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Archiver > POLAND-ROOTS > 2001-10 > 1002207270


Subject: [POLAND] Conflicting Information
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 07:54:30 -0700




Hello List--

I am hoping that someone might be able to give me some ideas
as to how to sort out some conflicting information about my ancestor,
Josef Janowski.

1. My grandmother says that her parents came from Vilenjski Poland.
She said that it was Russian controlled Poland, probably up near
Lithuania and Belarus.

2. A 1904 passenger record for his sister, Adele Janowska, indicates
that she came from Smargon--which today is located in Belarus
between Vilnius and Minsk. Her destination was Springfield VT
to be with her brother Josef. Adele got married later that year
in Springfield, VT.

3. A passenger record for an 18 yr old Severin Yanofsky (the
name was often spelled this way), an "Osip Yanofsky" and an older
Severin Yanofsky. Their destination was Springfield, VT. I believe
that the "Osip Yanofsky" was Josef, as he had a younger brother
named Severin (who would have been 18)and the age indicated on
the record matches Josef. Their foreign residence was listed
as Vilnius.

4. The social security card application for Josef Janowski indicates
that he was born Dec 12, 1872 in Velieski, Poland. This sounds
an awful lot like the name my grandmother remembered-Vilenjski.


My grandmother says that her father was considered an "aristocrat"
in Poland. As the oldest male in the family he inherited a large
farm and a great deal of land. They lived in the "country".

With that all said, how can I figure out the actual town where
Josef Janowski came from?? This is all SO confusing!
Do you know how to solve this puzzle? Do you have any suggestions
for me? Unfortunately Josef never applied for citizenship in
the United States (he always intended to return to Poland)--nor
did he file any alien registration papers-- so finding his hometown
has been a challenge.

KATHY


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