Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Louise,

My grandfather's name was Stanislaus Kostka Gapa, and he traveled from Dembno? Poland/Germany? in 1912 - I have copies of his shipping papers, and his picture. I think he came in through Philadelphia, not sure.

He married Mary (Mittie) Lee Dewveall (Duvall later on)(from Texas) in 1917 and somehow they ended up in Kansas. Unfortunately he died at 50 leaving my grandmother with nine kids! My mom (Elizabeth) was seven of nine, my uncle John being the ninth and a baby at the time.

So when he died in 1939,(heart attack walking home from work as a printer/laborer), I think six or seven went to an orphanage, the older ones already out of school and/or on their own. My mom was eight, so she didn't have much of a childhood.

I so want to find out more about my mom's side of the family. I have no information about his family, siblings, etc. And I also think that Gapa was shortened, you don't see many four-letter Polish surnames! I do know that he lived in Wisconsin for about a year, and how he ended up in Kansas is unknown.

Let me know if you know anything on your end about the Gapa name - it is unusually short, so it will be interesting to dig. I also live near a Mormon "library" that has thousands of names on file, so I can go there or sign up online and see what they have.

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you!