You have done very well to finally know where he was from in the old country. That is 1/2 the battle when researching. Once you know that, the task is to find records. Nazwisko Ogólna liczba Rozmieszczenie Wawiernia 160 Wa:3, Bs:109, Gd:2, JG:9, Ka:17, Kr:4, Ol:1, Os:4, Pl:4, Su:6, Sz:1 The above tells you that in 1990 there were 109 people with the Wawiernia name in the old province of Bialostockie. Covering that portion of Poland: There were 6 in Suwalskie and 1 in Olstzynskie. The highest concentration of this surname is definitely in NE Poland. Other names: Biliński 5407 Wa:523, BP:15, Bs:17, BB:36, By:107, Ch:6, Ci:325, Cz:51, El:56, Gd:186, Go:116, JG:150, Kl:166, Ka:296, Ki:30, Kn:192, Ko:99, Kr:165, Ks:10, Lg:124, Ls:50, Lu:71, Ło:2, Łd:120, NS:14, Ol:64, Op:216, Os:25, Pl:94, Pt:17, Pł:61, Po:186, Pr:108, Ra:32, Rz:42, Sd:35, Sr:24, Sk:18, Sł:63, Su:2, Sz:170, Tb:20, Ta:162, To:100, Wb:189, Wł:161, Wr:469, Za:33, ZG:189 You have the same situation with the Jelski surname, a high concentration in NE Poland: Nazwisko Ogólna liczba Rozmieszczenie Jelski 399 Wa:12, Bs:254, Ch:3, El:10, Gd:24, Go:11, Ka:3, Ko:5, Łd:2, Ol:7, Os:5, Pl:3, Sł:14, Su:12, Sz:8, Ta:11, Wr:2, ZG:13 You can use this site to find the above data: http://www.herby.com.pl/indexslo.html There are still people living in Bialousy named Wawiernia: Mirosław Wawiernia TEL 85 7215087 Białousy Romuald Wawiernia TEL 85 7215003 Białousy ... and a couple of people named Jelski: Henryk Jelski TEL 85 7215111 Białousy Sławomir Jelski TEL 85 7215156 Białousy Good luck in your research. :) You are now have a new path to follow. Tina On 12/6/08, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > Tina, > Thank you for taking the time to search for the name of the town Bielousy. > I > realize that this is probably not the correct spelling, and that there are > many names that have similar spellings. I believe it may have a translation > of > "white" as in Belarus. My grandfather filled out an "Alien Registration > Form" > on Sep 30, 1940 in New Berlin, Chenango County, N.Y. He along with my > grandmother who was born in Grodno (now Hrodna) never became citizens. In > 1930 they > bought a dairy farm near New Berlin, New York and lived there for the rest > of > their lives. Grandpa always wanted to go back to a free Poland but > unfornately > never lived to see this. He died April 3, 1963. > On this form that he filled out probably with the help of one of his sons > (his English was never very good) he states: > "3. (a) I was born on August 16, 1885 > (b) I was born in (or near) Bielousy (for Province states "don't know") > Poland > 4. I am a citizen or subject of Poland > ................ > 7. (a) I last arrived in the United States at New York, N.Y. on June 12, > 1903 > (b) I came in by cannot remember > (c) I came as a Passenger > (d) I entered the United States as a Permanent resident > (e) I first arrived in the United States on June 12, 1903" > **He told me he came as a deck passenger, sleeping in a rolled-up rug that > his mother had given him. > > I have searched the Ellis Island site and came up with a possible connection > but the dates were off: > > Name -- Wawierni, Josef > Birth Place -- Russia, Polish > Place of Residence after arrival -- So. Amboy N.Y., > Last Residence -- Popilowka > Date of Arrival -- August 11, 1905 > Age -- 18 > Gender -- M > Marital Status -- S > Ship -- Graf Waldersee > Port of Departure -- Hamburg, Germany" > On original manifest it says that Josef will stay with his brother Karl > Wawierny in So. Amboy, NY. He also had $3.00. > > In the 1920 Census he "... owns home with mortgage, age 38, married, > immigrated 1902, Al, reads and writes, born Russian Poland, both parents > born Russian > Poland, speaks English, occupation wood bagger at wooden box factory, wage > worker." > > Like many other folks doing research on their families I have encountered > many inconsistencies. I'd appreciate any help.... > Thanks again. > Phil Pursley > _http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/p/u/r/PHILLIP-R-PURSLEY/index.html > _ > (http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/p/u/r/PHILLIP-R-PURSLEY/index.html) > > In a message dated 12/6/2008 2:12:34 AM Central Standard Time, > [email protected] writes: > > Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 10:00:55 -0800 > From: "Tina Ellis" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [PBS] Wawiernia - Bilinski - Jelska > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Do you have actual records saying they were born in Poland? I was not able > to find a place named Bielousy, but did find these similarly named places: > > Belous stream 55?35' N 32?31' E > <http://data.jewishgen.org/maps/mapdist8.asp?lat=55.5783&long=32.5214> > E................ > Note that none of them are in Poland. On what record did you find this? > Tina Ellis