Genealogy / Ratajczyk/Guzniczak Surnames [5]

Thank you so much for the information on this. Stefan was my grandfather and unfortuntely we cannot trace anything back to Poland. Josephine was his first wife and one of children was Frank, my uncle. My mother is from his second wife, Helena, Joesphine's sister. I am looking for birth and marriage certificates and to find out more about the Ratajczyk/Guzniczak linage. Do you happen to know more on the linage of this family line or where I could find out more information? I am on Ancestry.com and cannot find any records whatsoever. Thank you for your input.

Stefan was married 4 times, Josephine was the first wife, Helena second wife, Jozefa Chordik third and Stella Swendrowski the 4th. :-)

Genealogy / Ratajczyk/Bednarkow surnames [7]

Thank you so much for that information. The only thing that I was able to find out from the Ellis Island was that Frank and Anna's son, my grandfather, Stefan was born in Warelesyn but I don't know which village. I looked on the marriage license for Stefan and my grandmother, Helena and it is possible that they got married in Lodz. The Guzniczak side has been traced and we can show lineage. I can't read Polish so I'm not too sure on the Lodz part, I tried to attach their marriage certificate to see if you could decipher it, but it would not allow me to. If you would be willing to send me your e-mail address, I can e-mail you their marriage certificate.

We have researched YEARS for the Ratajczyk name along with Bednarkow and we have NO information on them at all, no birthdates, no exact towns...nothing. On the marriage certificate, it does say Bednarkow or Bednorkow for the spelling.

Thanks,

Nancy

Genealogy / Ratajczyk/Bednarkow surnames [7]

Very very interesting, I appreciate all of your help with this. In speaking with my mother, she claimed her dad used to speak of the "black forest", does that have any meaning that you are aware of? I have been reading a lot about the jews that were buried in mass graves in the forests,I do not know if my relatives were jewish, but could that be a possibility and that is why I am having trouble locating them?

Thank you for checking on the Bednarkow angle, as far as we know on the marriage license of my grandmother, that is the correct spelling. I know the spellings differ and it is very hard. I am wondering if they may have spelled my great grandfather as Ratajczak instead of Ratajczyk. I know my grandfather had brothers and since he was born in 1886, obviously the marriage was before that year. I don't know where in the line he fell with his brothers. I am having my mother call her cousin, her father Andrew was my grandfather Stefan's brother and see if she has any information on Frank and Agnes.

Genealogy / Ratajczyk/Bednarkow surnames [7]

Thank you, I think luck is what I am going to need. I may take the advice of finding a polish researcher to hunt the trail for me as I cannot afford to go to Poland and really would like to trace this all down. My mother is the last surviving child of Stefan and she is 78 so I would like to get some information for her.

The spelling of Warelesyn came off of the Ellis Island records that we have from Ancestry.com, But, it would not suprise me if it was spelled wrong, a lot of records had incorrect spellings of towns, names etc. I do not have his birth certifcate, I only have a copy of his passport and his marriage certificate. We have nothing further as far as any documentation. This is why it is such a mystery.

Oh....and I'll forget about my little "jewish theory", I was just throwing it out there as a possibility. :-)

Thanks again from the bottom of my heart for EVERYTHING you have supplied me with, I am very grateful and will be checking those websites you suggested.

Take care,

Nancy