Month: October 2021

Fr. Bernarrd I. Sierakowski

This isn’t a pray card but a souvenir card to celebrate Fr. Bernarrd I. Sierakowski first year as a priest.

Bernard Sierakowski was born in Buffalo, NY in 1905 to Jan and Katarzyna Sierakowski. They lived at 49 Lombard. In 1910 his siblings were: Stanislaw 13, Michael 11, Frances 9, Edward 7, and infant Regina. Later in 1910 Bernard’s father Jan died.

The family hadn’t changed in 1915. They were still on Lombard St. near Corpus Christi church. Five years later the oldest Stanislaw moved out and Katarzyna’s mom Rose moved in. Bernard was 14 and still in school.

I couldn’t find records from 1930 to 1932 about Bernard. His mom died in 1931. Sometime prior to 1932 Bernard went to Rome to complete his education for the priesthood. He arrived in the Port of New York on August 3, 1932. Four days later he was in Buffalo celebrating his first official mass.

By 1938 he was an assistant pastor at St Columbia Church on 418 North Division St. in Buffalo.

A year or so later he moved to Dunkirk, NY. He was there when he registered for the draft. He listed his sister, Regina Catherine Marsialek, as his next of kin.

He was back in Buffalo as Assistant Pastor at Saint Adalbert Basilica in 1941.

Back to Dunkirk on September 28, 1942 at St Hyacinth Church, After this he moved around the Western New York area churches until his death. His last posting being St. Barbara Church in Lackawanna where he served with his brother, Msgr. Stanislaus J. Sierakowski.

He was buried at St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Cheektowaga, NY after his death April 21, 1955.

Sources:

  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62886615/bernard-i-sierakowski : accessed 18 October 2021), memorial page for Rev Bernard I Sierakowski (28 Apr 1905–21 Apr 1955), Find a Grave Memorial ID 62886615, citing Saint Stanislaus Roman Catholic Cemetery, Cheektowaga, Erie County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Charles Zadora (contributor 47169421) .
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
  • New York Department of Health; Albany, NY; NY State Death Index
  • Year: 1910; Census Place: Buffalo Ward 8, Erie, New York; Roll: T624_942; Page: 30A; Enumeration District: 0073; FHL microfilm: 1374955
  • National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for New York State, 10/16/1940 – 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147
  • Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
  • New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1915; Election District: 05; Assembly District: 06; City: Buffalo Ward 10; County: Erie; Page: 52
  • Year: 1920; Census Place: Buffalo Ward 10, Erie, New York; Roll: T625_1102; Page: 32B; Enumeration District: 81
  • Ancestry.com. Dunkirk Evening Observer (Dunkirk, New York) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
  • Original data:Dunkirk Evening Observer. Dunkirk, NY, USA. Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper.
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
  • Ancestry.com. Dunkirk Evening Observer (Dunkirk, New York) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
  • Original data:Dunkirk Evening Observer. Dunkirk, NY, USA. Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper.
  • Year: 1900; Census Place: Buffalo Ward 11, Erie, New York; Page: 42; Enumeration District: 0083; FHL microfilm: 1241027
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

Fred G. Penny

England, April 13, 1891 saw the birth of Fred G. Penny. Then suddenly he is in Buffalo. I found no records be between birth and a city directory in 1913. There are several Fred Penny, at least one was also born in England but the birthdates were very different to be the same person.

He was living as a border at 239 Titus Avenue in Buffalo, NY. In 1917 he filled out his draft card for World War I. He was brown hair, blue eyed medium height and build welder. At the age of 26 he entered military service on September 27, 1917. His service ended June 7, 1919.

He returned to Titus Avenue after the war. The family where he lived had a daughter Mary Hauser. On January 8, 1920 Mary Hauser became Mary Penny. The census that year shows Fred and Mary lived with her family. Her parents were John and Anna Houser, also in the home were her siblings Matuesz 29 and Zofia 26. In 1920 Fred was a welder but in 1921 is listed as a painter in the city directory.

In 1925 still living on Titus Ave., Fred was now head of household. Fred and Mary now had 2 children: Mary 4 and Fred 2. His mother in law: Anna and brother in law; Matuesz (Mathew) were still living there.

By 1930 Fred and Mary added Charles to the family. The 5 of them still lived on Titus Ave. Fred worked as a painter in a car shop. My guess is at one of the railroads.

There years later at age 42 Fred died. I did not find a cause of death. He is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Cheektowaga, NY. I don’t have a death date for Mary but she was still living at Titus Ave. in 1953. Thank you Ancestry for having Fred listed as still living when the city directory said she was widowed.

Sources:

  • City of Buffalo; Buffalo, NY; Index to Deaths in Buffalo, New York
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
  • Year: 1920; Census Place: Buffalo Ward 16, Erie, New York; Roll: T625_1105; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 127
  • New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 06; Assembly District: 05; City: Buffalo Ward 16; County: Erie; Page: 82
  • Year: 1930; Census Place: Buffalo, Erie, New York; Page: 29B; Enumeration District: 0129; FHL microfilm: 2341161
  • Title: Buffalo, New York, City Directory, 1953
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
  • Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., Abstracts of World War I Military Service, 1917-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT. USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2019.
  • Publication Date: 8/ Jan/ 1920; Publication Place: Buffalo, New York, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/352525603/?article=0def8fa1-52a4-4c6b-8dbd-d69f0a2ee79d/938d9b69-b3b2-49f0-b446-5fc3c1533726&focus=0.606437,0.6000654,0.72288686,0.81718224&xid=3398
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/191166362/anna-m-hauser : accessed 14 October 2021), memorial page for Anna M. Hauser (1855–1934), Find a Grave Memorial ID 191166362, citing United German and French Cemetery, Cheektowaga, Erie County, New York, USA ; Maintained by carol fasc (contributor 48727277) .

DNA Update

This is my updated DNA for 2021. There are some changes.

My

My Eastern European percentage dropped 6%. Everything else became Germanic Europe, this matches my father’s side. The addition of the European Jewish is new but makes sense for the amount of Eastern European DNA I have. My mother is 2% so I expect somewhere in her Polish ancestry is a Jewish family that may tried to hide who they were to stay alive.

Here is a link to my last update.

Maryanna Kaczanowska Grzybowska

Maryanna is a difficult one to research. There are a lot of conflicting records from probable people with the same name. Either that or she married at 11. I was able to find Maryanna Kaczanowska’s marriage record to Stanislaus Grzybowski. Prior to marriage she lived at 1877 Clinton, He lived at 59 Ruhland. They married on February 17, 1914. After they moved to 76 Miller Avenue. She lived their until her death in 1933.

Sources:

Wednesday Translated

He died on September 9, 1933. The funeral took place on September 12, at the home,. 76 Miller Ave., to St. Luke’s Church at 10am. The remains deposited at the cemetery of St. Stanislaus.

Prayer

Most merciful Jesus, through the goodness of Your heart, please forgive this soul all sins, so that through our humble prayers it may obtain Your love.

Our Father, Hail Mary, etc.
Eternal rest, etc.

Franciszek J. Pacer, Jr.
Parish Funeral Service
1275 Sycamore St. Buffalo, NY
Tel. Fillmore 8118 Fillmore 4510-R