In honor of Mother's Day!

In honor of Mother's day I created this photo bar of my mom (center) with her mom to her left (Verna) and her grandmother Jozefa to the far left. My dad's mom is Olga, and his grandmother is Rosa. His greatgrandmother was Johanna. With the exception of the photo of Jozefa, they are all around the same age when whese photos where taken - late teens/early 20s. Happy Mothers Day to all of them in Heaven! xoxoxo

Greatgrandma Rose's Store

I remember my Dad or my Grandma telling me that my greatgrandma Rose had a candy store in Gary, Indiana. This looks more like a general store, but this is the one! Greatgrandma Rose is behind the counter in this pic and my grandma wrote "Mom's store" on the back! I sure would love to know where this was!

My Polish Greatgrandmother

I found this photo a few years ago, it is of my greatgrandmother Jozefa Mądrzejewski (seated) and my greataunt Carrie (Kasmira) Stube (left) and my grandmother Verna (Veronika) Condon (right.)

I am amazed at how much my mother and grandmother looked like greatgrandma when they were older. It's like looking at a familiar face ... but knowing I have never seen it before. This is one of only two photographs I have ever seen of my greatgrandmother Jozefa.

(The name Mądrzejewski is now spelled Modjeski by the family still carrying that surname.)

More great-greats

These are the headstones of my great-great-great-great-grandparents, William & Isabella Boag, and their son - my great-great-great-grandfather James Boag. William & Isabella are buried near the Smiths (see previous post) in the Selby Burying Ground, and James is buried with his son and grandchildren down the road in Queensville cemetery. James' wife Anne is buried in Selby but I did not get a photo of the headstone. WILLIAM BOAG Headstone reads: "In Memory of William Boag who died Jan'y 1, 1860 aged 75 years Native of Northumberland, England.

A may the great become to ... .... peace and rest When I shall gladly rise And mingle with the blest." (Illegible portions are indicated by ellipses "...")

NOTE: I believe the text above is a version of a Scottish Psalter: O may the grave become to me the bed of peaceful rest, Whence I shall gladly rise at length, and mingle with the blest!

Source: http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/SP/R8

---

ISABELLA BOAG Headstone reads: "In Memory of Isabella beloved wife ofWilliam BOAG who died Dec 18 1870 aged 85 years native of Northumberland, England The time of my departure comes, I heard His voice that calls me home, At last, Oh Lord, let trouble cease, And let thy servant die in peace."

---

JAMES BOAG (Front and back of headstone)

The back of the headstone lists James' son and more as noted. James Boag & Annie Boag had a daughter named Annie Boag who married George Smith, the son of John & Isabel Fenton Smith (see previous post). George & Annie lived in Toronto and when George died in 1905, Annie moved to Chicago to live with her daughter Julia Isabell (Smith) Barker, who was married to James Barker of England. Also living with them was their son, Jay C. Barker. When Annie died, her body was shipped back to Toronto for burial next to her husband George. Jay C. Barker married Gertrude Mordecai (see previous, previous post) and they were my greatgrandparents.

My great-great-great-great-greatgrandparents - John & Isabella Smith

This is the photo of the headstones of my great-great-great-great-grandfather John Smith, and his wife, my gggg-grandmother Isabella Fenton Smith. They are buried in the Selby Burying Ground in East Gwillimbury, Ontario.

Mordecai Reunion

We had a great time out at Matt & Jan Hayles' for our first Mordecai reunion! Here is a pic from cousin Nancy in Florida who brought us all together!

(From left to right) Linda Hanson, Janice Hayles, Suzy Cole, Nancy McConnell, Danny Mordecai, Janet Evans, and Ed Shannon.
Sheryl Marabotti and her husband are in this second photo - they had to leave before the group shot.

Linda, Janice, Suzy, Nancy and Danny are all siblings, and grandchildren of Ben Mordecai.  Ed is the grandson of Hazel Mordecai.  Sheryl is the greatgranddaughter of Frank Mordecai.   Janet is the greatgranddaughter of Gertrude Mordecai. 

Ben Mordecai, Hazel Mordecai, Frank Mordecai and Gertrude Moredecai were all children of Ben & Tillie Mordecai.  

We all spent time reviewing the family tree and sharing info and stories. Ed told me he remembers his Aunt Gertie from his father's funeral when he was a small boy.  Linda said she remembers visiting Gertie in the city when she was young. 

Here we are sitting around the table reviewing our large family tree!

It was great to meet everyone and share info and I can't wait for the next reunion!  I have to believe that all our grandparents and greatgrandparents and so on were looking down on us, amazed that so many Mordecai descendants found each other!  Chief Whitecloud himself should be proud! :) 

---

Mordecai Family Reunion

I was recently contacted by a Mordecai descendant in Florida - Nancy - and we are planning a Mordecai Family Reunion next month in Chicago! So far we have people from 4 different branches of the family coming together for the reunion! Stay tuned for more info as we make plans! Click here for info on our common ancestor, Chief Whitecloud (AKA Benjamin Moses Mordecai)

Mądrzejewski Plot at St. Adalbert's Cemetery

I made a trip to St. Adalbert's Cemetery in Niles, IL today to see the Mądrzejewski cemetery plot. Not only did I find this beautiful headstone, I also found that Bruno, Mary and Stanley Mądrzejewski are all buried there, alongside Jacob and Jozefa. Also buried there is an unnamed infant baby. You can see from the plot drawing that there are 4 adult, one child and one infant burials in this plot.

It was hard to get some information on the infant and on Mary and Bruno, because the last name is spelled a number of different ways -- each burial seems to be spelled differently. The man spent a half an hour helping me. But he said that if I can find the date of death, he can look up the burials by date. Which will help us then find out how it was spelled so we can pull the burial card and learn more.

It's such a beautiful cemetery, but I still can't help but wonder why a family from the southside of Chicago would be buried so far away.

---

Relationship to Senator Barack Obama

Yep, I'm related to Barack Obama. Sure, it's about 12 generations ago, but it's interesting nonetheless. According to one genealogy website, millions of people can claim descendancy from the 75,000 people living in colonial America. So it's not surprising.

When you trace his mother's family - the Dunhams - back to New Jersey in the early 1600s, we do descend from a common ancestor. Notably, we trace back to the rogue Jonathan Singletary alias Dunham, and his father Richard Singletary. For more info on Jonathan Singletary alias Dunham and his spirited life, click here.

You can see Barack's full genealogy here:
http://www.wargs.com/political/obama.html

Romanian Ancestors

Anton Kristel came to America with his brothers Rudolph & Joseph in the early 1900s. They came from the small town of Lucacesti (also spelled Lukaczestie), Bukovina, which was part of the Austrian empire at the time. Today it is part of Romania. Click here to see a map of Romania.

Meeting our Family in Mischendorf!

Well, we had a fabulous vacation and actually got to meet some of our cousins in Austria! This first photo is of Jim and I with our cousin Doris Halper (middle) in Vienna. Doris works in Vienna but goes back to Mischendorf on the weekends. We're hoping she'll come visit us in Chicago! Next is the house where Doris' grandmother lives -- it's the same house where my greatgrandmother Rosa Walter was born! We had a photo of this house from Uncle Frank and Aunt Thelma's trip to Mischendorf in 1970, too.

Next is Janet with cousin Elfi and her husband Franz.

Here are Janet & Jim with Aloysia -- she is Grandma Cassells first cousin!

Here we are with Annaliese (Walter) Halper and her mother Emma Walter at the house shown in the photo above.

We also got to meet Josef Walter, who is another one of Grandma Cassells' first cousins. His father was Franz -- Rose's brother.

Finally, here is a photo of Johanna and Stefan Walter -- Rose's parents. Emma had this photo at her house. I tried to take a picture of it but it didn't come out too great. Maybe Doris can try again for me later.

Walter Family Headstone in Mischendorf, Austria

This is from photos taken by Aunt Thelma & Uncle Frank when they visited in 1970.

Abraham Mordecai

UPDATE:  SEE THIS NEWER POST ABOUT ABRAHAM & BENJAMIN: http://webgene.blogspot.com/2014/09/new-info-on-chief-whitecloud-benjamin.html

----------

Abraham Mordecai was the father of Benjamin Moses Mordecai. A lot of info is out there on him. He founded the first cotton gin in Alabama, and was the founder of Montgomery, Alabama.

He purportedly married a half-Indian, half-black woman who left him on the Trail of Tears on her way to Arkansas. It is also reported when Abraham is an old man that he has children living in Arkansas. Records are scarce from the early 1800s in Arkansas, which was Indian Territory at the time.

The proof that Abram/Abraham M. Mordecai is Benjamin's father comes from the detail be written in Benjamin's own hand, and in the 1880 Chicago census there is a footnote that states Benjmain, Abraham and Hattie Mordecai "have Indian blood in their veins but not enough to be called Indian. Their grandmother is Indian." This would perfectly desribe children of Abraham and his half-Indian wife.

We also know that he was injured by a band of Indians for cavorting with one of their wives, and his faithful Indian wife nursed him back to health. And we know he gave testimony in a case of abduction against a group of Indians (see links below). He lived among and traded with the Indians extensively, travelling from Alabama and Georgia in the east to New Orleans in the west.

This information requires a second look at all of the "mulatto" entries for Mordecais in the censuses, as well as a new lok at all of the Mordecais in New Orleans. I've found many Mordecais I have discounted because they were entered as mulatto. Of course many Indians were also listed as mulatto.

Abram was a Jew who converted to Methodist. Click the documents and article links below for more info.

Abram Mordecai 1755-1849. Born October 24, 1755 in Pennsylvania; settled 1783 in Georgia where he became a successful trader among the Cusseta Indians. First U.S. citizen to settle (1785) in what became Montgomery County. Living and marrying among the Creeks, he established a trading house for skins, furs, and medicinal barks two miles from Line Creek. Alabama historian A.J. Pickett visited him in Dudleyville in 1847. Fiercely independent to the end, he died and was buried there two years later.

Source: http://www.archives.state.al.us/markers/imontgomery.html

Mordecai's Cotton Gin: Alabama's First - In 1785, Abram Mordecai, a Jewish veteran of the Revolutionary War, settled in this area which was still Indian country. On the Alabama River near here in 1802, he installed a cotton gin manufactured by Lyons & Barnett of Georgia. Until Indians burned his equipment, he ginned his own cotton and that of his Indian neighbors. His gin, the first in Alabama, was the forerunner of those that sprang up after the Territory was formed in 1817 and pioneers with "Alabama Fever" rushed to claim the fertile soil. The restored Old Alabama Town gin is typical of those operated until the early 20th century.

Source: http://www.archives.state.al.us/markers/imontgomery.html

Pickett's History of Alabama (Scroll down to Mordecai entry)

Singular Inhabitants of Alabama

Chronicles of the Lost

Indian Claim

Mądrzejewski Murder Article

At long last I have had a friend translate the article from the murder of Mary Mądrzejewski by her husband John. Here you will see the image in Polish, and the English translation.

Yesterday at their home at 2908 S. Union Ave., a bloody tragedy occurred between John & Mary Mądrzejewski. After 2 years of problems, their marriage ended tragically. John married his wife 17 years ago. Blessed with 2 children they lived happily until 1918. At that time Andrew Pollack fell in love with Mrs. Mary Mądrzejewski. Mary left her husband several times, giving her heart to this other man. The husband was angry and very dicouraged and made a decision to stop the affair. He went to her and, on his knees, he begged her to come back and live their life they way they used to. She refused and moved to distance herself from from her husband. He said "goodbye," reached for the revolver, and pulled the trigger, shooting her twice. She was killed instantly.

Our Native American Roots

Greatgrandma Gertrude (Mordecai) Barker once told Mom that her grandfather was Delaware Indian. The Delaware are more traditionally known as the Lenni Lenape, which means "original men" or "grandfather tribe."

The Condons from County Waterford, Ireland

Redmond Condon and his brother Robert left from the small town of Knockaneris, Ireland and came to the big city of Chicago in the late 1880s. If you look on the map below you will see that Waterford is separated into West & East. The lower left corner of the map (southwest County Waterford) is where you will find the parish of Clashmore and the small town of Knockaneris.



Redmond Condon married Mary Quinlan in Chicago on Nov 17, 1889 at St. Bridget Church in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. Originally situated at the corners of Arch & Archer, St. Bridget's was torn down a few years ago. Mary Quinlan was also born in Clashmore Parish, in a small town called Ballanamultina. They must have known each other when they lived there, although notes from Aunt Mae Condon indicate that they met at a boarding house here in Chicago.

In 1900, they lived at 2929 Lyman Street in Chicago, not far from St. Bridget's. You can click here to see what that very house looks like today. It is still standing. You can also read the 1900 Census Sheet for the Condon family.

BIOGRAPHICAL STATS:
REDMOND CONDON
b. Aug 13, 1859 - Knockaneris, Clashmore, Waterford, Ireland
d. Nov 10, 1932 - Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA

MARY QUINLAN CONDON
b. Dec 26, 1864 - Ballanamultina, Clashmore, Waterford, Ireland
d. Jul 4, 1949 - Chicago, Cook, Illlinois, USA

To read more about the demolition of St. Bridget's, click here:
http://www.bc.edu/publications/bcm/spring_2005/c21_chicago.html

For a view of where St. Bridget's used to be, check out this map.

For more information on churches in Bridgeport in the early 1900s, check out the
Detail from Map of Chicago Showing Location of All Catholic Churches, 1926

And finally, you can learn more about Clashmore Parish by clicking here.

More Madrzjewski Info

When I was a teenager, Nana Condon told my mom and I about her brother JOHN MADRZJEWSKI who had been born in Poland and came to America with their parents. John had two daughters and had caught his wife with another man and shot her to death. When we asked Aunt Carrie about it, she told us that the family "does not talk about that." But in the following years she did confirm the story.

Click here to read the details from Chicago's Historical Homicide Database.

We had been told that he shot both her and the man she was with, but I cannot find any record of a man being killed, just John's wife Mary. Aunt Carrie said John lived the rest of his life on a work farm at Stateville Prison in Joliet.

John Madrzjewski was born about 1880 in Poland and died on Jan. 21, 1924. He and Mary were married in about 1904 and had two daughters, Mammie (b1906) and Irene (b1908).

In the 1910 census he is listed as living at 1050 W. 32st Place, which is right around the corner from St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church. He shot Mary to death at 3117 S. Normal in Bridgeport.

His death certificate lists him as living with his brother Joseph at the time of his death, which is odd because that would mean he was already out of prison. Perhaps they simply listed that as his address? Joseph was also listed as the 'informant' on the death certificate, I am working to track more info down on that. Four years seems too short of a sentence for murder, and Aunt Carrie said he lived 'at the work farm' the rest of his life. She was 24 years old when he died, and she was living nearby in Bridgeport so she would certainly have known.

---

Meet the Madrzjewski Family!

Our Polish ancestors came here from Poland in 1881. Led by Jakob Madrzjewski who was born in Poland about 1854, the family came and settled in Chicago.

Back row, second from left is Josephine Madrzjewski; fourth from left is her daughter Tillie (Theodosia) Madrzjewska Lasin; middle row in center with the face scratched out is Carrie (Kasmira) Madrzjewska Stube; front row center is Verna (Veronica) Madrzjewska Condon. I think that to the right of Veronica is Steve Madrzjewski but I am not sure. And it's probable that the man in the back row is Jakob but I do not know for sure.

According to Aunt Carrie, every year more of their Polish family members would arrive from Poland, and they would go to meet them as they came across Lake Michigan from Grand Rapids, MI. They would take them into their own home for a year or so until they could afford their own place, and then they began all over again with more relatives the next year.

Aunt Carrie often spoke about sleeping 3 people to a bed, and about how their family actually had 2 apartments in their building because there was so many of them. They all attended St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church, which is actually my church now! I have several of the baptismal records etc. from St. Mary's, which is on the corner of 32nd & Aberdeen in Chicago. At the time of the 1900 & 1910 census, they were living a couple of blocks away at 3216 Aberdeen (which was called Mosspratt at the time.) Interestingly, they also owned their home free and clear in 1900 and 1910 as evidenced by the census data. In 1920 & 1930, we find Jacob gone and Josephine living at 3118 Mosspratt renting her apartment and living with some of her children.

Also of interest is that Tillie (Theodosia Madrzjewska) Lasin is living with her husband Harry (Gerome Lasinski) Lasin in the same building as her parents in the 1910 census. We later find some Lasinskis (Leszcynski) living at 3118 Mosspratt with Josephine in 1930.

Jacob (Jakob) Madrzejewski came here with his wife Josephine (Jozefa) and their son John who was born in Poland. They changed their name to MODJESKI at some point, and that is how it has been spelled since about the 1940s. It is also how it was spelled in the 1920 census, but it was spelled Mondrzejewski in the 1930 census. Many names were changed at Ellis Island, but as you can see from the census records here, they were still spelling it Madrzjewski. (Please note that in the Polish language, the woman would use an "A" at the end of the last name and the man would use an "I". So it will be MADRZJEWSKA for women and MADRZJEWSKI for men.) Because of the difficulties with the Polish language, I have found it spelled a variety of ways in various census records, including: Mondrzjewski, Modrzjewski, Madrzjewski and Madrezejewski. The proper pronunciation in English would be "Mown-ja-YEV-ski."(Emphasis in the YEV portion of the name.)

You can click on these links below to view the various census records for the family:
1900 Census
1910 Census
1920 Census
1930 Census

Jakob & Jozefa are both buried in Lot 24, Block J, Section St. Stanislaus of St. Adalbert's Cemetery in Niles, IL. You can CLICK HERE to see the genealogy from Jakob & Jozefa on down.

Please also EMAIL ME, with any additions to the family tree you may have. This is a large project, and I'd like to be as complete as possible, so please email me any info you have.

---

Our Ancestors Were British Loyalists

Yep. We can trace back to the revolutionary war, all right -- but on the side of the British. When you trace back the Barker line to Canada, where James Barker married Julia Isabelle Smith - and you trace Smith's line back to their arrival in Canada, you meet WILLIAM TRAVIS (sometimes Travis) - who was our GGGGGGG grandfather. William was born about 1742 near Van Cortlandt Manor in Westchester County, NY. He died in January 1779 in a British garrison in NY. At that time, his wife Elizabeth fled NY for New Brunswick, Canada, along with a lot of other Loyalists who feared for their lives. Canada, being British-controlled, was a safe haven for the Loyalists. Click here to read an excerpt from "Loyalist Settlements 1783-1789: New Evidence of Canadian Loyalist Claims"in the Ontario Archives. This claim was made by Elizabeth Travis to the crown for losses in the states. She lists her youngest children all as "infants" although their ages vary by several years. Click here to read the Calendar of Historical Manuscripts Relating to the War of the Revolution. Vol II page 171-3, which lists the estates of both William and Jeremiah Traviss as having been confiscated because they had both gone to the enemy. Here are several muster rolls showing various Travis family members who served the Loyalist cause: http://www.genealogycanada.ca/newyork/muster/muster2.htm http://www.genealogycanada.ca/newyork/muster/muster1.htm http://www.genealogycanada.ca/newyork/muster/muster3.htm More interesting info on the Traviss family to come!

---

Welcome to the Family Geneaology Blog!

As you know, I've been doing genealogy research for some time, and there's a lot to share with all of you! This blog is a great way for me to update you on my findings, and even answer any questions you may have about our ancestors.

UPDATE 2020:
A lot of the links on here go to an old family tree website that is not there anymore since I "cut the cord" with Comcast a few years ago. LOL!  I am working on updating those links this fall. I have been focusing on most of content on ancestry.com and 23andMe.  Please feel free to access either site for more info, or contact me for help!