczebrzusz.
This can lead to many new facts (with research):

1. Krzyzycki photographer took 1913 Eliasz photo in NY.

2. Antoni Elijasz is a brother of my 2nd greatgrandfather, Jozef Elijasz.

3. Stanley Eliasz (son of Antoni) is a cousin of Julian Elijasz (son of Ludwik Elijasz). I already know that their two wives are sisters from Pacanów. These two Janicki sisters are a sister and a cousin of my two Dorota Elijasz 2nd-cousins’ grandmothers!

So oddly enough I have connected Stanley Eliasz (Buffalo) to my family tree via the JANICKI affiliated family.  

I have since found more Eliasz Godparents to Krzyzycki children. Thus the Eliasz-Krzyzycki connection was further strengthened.

But that is a part of the bigger next story and my connection to Nancy Langer. Well of course, today’s story is also part of Nancy’s story and it in fact grew out of her story and my long-term virtual shoe-box. It just turned out that both Julian & Stanley Eliasz were a part of Nancy’s family and I am her affiliated family! Or are we actually related? Her trip to Poland this summer may answer that question.

That is Stanczyk’s short (longish) story on persistence & serendipity. Go make some serendipity yourself.