John Nyznyk: My Grandfather, an Enigma

My paternal grandfather John Nyznyk, is an enigma, a mysterious or inscrutable person.  I never met him and have see only two pictures of him, both from his wedding to my grandmother Mary(Maria) Klak in 1914.  There are a few family stories about him, but I have no way of verifying any of them.  In this post, I am using material that has a source--no tales, no hearsay, only the facts.  There are only a few sources that I am sure about--the marriage license, the baptismal certificate of my father and his application for United States citizenship.  There are other documents, but I can't be sure that they are his. His story illustrates the problems of finding information for genealogy research. 
If you know anybody with the name of Nyznyk or Niznik or Nisnik, who has ancestors from Galicia, they may be related to John and could shed some light on his story.

Map of Ukraine, green arrow points to Ternopil'

Pomorjany (Pomorany) is about 15 km SW of Zbirov. and 48 km west of Ternopil"

Arrival in the  United States 1910

John Nyznyk was born on July 27, 1878 in Pomorainy, Galicia, a part of the Austrian-Hungarian.   According to his Declaration of Intent for citizenship, he came to the Port of New York on March 12, 1910 on the Albany.  The Intent (First Papers) was filed on November 19, 1926.  This confirms his date of birth and birthplace. According to the ship's manifest, John arrived in New York on April 1, 1910, on the ship,  S.S. Volturno which sailed from Rotterdam on March 14,1910.  His name is listed as Jan Niznik.  His age is either 22 or 32-- the handwriting is hard to read.  He had $25 with him, he came from the village of Pomorainy in Galicia, his language and ethnicity Ruthenian (Ukrainian) and his occupation was laborer.  He could read and write, and he left his wife Parasia Niznik in Pomorainy.  The ship's manifest also states that he had been in the United States from 1901-1908.  The name and address of the person he was going to in New York is illegible. 

Old postcard sent from Pomorany--Pomorzany in Polish. Source: del campo.net

Marriage to Maria Klak: 1914

John Nyznyk married Mary Klak on November 21, 1914 at St George Greek Catholic Church, 22 East 7th Street, New York, New York.   On the marriage lisence he listed his occupation as a laborer and his residence at 533 East 6th Street, New York, New York.  He also stated that his parents were Paul Nyznyk and Anastasia Romanowicz.  The witnesses to the marriage were Michael Rudnicki (brother-in-law of Mary Klak) and Nicholas Malinowski.  The priest officiating at the wedding was Rev. M. Lysiak.

Birth of son Peter: 1915

Peter Noznick, son of John and Maria Nyznyk was born on August 18, 1915 in New York City at Bellview Hospital. Peter's  surname on the birth certificate was Nausneck, no first name was listed.
According to the Birth Certificate, the family was living at 403 East 92nd St , New York City.  John's occupation was listed as harness maker.  Peter was baptised at St George Church on September 12, 1915. On the Baptismal Certificate his name was listed as Peter Paul Nyzny .  His baptismal sponsors were Michael Rudnicki and Ksenia Malynowska (also a relative of Peter's mother). The officiant was Rev. Pidhorecky.

World War I Draft Registration: 1918

In 1918, all men were required to register for the draft since the United States had just entered World War One. I found a Registration Card for a John Naznak,  with a birth date of July 27, 1876.  I think that this might be my grandfather, but the birth date listed is two years earlier than the birth date on his marriage license.  His residence is 123 Avenue A, Room 12, New York City.  His occupation is listed as upholsterer, his employer is  Liberty Auto Trimming Company.  He is described at tall, slender with grey hair and brown eyes.  He also states that he has filed papers for citizenship, which is different from his Intent papers which he filed eight years later.

United States Census: 1920

According to the 1920 Census, John Noznok was living at 613 East Eleventh St in New York City.  There are several discrepancies in this Census record, so I am not sure that this man is my grandfather.  His age is 42, born in 1878, and he states that he is married and that he has filed first papers.  His occupation is listed as a trimmer in an auto factory.  His year of immigration is listed as 1913, his birthplace is listed as Galicia and his mother tongue is Ruthenian (Ukrainian.) The only information that is consistent with other sources is his age, native language and birthplace and that he is married.

Declaration of Intent to file for United States Citizenship 1926

John filed his Declaration of Intention for US citizen ship in 1926 in the Southern District of New York.  He states that his name is John Nyznyk, he was born on July 27, 1878 in Pomorainy,  Austria.  His physical description lists his complexion as dark, his height as 5 feet, seven inches, his hair gray and his eyes brown.  His occupation is upholsterer.  His says that he is married and his wife Mary, born in Austria, who lives with him at 138 East Third Street, New York City.  He also says that he came to the United States on the ship Albany, on March 12, 1910.  He does not mention that he has any children.  He signed his name "John Nyznyk" and the signature looks similar to his signature on World War I registration document. The date of filing is November 19, 1926.

Petition for United States Citizenship 1930

John Nyznyk's Petition for Citizenship was filed on April 8, 1930.  He lists his address as 533 East 6th Street, New York City, the same address as he had when he married in 1914.  He says that he  married Mary on November 21, 1914, and that her residence was unknown to him since 1915. He also states that she came to the United States in 1916 or 1917. He said that he has two children, Michalina born in 1910 and Paul, born in 1904.  He also states that his wife, Anna Kowalsky died in 1913.  He does not mention my father Peter at all.  He said that he came  to the United States on June 6, 1910 on the ship Niew Amsterdam, which left from Rotterdam, under the name Jan Niznik.  His two witnesses confirming residency were Michael Pochmarsky and Stephen Hysa, both of New York.  On November 10, 1930, he received certification of his citizenship by the US District Court at New York City, New York, petition number 167317. Again, inconsistencies are present in this document.  His date of immigration and name of ship differ from the Declaration of Intent. The information about wife Mary contradicts what he stated in the Declaration of Intent as well.

 My Conclusions--based on the information I have

There are quite a few discrepancies in John's petition. According to his Petition (1930), he arrived on June 6, 1910 on the Niew Amsterdam.  According to the ship's manifest (1910), he arrived in New York on June 1, 1910 on the S.S. Volturno.  The wife listed on the ship's manifest was Parasia, not Anna. If he had been in the United States from 1901-1908(Manifest), he probably wasn't the father of Paul, born in 1904(Petition).   In the Petition, he does not mention that he has a third child, my father, born in  New York in 1915.  He states in the Petition that his second wife's residence was unknown to him since 1915, but in his Declaration (1926) of Intent, he stated that he was living with her.

I do not think that the Jan Niznik on the ship's manifest is my grandfather.  There are three ships mentioned, the Albany, The Niew Amsterdam and the Volturno-- on which ship did he arrive?  It doesn't seem that the  authorities who determined  his citizenship cross checked the sources.
Although John could read and write, I doubt that he had the knowledge to do the research necessary to find the records he needed.  He probably had to hire somebody to find that information.  So after studying the sources, I have concluded that the only information about John that is consistent is his name, birth date and physical description, place of birth and native language.  His story did not end in 1930--I will revisit it next week.

THE GENEALOGY OF MARYA KLAK

Marya Klak, my paternal grandmother, wasa born in Zarvanytsia, Ukraine in 1889, the daughter of Joseph Klak and Anna Domerecka.  She had two brothers, Ivan and Andrij, and one sister, name unknown.  According to my father, Peter Noznick,  both her parents died when she was young, leaving the children orphans.   She was twenty-two when she came to the United States, her passage paid for by her brother.  My father said that since her family was so poor, her chances of marriage were unlikely.  She left Zarvanytsia in March of 1911, and sailed from Hamburg, Germany to New York, arriving on April 9, 1911.  As the ship neared New York Harbor, the steerage passengers came on the deck and watched for the Statue of Liberty. When the Statue came into view, the passengers fell on their knees and thanked God that they were in America.

Marya Klak, between 1911-1914

Marya went to live with her sister and brother-in-law, on Houston Street, in New York City.  She worked as a live-in maid for a family who lived on Riverside Drive.  They story my father told me was that her employer was a famous actress, but I can't remember her name.

Marya Klak and John Nyznyk, November 11, 1914

She married John Nyznyk on November 11, 1914, in St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church, in New York City.  Although Marya was Polish, her husband was Ukrainian.  He was a harness maker, and according to family stories, served in the Austrian Army.  He also was a widower, and father of two children, Paul and Michelina, who were living in his home town of Pomorzany.  My father, Peter Paul, was born August 18, 1915 in Bellvue Hospital.   At the time, Marya and John were living on East 92nd Street in New York City. 

Shortly after Peter's birth, John and Marya separated. I haven't found any records of where Marya and Peter lived during this time, but I have to assume that they lived with members of her family in New York City.  My father  told me that his mother found a day nursery where working mother could leave their children, and enrolled him there. Later, she enrolled him in a school operated by the Children's Aid Society of New York, where he attended until the fourth grade. Marya worked several jobs, including a summer as a cook for a children's camp in upstate New York.  My father stayed with a family in the area and he remembers their collie dog fondly.

Peter Noznick in Central Park NYC 1920's

Peter Noznick 1917

Sometime between 1915 and 1920, Marya met and married Peter Zackowski, another Polish immigrant.  The family lived on Ave C across from the Eagle Pencil Factory. There was a fire station nearby and the horse drawn steam fire engines terrified my father.  They moved to 624 East Eleventh St, between Avenue B and C, and lived there until they moved to Connecticut. They worked several jobs and saved every penny until they had enough money to buy a farm in Windham Connecticut in 1930.  Moving to an old colonial house was a big change for Marya, she had never lived in a house that large in her life.  She wall-papered every room and furnished it with pieces from area farm sales.
Sometime during these years, she became known as Mary.

The Farm in Windham Connecticut, 1940's

Marya lived in Connecticut for the rest of her life.  She missed living in New York and having her friends and family nearby.  She did see them regularly, since they came to the farm for visits almost every summer.  They called her "Choch" which was a shorted form of auntie in Polish.  Marya and Peter ran a dairy farm until the late 1950's, when electric milking machine became the norm.  They continued to sell milk, eggs and hay into the 1960's.  Her son, Peter had three children, Pauline, Peter and Andrew, who spent many summers at the farm.  There was plenty to do there, even through there was no TV. There wan an old radio and an old Victrola record player, which required cranking to operate, as well as 100 acres of farmland and woods to explore.

Mary and her cows, Windham Center Connecticut 1960's

Mary Zackowski, Peter, Julia, Pauline and Peter Noznick 1949

Peter  Zackowski died in 1963. Shortly after his death, some friends brought Mary a puppy, who she named Skipper,  he was her companion for the last years of her life.  Mary died in 1969, a few weeks before the Astronauts landed on the moon. Peter and Mary Zackowski are buried in the Windham Center Cemetery, next to son and daughter-in-law Peter and Julia Noznick.  

Marya Klak and the Pitfalls of Family History

Marya Klak in New York City, about 1911-12

The story of my paternal grandmother Marya Klak illustrates some of the pitfalls beginning genealogists can tumble into. Family stories are interesting to hear, but is everything you are told accurate?  In the case of my grandmother, yes and no.
Some of the stories I was told about her said that she was an orphan, that she had a brother Andrij, and that she stayed at Ellis Island for a few days because he brother did not come to get her in a timely way. Single women were not allowed to leave Ellis Island alone.  A male family member was required to meet them before they could leave for a local address.

First of all, there are a lot of gaps in the story I  was told.  After finding her immigration records, I found that she did indeed come to New York City in 1911, leaving Hamburg, Germany on March 28 and arriving in New York City on April 9, after the ship made stops in Cuxhaven and Southhampton in Great Britain and Cherbourg, France.  There is no record of her being detained at Ellis Island.  Second, she was met by her brother-in-law, Michael Rudnicki, not her brother.  This tells me that she had a sister, something that I did not know.  I found a person by that name of Michael Rudnicki in the 1920 census listed as a widower.  Was his wife alive in 1911?  What was her name? So far, this is a mystery.  Another story I was told was that Marya was accompanying a young girl from her village on the ship.  Again, according to the ship's manifest, she was traveling alone. What about the story of her being an orphan?  According to the ship's manifest, the person listed in her home town was her brother, not her father or mother, so it is very possible that her parents were no longer alive.

The next question--where was her brother Andrij Klak?  I have found no information about him in my searches of available records.   I do have a wedding picture of a man I assumed was Andrij, but there is no way to verify it.  This man also appears in the group picture of Marya's wedding in November, 1914. 

Marya had another brother, Ivan, listed on the ship's manifest  as the family member from her village, Zavanitsia.  The handwriting on the manifest was hard to read, so I made a guess on the name after enlarging the document several times. So the assumption that Marya had only one brother was incorrect after a few hours of research. Research told me that Marya had one brother, Ivan, and one sister, name unknown.  I can't find sources that prove that she had another brother, Andrij, but my parents told me that my younger brother, Andrew is named after him, so I have to use that as proof for now.

Michael Rudnicki appeared again in Marya's life, first as a witness on her marriage license, when she married John (Ivan) Nyznyk in 1914.  Rudnicki reappears on my father, Peter's baptismal certificate as his godfather in September, 1916. 

After my father's birth certificate, the genealogical trail goes cold, Marya disappears. I have not found her or my father on the 1920 Census or the New York Census of 1925.  The next document that I found her on was the 1930 Census, listed as Mary Noznick and most of the information was incorrect as well.  Family stories say that Marya left John Nyznyk when my father was 2 years old, which would be about 1917.  I was told that the marriage ended because he drank too much, abused her and wasn't interested in working.  According to John Nyznyk's citizenship application papers, the marriage ended in 1915.  Which was the real story?  So all I can say for sure is that sometime between 1915 and 1930, my grandmother and John Nyznyk split up and she married Peter Zackowski.  This is documented because Peter and Marya Zackowski bought a farm in Connecticut in 1930 and left New York City.  After 1930, documenting Marya's life is easy.  Mary and Peter Zackowski are listed on the 1940 census living in Windham Center, Connecticut, and according to the census, were living there in 1935.  Willimantic, Connecticut, city directories list them as living in Windham Center as well.

As a person researching family history, what conclusions can I draw from Marya Klak's story?  From the documents I have found, most of the stories of Marya Klak's family have major flaws and inconsistencies.  Sometime in the future, I may find the information that fills in the gaps and proves the stories to be true.  Until then I continue to search, which can be tedious, nothing goes into the tree until the proper documentation and sources are there.  Never accept information as correct, even if it is published in a family history book, or told by an older relative, until you can find the sources to prove the story to be correct.