I need some help finding out some family history. My great grandfather's name was Karol L. Olechowicz. He was born in Poland in 1896 (some records say '85) and he immigrated to the US. I'm not sure when he immigrated here and we believe he came alone. However, I have searched Ellis Island records and NONE of them have any Olechowicz registered. I am quite confused by this because this was his actual name, he didn't change it when he came. Would there have been another way for a Pole to come to America?
Yes, he could have come through Philadelphia or other ports. My grandfather, did. Going to check ancestry.com
Maybe the middle initial "L" stand for Leopold. There is a ship record for that name. I am not an active member of ancestry.com, so I cannot provide the details. Maybe someone on here is and can give you the information.
If the link fails to work, here are the basics, scroll down for Leopold:
Social Security Death Index
Birth, Marriage & Death
Name: Karol Olechowicz Birth: date Death: dd mm 1965 Civil: Pennsylvania
U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
Military
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Name: Karol L Olechowicz Birth: date - location Residence: city, Pennsylvania
1920 United States Federal Census
Census & Voter Lists
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Name: Leo Alechonicz [Leo Olechowicz] Birth: abt 1893 - location Arrival: year Residence: 1920 - city, Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Social Security Death Index
Birth, Marriage & Death
Name: Stella Olechowicz Birth: date Death: dd mm 1986 - city, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States of America Civil: Pennsylvania
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Immigration & Emigration
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Name: Bronislaw Olechowicz Birth: year - location Departure: location Arrival: date - New York, New York
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Immigration & Emigration
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Name: Boleslaw Olechowicz Birth: year - location Departure: location Arrival: date - New York, New York
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Immigration & Emigration
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Name: Wladislaw Olechowicz Birth: year Departure: location Arrival: date - New York, New York
New York Petitions for Naturalization
Immigration & Emigration
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Name: John Olechowicz Birth: year Civil: date Origin: location, Poland;Russia
Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1820-1948
Immigration & Emigration
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Name: Wladyslaw Olechowicz Other: Roop Olechowicz Birth: year Departure: location More: See all information...
Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1945
Immigration & Emigration
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Name: Leopold Olechowicz Birth: year - location Origin: location Departure: location Arrival: date - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
Military
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Name: John Olechowicz Birth: date - location, city Residence: city, New York
Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 (in German)
Immigration & Emigration
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Name: Leopold Olechowicz Birth: year Departure: date - location Arrival: Philadelphia
Really I didn't realize people immigrated through Philadelphia. All my great grant parents emigrated from Poland to New York then went to Chester which is right near Philadelphia. If you want more info I could provide some links to the Polish club of Philadelphia and the arch diocese of Philadelphia they would probably have the best info.
kolechowicz OK first just because you checked the records for ellis island doesn't mean its not there. I searched and searched for my grandfathers record but couldn't find it until I found another wonderful document. Did your grandfather ever become a citizen of the United states. If so you want to find a document called his declaration of intent or petition for naturalization. This document is packed full of information including for all of you people looking for where your relatives came from last known address in poland and the exact date of arrival and the ship they came over on.
Chin up the record keepers at ellis island were notorious for mispelling polish immigrant names. My grandfather was Andrew (Andrzej) Skibniewski they spelled it Andrry Shalemswsky . he came over on The Gneisenau on March 16, 1906. I found the record online and to tell you the truth it looks like Skibniewski to me on the passenger list, I am not quite sure how they screwed up the spelling so bad.
This document is packed full of information including for all of you people looking for where your relatives came from last known address in poland and the exact date of arrival and the ship they came over on.
Forgot to mention that the ship and date of arrival is guaranteed to be there as the person seeking citizenship would not be approved unless all iformation provided was accurate and checked out.
And sometimes the person who was writing the names didn't understand how to spell them so the records are wrong. They often spelled them the way they sounded and not the way they were supposed to be written.
Paydirt!? I hope so, I just found what possibly could be a start. Where does one go to look for naturalizatin papers or declarations of intent? Did everyone have to have either or or both of them?
Domino Do you know which state your relative stayed in when they arrived. You can try this link it is how I found my grandfathers naturalization papers.
genealogybranches.com/naturalization.html
as far as which ones to get the petition is the earlier of the 2 documents, both documents have very similar information on them. the second document is nice to get also because it was the later document (usually 5 years) and includes spouce information and children and thier current address. For persons seeking women relatives:
From 1855 to 1922 alien women became citizens automatically if they married an American citizen. Women could derive citizenship from their spouses until 1922 when the law was changed... ( This is not necessarily a dead end if you know the husbands name and where he was naturalized, his Petition for Naturalization includes some spouce information including where spouce was born)
After 22 Sept 1922 an alien woman who married a US citizen could skip the Declaration of Intention and file for a Naturalization Petition. But if an alien woman married an alien man (after 22 Sept 1922) she would have to start her Naturalization proceedings at the beginning with a Declaration of Intention.
Thank you, Mark....But Ufdah!!!! Whats weird is the woman who comes over with my possible grandfather is named Anna; but I was always told her name was Antonette. What's also 'weird' is that there is another(?) Johann (John) (C)Hojnacki in Pennsylvania with a wife named Anna. My grandfather ended up in Milwaukee, WI and dropped the C to the last name. But I have letters (of course in Polish which I can't read) to a cousin with a C for Chojnacki back in what is now Poland. So I don't think my grandfather pilfered another man's name...Ufdah!!!!
Domino Hello Domino. maybe i am a little slow today but i did not understand your response. I posted a link to where one could find naturalization papers and which one someone may be interested in looking for. i thought this was an adequate reponse to the post u wrote right above mine. Did I miss something? and what does ufdah stand for? i am sorry if this repetitive.
LOl! No my response was just the ramblings of a frustrated geneology seeker. I got your link thank you very much. As for ufdah...Norweigan for 'Oh boy!'
Where can I get a certificate of naturalization intent? I cannot find either of my grandparents at Ellis Island and they came separately because they met and married in Pittslburgh.
My grandfather told us that he came over on a cattle boat or something. He didn't have enough money for the passenger ships but he did talk about going through customs at Ellis Island. He said everyone had to have 50 dollars in their pocket to get past customs and he didn't.... but he said he bluffed by saying he did and reaching for his wallet... and customs jperson waved him on without asking to see his money. This is what he told us, not sure how true it is.
Barbee Declaration of intent or petition for naturalization papers are most probablt located in the state where your grandparents met and married. I believe you will find what you are looking for using this link
genealogybranches.com/naturalization.html
if not let me know and I will double check for you.
