WWI
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Joseph Charles “Grynkerwicz” was still a coal miner working
at the Swamp Colliery at Shamokin, PA on September 12, 1918. He was 43 years of
age, with his birth date listed as Dec. 19, 1874. Joseph is an alien from Russia/Lithuania and
resided at 1209 Oneida, Shamokin, Northumberland County, PA. He is described as
being of medium height and stout build with blue eyes and light brown hair.
“Cassie”, his wife is listed as his nearest relative.
The 1920 U.S. Census
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| census images courtesy Ancestry.com |
In Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
Joseph and “Constancia” Grincavage were still living at 1209
Oneida Street in Coal
Township. They reported they owned their home free and
clear. Joseph, age 43, and his wife, age 33, both reported being born in Lithuania
to Lithuanian parents. Their children,
Helen, (who for some reason wasn’t listed in the 1910 census) was age 15,
Joseph, 13, William, age 11, and five year old Valeria, were all born in
Pennsylvania. Only Constance
was unable to read or write. The entire
family could speak English. William still worked as a coalminer, fifteen year
old Helen worked at the silk mill. While
not yet naturalized Joseph had filed first papers for his citizenship. Only the two boys Joseph and William attended
school.
The 1930 U.S. Census
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This enumeration reports that Joseph and Constance were still living at 1209 Oneida in
Coal Township, PA. They owned their home
valued at $600. Fifty year old Joseph
continued to mine coal as did several neighbors on the block. Helen, 25,
William, 20, and Violet, 14, still lived at home with their parents. Helen worked as a weaver at a local silk
mill.
Their son Joseph had
married Pennsylvania native, Clara Topolski, on January 15 1930 at St.
Anthony’s Catholic Church in Ranshaw, Northumberland, PA. The newlyweds were renting a place next door
for $10/month. Twenty four year old
Joseph was a school teacher in the Coal Township School.
Neither household owned a radio.
A Wedding in the Family
This marriage record from Saint Michael the Archangel
Catholic Church shows the union of Violet (Valeria) “Grinhinch”, the youngest
daughter of Joseph and Constance Koseraitis (Grincavage or Grinkevich) of
Shamokin, PA,
to Leo Shulskie of
Mt. Carmel on September 25, 1932.
The groom is the son of William and Frances
(Metzer) Shulskie.
The 1940 U.S. Census
The 1940 U.S. Census
This census
shows 35 year old Helen Grincavage living on Lexington Street in Baltimore,
Maryland where she was employed as a clothing presser. She earned $736 the previous year and was working
a 40 hour work week. Helen had five
years of education.
Helen had three
lodgers in her residence. One looks like her mother, Constance, but a few facts don't quite agree. From her obituary seen later in the family story
we know Constance had moved to Baltimore after her husband, Joseph's, death in
December 1936. The data that fits the bill: She is enumerated as being
Lithuanian, age 57, with no formal education. What doesn’t fit: Constance is listed
as being single and her surname appears to be Narcavage. Despite the discrepancy it still seems that this is Constance Grincavage.
Joseph and Clara “Grincavag” were renting the
residence at 1211 Pulaski Avenue in Coal Township at the time of the 1940
Census. (The street's name had changed from Oneida to Pulaski during the past ten years.) Their monthly rent was $10.
Clara reported Joe’s age as 33, hers as 30, and
daughter Arlene, 10, and Joyce, as 5.
Joseph, a public school teacher, had completed four
years of college. Clara was an 8th
grade graduate, and Arlene, a student, had completed third grade.
According to the enumeration, Joseph had worked 36
weeks in 1939 and had earned $1400.
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~May They Rest In Peace~
1915-1933
Sadly,
Violet died the year after her marriage to Leo Shulskie while giving birth to a
baby girl, Joyce Marie. Violet was 17 years old.
Mother
and child were laid to rest together in St. Michael’s Cemetery.
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| Tombstone photos courtesy of John Haile |
Joseph Grincavage died on December 13, 1936
“Joseph
Grincavage, 56, of 1209 Pulaski Avenue, died of pneumonia at his home at 8:25 last evening.”
“Employed
as a miner at the Pennsylvania colliery, Mr. Grincavage returned home
from work five days ago complaining of illness.
Members of the family said Mr. Grincavage first suffered from a severe
cold. Pneumonia developed and he lost strength rapidly thereafter until death
came.”
“Mr.
Grincavage was born in Lithuania. He
moved to Scotland and thence to Canada. He
came to the United
States
32 years ago and settled in Shamokin.
Since then Mr. Grincavage had been employed as a miner at the Pennsylvania colliery.
He was a member of the Lithuanian church.”
“Surviving
are his wife, Constance, and three children, Helen, at home; Joseph, a teacher
in the Coal Township schools, of Shamokin, and William of Mount Carmel. A
brother, William, of Wisconsin, and two sisters, Mrs. Anna Mack, of
Chicago, and Mrs. Eva Visneski of Shamokin, and three grandchildren also
survive.”
“The
funeral will be held Thursday morning at 9:00 from St. Michael’s Church. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.”
Helen Grincavage Wrublewski died January 1985.
Her last place of residence was Shamokin, Pennsylvania.
-Social
Security Death Index
