The end of the year and what have I done?

When I look back to what I've blogged about this year, I find I've done a lot.

And the most recent find was connecting to Pamela Clolery Zoellner, my 2nd cousin.  Pamela's mother is Emily Klauss Clolery who's mother was Ursela (Ann) Leszczak Klauss, Mary Leszczak Motyka's sister.  I've been searching for her by sending letters to addresses I've found by using US City Directories and US Public Records data bases.  My 3/31/16 blog was on this subject). We have just connected and my next blog, Jan 2017, will be what I have found out about that side of the family.

I've looked into a family relationship to James Hinchcliffe, "Dance With The Starts" contestant and my Great Great Aunt Mary C Condit who married a James H. Hinchcliffe (blog post 7/31/16). Didn't find one but I may still keep digging.

I've watched several webinars on FamilyTree Webinars.com

I put together a family book for Mo Bentley, my sister-in-laws partner, for her birthday in July.  Boy did she like that.  Now each birthday I'll try to add to it with more family names and history.

I've subscribed for a 6 months subscription to Newspapers.com for the first time and found an article "Condit Family in Reunion" dated 1914 at Fillmore Condit's house in New Jersey.  I did some research to find where he fits into my side of the Condit family and I will do a blog post on that in 2017 too.

I've upped my Ancestry subscription from the US to World.  This next year I plan on devoting a lot more time on the Motyka's in Poland research.  Trying to find more family.

I connected to my uncle Ken Condit's friend from high school (blog post 9/30/16) Avron Wahl which is also the maiden name of my grandmother Emma Walh Maile.  I tried to find the name connection but haven't found anything but that doesn't mean there isn't one.  More research to be done there.

I took us on a road trip from Torrance to New Jersey and back by using 1966 gas receipts my brother found in the garage. (blog post 8/31/16)

Using US Public Records and US City Directories I found my mother's best friends son in New York. My mother, Helen had a best friend, Helen, when they lived in New Jersey.  I found him ( Russell Budd) and he had some photos of my mom in his mom's photo collection that we sent me.  (blog post 10/31/16)

I did 2 blogs (April and May 2016) pertaining to Longetivity and Occupations of my ancestors.

And the first 2 blogs of 2016 pertained to Valentine Motyka's Petition for Naturalization papers.

So looking back just one year I think I've accomplished quite a bit of information for my genealogy hobby.  And loved every minute of it.  I which I could do this 24/7 which I think I've said that before.

Happy New Year

Crystal Condit Gormley

Using City Directories and US Public Records to find someone.

As in my last post, finding Avron Wahl I used the US City Directories and US Public Record List  to locate him.  I used them  again to find Russell Budd, the son of my mother's best friend, Helen Budd in New Jersey.  I have many photos of mom, Helen Motyka, which include lots of her friends.  Some of them I was sure was Helen Budd but needed them verified by someone.  Who better than a family member.

I had a Christmas card from Mrs. Helen N. Budd from Middletown, NY addressed to my father, Bill Condit.  The postmark on the envelope was 16 Dec 2005.  (Mom would have been gone a year.) So I had an address.  Looked on the internet for the US Social Security Death Index for Helen N Budd. And there she was.  Born 22 Dec 1924 , Newark, New Jersey - died 10 Nov 2012, Middletown, New York.   There was also a record in the US Obituary Collection which had some information about her family.

 Her husbands name was Edward Budd who died in 1992. She had 2 sons, Russell Budd of Middletown and Dr. Ralph Budd living in Hinesburg, VT.  This gave me her son's names.

Next  internet search was US Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Vol.1 where I found Russell A Budd leaving in Middletown, NY.  It had his address (the same that was on the Christmas card envelope) so I wrote him a letter , hoping he was still at this address, stating who I was and gave him some history of my parents move to California.  I told him about inheriting all of my parents photos when dad passed and that I would love if he would verify his mom in some of them.  I included my email address and home address.

Well not too much time passed when I got my first email from Russell Budd. He told me it was a nice surprise to receive my letter and he remembered my mother's name. He stated the two Helen's were best of friends and had stayed connected through the years.  He remembered, back in the 60's, him and his family took a trip across country to California and visited our family.  He said he would be happy to identify his mother in my photos.

I sent a few photos ,via email, and received back that indeed they were of his mom.  He also sent me back copy of my parents wedding photo (which I already had) that his mother was in too. This went back and forth, me sending photos and him verifying his mother in them.

Then one email he stated he had been going though his parents photos and found some very nice shots of my mom and dad.  He would send the photographs to me via UPS. And a little while later I was  excited to receive an envelope with about 30 photographs of my mom and dad before their marriage in 1948.  I was giddy with delight because most of the photos were photos I'd never seen before.  They were not a part of my collection of family photos.. This was just so cool.

I could not post them all but here are a few of them.

                                                           Helen Motyka on the left/Helen Budd on the right.




Helen and Bill hiding in the bushes.

Helen Budd, Bill Condit and Helen Motyka





Using the internets US Public Records Index, US Obituary Collection along with some information I already had got me connected to someone in my mom's past and I got answers to some of my photo questions.  Plus I've gained a new email friend.


Let me know you've enjoyed viewing these photos of my parents by leaving a comment and the bottom of this blog.

This month I have been working on finding a family connection to Avron Wahl.

It all started out a few months ago finding a old newspaper article in The Westfield (N.J.) Leader newspaper dated December 29, 1951 with the article caption which read " Corp. Kenneth Condit Weds Joan Karaffa In Cranford Ceremony".  This is my dad, Wilbur Condit's, brother.  I learned a few things from the article, like when Ken and Joan got married, where my uncle was stationed in the Air Force, what the bride wore. And the thing that caught my eye was the mention of Ken's best man,  Avron Wahl.  My great grandmother's maiden name was Wahl and her and my grandfather, George Maile,  also lived in New Jersey. Emma Wahl was born in Germany.  I wonder if we are related some way.

I set out to see if I could find Avron Wahl (born about 1932) via the internet.  I found his yearbook photo 1948 (he graduated from Dayton High School, Springfield, NJ, so did Ken but in a different year) , Avron with his family in the 1940's census (Queens, New York), and several Public Records showing him living in Florida.  I found the most recent address and wrote him a letter stating who I was , how I was related to Ken Condit and wondered if he was the same Wahl that was mentioned in the newspaper article.  And did he know of a Emma Wahl Maile.  I included my email address.  A week or so later I got an email from Avron (goes by Ron) answering my letter.

Avron (Ron) stated he was best friends with Ken. Remembered how well he played the piano. After graduating high school the two of them went their own ways.  He became an lawyer and practiced in New Jersey then retired to Florida.  Uncle Ken was in the Air Force and relocated to California. Aaron did not know the name Emma Wahl.  He stated that his father, Richard, arrived in the US in 1927 for a visit and never returned to Germany.  His grandfather, Heinrich,  arrived in the US in 1939 also from Germany.

So my search began - is Avron Wahl and my grandmother Emma Wahl related any way????

Before I continue with what I know I wanted to mention here is that the last time down to Southern California to visit my family I stopped in to see Uncle Ken and Aunt Betty and showed him the email from Avron Wahl.  He was very surprised to hear that name.  He took a copy of the email with Avron's email address and has since contacted him. It's been over 60 years since they've last communicated.

Now this is what I know about my great grandmother, Emma Wahl.

* Born  May 1871, Germany. (1900 Census)
  -or 1870 German Births/Baptisms record - Emma Marie Christiane Wahl, born 28 Dec 1870,
      Stuttgart, Wurttemberg, Germany - fathers name is Michael Wahl,
      mothers name is Christane Straub
* Immigrated from German to US in 1888 or 1887 (have not found her passenger list yet)
* Married Gottfried (George) Maile (1865-?) in 1888. Gottfried also born in Germany.
* together they had 4 children - Kathryn(1894-?), Elsie(1897-1972)(my grandmother), Lillian
      (1901-1976) and Caroline (1902-?)
* they lived their whole lives in Newark, Essex, New Jersey

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                              
What I know of the Wahl Family.


                                                - Heinrich Wahl(1850-1960)
                    - Richard Wahl (1903-1959)
                                                - Cecelia Regina Baer (1870-1936)
Aaron Wahl
                                                -Morris Hoffman
                  - Fay Hoffman(1910-1989)
                                                Goldie Malzberg

Aaron Wahl (1932 - living) born in Brooklyn, New York - has a sister named Cecelia Wahl (1938- ?)
Father:  Richard Wahl (1903-1959) born Heidelberg, Baden, Württemberg, Germany -
                   *Sailed from Germany to US in 1927 on the Munchen (going to visit uncle, Max
                          Mannheim) father: Heinrich Wahl living in Heidelberg, Baden , Germany
                    *Naturalized in 1939 in New York still looking for the papers
                    *Died 1959 in Garwood, Union, New Jersey
Mother: Fay Hoffman (1910-1989) born Manhattan, New York - died Cranford, Union, New Jersey

Richard's parents were: Heinrich Wahl (1850-1960) and Cecelia Regina Baer (1870-1936) this information I took from a Family Tree in Geni World.com managed by Michael Trittelvits which has not been verified with another document yet.

Heinrich Wahl and Cecelia Regina Baer Wahl had 4  children;
     -Walter Joseph Wall (1903 - ?) who married a Sophia Flora ? (1906-?)      
         *Naturalized 1944 in Brooklyn, New York( Index only) living in Jamaica, NY need to see if I
                 can find his papers
    -Richard Wahl - see above
    -Waltrud Sofie Fanny Wahl who married  ? Trittelvitz  same name as Geni World. com tree above
    - Grete Wahl - married Weise living 1927 in Heidelberg, Baden, Germany

I've found a few more Wahl's that were living in Brooklyn, New York but have not found a connection to Emma.  Seems I know more about Avron Wahl's family then I do with Emma. But doesn't it seem strange that Ken Condit's best friend in high school has the same last name as his grandmothers? The search continues.

NOTE:  Heinrich Wahl's wife, Ceclia last name is Baer, we have a name in our family tree listed as Baeyer. Louisa Baeyer born 1838, Wurttemberg, died 1900 was married to George Oertel (1927-?) also born Wurttemberg.

I haven't found the connection there but I feel it in my gut there is one so I will continue the hunt and report back what I find.

If you would like to leave a comment or two I would love hearing your thoughts.

1966 Road Trip Across the United States

Just the other day I decided to go through an old box of receipts (1960’s) that belonged to my parents, Bill and Helen Condit.  My brother, Tom, had found it in the garage.  His wife, Vicki, went through it first and took out any kind of document that pertained to the house, which at one time belonged to our parents and now them. In amongst the papers were gas receipts from a trip we took across the US in 

1966 in our 64 Mercury wagon.

I really don’t remember much of this trip or even why we drove.  I could only find a few photos of when we visited family in New Jersey and Chicago at that time, not any of the trip itself.  But I thought it would be fun to see the states we drove through according to the gas receipts.

This is how I think it went….

Day 1 – June 11, 1966 – Saturday -  Bill (47), Helen (41), Crystal (11) and Tom Condit (10) left Torrance(A) California and drove down HWY 15 to HWY 40 for 405.7 miles. Stopped in Seligman, Arizona and bought 17.2 gal gas @ .45 gal plus 2 shock absorbers. The next stop was Gallup, New Mexico (262.61 miles) and bought 12.3 gal.gas @ .39 gal.

Day 2 – June 12, 1966 – Sunday – Still on Hwy 40 - Gallup New Mexico to Santa Rosa, New Mexico (253 miles) and bought 17 gal gas @ 39.9 gal plus 1 qtr. oil.  Next stop was Groom, Texas (212 miles) for 15.7 gal gas at 35.5 per gal then onto Clinton Oklahoma where we stayed at a Holiday Inn costing $12.75.

I found a receipt with no date stamped on it from the Oklahoma Turner Turnpike.  I’m pretty sure it was from this trip. Now Hwy 40 turns into Hwy 44 out of Oklahoma City. 

Day 3 – June 13, 1966 – Monday – From Clinton to Tulsa, Oklahoma (A))(190 miles) stopped for 13.9 gal of gas @ .36. From here we left Hwy 44 onto Hwy 70 heading NE.

Day 4 – June 14, 1966 – Tuesday – filled up in Brighten, Indiana (807 miles – there must have been a few other stops in-between Oklahoma and Indiana but the gas receipts weren’t here). Gas in Brighton was 15.6 gal @ 36.9 gal plus 1 quart of oil.  On to Cambridge, Ohio (305 miles) and stopping for 14.8 gal of gas @ .37 gal. I think we must have stopped to visit my mothers brother, Stanley Motyka and family, in Chicago at this time. Why else would we have gone this far north?

 

Day 5 – June 15, 1966 – Wednesday – From Cambridge, Ohio (A) to Colonia, New Jersey (B) (457 miles) where we got 16.4 gal gas at .37 gal.

                                                                           

We must have spent a few days in New Jersey visiting family.  Bill and Helen are both from New Jersey and most of the family lives here. I'm wondering if we came for a wedding or something.

Day 9 – June 19 , 1966  -Sunday- This day we got gas in Irvington, New Jersey as 12 gal @ 35.7 gal.  This is where my mom’s parents, Valentine and Mary Motyka, live.

               

Crystal & Rosemary Bush               unknown & Mary Motyka

Day 11 – June 22, 1966 - Wednesday - Gas in Garwood, New Jersey 14 gal @.37 plus a oil filter. Herbert and Elsie Condit , my dad’s parents’, live in Garwood.

Diana Zink, Bill, Helen, Tom 

  Bill & Herbert

Day 12 – June 23, 1966 – Thursday - gas in Union (A), New Jersey. 

Day 13 – June 24, 1966 – Friday - heading home on Hwy 80 from Garwood to Elyria (B)(468 miles) where we stayed at a Travel Lodge for $16.48.

I don’t have any gas receipts until …

Day 16 – June 27, 1966 – Monday -We stopped in Clinton, IA (461) for 16.9 gal. of gas @.38 gal. , still on Hwy 80.  You have to go through Chicago on Hwy 80 from Elyria, Ohio to Clinton, Iowa (B) so I think we stopped to visit Uncle Stanley again and stayed a few days. 

From Clinton, IA we traveled to Des Moines, IA (198) for 16.9 gals of gas @ .38 plus a qt. of oil.

Day 17 – June 28, 1966 -Tuesday -Still on Hwy 80 the next stop was North Platte, NE (412 miles) getting 7.12 gal. of gas @ 39.9 gal then onto Cheyenne, WY(221 miles) where we got 16 gal of gas @ 37.9 gal plus 2 quarts of oil.  Here we stayed at a New Motel in Evanston, Wyoming (B) (357 miles) for $14.42 for a party of 4

Day 18 – June 29, 1966 – Wednesday -From Evanston we left Hwy 80 and headed south on Hwy 15, the next stop was Fillmore, Utah (201 miles) getting 12.6 gal of gas @ 38.9 plus 1 quart of oil and a T-29N F costing $28.90 (I don’t know what that is, something to do with the car). Then on into St. George, UT (158) for 11.2 gal of gas @ .41 and continued into Las Vegas (120 miles).

Day 19 – June 30, 1966 – Thursday - Starting in Las Vegas with a fill up of 14.3 gal of gas @ .34 we continued on for 225 miles till we got to Fontana, CA where we got 18 gal of gas @ .36 gal and the last 66.5 miles back to Torrance, CA.

We drove across the country by car in 19 days.  I don’t think I would want to do that again in 19 days.  But I would love to do it with unlimited days! To see our country by auto would be such a memorable trip. I’m sure during this cross-country trip I was sleeping, reading, fighting with my brother in the back seat the whole time, as kids normally do on a road trip, missing the scenery and the beautiful countryside.  Hence I don’t remember this trip hardly at all.  What a shame! I wonder if my brother does?

Thank you Tom and Vicki for saving these receipts for me.  

Please leave a comment if you wish. Let me know you enjoyed the trip!

Is James Hinchcliffe of Canada part of my Hinchcliffe family?

In our local newspaper, Record Searchlight, dated Monday, May 23, 2016 there was an article in the sports section " Indianapolis 500 Hinchcliffe edges out Newgarden".  There is a picture of a gentleman holding a trophy above his head and the caption reads  " James Hinchcliffe, of Canada, celebrates winning the pole during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 auto race Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway".

This article caught my eye ( Hinchcliffe is not a very common name).  My great grandfather , Ezra A Condit, had a sister, Mary Cornelia Condit  who married a James Henry Hinchcliffe on 21 Oct 1877 in New Jersey.  This sent me on a quest to find out if this James Hinchcliffe was connected to James and Mary Condit Hinchcliffe, in my family tree.

James (Henry or Harry) Hinchcliffe (1877 - before 1930 census) married Mary Cornelia Condit (of Asa F and Susan Keefer) on 21 Oct 1877.  They had 3 children:

1.James Henry Hinchcliffe (1878 -~), born NJ,  married Jessie May Baden 
     on 12  June 1906. They had 2 children:  
       - Harold N (Harry) Hinchcliffe (1908-1995) who married Florence M 
        (unknown).  They had a daughter Beverly D. Hinchcliffe. Since she is 
         female and would have changed her name at marriage I ruled her out.
       - Hazel A. Hinchcliffe (1912-~)born NJ could have also married and
         changed her last name.  So she out.

2. Herbert Albert Hinchcliffe b:1880 Newark, NJ (1904), married 
      Clara M Gleichmann (1882-~), on 19 Oct 1904 in Newark, NJ. The had one
      child: L. Shirley Hinchcliffe (1907-~), born Newark, NJ.  Since she is also 
      female and would have changed her name I ruled her out as well.

3. Lillian Pearl Hinchcliffe (1883-~) married Walter M Dennison on Oct 21, 1903. 
      She has been ruled out too.

So my conclusion...... no we are not immediately related.  But it was fun looking for information anyway.  I did find a few Hinchcliffe's in Family Search in Canada.  I also found in the 1880 US Federal Census that James, Mary and H James Hinchcliffe lived at 40 Prince St., Newark, NJ.   At that same address was another Hinchcliffe family that consisted of Abraham b:1847 England, his wife Mary b:1845 NJ, their daughter Mary b:1881 NJ, his mother Louisa b:1823 England and a sister J Sarah b:1863 NJ.  They must be family some how.  But since I pretty much answered my question about the Indianapolis 500 driver Hinchcliffe not being immediate family I didn't fill the need to research any longer. What I will try and do is fill in the death dates for the people listed above.

If you are interested in reading the newspaper article, I have found it by just Googling Hinchcliffe or James Hinchcliffe.  It came up in a The Chicago Times article with this search. I didn't print the entire article because of copyright infringement .

Mary Cornelia Condit Hinchcliffe taken in New Jersey about 1929.

Occupations

I was looking at some old papers of mine and one contained all the places I have worked.  My first job was right after high school graduation. Not knowing what I wanted to do with my life I tried working in a ladies dress shop.  GiGi Fashions on Torrance Blvd and Anza in Torrance.  I only worked there a couple of months, just long enough to find out working with people was not my thing.  

Made me wonder what my ancestors occupations were. I did a search on my Reunion program and this is the information I have so far. Also this report told me I have much more information to find and enter about what my ancestors did for a living.

Spoke turner I found was a lathe turner, possible making wagon wheels (Ezra F. Condit)  

Japanner - one who covers with a hard brilliant coat of any of several varnishes (Ezra A. Condit)

National Grocery Store for my father, Wilbur Condit (age 17) was possibly his first job in New Jersey.  He would tell us his job would be to gather the goods people wanted from the store, tie them up with brown paper and string so the people could carry their goods home.

My first job was at the dress shop, then I went into accounting. This I found to enjoyed even though during high school I swore I was not going to work inside an office. I stayed with accounting till my retirement.

What was your first job?   Do you remember? Would you be willing to share in the the comments section below?

Happy 4th of July everybody.

Longevity Pedigree

I first read about this Longevity Pedigree chart idea from the organizeyourfamilyhistory.com blog.  According to the blogs owner, Janine Adams, you sketch a pedigree chart with just your ancestors name, age at death, and some even included cause of death.

This is my Longevity Pedigree chart.

What I can see is I have a lot of question marks. But what I also see is the average life span of my family is the age of 70 (20 names with death ages added together equals 1396).  Most likely filling in the question marks with more death ages will up that average death age of 70.   I need to do this.  

2nd Document - Valentin Motyka's Petition for Naturalization

  Valentine Motyka – Petition For Naturalization

Valentin Motyka (e was left off his name)

Lived at 29 Ann St, Newark, NJ

Declared Intention on 17^th of June 1924

Married to Marya (looks like this is how it was spelled)  born 10^th of Mar 1892 in Pruchnik , Poland

Had 3 children (all born dates were blocked out by Homeland Security)

Stanley born (blank) at New York

Henry born (blank) at Newark

Hellen (2 ll’s) born(blank) Newark

All resides with me

Renouncing all future allegiances to The Republic of Poland

Resided in the United States for th term of 5 years starting 6^th of Mar 1910 in the state of New Jersey to the date of this petition the 2^nd day of July 1912

Declaration of Intention No. 15067 and Certificates of Arrival  signed on 24^th of Mar 1927

Signed : Valentin ( not sure if there is an e there or not, but in his own handwriting)

Witnesses were Stanley Grusjkos (hard to read) R.E. residing (blocked out by Homeland Security)

                                August Deisdzia (hard to read), machinist residing (blocked out by Homeland Security)

Source: photo copy of document from US Dept o Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Offic of Records, Genealogy Program, C-File for Valentine Motyka

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

 What new information I discovered from this document....

     1. his name was spelled without a e at the end.  This my be typographical error.

     2. his wife name, Mary, was spelled Marya

     3. her place of birth is Pruchnik.  On her papers it states she was from Czelatyce. Found both places on a map.  Czelatyce is approx. 8 miles south of Jaroslav and Pruchnik is approx. 11 miles souht-west of Jaroslav. So they are close.  

     4. this document states he's from Tarnobrazeg, Poland. Mary's document says Nagnajow, Poland

     5. all of the children birth information is blocked out but I have that so no big deal

     6. his daughter's name is spelled with two ll's - Hellen - may be typographical error

     7. one of the witnesses name was Stanley Gruszkos. I found a WW1 Draft Registration Card for a Stanislaus Gruszkos that was born in Newark, NJ and was a machinist.  Possibly Stanley and Valentine worked together. 

     8. Found a website "Old trunk" - the history of the town of Pruchnik, Jodlowki.  Had to have translate.google turned on to read, it was in Polish.  On a tab for Book of Marriages I found a Wojciech Motyka, a widower marrying a Jadwiga Piczula Miss 1783.01.02. So there were or are Motyka's in that town. But I could not find a Leszczak . I wonder if Valentine and Mary knew each other before coming to the United Stated?

  Sorry, I could not get the document image or the map image to post here.

So to conclude.  Not too much new information found on this document but enough to send me searching in Poland for more documents.