history – It's All About Family

Looking Back at 2025

Yesterday, I took a trip down memory lane of the people I researched and wrote about this past year. I’m proud of the information I found, stories I wrote, and living relatives I uncovered during my search. Here’s a review month by month….

January

I started the year with a couple of posts from the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by Amy Johnson Crow. The first topic was “In the Beginning,” and I chose to write about my parents’ courtship and wedding. I had fun going through old photos of them from their wedding and trips with my aunt and uncle. Ancestry provided the high school yearbook pages and my mom’s collection of postcards showed us the sweetness in their relationship.

The second post was “Favorite Photo.” My favorite photo will always be the Posluszny Family photo that started this crazy research journey! I think it is in every post I wrote about the family this year. It’s probably time to frame it and put it on a wall.

The third post in January told the story of my great-uncle John Posluszny. At the end of December 2024, I wrote about solving the “mystery” of his death in 1942, so I really wanted to start my Posluszny series with his story. I connected with his granddaughter, Janine, in 2012, and she shared the photos of her father, Stanley with me. I enjoyed finding and sharing the newspaper articles with her. I currently have a message out to a great-granddaughter of John and hope I hear from her to make another family connection.

February

On the 1st of February, I wrote about my mother’s diagnosis of brain cancer. Even 38 years later, memories were fresh.

Next up was a little break from family with a post about a sampler completed in 1817 and found by my father in the attic of his paint store in the early 1980s. He held on to it always curious about where it came from. Unfortunately, I didn’t think about researching it until after he passed away in 2010. I still haven’t delivered it to the Portland Historical Society!

Another great uncle, Joseph Posluszny, was my next subject. I can hear to this day my Aunt Judy saying, “Uncle Joe Post”. I’ve worked with his great granddaughter on Ancestry for many years and the majority of pictures I have came from her. In September, I was contacted by one of Joseph’s granddaughters who lives in Connecticut about 45 minutes away. I look forward to getting to know her better and hearing her stories!

This post was born during my Posluszny research when I noticed, after 15 years of research, that my great grandmother, Caroline Straub is listed on the 1910 census as having given birth to 14 children with 8 of them at the time still living! I headed over to the amazing Geneteka website, started searching, and managed to find the records for five children who died either at birth or a very young age.

March

Early in March we said goodbye to our sweet chihuahua, Wally and late in March was the anniversary of my dad’s passing.

April

The 98th anniversary of my grandmother’s passing was in early April and if you don’t know her story, you can read it here.

I wrote about my great uncle Frank Posluszny. He was a tough one over the years to find anything about because he was in a mental institution from the 1930 federal census to the 1940 census. I had very little information on the family and wasn’t sure where to look. But as the years go by, more information becomes available and I was able to find his great-granddaughter! We emailed back and forth and she actually knew him! She sent pictures which I included in his story.

*Josephine, Frank, and Mildred Poslushny*

May

I spent May working on my great uncle Charles Posluszny’s story. I posted once to check in to say I was working on him and at the end of the month, completed it. Once again, there are grandchildren and great grandchildren alive, but in this case, I don’t have a way to contact them.

June

June was busy with visiting relatives and a trip to Chicago so there were no posts in June.

July

In July I wrote about the sisters in the Posluszny family, Mary Posluszny Biega, and Elizabeth Posluszny Laçź. One who was well known and the other who disappeared without a trace.

August

I finally made it to the last of the Posluszny children, Walter Bonk, son of Caroline Straub and her second husband John Bonk. I knew all of his children and his grandchildren.

My second post was the result of a stranger’s request on Ancestry looking for “living relatives of Alfred Donroe”. He was my cousin in law’s father and he died in World War II. This person in France is working with citizens of Gouesnou France to create a permanent memorial to the soldiers and civilians who died there. I received a comment on there from my younger cousin, and we had a nice email conversation. He and his wife plan to go to France to see the monument.

September

The last quarter of the year I focused on my maternal grandfather and his family. Their lives were so entwined for many so years, that the first story takes you from Jacob and Katherine’s arrival in the United States through 1916. This was Part 1.

October

Engram Family Part 2 took place from 1916 through the 1930s. I became acquainted with a second cousin a few years ago and he sent a slew of family pictures. I also began searching on Newspapers(dot)com using family member’s names where I found Kitty and Louise playing basketball!

Later in the month, I wrote about Theresa, Katherine, and Louise from the 1930s through their lives. My half aunt Joanne shared photos with me as well as few letters Katherine wrote to Theresa’s daughter Irene. I’m grateful to Joanne for the information and the years of emails back and forth. I saved them all and finally printed them out and put them in order. I was overwhelmed by the amount of information that suddenly made sense!

November

Five posts in November! First up was the lives of Elizabeth and Hannah. Elizabeth had an interesting situation which deserved a post to explain it. It’s amazing what a person can find when they look hard enough, and have help from strangers on Ancestry! Thanks to Newspaper(dot)com again, I discovered a third cousin living about 20 minutes away!

In time for Veterans Day, I shared a post from June 2024 called The Effects of War about my grandfathers in World War I, and uncles in World War II.

Then it was back to the Engram Family with Jacob Sr.’s story. I wish I knew more about him!

My cousin, Brian, messaged me pictures of a letter Jacob Jr. wrote to his sister Theresa. The war was over and he was waiting to go home. When Brian and I got together during Thanksgiving week, we sifted through all the Engram pictures and letters and there were more letters from Jacob to his sisters. They were very interesting to read.

December

I wrapped the year up with a re-post of December 7, 1941, the story of my Uncle Walt during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

I rounded out the Engram family with the final story of my grandfather Jacob Jr. I learned so much about him from my Aunt Joanne’s emails that again, didn’t make sense until it was time to write his story.

And here we are – the end of the year! I’ve signed up again for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge and I will be looking through my family tree for new ancestors to tell you about!

Happy New Year!

Thoughts From France

While I work on the final post for the Engram Family which will be my grandfather, Jacob Jr., I wanted to share something I received from my new second cousin, Brian.

This is a letter from my grandfather Jacob, Jr to his sister, Brian’s grandmother, Tess. He is in France at the end of World War I. The war ended on November 11, 1918 and now he is writing on November 18, 1918. He talks of writing letters every week, sometimes two and three, but not receiving any letters. He thought he’d receive more. He says they’re told they’ll be home soon, but things keep changing, and he hopes it will be soon. I’ve roughly transcribed the letter but it’s fun reading the original.

*Letter from Jacob Jr, to sister Tess November 28, 1918*

Brian is the grandson of Barbara Theresa Engram Murphy, oldest child of Jacob Sr, and Katherine (Duy) Engram. Since his mother, Irene, was also the oldest of her family and cousins and lived in the same home for many years, she was the keeper of the family memories.

A few years ago, Brian shared many photos with my Aunt Joanne and me. A lot of them are from the Murphy side, but there were also many Engram family photos and newspaper clippings.

Brian is visiting Connecticut from his home in Florida is going through the family photo bin and I am planning on meeting with him to sort through it and help put names to faces if I can!

My Veterans

In honor of Veterans Day, I’m sharing the story I wrote in June of 2024 for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. It’s called, The Effects of War. There are links within that story that share the details of their time served.

Beginning with World War I, there was my biological maternal grandfather, Jacob Engram and my paternal grandfather, Charles Jakiela.

My Great Uncle Bronislaw Liro went back to Poland before World War I broke out, fought for the Austrian Army, was captured, and escaped from Siberia.

World War II saw my Uncle Connie and my dad enlist in the Army Air Force and my Uncle Walt and Uncle Mal in the Navy. My Uncle Walt lived through the horror of Pearl Harbor 3 weeks fresh out of Navy radio school.

While cleaning out my aunt’s home, I found a letter from my Great Uncle Antoni written in 1947 describing the aftermath of World War II.

My father in law Harold served in the Korean War as a cook, his brother Ronald as an infantry tank driver, and my step father in law Paul was in the motor pool.

It’s an honor to have these brave men in my family.

Engram Girls Part 2

Two more sisters in this episode…

Elizabeth

I mentioned in my previous story that on June 6, 1917 at 19 years old, Elizabeth married Barney Michkind who was 24 years old. This was only a year after her mother passed away and she is still living at the family Pelham Parkway home. But then, in the 1920 federal census, she is listed as living with her sisters on West 128th Street in Manhattan and Single. Hmmm.

I did a little digging on Barney and found a military record. He enlisted in the military on July 11, 1916 and mustered on July 11, 1917. Remarks on this particular form say:
AWOL August 16/17 to Aug 23/17 incl (something) Aug 28/17. Sent to 10 day confinement at hard labor and forfeit pay for like period. Served overseas for June 30/18 to March 13/19.

So, it seems, they got married and he was leaving.

The next record for Elizabeth is the 1925 New York State census in Bronx New York. She is listed as a wife to Albert Klein, an electrician, and they have a daughter Adeline, who was born in 1922. She gave birth to a son, Robert in 1927.

The 1930 Federal Census tells me they are living in Queens with her brother Jacob, and Albert is working for Jacob on his farm.

In the 1940 Federal Census they are now living in Yonkers, New York and Albert is working as an electrician for an oil burner installation company. Adeline is 17 and Robert is 12. The census also tells me that they were there in 1935 because in the city column it says “same house”.

It makes my curious for the reasons why they left the Bronx where Albert was working as an electrician and move to Queens to a farm for Albert to work as an assistant to his brother in law and then move again to Yonkers and back to his electrician job.

Elizabeth’s father, Jacob Sr., 79 years old, is living with them. The census says he has no job but says “OT” which stands for other work. Joanne wrote, “my grandpa was employed as a groundskeeper at Woodlawn Cemetery, on the border of Bronx and Westchester. I know he lived with my Aunt Betty and Uncle Al at the end of his life…I’d say thru the influence of my dad.” Woodlawn Cemetery by today’s travel is 2.1 miles and 10 minutes from 61 Kettell Avenue Yonkers via Yonkers Avenue. Jacob Sr died in 1944 at the age of 84. His story will come later.

A funny thing happened when Elizabeth and Albert’s family wanted to throw them a 25th wedding anniversary. They had to confess, they were not married! What?! Which begs the question – did Elizabeth ever get a divorce?

I contacted an individual who had Barney in his family tree but didn’t have his marriage to Elizabeth listed. I gave him a copy of their marriage license and he directed me to a court document he found in a search using the name “Elizabeth Mishkind”. It’s filed under “divorce and civil case records” and dated April 9, 1918. Elizabeth is the plaintiff and “in re” the defendant. AI tells me “its use for the defendant indicates that the proceeding was likely uncontested or did not have a formally adversarial (opposing) party. So basically, an uncontested divorce. This person also told me that Barney was a featherweight boxer, competing under the name Barney Williams in his youth. He was married two more times after Elizabeth, in 1922 and in 1937.

Elizabeth and Albert did make their marriage official in 1947, 25 years after the birth of their daughter Adeline! I hope they had that 25th anniversary party.

*Elizabeth, Hannah/Joan, and Louise 1940s Florida*

They all moved again prior to the 1950 federal census but they stayed in Yonkers. By now, both Elizabeth and Albert were 50. He was a trouble shooter for an oil company, likely still an electrician and she was now a nurses aide at a hospital.

*Adeline in her 1940 high school graduation picture*

Their daughter, Adeline, married Frank Rinaldi in January of 1943 and they had a son Frank Jr, 5, and a daughter, Elizabeth, 3, in 1950 and are living with her parents in 1950. He served in the Navy during World War II.

Their son, Robert, married Constance Olsen in Yonkers in May of 1951. The 1950 census for both has them working at a restaurant. She as a waitress, he as a chef so that’s likely where they met. I don’t have any additional information for them.

Unfortunately, in August of 1969, Robert passed away. His obituary says it was after an extended illness, and he died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, so I’m going to assume it was cancer. Cancer has definitely visited the Engram / Duy family more than I’ve seen in any other part of my family. By this time, 18 years later, he is divorced from Constance, but he does have two children. He served in World War II, lived in Florida for 10 years as a chef in Pompano and Miami, and had returned to Yonkers in recent years.

Elizabeth and Albert continued to live in Yonkers New York. Unfortunately, Elizabeth suffered mental health issues and “spent many years in various state mental institutions” according to my Aunt Joanne.

*Anna Winner Engram, Joanne (5), Jacob Jr., Hannah/Joan, and Elizabeth Engram Klein 1950 Florida*

Albert Klein passed away in October of 1974 after a long illness and he was residing at Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, New York. He was 75 years old.

Six months later in May of 1975, Elizabeth passed away following a brief illness. Her obituary says “she had lived in Yonkers hospitals until her husband Albert died last year.” Aunt Joanne shared this with me, “Aunt Betty died from choking on a bone (while she fought off her son-in-law who was trying to help her.)”. What a sad and tragic way for her life to end.

By this time, her sister Katherine (Kitty) was the only sibling living as is her daughter Adeline. Elizabeth also has five grandchildren (although I only have 4), and three great grandchildren! I wonder if they are as interested in their ancestors as I am?

Hannah

Hannah was the youngest of the siblings, born in 1906 and was 10 years old when her mother passed away. She lived with her sisters in the city and went to school. I told you in the Engram Family Part 2, Hannah, now know as Johannah, and later, Joan, was married to Anton Zeiss Jr. when she was 20 years old in 1927. They were living in Pennsauken, New Jersey in the 1930 federal census. Unfortunately, by August 22, 1934, they were divorced in Bronx County.

In the 1940 federal census, she is living at 58 West 56th Street in New York and is working in “magazine makeup” for American Legion Magazine which I think means she was involved in the set up and publishing of the magazine. She was 33 years old and one of 8 lodgers.

However, in September of 1944, she’s in Florida getting married to George G. Woods. They got married 8 days after the death of her father Jacob in Yonkers, New York. But less than 4 years later, Hannah and George are divorced.

Hannah remained in Florida, and is living alone in the 1950 federal census. She is 43 years old and a secretary at a printing company.

In the early 1950s, Hannah was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had a colostomy and Aunt Joanne said it changed her life forever.

*Early 1950s – Anna Engram, Joanne, Jacob Jr, Hannah (around the time of her surgery), and Elizabeth*

She died in December of 1967 but it’s unknown whether she died of cancer or another cause. I can’t find any death record or newspaper notice. At the time of her death she left behind Jacob Jr., Katherine, and Elizabeth. She had no children with her first or second husband.

To catch up on the early stories – Jacob Engram and His Family , Engram Family Part 2, Engram Girls Part 1

Engram Girls Part 1

I published the beginning and the continuation of the Engram Family lives after their mother Katherine Duy died in 1916. I’m going to carry on the story, starting with the sisters.

Theresa

Theresa, George and their two daughters Irene and Rita continued to live at 59 Earley Street on City Island in the Bronx according to the 1940 federal census. They appeared to live a happy life from the family pictures I’ve seen.

Sadly in 1948, Theresa passed away at 58 years old from breast cancer like her mother. Her daughter Irene was 21 years old and Rita was 17.

That same year on November 25th, Irene married James Callahan.

They would continue to live on City Island and raise their daughter and three sons, where she was a physical education teacher for many years. She passed away on January 2, 2000. James passed away in 2021 in Stamford, Connecticut. Her grandson Brian provided the pictures you see in this section.

*Irene and James Callahan, date unknown*

Rita lived with her father, George, until her marriage to Grattan Kyle in 1951. He was also a City Island kid involved in his family’s real estate company. They moved to Florida, and although they got divorced in 1974, she remained in Florida until he died in 1983. Rita returned to City Island, where she lived until her death on December 28, 2006. She left behind three daughters, one son, and five grandchildren.

A few years ago, Irene’s son, Brian, was in contact with my Aunt Joanne, and shared over 150 photos with us. Most were Theresa and George and their friends, but there were also significant photos of the Engram family. We have since reconnected, and he has shared additional Engram family pictures.

Katherine and Louise

I wrote in my previous post about Katherine and Louise playing basketball but not finding much information after January 1923. Cousin Brian sent this wonderful picture via text. It’s from January 1924 and the caption talks about the team being the champions of New York meeting the London Shamrocks in the opening international game. From the surrounding snippets of articles it appears this is taking place in Canada. I searched again for information on the team but came away with nothing.

Katherine

Katherine, born Catherine Elisabeth Juliana, never married. She is one of the children with no first name listed on her birth certificate and in one of her letters you’ll read below, said he had to go to the church for the record. I don’t think she knew she had that many names and was surprised to find the Engram spelling as she was told their school principal changed it! I do know it was originally Ingram.

Through her career as a secretary, she worked for Engelhart Chemical Company in New Jersey as well as for the former Belcano Cosmetic Company and supposedly for Charles Lindbergh that I mentioned previously. I can’t locate her or Louise past the 1930 Federal Census, but as the informant for Louise’s death in 1961 they were living in Jersey City, New Jersey.

She provided the most detailed family information in her letters to her niece Irene in two letters in 1980 when she was 82 years old. The letters were transcribed and emailed to me by my Aunt Joanne.

Katherine’s Letters 1 and Katherine’s Letters 2

The picture above was taken when Jacob and his family moved to Scarsdale, New York. Katherine and Jacob had a rocky relationship and parted ways in 1950 or 1951. Like his father, he was an alcoholic and alienated some relatives with his behavior.

Katherine outlived all of her siblings, living until 98 years old at her death in September of 1996. Prior to her death, she lived in Hopewell Junction, New York, with Adeline Klein Rinaldi, her sister Elizabeth’s daughter.

Louise

Louise also spent her life in the secretarial field. Like Katherine, she never married and at the time of her death in 1961, she was the office manager for Penn-Boeck and Co. in Jersey City.

I’ve talked about mental health in my Posluszny side of the family and I found it in the Engram family as well.

*Elizabeth, Hannah/Joan, and Louise – Miami in the 1940s*

Louise committed suicide in July of 1961 while at her and Katherine’s summer place. She ingested Hammond Weed Killer (arsenic). She was brought to Monroe County General Hospital in East Stroudsburg Pennsylvania but was dead on arrival. She was 59 years old. That makes me sad.

This post was getting pretty long and I still have Elizabeth and Hannah to go so I’m going to end this here. Part 2 of the Engram Sisters coming soon!

Jacob Ingram and His Family

It was a little startling back in January of 2020 to realize the man and family I thought of as my mother’s father and his paternal line, was not correct.

I’ve written about my grandfather, Jacob Engram, Jr., but I thought I’d do some more research and put together a timeline of the whole family. It is going to be long!

Jacob Ingram/Engram

My great grandfather was Jacob Sebastian Ingram. He was born, according to his death certificate on July 7, 1859 in Padew Naraodowa which is a village in Mielec County in south-eastern Poland. At the time of his birth it was in Galicia which was part of Austria due to all the dividing up of Poland.

His birth year ranges from 1859 to 1862. The 1862 dates are reflected on the Ellis Island manifest and census records, so I continue to search a variety of dates for a definitive birth year. Unfortunately the years prior to 1863 are not part of the Geneteka collection. <sigh>.

Even his parents are a mystery. His father’s name is consistently “Sebastian”, however his marriage license lists his mother as Louise (maiden name) Burghardt and his death certificate as Katherine Burghardt. Geneteka records list only Sebastian Ingram and Elzbieta Burghardt in a search. I “know” them because they are the parents of my great-grandfather Ludwig Ingram. Recent information I found said he had a brother John, a brother Frantz (sp), and a sister Juliana.

Jacob left Europe at 24 years old on May 30, 1886 via Hamburg Germany and arrived in New York on June 14th. He traveled in Steerage (“zwischendeck”) aboard the Rhaetia. Records don’t indicate where he was going but wherever he went, he’d be looking for a job as a “schmied” or blacksmith.

At the time of his arrival, Castle Garden, or what we know as Castle Clinton National Monument was the main immigration station for the Port of New York. I was there in June of 2025, and wandered through wondering if any of my ancestors experienced walking through these doors.

Seven years later, on July 23, 1893, Jacob married Katherine Duy. He was 31 years old and she was 28.

*marriage license Jacob and Katherine 1893*

Katherine Duy Ingram/Engram

Katherine was born on August 9, 1965 in Padew as well. Katherine was the 6th born to Johann Jacob Duy and Maria Teresa (maiden name) Duy. According to the 1910 Federal census, she arrived in the United States in 1893 when she was 28 years old. A quick look at a census record for her sister, Barbara, born in 1869, shows she immigrated in 1893, so it could be possible they came together. But that would mean she arrived in the US and almost immediately married Jacob. The 1915 New York State census lists her arrival year as 1887, when she was 22. Another question mark!

Family stories say she had a “withered” arm. The few photos of her don’t show both arms so it’s not known which one or how damaged it was.

Other family members who immigrated included her parents Johann and Theresa and Philip born in 1875 who immigrated with them in 1904. On arrival, they moved to West Springfield Massachusetts. Wilhelm (b. 1867) immigrated and lived in Greenwich Connecticut. Barbara, mentioned above, immigrated in 1893 and lived in Astoria New York. Margaretha (b. 1872) immigrated and lived in South Hadley Massachusetts. One son, Jacob (b. 1858) remained in Austria.

Engram Children Births

More than nine months, but less than a year later, Jacob and Katherine’s first child, a daughter, Barbara, was born on April 27, 1894. Barbara was known as Theresa or Tess and the only indication her name was Barbara is this birth record. Her death certificate says Theresa B.

*Birth record for Barbara (Theresa) Ingram*

14 months later, on July 11, 1895, Katherine gave birth to Jacob Jr. This is the first time I see the spelling of their last name to be ENGRAM and that’s what it remained moving forward.

13 months later on August 19, 1896, Katherine gives birth to her second son, Louis.

Another year, another baby! Second daughter Katherine is born on March 2, 1898. Jacob and Katherine have four children under the age of 4. Whew! Notice these last 2 birth records do not have a first name – maybe they were still deciding.

Dare I say it? Another daughter, Elizabeth was born on November 1, 1899. I don’t have a copy of her birth record, but I trust the family member who has the information in her family tree. This is Jacob and Katherine’s fifth child and 3rd daughter.

On April 19, 1900, Louis died from Acute Meningitis at 3 years and 9 months old. This left Jacob Jr and three sisters.

In 1901, daughter Louise is born. Her name is either a tribute to Louis or to Jacob’s mother Louise (if that was her name!).

Memories written by Jacob and Katherine’s daughter Katherine in 1980, mention a brother who died in infancy. The gap between Louise and Hannah would likely be when it happened but there is not record found to confirm the birth or death.

After a space of five years, the last daughter Hannah is born on July 9, 1906.

Where They Lived 1893-1916

When Jacob and Katherine got married, Jacob was living at 306 W. 69th Street in New York and Katherine was living at 233 W. 80th Street.

1893-1894: After they were married, they continued to live at 306 W. 69th Street and Jacob was still working as a blacksmith. They were living here when Barbara was born.

Per google, the Upper West Side of New York City was a growing, but not yet completely developed, residential neighborhood. 306 West 69th Street and 233 West 80th Street would have been a walk-up tenement or a brownstone rowhouse, likely housing recent immigrants and working-class families who were moving to the area from more crowded parts of the city.

1895: They are now living in Westchester and he is a farmer. You’ll see Westchester was a town in Westchester County New York. In 1895 it was transferred to the City and County of New York, in 1898, it and other areas formed the Borough of the Bronx, and finally in January 1914, the Bronx was split off from New York County and it became Bronx County. This will the area where Jacob continues to farm.

1896-1900: They are living at Ferris Lane but it alternatives between simply Westchester and Union Port, New York City. Union Port appears to have been a village or neighborhood of Westchester. I found a video that talks about the lost villages of the Bronx and took a screen shot when I saw Ferris. Since he is a gardener, perhaps Ferris is the area where he worked and lived.

1906: They are now living on Williamsbridge Road in Westchester, New York City.

My initial thoughts of this area were they must be very rural but research shows me that all of the small towns in the Bronx were rapidly filling up with New Yorkers moving out of the city looking for a plot of their own.

1910: The federal census shows they are living in the Bronx Borough, part of New York City. Wickham Avenue to Astor Estate is the street listing. AI says, “In 1910, the area of the Bronx between Wickham Avenue and the former Astor Estate was rapidly developing from a semi-rural landscape into a residential neighborhood. Jacob, 48, is listed as a Gardener in the farm industry and “working on own account”. Katherine, 44, and the children “Tessie 16, Jacob 14, Kate 12, Elizabeth 10, Louise 8, and Hanna 3” are all at home and I assume attending school.

1915: The state census lists the family at Pelham Parkway in the Bronx County. Jacob the father (54), and Jacob the son (19) were farming. Katherine the mother (49), “Thresia” (21), and Katherine 17I did house work, and Elizabeth (15), Louise (13), and Hannah (9) were in school.

You can see Pelham Parkway as they would have known it on the right, and the present day Pelham Parkway.

During this time period, Katherine’s parents, Johann and Theresa Duy would come and visit. They lived in Longmeadow Massachusetts, but they had Katherine, Barbara, and William in the Connecticut/New York area. The following story comes from their daughter Katherine’s 1980 written memories to her sister Theresa’s (born Barbara) daughter Irene:
My mother’s mother and father (my grandparents) and Uncle Philip were the last members to come to America. I remember my mother telling us how terrible the ocean voyage was and they almost died. And I also remember how my mother longed to see her parents and grieved she would never see them again. They used to come and stay with us for periods at a time and when they left to go back to their eldest daughter’s in Longmeadow Massachusetts…they would cling to each other and it was almost impossible to tear them apart. And they always grieved for the brother and sister who remained in Austria. The family bond was very strong.

Unfortunately, life with Jacob was not always pleasant as he was an alcoholic. Stories passed down mention Katherine leaving Jacob a few times. She would travel to her brother William’s home in Greenwich Connecticut. While away, she would take in laundry. She returned each time because she was pregnant.

October 27, 1916, Katherine Duy Engram passed away after a two year battle with breast cancer. She left behind Jacob and seven children ranging from 22 to 10.

In daughter Katherine’s 1980 memories, she shared this with her niece Irene. Katherine was 18 when her mother died:
”It will be 64 years on the 27th of October 1980 since my mother passed away. She was very, very sick with cancer for 2 years before she died. I stayed on the farm and kept house for the family for 2 years and because of unbearable, alcoholic conditions, we left our father. Your mother (Theresa) was either in nursing training or already doing nursing duty during that time. She always wanted to be a nurse.
I know my mother would be very proud if she came back today and saw the family she created, but I am sure she watched over us and prayed for us and still does. From time to time I wake up thinking of her and recall the bitter, hard struggle she had and can’t go back to sleep for wishing I could take her in my arms and hold her close. Children never know the sacrifices their mother’s make for them. Your heritage is a beautiful one Irene.”

After Katherine died, Jacob Jr. enlisted for World War I and the girls all moved to New York in the care of Theresa. In my next post, I’ll pick up from here.

Gouesnou US Memorial

Marge Donroe Bellafronto’s father, Alfred (Fred) Arthur Donroe, was born in New Haven Connecticut, November 9, 1916. He met and married Dora Barbaresi on September 16, 1940.

Marge was born two years later on September 25, 1942.

Alfred enlisted in the Army in July 1943 in New Haven and he headed overseas in October of that year.

The following is a narrative called “Alfred’s War” from one of his family members attached to another family tree:

“After training in Northern Ireland and Wales from October 1943 to June 1944, the 2nd Infantry Division crossed the channel to land on Omaha Beach on D plus 1, 7 June 1944, near St. Laurent-sur-Mer. Attacking across the Aure River, the Division liberated Trévières, 10 June, and proceeded to assault and secure Hill 192 which was repelled the key enemy strongpoint on the road to Saint-Lô. After three weeks of fortifying the position and by order of Commanding General Walter M. Robertson the order was given to take HILL 192. On 11 July under Command of Col. Ralph W.Zwicker 38th INF with the 9th and the 23rd by his side the battle started at 5:45 am. Using an artillery concept used in World War I (Rolling Thunder) which was the only time during World War II it was used and after 25,000 rounds of HE/WP the hill was taken. The Division went on the defensive until the 26th. July. After exploiting the Saint-Lo breakout, the 2nd Division then advanced across the (Vire) to take (Tinhebray) on 15 August 1944. The Division then raced toward (Brest/France), the heavily defended port fortress which happened to be a major port for German U-Boats. After 39 days of fighting the Battle was won, and was the first place the Army Air Corps used Bunker busting bombs. On August 25th 1944 Private Alfred A Donroe was killed in action.”

You can read more about the Assault on Brest here.

Marge was one month shy of her second birthday when her father died.

Dora married Fred’s brother Albert in 1947 and they had two sons. Marge married my first cousin Mal Bellafronto in 1964.

*Marge Donroe Bellafronto with husband Mal, in-laws Judy and Mal, and my sister Gail (1987)*

Fast forward to July 31st, I received a message through Ancestry from a French genealogist who was looking for the family of soldiers who died in combat during WW2 in Gouesnou France in the summer of 1944. He contacted me because Albert Donroe is listed in my family tree.

“Every year the City of Gouesnou honors the hero soldiers and civilian victims, because here in Gouesnou, we consider that it is our duty to remember the past for the sake of history and transmission, particularly to the youngest generation.”

The city has decided to create a permanent monument to the soldiers and victims with the inauguration of the US Memorial planned for November 2026.

I sent a message to another ancestry member who has a Donroe Family Tree (not sure of the relationship), and he had also been contacted and was able to provide the genealogist with an even closer family member.

It’s good to know that these soldiers continue to be remembered for their heroism during World War II and that this city is preserving the information for future generations.

Walter John Bonk

Walter Bonk (aka Bak or Bunk) was the 13th born and 8th living child of Carolina Straub. His father was John Bonk (Bak), whom she married in 1888 after the death of her first husband Joseph Posluszny in 1887. Carolina gave birth to a baby girl in 1899 who died at birth. Walter was born in Dzikowiec in the Galicia region of Poland on August 29, 1903 when Carolina was 48 years old.

Walter was a month shy of four years old when he made the trip to the United States with his mother, father, and half sister Elizabeth. The Passenger List indicates that his father had traveled to the United States in the past in 1901 and 1906 to Perth Amboy possibly to work and get things settled for them all to come over.

*Walter standing on right in front of mother Carolina late 1907 his father is standing 4th from left*

In 1910, John, Carolina, and Walter are living at 23a Parker Street in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Although Elizabeth would have been only 14, she is not listed as living with them. Perhaps she was working as a live in maid somewhere. During this time period, Walter was attending school and could speak English.

The next time I find Walter, he is 17 years old in the 1920 United States Federal Census. The family has moved to Wallingford Connecticut and his parents owned 30 Geneva Avenue. They are joined by his half-sister Elizabeth, her husband Joseph Łaçź, their two young sons, his half-cousin John Posluchny (spelled phonetically in the census!), and a border, John Ivaninski. It was a full house! The two boarders work at the hardware factory, his father works as a press dropper at the silverware factory, Joseph a packer there, and Walter at age 17, is no longer attending school and is an electrician at the factory.

Only two years later, Walter, Caroline, and John Bonk were now living at 24 East Street in Wallingford. This was one minute walk from the location of the market owned by Elizabeth and her husband Joseph Łaçź and it is a short walk from Clifton Street where his half brother Konrad (my grandfather) and his family will move to in 1925. He is 19 years old.

In March of 1925, his mother Caroline passes away of stomach cancer.

On June 23, 1925, Walter married Beatrice Kasprzycki of New Haven. She was born on September 13, 1905, the fourth of nine children of John Kasprzycki and Anna Tarnowski of Meriden. The family moved to New Haven in 1917 when her father left International Silver for a job at the American Windshield Corporation.

*Walter Bonk and Beatrice Kasprzycki 23 June 1925*

Just over a year later, Walt and Bea’s first daughter Ann Carolyn Bonk was born on July 25, 1926.

Walter, Bea, and Ann lived at 24 East Street in Wallingford with his father, John. This was a 2 family house and I think they must have lived with him based on the listings in the Streets section of the annual directory.

This following information came from a phone conversation I had with their daughter Ann in the early 2000s:

John, Walter’s father, 55 years old at the time, met Viola Weston, a 50 year old widow and they got married. Viola had 23 and 21 year old sons, and an 18 year old daughter who came along with her to live at 24 East Street. So Walter and his family moved to New Haven, close to Bea’s family.

Walter and Bea had another daughter, Dolores LaVerne born in 1931, and another, Joan Beverly in 1933, and their son Henry in 1937.

Walter and his family remained in New Haven until John died in 1933. Ann said they moved back to Wallingford and lived in one of the apartments and Viola, based on a provision in John’s will, continued to live in the other apartment until her death in 1937.

Walter went to work as an electrician for the Wallingford Steel Mill which then became Allegheny-Ludlum Steel and worked there for his entire career.

Walter also became involved in Wallingford politics in 1944 when he was named as an alternate delegate to the state Republican Party convention as well as part of the republican town committee. He continued on for many years and he also served as the Wallingford Assessor and a second selectman.

We would see Uncle Walt and Aunt Bea once a year at the annual Fourth of July family picnic hosted by Aunt Judy and Uncle Mal and Auntie Irene and Uncle Lou. Judy and Lou were my mother’s older siblings.

Uncle Walt and Aunt Bea continued to live in their home at 24 East Street until age caught up to them. They both resided at the Skyview Nursing Home where he passed away in August 1998 at the age of 94 and she in February of 2003 at the age of 97. They had been married for 73 years.

*Gram (front), Aunt Bea, Mom, Aunt Tootsie abt. 1964*

Their children, Ann, LaVerne, Joan, and Henry were my mother’s half first cousins. But if you’ve read about her being born story, technically they’re not related at all?

*Postcard from Ann Bonk to my mom in 1936*

My mother and Ann were 4 years apart but the Poslusznys, Bonks, and Biegas, all lived within a block or two of each other. My mom was friends with all the girls throughout her life. We may not have seen them frequently, but we knew of them all because of my mother.

Ann’s postcard sent from Middletown when she was 10 and my mother 14 says:
Dear Betty,
I am having a swell time. I miss you a lot, I miss going walking on Sunday with you. Please tell the rest of the family I was asking for them.
Your pest, Ann C. Bonk

Ann married Floyd Monroe of East Haven and they had three daughters and 4 sons. They lived for many years in Vermont and we would see them once a year at the annual Fourth of July picnic! After Floyd passed away in 1985, Ann moved back to Connecticut and became a teacher at the Wallingford Community Day Care where she was known as Miss Ann. Something I didn’t know about her until my research was she was a graduate of Yale University School of Music. Prior to that she studied piano and organ with various teachers including a professor at Yale. For two years prior to college she was the organist at St. Peter and Paul Church in Wallingford. Ann passed away in 2011.

Laverne married Ed Dziubinski and lived in Branford. They had 2 children and Ed passed away some years ago and she has since remarried.

*Laverne with Auntie Ann, Aunt Bea, and Joan (back right)*

Joan married Carl Focareto of Berlin Connecticut. He was a loud, gregarious individual and I don’t mean loud in a bad way! “Knock-out” was his nickname. I don’t know why, and it just came to me! They were married in 1954 and they had 2 children who we knew fairly well because they went to the “other” high school in Wallingford. Their daughter, Beverly, married someone from “our” high school who was good friends with one of my brothers in law, so we would see them at parties and softball games. Their son, Peter, lives a few blocks away from us.

Carl and my dad were golfing buddies. When Carl died in 1998, it hit my dad pretty hard. As a tribute to him, dad had the florist make up an arrangement that was a putting green. I wish I still had the picture of it. It was probably something they had never done before! Joan still lives in Wallingford.

My sisters and I didn’t know Henry and his family. I don’t know why. Maybe because he was born in 1937 when my mother was 15, and he was a boy?

Hank as he was known was involved in baseball and lacrosse growing up. He graduated from Tufts University and was a chemist and inventor with 34 scientific patents. He also served in the Army in South Korea. He had his wife had 2 daughters. Sadly, Hank passed away after a long battle from MS in 2021 at the age of 83.

My Behme cousins are far more familiar with Hank and his family most likely because their mother, Judy Posluszny Behme, was 2 years younger than Hank and they might have gone to Holy Trinity together. Being that close in age, they likely had their children in the same range and they too, would have been in school together. I just remember the Behme family heading off to the Bonks house during the holidays and I didn’t quite understand why we didn’t!

When I put these stories together I see so many characteristics within my family today. The scientists and musicians, the cooks and bakers, and overall smarty-pantses in the family! There’s also the “get involved in your town” and take care of people whether their friends or strangers. This is the DNA we carry within us.

As cousin Ann Bonk’s obituary said:
In memory of Ann and how she lived her life, we ask that you honor her by a simple act of kindness.

Elizabeth Eva Posluszny

Elizabeth Eva Posluszny was the 11th born and 7th living adult child of Carolina Straub and Joseph Posluszny. She was born in Dzikowiec in the Galicia region of Poland on September 24, 1896, three years after her sister Mary.

The following year in April of 1897, Joseph Posluszny died at the age of 44. There is currently no record of the cause of death. The following May, her mother Carolina married a/the farmhand John Bonk (aka Bak). He was 26, she was 43.

The following year began the immigration of first John in 1899, followed by Joseph (1901), Konrad (1902), Charles (1905), Mary (1906), and Frank (1907).

Elizabeth was 10 years old when she arrived in the United States with her mother, stepfather, and half brother Walter. The Passenger List on their arrival indicates that John had been in the United States in Perth Amboy from 1901 to 1906. I haven’t found any actual passenger or census record to confirm that but the 1920 census say he immigrated in 1900. More research awaits!

The next record I have for Elizabeth is the 1920 Census and she is married to Joseph Łaçź (One-ch) and living on Geneva Avenue in Wallingford with Carolina and John Bonk and Walter who is now 17. Elizabeth and Joseph have two children, Joseph V born in 1916, and Charles F born in 1920. Also living with them is John Posluszny, the oldest brother John’s son. John Bonk, Walter, and Joseph are working at the Silverware Factory and John Posluszny is working at the hardware factory, both in Wallingford. At 17, Walter was an electrician which is the profession he continued with through his life.

The 1920 Wallingford directory also says Joseph and Elizabeth Łaçź lived on Geneva Street and he worked at the Silverware Factory.

There is no 1921 directory online but the 1922 directory says he is a grocer at – 105 Ward Street. The same grocer that her sister Mary and husband Victor will come to own in 1924, and later their daughter Mary and her husband Otto.

In 1924, Elizabeth disappeared. She left her husband, two children, and family. I told the story about the mental illness that runs through the Posluszny family, and the stories of my grandfather Konrad, and his brother Frank. I was told she had a complete mental breakdown. The 1924 directory says “Joseph Łaçź removed to New Britain” taking his two sons with him.

My Aunt Judy told me the family did not like Joseph. He was 12 years older than her and was 31 years old to her 19 years old at their marriage. Aunt Mary hired private detectives to try and find her but never succeeded.

I have scoured online records for any sign of Joseph or Charles but have come up empty handed. I had possible information on their father, but the information conflicts with another family tree.

*Elizabeth Eva Posluszny Łaçź* *born 1896 – died ?*

Charles John Posluszny

Charles John Posluzny was the 7th born and 4th living adult child of Caroline Straub and Joseph Posluszny. He was born on September 18, 1887, in Dzikowiec in the Galicia region of Poland.

Charles immigrated to the United States in 1905, according to the 1910 census. He must have arrived at the end of 1904 or January of 1905 because he is in the wedding photo of his brother Joseph, who was married in February of 1905. I can’t find an actual record of his arriving. He’s front row left in the wedding photo.

He met Maria Julia Straub some time after his arrival and married her on February 3, 1910, when he was 22 years old. My cousin says that Maria is in the first wedding photo, sitting behind him. That is the only photo I have of her.

Searching the 1905 New York State census, I found her working as a servant for the McCoy family. Husband, wife, 6 children, Mr. McCoy’s brother, and a boarder! She was probably happy to leave there!

Charles is standing 3rd from left in the family picture below taken likely early 1907.

Their marriage in early 1910 created a record of them in the 1910 US Census. They were living at 78 Jefferson Street in Yonkers, New York. Recorded with Charles and Maria is a boarder by the name of John Straub, 23 years old, who is Maria’s brother. He would eventually get married to Caroline Hammer in 1913.

Edited original to add: I’d be remiss if I didn’t include this picture of Charles. I don’t know when it was taken but the hair style is similar in Frank and Josephine’s wedding photo.

Charles spent his life in the hat industry. In 1910, he was a finisher in a hat shop. The Waring Hat Manufacturing Company was in Yonkers NY so perhaps this is where he worked.

By 1918, he, Maria and their two daughters are living in Norwalk, Connecticut. Charles is working for the American Hat Manufacturing Company located at 25 Grand Street in Norwalk. It was originally the Joseph Loth Company. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is a picture of the building as a factory and a couple of the hat making process.

No amount of searching gives me a 1920 census listing, but by 1923, he and Marie own their home at 7 Van Buren Avenue in Norwalk and they are now known as Charles and Marie Post. They, like Joseph and Anna, have whacked off the end of their given surname!

The 1930 census page he is on lists employees for a number of factories including hats, shirts, dresses, staples, and shoes. A lot of factory workers!

By 1940, still working in the Hatting industry, he has moved on to Hat Corporation of America located at Van Zandt Street in East Norwalk and is working as a finisher. This company was a merger of three hat companies: Crofut and Knapp, Cavanagh Hats, and the Knox Hat Company. This building still stands, although with updates over the years.

The 1950 census says he was “unable to work” and he passed away on April 30, 1952 at the age of 64 after suffering from stomach cancer for 6 months (likely longer).

Maria would live for another 18 years before passing away on December 31, 1970 at the age of 82 in Waterbury Connecticut.

Charles and Maria had two daughters, Matilda Caroline and Josephine Gertrude. Caroline is in honor of Charles’ mother (my great grandmother) and Gertrude in honor of Maria’s mother.

Matilda was born in 1916 in Yonkers, New York. She married Donald J. Trager in October of 1939 and they had two children, Sharon in 1942 and Richard in 1946. There is incredibly little information about either daughter online. Matilda and Donald were divorced in 1972. Matilda died in Waterbury in November of 1985 and there is no record of an obituary.

At the time of Donald’s death in 1987, their daughter Sharon was married and had one child and was living in New Jersey. I was able to track down an address and sent a letter addressed to Sharon and her son, Darrell, but so far no response! Their son, Richard, lives in Portland Maine and I haven’t had an opportunity to reach out to him.

Josephine was born in 1917 in Yonkers, New York. She married Edwin Guy Newman in April of 1939. They had two children, Ellen in 1947 and Susan in 1950. Ellen was married in 1967 and there the trail goes cold.

Edwin died in 1999 at 85 years old and Josephine in 2010 at 93 years old after living in Westport for their married life.

After such great success finding Frank’s great granddaughter and having her actually remember him, and provide me with new photos of him, I was confident I would be able to connect with someone in Charles’s family as well. I will keep searching and give an update if I come in contact with anyone in his family.