Genealogy /
Looking for Info on "Antonina Petryna" and "Kasimir Szymanski" [6]
Try the Russian and the English spellings, too--e.g., "Shymansky".
My grandfather, Kasimir Szymanski, came from Tomaszow Lubelski. His Wife's name was Antonina Petryna. I don't know where she was from, and I don't know for certain, how her maiden name was spelled.
Given the naming pattern (although "Shymanski" sounds very Jewish for a Polish surname; and Petryna probably comes from "Petra" and could be of Greek or Jewish-maybe Jewish-Greek--origin), you're likely an ethnic Pole and Polish Catholic. Nonetheless, look for burial dates and customs (e.g., whether they had viewings and/or calling hours, or not--Jews and many Anusim do not have viewings or calling hours, though they have memorials and funerals), naming patterns (e.g., Was your aunt Mary named for the Virgin Mary or a relative and not the Mother of Jesus?), and at your dad's mom's side, for example (What were they? Openly Jewish? Anusim? gentiles?).
My dad told me that his family were aristocrats, and donated the land that their church was built on, to the town of Tomaszow Lubelski..
Maybe; but, kid, my Crypto-Jewish grandparents made up stories, too.
I have the microfilmed church records from the town of Tomaszow Lubelski, which I obtained from the Mormon Church, and they are written in Polish and Russian (depending on the year of the record).
I am hoping that if someone in Tomaszow Lubelski would see this
Good luck--and especially if you think that you are a Polish Jew (and one who particularly believes in Jesus), watch out--I'm speaking from experience. I haven't seen my family yet on these forums, and I've seen plenty of attempting-to-be detractors. Your grandma is likely to be "Petrynówna" or "Petrynova", by the way.
