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From:
Subject: [GM] Kwiatkowski research help needed....
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 10:23:35 -0800


I am having a problem discovering the origin of my great-
grandfather, Joseph Kwiatkowski. He was born in Germany on February
24, 1867 and supposedly immigrated to the US on January 13, 1892. I
have his Naturalization Papers and they state that he was born in a
town named Blato or Bilato, Germany.

For two years I have searched for this town and have come to the
conclusion that the spelling on his Naturalization papers was a
phonetic spelling by the interviewer. There are many sound-alikes
in both Germany and Poland, but I have no idea which would be the
correct town.

Moreover, the papers state that he came on the ship Dresden from
Bremen to New York on January 13, 1892, but the Dresden did not
commence voyages from Bremen to New York until MAY of 1892. I had
someone do a lookup in the Germans to America books and was told
that he is not there. I wrote to NARA in Washington and he was not
found in their January 13, 1892 passenger lists.

I also asked them to check January 13, 1893 records because the
Dresden DID come to New York on that date, but NARA says the records
for that date were too faint to read. I can't find him in the Ellis
Island database either.

I have his death certificate, St. Stanislaus (Cleveland) church
marriage record, and all the census records, but none have any birth
information other than "Germany" or "Poland". Can anyone offer any
suggestions as to how I can discover the origin of this elusive
ancestor? I would love to find his specific town of birth so that I
can check out German church records. Thank you in advance for ANY
help. Anne



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