The Nykaza / Storc Ancestry

Wow...it looks a little "Storc" heavy!!  Like I mentioned before, the church records out of Morawczyna, Poland (where the Nykaza line comes from) haven't been microfilmed and I can only go back as far as Michal and Anna.  I have the names of their fathers from their death records, but nothing else.  The church records for the area of Poland responsible for the Storc family, have been microfilmed and go back many generations.  I have one Wawrzyniec Storc from 1695...but because that would make him nearly 100 when the the last Wawrzyniec listed was born...I'm thinking he may be a grandpa--but until I find the connection, I didn't want to confuse anyone by listing the 1695 Wawrzyniec.  Trivia time....do you know what English name Wawrzyniec translates into?  Lawrence!

Mystery Solved!!!

A few posts down I mentioned that it was confusing because in the 1910 census it showed that Anna was the mother of 10 children with 9 of them living.  However, in 1910...I showed 10 children living.  It wasn't until spending time in the Family History Center in Salt Lake that I discovered that she really did lose a baby...but that she was the mother of 10 living children with 1 child having passed away. 

This is the baptismal record for Ladislawa Ana  Born November 1, 1906 and baptized on November 4th. 

This is the burial record for Wladyslawa Nikaza, having passed away August 21, 1907 and buried on August 23, 1907, at the age of  9 months old.  I didn't find her death certificate on file with the state, but it's heartbreaking to think that they lost such a little baby!  (How beautiful is the handwriting on her burial information!!)

What's In A Name??

Well...when you are talking about historical records, there is quite a lot in a name!  If you look at Wojciech and Helen's marriage certificate from St. John Cantius church, you can clearly see that Wojciech's mother is listed as Ann, nee Tomasik.

  

Yet in Frank's death notice she's listed as Anna Galczuska:

Walter's death notice, it's Anna Galczynski:

And on Maryanna's its Anna Galezynska:

So...is it Tomasik, Galczuska, Galczynski or Galezynska??  Only time will tell!  Once the records become available, all four names will be researched!  But it certainly makes it hard finding people! Don't even get me started on the AKA's!!  Fraciszek goes by Frank and Francis, Wojciech goes by Albert and George, Boleslaw is William and the only record I have for Walter is...Walter---but it could also be in Polish in some records which would either be Wenseslaus or Waclaw!  Aniela goes by Nellie, Angel, Angeline and Antonina becomes Antoinette!  Add on top of that the pronunciation of Nykaza-which is hard by today's standards, but in the early 1900's, with a Polish accent, you can find the family listed as anything from Nykaza, Nekara, Nickasa, Nekaza and even Mybeza!!  It really becomes a huge moment of excitement when you actually find the family simply to see another way they can mess up the name!

On a side note....back up there on Wojciech and Helen's marriage certificate....Helen's mother is listed as either Maryanna Tomasik (as well) or Towerlk....but alas, her name on every record in Poland is Marjanna Czuba...not even close to what's listed on the paper!

Helena Storc Nykaza Makowski

This is Helen.  She is Wojciech's wife, Erwin Sr's mother, Erwin Jr's grandmother, my husband's great grandmother, and my children's great-great grandmother.  I have to tell you, for a woman I've never met and haven't really heard stories about, I know an awful lot about her life.  Not those fun little details that you get with family members, but all of the "papers" I have on her tell some facts.

She was born in a very small village in Poland, called Zajączkowice, (pronounced: Zajonkovich) on December 12, 1892, and christened on December 13, 1892.  She was the daughter of Michal and Marjanna Czuba Sztorc.  

Helen's family immigrated to the United States in the early 1900's.  Helen came in 1899, met and married Wojciech Nykaza on August 22, 1911 in Chicago, Illinois at St. John Cantius Church.  Her first baby, Edward, was born on October 3rd, 1912 when she was just 19 years old.  Leon came next, on October 22nd, 1914.  There isn't a record available for Erwin and Florence, but Erwin came on December 10th, 1917 and Florence in 1920.

 **On Edward's birth she is shown as being from Buczkowicie, and in Leon's it's Rajackowic...you can kind of see the brutalized name of Zajączkowice, (pronounced: Zajonkovich) in both entries.

 The 1920 census shows all family members living together at 1318 Crittenden. Helen's younger sister Stephania Stortz (Czeropski) is living with them.  

On January 2nd, 1929 at the age of 37, her husband Wojciech passed away leaving her a widow with four young children. Both of her parents had passed away, as well as her father in law...where this young mother ended up in time for the 1930 census is unknown.  

On October 11th, 1930 she was married to Jan Makowski.  The 1940 census shows her married to Jan and living with two of his children and her three youngest.  

 

Helen passed away on February 11, 1986 and is buried next to both of her husbands, her daughter Florence, and her grandson Tomasz. 

 That's a lot of knowledge for a woman I've never met before!! This is where I would love to hear any memories, pictures, or stories that any of you have of Helen (or any family member)!  It's a way of filling in that little dash for Helen!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HELEN'S ANCESTRY....Click HERE!!  (It's new...so bear with me as I add to it)

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Found some wonderful pictures of Helen on a recent trip home to Chicago.  They are not the best as they are all pictures of pictures---but I am so THRILLED to have them!  I don't know all of the people, and I don't know the different events happening in the photos, but the magical thing to me...there are photos!  If anyone would like to add names, dates, events...please feel free to comment below!  It will message me and I will get the correct info added!

Interesting Things You Find:

One day while researching Helen's mother Maryanna Storc, I found an obituary notice on the PGSA website, but it stated it was the 1 year anniversary notice.  Curious, I paid the fee and had the memorial sent to me.  It wasn't for Helen's mother at all...but rather her younger sister.

To quote the late great Paul Harvey......."And now....the rest of the story"!!!

In the story, Helen's little sister Maryanna was standing on the steps of Wojciech and Helen's home when she was hit by a stray bullet, probably shot straight up into the air.  Although listed in serious condition in the paper, she must have succumbed to her injuries as the memorial obituary comes out a year later.

Tomasz Wayne Nykaza

This is the lil' guy that started it all!  I had never really had any interest in genealogy until I heard the story of Tomasz. I walked into Joanne and Archie's house when my youngest was just a little older than this baby and this picture was sitting on the desk.  When I asked about him, I found out that he was Archie's little brother and that Archie really didn't know much.  So I set out to find him!

I found his death information on the Cook County online death index, and on the PGSA (Polish Genealogy Society of America) database, but it wasn't until I found out there was a very large Polish cemetery nearby that I actually found him.  I went in and spoke with the cemetery staff about finding his grave and they gave me directions to it.  They also mentioned that he was in with another child, Kopiech Nykaza. When I went to the grave site I found graves for Wojciech Nykaza, Helena Makowski and Jan Makowski with Florence Adamczyk with Helen.  I took this information back to the office and they pulled the record for Wojciech.  Turns out that when he died in 1929 he was originally put into a "pauper grave".  This is a grave set apart for poor people who can't afford a final resting place, it gives them time to save money to pay for a "normal" grave (like 20 years or something).  During this "rental" time, his family saved up and purchased the grave plots where these three are resting.  But since so much time had passed, he had decomposed quite a bit and they were able to move his remains into a smaller casket (usually for children), and the handwriting on the cemetery card (all loopy and fancy) was translated into the computer as a child's grave for a Kopiech instead of a grown man, Wojciech.  So...long story short, Tomasz is buried with his grandpa.  And through all of this...a love for family history was born!

Michal & Anna Nykaza 1910 Census

Found this gem today! It was actually really hard to find! I knew both Michal and Anna were in the United States by 1910, but I couldn't find them. That's because they are listed under the Mybeza family.  I can see how the handwriting can be translated that way, but it sure makes it difficult to track people down!

In 1910, the Nykaza family lived at 1274 Augusta St. in Chicago, Illinois.  In the home: Michal age 44, Anna age 37, Frank (Franciszek) age 24, Albert (Wojciech aka George) age 19, Jan age 17, Antonina (Antoinette) age 13, Leokadjia (Eleanor aka Lillian) age 11, Walter age 5 and Boleslaw (William) age 1.  There is also a boarder named Katharine Duda, age 21, who will marry Frank the next year.

Interesting information from the photo...Anna is listed as the mother of 10 children/ 9 living.   But there are seven children listed and three living children not listed. They are Aniela (Nellie), Jozef, and Marjanna.  The three are married, Nellie to Jan Pawelko, Jozef to Katarznya (Kathrine) Cison, and Marjanna to Jozef Koczor. I'm not sure why it says that a child has passed away, it may be true, but in 1910 there are 10 living children.

The census also shows the dates that each of the family members immigrated to the United States.  Michal in 1899, Frank in 1900, Anna and Leokadjia in 1904, Albert in 1906, John and Antonina in 1907.  Walter and Boleslaw were born in Illinois.

Wojciech Nykaza & Helen Storc Nykaza

Most of this blog will center around Wojciech and Helen and their posterity.  Simply because...that's us! It's who we have remained close to, and have information on.  As I gather information on Wojciech's siblings, I will add it--but for the most part, it's about us.  Once the records open from Morawczyna, Poland...we'll move farther back, but for now...it's just him.  I will add everything I have for Helen and her ancestry here as well...just give me a little time!

Wojciech & Helen's Marriage Info: August 22, 1911

The first time I saw this photo, I nearly cried!  I had been working on the family history for several years and in that time, just as when you read a book, I had my own thoughts of what these people looked like.  I had no idea  a picture of Wojciech even existed, let alone the awesomeness of  a wedding picture!!

Michal Nykaza (Point man for all of you that follow!)

There is just not a lot to start with on Michal Nykaza. The first time we hear of him is in the 1900 census.  He is listed, along with his oldest child Aniela, as boarders in the home of Joseph Wojcik.  The address is 33 Will Street, which is just a few houses up from the 44 Will Street listed in Aniela's ship records.  Michal immigrated to America in 1897, although I haven't been able to find his records yet.

The next mention of Michal is the 1910 Census: The Mybeza family with 7 of the 10 children listed.

The last mention of Michal Nykaza alive, is in the 1920 census.  He will pass away just a few weeks after this record was made.  By this point, 1 child from the above census (Walter) has passed away, and the 4 oldest children have married (Frank married Katherine, the boarder listed above).

This is the Polish newspaper obituary below lists his wife, Anna and his sons, daughters and sons in law.  Strangely, not one of his 3 (possibly 4) daughter in laws is mentioned.