Hello. I am researching my great grandparents from Poland that settled in Illinois. Ship manifests for their arrival indicate that they had previously lived in Hłudno. My great grandfather's name was either Tadeusz or Teodor Wawczak, born 15 Nov 1874 according to U.S. records. He departed from Hamburg on 5 Jul 1904 and arrived in New York on 17 Jul 1904, from there he migrated to Lockport, Illinois. His wife and two daughters followed him shortly, thereafter. Aniela Wawczak (neé Gdalak -- as I am told) born 15 May 1885 was his wife, and according to records they were married around 1902. The two daughters born in Poland are Klara, born 15 Nov 1904, and Maria, born 24 Apr 1906. They left for the United States on 18 Dec 1909 from Hamburg, and arrived in New York on 31 Dec 1909. They attended a Catholic Church in the United States, so my assumption is they were Catholic, but its possible that they converted. One document of a stillbirth actually lists Aniela as having been born in Russia; although, that is not to say she was not in occupied Poland. I am looking for assistance in identifying their church of marriage and working with them to learn more about the extended family. I would appreciate, any asstance including help writing a letter to the local churches or even would be willing to work with a paid genealogist as well. My gratitude to anyone able and willing to help. Thank you.
The Hludno Parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Przemyśl.
przemyska.pl, kuria@przemyska.pl
We can help you with short translation for Polish. Try to contact them and ask about Hludno Parish records from the end of XIX century.
WAWCZAK: patronymic nick from Wawek, Wawko, Wawuś (pet forms of Wawrzyniec = Lawrence), hence translatable as Laurentson.
GDALAK: form verb gdakać (to cluck - the sound a hen makes); for whatever reason someone seems to have got nicknamed "the clucker" (maybe he did chicken impersonations?!)
