This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Kalakosky, Kolakowski, Oliver, Haverty, Achatz, Pontgratz Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/5cB.2ACI/603 Message Board Post: In 2000 I started my initial quest into genealogy. My main focus had been to find all the information I could on the surname “Kalakosky.” After being stumped on the issue for a long time I continued research on other lines in my family. After mildly exhausting those lines, I came full circle back to the Kalakosky name. Kalakosky is my father’s name. From my understanding, my father did not get a chance to know his own father and therefore had very little knowledge on the history of the name. My first endeavor was to establish a paper trail. I got a hold of my father’s birth certificate. On his certificate his father is listed as Harold George Kalakosky. The following information is what is on my father’s birth certificate that pertains to Harold George Kalakosky: NAME: Harold George Kalakosky RACE: White AGE: 43 ***ESTIMATED DOB: abt. 1910 BIRTHPLACE: Merrill, Wisconsin OCCUPATION: Machinist at Gerber Legendary Blades SPOUSE: Lola Oliver My father was born in Oregon, so it makes perfect sense that Harold worked at Gerber, which was located in Oregon. Unfortunately, this is where the paper trail ends, but I will share other information I have tried to compile. I sent for a birth certificate from Wisconsin for Harold George Kalakosky and received a return letter stating that they had no one on file under that name or possible alternate spellings. Considering he was born about 1910, I thought it possible that his birth record might not be in the state records and is actually somewhere in a local facility like a county courthouse. In Wisconsin, all vital records occurring in 1907 and afterward were supposed to be sent to the state. I figured it was a possibility that his might not have gotten sent, since his birth date was fairly close to 1907. I am planning to take a trip to Merrill in a couple weeks to comb through the archives (as of 18 February 2004). Another possibility is that he was not born in Merrill, or even Wisconsin, even though that’s what the birth certificate says. I then sent for an application for a Social Security number that had been applied for by a woman named Lizzie Kalakosky. Hoping that “Kalakosky” was her maiden name, I figured this might shed a little light on the situation. When I received the copy of the application, I learned that Lizzie’s maiden name was actually Achatz. This was verified by her father’s name which was also listed on the application as Achatz. She had listed both Achatz and Kalakosky on the application. “Kalakosky”, I’m assuming, to be her married name. The following is the information on the Social Security number application: NAME: Lizzie (Achatz) Kalakosky SSN: 538-07-6554 ADDRESS: R1. Box 188, Everett WA. EMPLOYER: Model Cream Bakery, 3601 Colby Av. Everett WA. AGE: 48 DOB: 10 AUG. 1889 BIRTHPLACE: Auburndale Wisconsin (Merrill WI. was initially written but was scratched out.) FATHER: George Achatz MOTHER: Katherin Pontgratz SEX: Female COLOR: White DATE YOU BECAME AN EMPLOYEE: 06 July 1937 DATE SIGNED: 27 Dec. 1937 As you can see, Lizzie wrote that she was born in Auburndale WI, (Merrill was scratched out). I found this to be very significant considering Harold George Kalakosky is also listed as being born in Wisconsin on my father’s birth certificate. After looking at a map, it was even more intriguing to see that Auburndale was very close in local to Merrill, maybe 60 miles or so. Furthermore, additional research shows that both Lizzie and Harold later lived in the Pacific Northwest. According to the dates I have, it is VERY reasonable to assume that Harold was Lizzie’s son, and they both moved from Wisconsin at the same time. If Harold was Lizzie’s son, Lizzie would have been approximately 21 years old when Harold was born. The downside to this is that I have not been able to prove that this is the case without hard copy evidence or validation from a living source. I have no idea who the Kalakosky was that Lizzie was married to and would consider that pricele! ss information. At this point I was left with about one option, to search for phone numbers of living Kalakosky’s and start calling people up. The information I have been able to find has been interesting and confusing as well. This is what I have put together so far: According to various sources, Harold George Kalakosky had at least two wives; Violet Vivian Haverty, and Lola Oliver. He could have had more but I don’t have information that would support more wives. I believe he was married to Violet first and had a son named Donald Harold Kalakosky. He might have had other children with Violet, I simply don’t know. Donald had a son named Donald Harold Kalakosky Jr.. Harold George later married Lola Oliver (my grandmother) and had a son (my father). I know that Harold was married to Lola simply from interview knowledge gained from speaking with Lola herself. I also know that Harold was married to Violet from information on Donald Harold Kalakosky’s application for a Social Security Number in 1949 (for which I have a copy) Additional supporting evidence of connection is that all these records show redundant locations in either central Washington State or Oregon. Because of the rarity of the Kalakosky name, I am almost 100% confident that they all pertain to the same Harold George Kalakosky. >From an undisclosed source, I have learned that Harold George Kalakosky left Lola and set to sea, where he supposedly faked his death. If in fact he did not die at sea he would surely be deceased by now. Unfortunately, I can find no listing of his actual death in any state records. It makes me wonder where and how he died, or if he maybe died while using an alias. This sums up the foundation of the information I have at this time (18 February 2004). I will add more tidbits of information as they are uncovered. I have recently spoken with a gentleman named Jamie Martin who said he is directly related to some Kalakosky’s. The Kalakosky’s he has knowledge about are from the eastern United States, mainly the New England area. I spoke with his grandmother who provided me with a great deal of information but she insisted that the Kalakosky name is spelled KOLAKOWSKI. This led me to believe that it is a very good possibility that the name Kolakowski could have been changed to Kalakosky at some pint in time. Even though I got a great deal of information from Jamie and his grandmother, I have yet to establish a link to the Kalakosky’s that I know I’m related to. If you recognize any of the people or information listed here, PLEASE contact me. I have spent roughly 4 years researching the Kalakosky name and have gotten no further than my grandfather (Harold George Kalakosky). Sincerely, Bryson Family Genealogist genealogy@ibryson.com My genealogy website: www.ibryson.com