In response to Debbie's suggestion, I offer the following:   Franz came to the US in 1885.  The ship's manifest states that he is from Prussia and going to Philadelphia. He disembarked from the Port of Baltimore and came via land to Philadelphia.    There was a Sylvester Gajtkowski listed as living in Philadelphia and I find murky information that suggests they were related.  Murky because they lived near each other and Franz named one of his son's Sylvester.  The older Sylvester was a tanner and I find my grandfather listed as a tanner (only once) in a City Directory.  My grandfather was a blacksmith and farmer.    The older Sylvester died at 34.  He is buried with children with Polish names, but none that I can identify.  This Sylvester had two daughters and one of them married a Charles Solocki.  When I obtained their marriage application, it lists that the bride's parents are both deceased.  However, when my Aunt Rose died in 1976, I found a Mrs. Charles Solocki listed in her address book.  I also found a wedding invitation indicating that Mr. & Mrs. Solocki issued the wedding invitation for the younger sister's wedding.  I have had no luck locating any other Solocki people.   Franz was married prior to being married to my grandmother.  I don't know where he met Juliana -- on the ship -- in Baltimore -- on the road coming to Philadelphia -- in Philadelphia.  I have looked for every record I can find, baptismal certificates, death certificates (mother and child were dead within six months of each other). Again, all the records show Prussia/Poland.   My grandfather is listed as single on the ship's manifest, so he must have met her in the US.   Julianna's name lists her maiden name, but it is obliterated and although I have had numerous people look at it (Polish reading people), they cannot identify the spelling.  Anything they have or I have come up with I have run with it right into a brick wall.    I have no documentation on Franz from Poland.  My mother, born 1911, was the last of Franz' children and she is the one I obtained my information from.  I asked her all kinds of questions when I was a child because I had no living grandparents.  I never asked anyone of Franz children (my aunts and uncles) about him, because what my mother told me satisfied my ten year old brain.  As I got older I stopped asking my mother questions, again because I was satisfied.  I never thought that I would start doing family roots.     My mother told me that she went to Franz' mother's funeral (approximately 1916).  She was five and had vague memories.  It seems that Franz' mother (Victoria) remarried and her name was Juttawski (sounds like).  Have never been able to find such a person.   Franz had three sons that died in infancy, they were all named Victor.  My grandfather seemed to name people after other people.  I never heard any of my aunts, uncles, or my mother for that matter talk about Victoria, nor does my sister who is 8 years older than me.     The US censuses are no help.  They tell the information I already know.  My grandparents did not know each other in Poland.    I believe my Uncle Sylvester was the keeper of family documentation and when he passed away, I am sure his sister Rose threw away all that material.  I can hear her saying, "we don't need this old stuff."   Therefore, I ask for any information that will answer the questions I originally posted.  Thank you for your help. ________________________________ From: Debbie Greenlee <daveg@airmail.net> To: poland-roots@rootsweb.com Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 11:00 AM Subject: Re: [POLAND] Franz Gajtkowski was Can the Group Help? Penny, We might be able to help you more if we knew exactly what documents/records you have found regarding Franz Gajtkowski. Please include dates and links (if possible) to online records. Did other relatives of Franz Gajtkowski immigrate to the U.S.? Is your mother the first generation born in the U.S.? Debbie Penny Ruckle wrote: > I am still searching for my elusive Grandfather Franz Gajtkowski.  I have found everything I can about him here in Philadelphia, PA, USA.  He is listed as being from Prussia or Prussia/Poland on every document I find for him in the USA.  However, I cannot find him in Poland and I have spent a lot of time and money searching.  > > 1.    At this point I am concentrating on areas of Poland that would butt against Russia.  Is there a possibility that he lived so close to >        Russia that the family church was in Russia and not Poland? > > 2.    My mother told me that Franz had a brother Valentine who was conscripted in the Russian Army.  How do I go about looking for >        records or is looking for the town Franz was born in first, the way to go?  I know nothing else about Valentine.  That was the only        time I ever heard about him. I don't know if he survived his time in the Russian army or died while in the army. >  > 3.    I also think that my grandfather was living on manorial lands.  Reason:  My mother said that the male children in Poland who lived >        on the Pon's (spelling?) land, were taught to read and write and were taught a trade.  Franz could read and write Polish and was a >        blacksmith by trade. >  > I am planning on going to our main library in Philadelphia to meet with a man I have gotten to know well.  He works in the Map Department and has helped me many times in locating areas that have changed countries, names, etc.  I am going to ask him the same questions and try to find maps for 1861 (the year my grandfather was born, and prior maps.  My thoughts are that I may find some town that have now been searched.  >  > I also mention that in addition to Polish, my grandfather spoke German and I am assuming that is because he was raised in Prussia and not "Poland."  (We all know it was Poland with a fake name!) >  > Any help that anyone can give would be appreciated.  I am most anxious to learn how to access manorial records.  >  > Thank you. > ********************************* Need to contact the list manager?  Write to Marie at Poland-Roots-admin@rootsweb.com ---------------------------------- Discussion of Polish food, culture, and customs are welcome on the list as long as the discussion stays pertinent to the topic of this list: researching our Polish roots. ---------------------------------- Browse the list's archives here: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=poland-roots Search the list's archives here: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/search?aop=1 ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to POLAND-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message Believe me, when I say I have searched every record I can for Franz in the US, I mean it.