I am trying to find my husbands ancestors but am having a hard time because I believe his last name was shortened to "Orkwis" from "Orkwiszewski"? Here is what I have so far. Is there also an email or location I can contact in poland to ask for additional information? I'm not sure where and who to contact. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated! Tammy
He's in Duryea,Pennsylvania on the 1930 census as Frank ORKWIS. Says he immigrated in 1909.
In 1920 (Duryea again) he's indexed as Frank ORKFICE, which somebody on Ancestry has corrected to ARKFICE, although the manuscript says ORKFICE. I can't find him in 1910.
The New York Passenger Lists have a likely match: Franz ORKWISZEWKI, 18, from Wronki, Poland, arriving on 22 Dec 1909 aboard the SS Roon from Bremen. It lists his father as Franc O. of Wronka, Płock. But Wronki, in western Poland now, was under German rule in 1909. Wronka and Płock are towns in central Poland, so maybe it should read "Wronka" for Franz jnr too???
AKUTA: Akuta (from Latin acuta) is an organ-tuning term, compare English acute. Whether that was the source of the surname is uncertain.
ORKWISZEWSKI: variant spelling ro Orkiszewski, from orkisz (a type of barley)
Hi Stewey75...
You've copied the photo of my great-grandfather, Jozef Orkwiszewski to your Ancestry.com photos.
My great-grandfather Jozef Orkwiszewski left from Nowa Wies, Poland (near Mlawa) and lived in Natrona, Pennsylvania.
I can tell you more if you like! I'm curious about your Orkwiszewski connection.
Email me:
Christopher Davis
Canton, OH
glamorgan1969@msn.com
