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.

Petition for Naturalization for Valentine Motyka - amended

The transcription of document and photo of document were not included in the first post. This is to correct that error. 2/5/16  Also to correct children of Valentine Motyka.  Should have read Stanley, Henry and Helen.



I finally received the Naturalization papers for my grand father, Valentine Motyka.  

There were 3 steps of the naturalization process.  

   1. Declaration of Intention - the immigrant filed a declaration of intention ( also called first papers) to renounce allegiance to foreign governments and to later prove he or she had resided in the country long enough to apply for citizenship. Generally speaking, an immigrant filed a declaration of intention up to two years after he immigrated to the United States.  

   2. Petition - the immigrant had to wait anywhere between one to three years after he filed his declaration to file his petition for citizenship ( also called second or final papers). Most often the petition was filed in a court nearest to the town where the immigrant settled. An Oath of Allegiance was also signed to pledge the immigrants allegiance to the United States and sign a written oath.

   3. Certificate - after all requirements were completed, the immigrant was sworn in as a citizen and issued his or her certificate. The certificate is given from the same court the petition is filed in. It is called the Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization.

This is the first transcription of the three papers received.

Petition for Naturalization  for Valentine Motyka

What Do You Already Know? - Valentine Motyka was born 27 Oct 1892,Tarnobrzeg, Poland - (Austria, Galicia (marriage cerif.))  - Baptized in Galicia pow. Tarnobrzeg in Miechocin (church marriage record) - His fathers name was Paul (Pawel) Motyka, his mothers name was Mary Narieracz (marriage certificate) - He was 24 when he married Mary Leszczak, who was 23 also from Austria, Galicia (marriage certif.) - He and Mary were married at the St. Stanislaus church in Manhattan, City of New York on 22 October, 1918 (marriage cert) - Mary and Valentine were both listed on the marriage cert. as living at 503 E. 6th St., Manhattan, New York - Immigrated to New York 06 Mar 1910, age 18, from Hamburg on the President Lincoln, he was single - Had 3 children, Wilbur, Doris and Kenneth - Died 04 Apr 1967
What Is It You Hope to Learn or to Prove? ☐Anything new ☐What date he was Naturalized ?
Timeline from my records 1892 - born in Tarnobrzeg, Poland to Pawel and Maria Napieracz Motyka 1910 - traveling from Hamburg to New York on the President Lincoln 1916 - Married Mary Leszczak (born 1893) (Marriage Certif)            living at 503 E. 6th St., Manhattan, New York 1917 - first son born - Stanley          - living at 426 E. 9th St., New York, NY 1920 - living at 47 Tyler ST., Newark, Essex, NJ (1920 US Census) 1921 - second son born Henry Paul,  1924 - daughter, Helen born 1930 - living at 29 Ann St., Newark City, Essex, NJ (1930 census) 1938 - living at 374 Elm St., Newark, Essex, NJ (US City Dir) 1940 - living at 374 Elm St., Newark, Essex, NJ (1940 Census) 1942 - living at 574 Grove St., Irvington, Union, NJ (WWII) 1967 - died in Irvington, Essex, NJ - buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery
What Resources Are Available to You to Address This Research Goal?    ☐ City Directories ☐    New York Census ☐
Transcription  No. 15067 Declaration of Intention stamped “ Invalid for all purposes even years after the date hereof" I Valenti, Motyka, aged 31 years, occupation Machinest, do declare on oath that my personal description is: Color White, complexion Light , height 5 feet 6 inches, weight 150 pounds, color of hair Brown , color of eyes Gray other visible distinctive marks (nothing recorded). I was born in Tarnolorzeg, Poland on the 27th day of October, anon Domini, 1892; I now reside at 29 Ann Street, Newark, New Jersey . I immigrated to the United States of America from Hamburg, Germany on the vessel President Lincoln; my last foreign residence was Poland ; I am married; the name of my wife is Maria; she was born at Poland and now resides at Newark, New Jersey. It is my bona fide intention to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to REPUBLIC OF POLAND , to whom I am now a subject; I arrived at the port of New York , in the State of New York , on or about the 7th day of March, anno Domini 1909; I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy; and it is my intention in good faith to be a citizen of the Unite States of America and to permanently reside therein: SO HELP ME GOD.                                 signed by   Valentine Motyka Subscribed and sworn to before me in the office of the Clerk of said Court this 17th day of June, anno Domini 1924. Deputy Clerk of the U.S. District Court No. 41739 (Original document at bottom of this page)
Evaluation of the Data and the Materials Used Obtained from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security                               U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services                               Office of Records, Genealogy Program                               1200 First Street NE                                Washington, D.C. 20529-2206 Case Number: GEN-50098899 First requested October 28, 2015 Letter with documents dated November 18, 2015 from the Dept. of Homeland Security.   “ This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act request received in this office November 16, 2015, Regarding Valentine Motyka.     We have completed the review of all documents and have identified three pages that are responsive to your request. Enclosed are two pages released in their entirely and one page released in part. We have reviewed and have determined to release all information except those portions that are exempt pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552 of the FOIA." Received 3 photocopied documents on January 6, 2016 - C-File, File# C-2477707, Declaration of Intention (in full), Petition for Naturalization (some information blocked out), Certificate of Naturalization (in full).
What Did You Learn? This Petition for Naturalization document verifies:     1. Birth date - 27 Oct 1892 of Valentine Motyka     2. Gives me the place that Helen was born in 1924 - 29 Ann Street, Newark, New Jersey ( should would have been 4 mo old)     3. Gives me a different spelling of this birth town of Tarnolorzeg. My records have it as Tarnobrzeg, Poland.      4. Verifies the information that he arrived from Hamburg to New York upon the President Lincoln, Mar 7 1909                New York Passenger list has him arriving into New York on 6 Mar 1910, listed as Walenty Motyka     5. His height was 5’6” weighing 150 lbs, with brown hair and Grey eyes.                 WWII Draft Card (1942) states same height of 5’6", weight 178lbs and eyes of Blue     6. Listed as his wife’s name as Maria.  Most information we have lists her as Mary.
What Is the Next Step to Take?    ☐1. Try and verify the spelling of his birth town Tarnolorzeg or Tarnobrzeg ( could just be a spelling error)    ☐2. Learn more about the history of Poland and when the boundaries changed. How Tarnobrzeg was effected.                  Maybe do a timeline. (Some documents state, Galicia Austria, some Poland)    ☐ 3. What was Valentine doing between his arrival in 1910 and his marriage to Mary in 1916?    ☐ 4. and from 1942 to 1967 the date he passed?   Reviewed and recorded:  21 January 2016

Days of Christmas Past

 * First taste of snow
 * Christmas in Gardena, CA
 * What's happening with the Immigration papers for Valentine Motyka


* First taste of snow

I believe this photo was taken at mom and dad's cabin in Wrightwood, CA in about 1956.   From left to right..... Mary and Mac McDonald (friends of my parents), my brother Tom, my mom Helen, me Crystal, Bill my dad and possibly Ruth, Mary's sister.  I think I look so much like my mom.  That could be me holding my brother ,Tom, as a toddler.  More similarities are in my brothers daughter, Christian, both her and I both have the same large eyes as children and I see Kyle, my brothers son in Tom's face.   Most likely this was the first time for Tom and I to experience snow. Though I don't remember any of it.  Thank goodness for photos.

* Christmas in Gardena, CA

Now this was me, Crystal, in our Gardena, California home date 1956 ( I would have been 2 1/2).  Notice the train under the tree.  According to my cousin Kendal and my uncle Ken, grandpa Herbert loved trains, he had one in his basement in Garwood, NJ.  Kendal loved trains, dad loved trains and I usually have a train going under my Christmas tree each year.  Maybe grandpa love of trains is due to the fact that Herbert worked for the Jersey Central Railroad as a air brake inspector in New Jersey.

I remember dad had a HO train setup that Tom and I would play with in our Torrance home. I think he would get it down and running around Christmas time.  It had houses and buildings that lite up and streets that Tom and I would drive Tom's Hot Wheel cars on.   Eventually that graduated to an  N-Guage train setup (much smaller than HO)  that he would set up on the pool table. I believe this train setup is still in the garage of my dads,  now brothers house. Maybe someday, now that he's retired, Tom will get it down and running for the grandkids and big kids alike to enjoy again.

* Update of the Immigration Papers for Valentine Motyka

These are the Immigration Papers I ordered 6/26/2015 for my grand father Valentine Motyka.  I found out about him having Immigration Papers when I received my grandmothers Alien Case Files from the National Archives at Kansas City. They stated he was naturalized on July 31, 1927 at Newark, New Jersey.  I was unaware he was naturalized.  So I sent away for the papers hoping it may include informant about him that I did not know.

I had inquired about these papers several times but about 4 weeks ago the response I received ( other than just Pending) was that the Current Status was Pending due to Pending FOIA.  FOIA I found out, states that document(s) found within the requested file contain third party information and is undergoing required FOIA/PA review by the USCIS Genealogy Program. This case is not with the USCIS Freedom of Information Program. So I still wait.

Just checked status again this month and it's still Pending but Pending Closure - "The record responsive to your request has been located, retrieved, duplicated, review and/or FOIA-processed."  So I'm hoping this means I should get it soon. So stay tuned.

I would like to wish all those that read this blog a Happy and Healthy 2016.
Happy New Year everyone.



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The Will of Ezra F. Condit , continued - research of names in Will

In my previous post I transcribed the Will of my GGG grandfather, Ezra Fairchild Condit dated 12 Oct 1882. He willed all his positions to his youngest son, Emmons Nelson Condit.  He died 3 years later on 20 October 1885 at the age of 71yrs, 7 mo.

A few people were mentioned in his Will for future research .....  executor of the Will, Morris B. Lindsley, and two witnesses to the signing of the Will, Henry B. Whiteboure and Edger Williams. Plus I wanted to find out why everything went to Emmons. This is what information I learned.

Morris B. Lindsley b: 1838 was in the real estate and insurance business.  His father, John P. Lindsley was born act. 1812. Which would make John P. about the same age as Ezra F. born 1814.  My take on this is possibly John P and Ezra were acquaintances or friends enough for Morris, being in the real estate and insurance business, knew enough to be executor of Ezra F. Condit's will.

Henry B. Whiteboure - I could not find any information on through Ancestry.com

Edger Williams -  I only found in the 1895 New Jersey State Census as being between the ages of 10-50 and was married to a Mary Williams.

Some information on Ezra Fairchild Condit.

1814 - born in New Jersey
1834 -  20 - married to Phebe K Cobb
1835 -  21 - birth for first son - Asa F.
1839 -  25 -birth of second son - Ezra W.
1850 -  35 -census - lists his occupation as a shoe maker in the Township of Caldwell, Essex, NJ
1852 -  37 -birth of fourth son - Emmons Nelson
1860 - 45 - Fed Census shows him in the Township of Caldwell, Essex, NJ, real estate = 1500
1867 - 52 - Newark City Directory showed him living at 47 Bleecker as a turner
                     Note: this is also the year his wife Phebe died
1869 - 54 - living at 47 Bleecker, Newark NJ as a turner
1870 - 55 - living at 79 Bleecker, Newark NJ as a turner
                    Note: he was living with his second son, Ezra W.(31) and so was Emmons Nelson(18)
                           somewhere between 1860 and 1870 he seems to have lost everything
1871 - 56 - living at 79 Bleecker, Newark NJ as a turner
1872 - 57 - living at 79 Bleecker, Newark NJ as a turner
1874 - 59 - living at 20 School st, Newark NJ as a spoke turner
                    Note: this is Asa F.'s address - Ezra F. is now living with his first son
1876 - 61 - living at 77 Wilsey, Newark NJ as a spoke turner
                     Note: this is also Asa's address - Ezra is still living with his first son
1877 - 62 - living at 276 Bank, Newark NJ as a spoke turner - not sure who lives here besides Ezra
                      Note: Ezra F is diagnosed with Psoriasis which he lived with for 8 more years
1880 - 65 - Fed Censes has Ezra F living at 36 Charlton St., Newark, NJ
                      Note: Exra F is "living at home" with Asa F.  (not working)
1882 - 66 - wrote up a Will
1883 - 68 - Death of first son, Asa F (48 yrs)
                      Note: this is when he must have moved in with Emmon Nelson
1885 -71 - Death of Ezra Fairchild Condit
               - New Jersey State Census has Ezra living with Emmons wife (Harriet Squire) and
                      5 children but Emmons is not listed with them
               - because of Asa's death in 1883, Ezra W and Emmons were the only relatives left

Summary


               -1867 to 1869 Ezra F.  lived at 47 Bleecker, Newark
               -1870 to 1872 Ezra F.  lived with his son Ezra W. at 79 Bleecker, Newark
               -1874 to 1880 Ezra F.  lived with his son Asa at 20 School, 77 Wilsey,  276 Bank and
                      36 Charlton St., Newark
               - 1882 Ezra F.  wrote up his will for his estate to go to only his son Emmons Nelson Condit
               - 1883 - 1885 Ezra F lived with Emmons Nelson till his death
             
I want to make note here that Ezra F's second son, Ezra W.  by trade was a carpenter from 1867 - 1872 in Newark, NJ and was in the insurance business from 1882 - ?  in New York.  In 1895 he was an agent for Manhattan Life Insurance Co.

So Asa died and Ezra W. was living and working in New York,  Emmons Nelson was the only son left to take care of Ezra F. He is the only one named in the Will.

Ending note - I researched to find out what a turner/spoke turner was and the only thing I came up with was a person that turned wood to make spokes for wagons.  They did travel by wagons in those days. I suppose when Ezra F lost his estate ( or maybe when Phebe died) he had to go back to work at the age of 52 and worked as a spoke turned till 1880 age 65.

The Will of Ezra F. Condit

Will of Ezra F. Condit - my Great, great, great grandfather

In the name of God ?: I Ezra F. Condit of the Township of Caldwell in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, being of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding and hereby revoking all former wills, do make publish and declare this to be my last Will and Testament in manner following, that is to say, First: It is m will and I do order that all my just debts and funeral expenses be duly paid and satisfied as soon after my death as conveniently can be. Second: I do constitute and appoint Morris B. Lindlsey of Caldwell Township as Executer of this my last Will and Testament.  Third: I give, desire and bequeath all my Estate both real and personal, whosesoever situated, to my son Emmons N. Condit now of the Village of Verona, in this Township, and my motive for so doing, and thereby excluding my other children for any participation in my Estate, is because he has for course of time past taken exclusive care of me in sickness and in health and furnished me with a comfortable living and it seems to me right and proper that I should show m appreciation to this his care by making him my sole heir.  In Witness Thereof, I the said Ezra F. Condit have hereunder set my brand and seal the Twelfth day of October, in the ear of our Lord, eighteen hundred and eighty-two.

                                                                                    Signed:           Ezra F. Condit

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Ezra F. Condit as and for his Last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, both being present at the same time at his request, in his presence and in the presence of each other,  leave hereunto subscribed out names as witnesses.

            J.E. Williams

            H. B. Whiteboure

                        Both of Caldwell Township

Essex County as J Edgar Williams one of the witnesses to the annexed writing, purposing to be the last Will and Testament of ;Ezra F. Condit   the Testator therein names, deceased, being duly sworn on this oath, says that he saw the said Testator sign an seal the said annexed writing and he publish, pronounced and declare the same as and for his last Will and Testament. That at the time of the doing thereof said Testator was of sound dispensing mind, memory and understand, as for as this deponent knows and as he fairly believes : that Henry B Whiteborue the other subscribing witness thereto was present at the same time with this despondent, and together with him subscribed his name therto as a witness in the presence of the Testator and of each other at the request of the Testator, and that said Testator died more than 10 days ago.

            Signed:  Nov. 7, 1885     before me:    J E. Williams

Citation:

New Jersey Surrogates Court, Essex, New Jersey , Wills, Vol C2, 1885, 1886; image 367 (189 of 329): for Ezra F Condit 1885, “New Jersey Wills and Probate Records 1794-1902”; index database w/digital images, Ancestry.com ; accessed 7 Sep 2015; recorded 31 Oct 2015

What I've digested or have brought forth questions from this document .

     1. Who is Morris B. Lindsley - Executor of Ezra F. Condit's will? He must have been a
                good friend.
     2. Who is Henry B. Whiteborue - witness to signing of Will by Ezra F Condit 
     3. Who is Edgar Williams - also a witness to the signing of Ezra Condit's Will.
     4.  In 1850 Ezra , age 35, owned his home valued at $800 and was a shoe maker(1850 
               census)
          In 1860, at the age of 45, he was a butcher, real estate value of $1500 and personal 
               property of $200 (1860 census)
          In 1870, age 55,  he was living with his son Ezra W. and his family. (1870 census)
          In 1880, age 66, he was living with another son Asa F and family (1880 census)

What happened between 1860 and 1870 that would have him living with his sons?  His wife, Phebe K. (Cobb) Condit died in 1867. I wonder if her death had something to do with it?  And what happened to his home, valued at $1500 between 1860 and 1870?
     5. And if he lived with both his sons, Ezra W and Asa F why did he leave his entire estate to his youngest son, Emmons Nelson Condit?

Ezra Fairchild died 20 October 1885 at the age of 71 yrs, 7 mo, of a heart disease and psoriasis which he had for 8 years (death cert.)

More digging is required.


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