52 Ancestors Week 3 - Longevity - My Oldest Original Documents

This week's topic longevity left me in a conundrum because I have two ancestors who share the title of longest-lived at 90 years.  One, my second mom Helena Skalska-Potaczek, I will be covering in great detail in the coming weeks I'm sure, so I decided to cover this topic from the angle of original documents in my possession that are the oldest, and conveniently, these items belong to the second nonagenarian in my family tree... 

Jan (Chrzciciel) Skalski (24 June 1847 - 20 November 1937)

Christmas in Kraków 1935, L-R Helena Skalska, Jan (Chrzciciel) Skalski, Zofia Skalska

Several months ago, on a whim, I decided to see what sort of records were available at an archival website in Poland called AGAD (Archiwum Głowne Akt Dawnych). Since both my maternal branches hail from an area known as Galicia, part of which is now in the Ukraine, and AGAD is known to house documents from these areas, I thought, "Why not?" even though I didn't hold much hope.  I knew my Skalski side of the family came from a town called Niemirów which, according to the Słownik geograficzny Królewstwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom VII, p. 94, has a part of the town named "Skalskie." 

To my delight, I found many years worth of records going back to the 1600s (with a 50 year gap smack in the middle, of course!) and dove into my research.  Now, months later, I am reeling from the sheer number of Skalski entries, but have been able to piece together the family of my great-grandfather back through the late 1700s! Click here if you'd like to learn more about Niemirów.

Jan Skalski Baptismal Certificate issued in 1861 

At 156 1/2 years, this Baptismal certificate is the oldest document in my family's possession. It records that Jan was born on 24 June and was baptized on 25 June 1847.  At the time of his birth his father, also Jan, was 49 and his mother, Maria (maiden name Nikiel) was about 30. From what I can piece together, considering that AGAD's birth documents end in 1842, he had the following siblings at the time of his birth:

1. a half brother Jan Piotr Paweł, 15 years old (born on June 25 to Jan and his first wife Katarzyna, who died post-partum at age 19)
2. a sister Rozalia, almost 13
3. a sister Agnieszka, 10
4. a sister Franciszka, 6
5. a brother Stanisław, 3

Twice Maria and Jan lost a son, both times named Józef, in the years 1839 and 1840 who only lived 6 hours and 3 days respectively.  Because there are no more records past 1842 at that repository, I cannot say whether he had anymore siblings, but it is possible that there could have been two more before he was born. A search of death records between 1841 and May 1844 do not reveal any infant deaths in the family.

EDIT:  I actually tried another repository and found two more siblings!  A brother named Stanisław aged 3 at the time of Jan's birth and then another brother who was born after Jan in late 1850 and died in February 1852 at the age of 1 1/2 years.

Seeing that several of his  brothers perished, I think it is safe to say that he was probably given every advantage possible, and I think that this comes out in my mom's observations of him as a old man.  I'll come to that in a bit.

At some point the family moved to Kraków, perhaps around 1861 when this document was issued? Maybe the completion of a railway connection from Lwów to Kraków in 1861 had something to do with the decision?  Or perhaps they were looking for opportunities for better education, work, or more stability?  Galicia in the mid 19th century was in great upheaval, so the reasons for the move could have been numerous and varied. Perhaps it was earlier, I cannot say without further research. 

Either way, I believe that Maria Nikiel must have died while he was fairly young because in his marriage certificate to my great-grandmother Wiktoria Konopka, his mother is listed as Józefa Koziarska, a family name that appears several times in the Niemirów books. If she was the only mother that he could remember, then it would come naturally for him to give her as his parent.  

Jan Skalski and Wiktoria Konopka Marriage entry Parafia Św. Klemensa in Wieliczka near Kraków, 4 February 1872

He lived in Kraków for the rest of his life, most likely getting a college education and then eventually a job as Treasurer for the Administrative District of Kraków, beginning in March 1871, at the age of 23.  Less than a year later, after an epic 15km walk through a snowstorm which had halted rail service from Kraków to Wieliczka where his bride-to-be waited in the church, he finally arrived at 6pm, and was married on February 4, 1872.  Together they had 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls.  His belief in education was very strong.  My sister Sabina recalls our mom telling her that Jan was "a stickler for education, making sure that all of his children, even the girls, received a college education, which wasn't all that common then!"

Slip of paper recounting weather and events around the birth and christening

of Tadeusz Aleksander Skalski and signed by his father Jan Skalski

Jan had a way with words and must have enjoyed writing.  My grandfather Tadeusz Aleksander Skalski kept a tiny slip of paper 3 1/2 x 6 inches in size, on which his father had recorded some extraordinary weather patterns at the time of his birth and christening in 1886.  That makes this document my second oldest original at 131 years.  Just look at the exquisite handwriting! To think it was written at a time when Poland did not even exist on any map, and it has survived through two world wars.  What a treasure!

Jan Skalski and his step-son Zdzisław Siemieński, Kraków, 1935

Jan also had a bit of a poet in him, I think.  He had a penchant for giving his children long elaborate names such as Kazimiera Teodozja Pelagia, Jadwiga Katarzyna Antonina, and Stanisław Kostka Jan Kanty!  As to why he used Chrzciciel, which means The Baptist, in his own name when it seems it was not a given name, is unknown.  Perhaps it was simply to differentiate himself from his own father. But what I do know is that by 1890 he was definitely using this moniker when he self-published a patriotic poem as a 5 x 7 inch pamphlet, which makes this the third oldest original document at 128 years!  One day, I promise that I will translate and share it here...

Głos Do Ludu by Jan Chrzciciel Skalski, Kraków, 1890

He was great patriot as many Poles at the time were, being a people without a nation for the last hundred years. In 1935, at the age of 87, he made a point to participate in the building of Kopiec Piłsudskiego, an artificial mound monument in Kraków which is also known as Independence or Freedom Mound.  Soil from every World War I battlefield in which Poles had fought, was included in the construction.  Here he is making the symbolic gesture of building the monument!

Jan Skalski and his nurse at Kopiec Piłsudskiego, Sowiniec, Kraków
13 November 1935

He was very passionate about his country and I can only imagine how he must have felt when Poland finally became an independent nation again at the close of WWI.  To be born into the Austro-Hungarian Empire and at the age of 72 witness the rebirth of his beloved country must have an undescribable experience!  But he sure did his best to express his love for his homeland on the back of the above photo!  Pretty impressive penmanship for an 87 year old!

Considering that I thought I would have very little to say about my great-grandfather Jan Chrzciciel Skalski, I think I learned a lot about him just through the process of writing.  A couple other memories I want add were related to me by Sabina, who says she remembers our mom telling her that he was "a very nice man, scrupulously honest, punctual, and immaculately dressed."  These would be the memories of an at most twelve year old girl, for late in 1937, after a brief grave illness, Jan passed away on November 20, 1937 at the age of 90.  In doing so he was spared the horrors that Poland would endure shortly, with the beginning of World War II in September 1939.

(Klepsydra) Obituary Notice for Jan Skalski

In Poland it is customary to print up what they call a klepsydra, an obituary notice which is pasted up on boards throughout the city to notify residents.  I am fortunate to have 3 near mint copies of the 15 x 19 inch announcements.  

Jan Skalski grave at Cmentarz Rakowicki (Kwartera XXXVII, Rząd 16, miejsce 6) 

In 2015 when I was in Poland for my beloved mom's funeral, Sabina and I went on a hunt and found Jan's grave in the Rakowice Cemetery.  We were successful, though it appeared that it hadn't been visited by anyone in quite a long time!  That is a rosebush growing in the center of it...  But I managed to get a photo of the grave marker, and you can see he kept "The Baptist" part of his name to the end!  I truly wish I knew what the significance of that meant to him!  He is buried with his second wife Franciszka Siemieńska.

And here is the map of the cemetery to help find the location, if any of you ever decided to do so...

Jan Skalski grave at Cmentarz Rakiwicki (Kwartera XXXVII, Rząd 16, miejsce 6) 

I feel like Jan Skalski didn't have an easy life, but that through hard work and exemplery attributes he made a success of himself and by extension, his family, whom you will surely read about in the months to come!  I think I share a love of words and education with him and feel as if the act of writing about him has helped me to get to know him better.  I hope you did too!

Next week's theme is Invite to Dinner...

52 Ancestors Week 2 - Favorite Photo - My Two Mothers

Zofia Skalska in 1955 at 29 years of age

Choosing just one favorite photo is just impossible.  So I decided that I would highlight some of my long standing favorites of my favorite people...my moms.  Zofia Skalska (1926-1976) gave birth to me in 1970 and left me at the tender age of 5.  Everything I know about her and all the photos I have of her are through my second mom, Helena Skalska (1924-2015) her sister and my aunt. I don't have any memories of Zofia, yet I feel I know her quite well, and that is due to the constant interactions with Helena, who never let Zosia's memory die.  She would often remark about how I reminded her of her sister in different ways.  I miss that now...terribly.  

But back to the task at hand.  Today is January 12th 2018 and it would have been Zofia's 92nd birthday, so I begin with her.  

This is my mum's glamour movie-star shot.  I have always wondered what might have happened if she had taken on a role in the theater production of "Roxy" in 1946. Her uncle Stanisław Skalski, who worked all over Poland in the theater as an actor and director, could have made it happen that year in Cieszyn-Bielsko, Poland. But alas her father, Tadeusz Skalski, would not allow her to even consider it.  Who knows what sort of career it could have launched?

 

Zofia Skalska age 16

I have always loved this photo of Zofia from when she was 16 years old.  First off, I just couldn't comprehend such a flawless complexion!  But what really draws me to this photo is the spark in her eyes and the wisdom behind them...and that little smirk playing about her lips.  How many times I wish I could have learned of what thoughts she was hiding there.  From stories Helena told, Zofia was always very private and sometimes secretive in her thoughts, the exact opposite of herself.  So who knew what was going on in her mind in this photo!  I have always felt that she must have been a very old soul though, and this photo illustrates that so well.

This is a photo of Helena from about the same period and it highlights so well their difference in temperament.  Helena was much more outspoken and wore her emotions on her sleeve.  There is nothing mysterious about this girl...she is just sheer joy!

Helena Skalska age 20

And here is a picture of a painting that Helena did of herself in 1944 from this very photo!

And one last shot of Helena in her glamour movie-star pose... I love profile shots and this one is hands down my favorite.  Just gorgeous!

Helena Skalska 1955 at 30 years of age

Next week's topic is Longevity...

52 Ancestors Week 1 - Start - My "Original Source" Document

My "Original Source" Document ca. 1984-5

Since we are to interpret each prompt in the way that best resonates with us, I decided to write my first post about the very first time I became aware of a thing called a “Family Tree.”  The fact that I still have this piece of paper, yellowed and creased from many years of storage and handling, with a numbering system and newer names being added in darker blue and black ink decades later, attests to the fact that it was, and still is, a treasured document.  Not just any document, but my very own “original source” document which I have referred to over the last 33 years and which has held a place of the highest esteem in my genealogy files! 

I was in the 8^th grade, 14 or 15 years old, and the year was either 1984 or 85.  One of our Social Studies assignments was to fill out a sheet entitled “Tracing Your Heritage.”   I dubiously looked at the homework assignment and put it into my book bag with slight trepidation.  My heritage, I knew was Polish, but making a family tree like that…wasn’t that something only people whose ancestors had been in America for at least a hundred years could do?

To complicate things further was the fact that I didn’t even live with my parents…I mean my birth parents, that is.  My Aunt Helena and Uncle Marian *were* my parents in every sense of the word, had been since my birth mother passed away in 1976 when I was 5 years old, taking me on a dying wish visit to reunite with her beloved sister from whom she had been separated for 17 years.  I loved them and my sister (cousin) Sabina fiercely, and, to be perfectly honest, often even forgot I had a father and four sisters on another continent…until times like this.

My anxiety grew all day.  I was a straight A student, and the thought of getting a 0 on a homework assignment caused me great distress.  Family stories were not a foreign concept in my life.  My “Granny” Maria Skalska had been a wonderful story teller, regaling me and my sister with tales of her youth in a day when Poland as a nation did not even exist and only reemerged as an entity out of the ashes of WWI.  But Granny had died a couple years ago in August 1982 and her stories with her.  And anyway, I didn’t ever recall her talking about her parents and certainly not about anyone further back than that. 

I had noticed that including me, this sheet of paper was asking for me to name 5 generations of people!  The thought of it was inconceivable, so the longer the day dragged on and the longer I fretted over this assignment, the more I became sure that I would inevitably fail this homework assignment.  Quite frankly, at the time, the thought of failing such a seemingly simple assignment upset me far more than the actual facts staring me in the face: that other than the names of my parents, four sisters, aunt, uncle, cousin, and granny, I had no clue about who my ancestors were or where they came from other than the broad idea of ‘Poland.’

By the time I got home that fateful day, I knew I had to ask my mom if she could possibly help me with this seemingly impossible task.  To my sincere amazement, she not only said she could, but was able to help me fill in practically all of the spaces on my mother’s side.  I’ll never forget the pride in her voice when she had me fill in Professor Tadeusz Skalski, her father, or that she even knew the exact date of her mother Emilia’s birth, which I carefully penned in under the place Podole, Poland as 12/18 1899, not realizing at that moment that she had in her possession the original document! These names were not new to me, but the concept of her mother’s father being called Count Marceli Paprocki and his father Count Walenty Paprocki certainly was!  However, thirty some years later, that bit of lore is still to be determined!

Then there were the new surnames I had never heard of on my grandfather’s side such as Wiktoria Konopka from Wieliczka (a noble name from that town…another bit of sleuthing needing to be done) and even one more maiden name back, a Miśkolnicz, possibly from the Czech area.  And on my mother’s side I learned that my maternal great-grandmother was named Konstancia (sic) Presnerska.  I was flabbergasted!

My father’s side of the family was going to be more difficult. He lived in Sydney, Australia and did not own a telephone to my knowledge, so getting his input was certainly not going to happen in time to turn in a homework assignment the next day.  Even so, mom was able to tell me that my father’s father was named Antoni and that he and my grandmother were married in the Zamość area.  To this day I have many gaps in this side of the family and know that much work is still to be done!

So, the next day I handed in my homework resigned to the expectation of getting a 5 (0-10 scale) at best because of all the blank spaces. Despite this depressing thought there awakened in me an awareness that there was so much more to life and the world beyond the four walls of Central Junior HS in Greenwich, CT and that not only was this world rooted in the present and one’s aspirations for the future, but that the past was a very real and tangible connection to my understanding of myself and my place in this world. When I discarded that year’s school papers, this piece remained with my report cards, attesting to the value I placed on it.

This is me in 8th Grade.  
The year it all began!

This teacher may not have known it, but he had just altered the trajectory of my life in a very real way.  It would not be until 10 years later that I truly began to work on genealogy in earnest, and another 10 after that before it would become my burning passion, but now I know that it is the most important legacy that I plan to leave behind for my children and the generations to come.  For this I will always be grateful to Mr. Cobb, that teacher who decided to stretch our minds into the past in a very personal and real way and rewarded a paper, even with many missing answers, with a perfect 10.

Oh, and BTW, I did get an A in that class!




Next weeks topic is Favorite Photo...