Does anyone know if St. Stanislaus Church has filmed records from back around 1900? I do not see them on www.familysearch.org Or would I need to contact the church directly?

I'm helping my mother-in-law and her cousin research their ancestry. Their fathers were brothers, and their mothers were sisters. Their grandparents were the emigrating individuals that I need to find where in Poland (and/or Austria, Russia, Galicia), they were from. I've been told they all attended St. Stanislaus Church when first emigrating. I've already researched both family lines in census, and am waiting to get films on vital records from Chicopee back then that might indicate when one couple got married, and when births of children for the other couple took place. I'm also waiting to get films of registries of the Chicopee area that might indicate exactly when the earlier (then single) couple moved to the area.

Joseph Anthony Slowick emigrated somewhere between 1890 and 1892. He married Karoline Cygan in 1893. They had 11 children, but only their oldest, John was born in Chicopee, so I understand. I have some knowledge of those children as one is still living. Karoline Cygan emigrated in 1891, according to census. I have yet to find a ship record for her, so I don't know if she came alone or with other family members.

Michael Szlachetka emigrated with his wife, Carolina Motyka, in 1908 or 1907. I've seen both years recorded. They already had five children then:
Mary (from a previous marriage to Victoria Sleich)
Josephine (from a previous marriage to Victoria Sleich)
Kazimierz
Peter (died young)
Peter

The next four children were born in Chicopee, I understand:
Bladopher (Rose) born in 1910
Living @ 95 yrs
Walter born in 1913
John born in 1918

Does anyone know if the exact location of birth was listed in naturalization papers back then? As I understand from what an older family member told me, the oldest two girls were born in Poland and Russia, though the first four and parents were listed in a 1920 census as born in Galicia, then in a 1910 census as born in Austria. Their language was Polish, however.

Any information on these families would be greatly appreciated.

Carol Rogers
splendipity@earthlink.net

Hi Carol - chances are pretty good that St. Stan's records are not filmed - very few Catholic churches have the resources (or the desire) to make their records published. I have found that writing directly to the parish office with your requests & including a self-addressed stamped envelope and a monetary donation to cover costs, etc. MAY get you the info you are looking for - but that is no guarantee. The decision is totally up to the Pastor, and he may or may not be agreeable to genealogy requests. If St. Stan's has a cemetery, they will most likely tell you where people are buried - the City of Chicopee death records will list the cemetery, but not the plot.
As for acutal birth places on Naturalizations, the country of origin will be listed, and sometimes more specific info. As for the Austria/Poland thing - if I am not mistaken (and I could be!) they were connected at the time period you writing about.
I did a quick search on Ancestry & found this obit from Dec. 20 of 2004, which you can access at Legacy.com - it was published in both the Hartford Courant & The Springfield Republican - Good Luck with your search.

Estelle Sojka ELLINGTON, CT - Estelle (Szlachetka) Sojka, 84, formerly of Jobs Hill Road, ELLINGTONn, died Saturday, December 18, 2004 at Doylestown Hospital in Doylestown, PA. She was the beloved widow of the late Stephen B. Sojka and daughter of the late Stanley and Ludwika (Ogorzalek) Szlachetka. Born in Chicopee, MA, Estelle has been a resident of the ELLINGTON community for most of her life. She was a communicant of St. Joseph's Church in Rockville, CT, a member of the St. Helen's Society, St. Joseph's Rosary, and the Better Age Club. She is survived by a son, Stephen E. Sojka of Buckingham, PA, three sisters, Virginia Orlowski of Chicopee, MA, Mary Waldron of West Brook, CT, Stella Jablon of Marlboro, MA, two brothers-in-law, Al Sojka of Hollywood, FL, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Sojka of ELLINGTON, CT, two sisters-in-law, Stephanie Wisnieski of Enfield, and Edna Sojka of Somers, CT, a niece, Phyllis Losnes and her husband, Ray of Cromwell, CT, her special friends, Bertha Stolarz, Randall Crownover, and her godchild and niece, Dorothy St. Tierre. Besides her husband and parents she is predeceased by her two brothers, Walter and Edward Szlachetka. Her family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday, Dec 21, from 6-9 p.m. at the Somers Funeral Home, 354 Main Street, Somers, CT. A Mass of Christian of Christian Burial for Estelle will be private and at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in her name may be made to the American Heart Association, 2550 US Rt 1, North Brunswick, NJ 08902-4301.
Published in The Republican on 12/20/2004

Thank you so much for this info! I did as you suggested, and am now waiting to hear a reply. I'm going to keep that obit on file to see if somehow that person connects. It's so kind of you to have taken the time to send it!

Carol

carol,
I found this on the ellis island site
karoline cygan age 18 arrived new york on july 6,1892
name of ship is rotterdam and country of orgin galicia. last residence is bajdu.

you can view this for yourself. the site is free you just have to sign in http://www.ellisisland.org/

Carol,

This is a delight to have this info! Now I have Caroline's approximate age when she married at 19 in 1893. I'll try to find that ship record so I can see if she had relatives with her. I had had a little later birth year for her, which made her almost too young of a bride in 1893 when I knew about then that she married. I questioned that in my own mind. Galicia is a very interesting discovery!

Thank you again,
Another Carol

Carol,
I am not related to this family but I live in Springfield next to Chicopee. I knew I saw the name Slachetka. I have an obituary for Jane (Orzechowski) Slachetka. 1923-2005 born in Chicopee March 25, 1923. She was buried in St. Stanislaus Cemetery. I believe I read you wrote to the church for family information. Another source of information is funeral home listed for her.... the Grise Funeral Home 280 Springfield, ST Chicopee, MA.. 413-594-4189. Most funeral homes I have dealth with keep wonderful records. You may want to try them.

Also if anyone is interested in the obituary for Jane Slachetka
e-mail me directly and I type out or I can mail if anyone wants this.

Sandy
Spra100076@aol.com

Sandy,

This might definitely be a lead, and thank you for it! I have yet to gather more information on offspring of the older children of Michael and Carolina Szlachetka, other than the two from Michael's first marriage. But it does seem a possibility that Jane could be one of them. I will be contacting you privately for further information regarding that obituary in order to confirm or deny any connections of Jane to this family.

The information you gave on Grise Funeral Home is greatly appreciated as I know some family members stayed in the Chicopee area. It is good to see, also, any "Americanized" spelling of the Szlachetka name that took place after the family emigrated as it will make it a little easier for future searches.

Thank YOU for helping out!

Carol

Stanley and Ludmilla Szlachetka of Chicopee are in the 1930 census with daughters Stefania (Estelle?) and Genevieve and two sons Wladyslaw (Walter?) and Edward. In 1940, on his draft registration card, he reports his place of birth as Lonski, Poland. I can't find any town by this name. My wife's ggrandmother was Marya Sroczyk (nee Augustyn). When she immigrated she came to stay with her uncle Stanley Szlachetka in Chicopee. Her family was from Rakszawa, Lancut, Poland about 150 miles East of Krakow