Our
Lithuanian Ancestors
The Grinkevich and York Families
Written and compiled in 2011
By Kathy Hodnett
Preface
Decades of research have gone into finding out the history
of the various branches of my family.
All those years of tracking down and sending for civil and church
records, and anxiously awaiting the mail carrier’s delivery in hopes of answers
to puzzling questions have paid off-- for the most part. While the results
often answered a question they often then posed at least another making it an
unending cycle. Unfortunately not all of the searches were fruitful and there
are some records I had dearly hoped would turn up before I took the time to put
together this story of our ancestors.
Approximately 90% of the information in this family’s history is what I
found on my own. I even purchased the book “An Outline of Lithuanian History”
by Stasys Samalaviĉius and subscribed to the magazine “Lithuanian Heritage” to
learn more. Though some may find this background information of the times in
which our ancestors lived boring, it is important to know the circumstances
they found themselves in that drove them to pursue an avenue of escape to
better not only their lives, but those of future generations. The internet has
been very helpful in locating records and background information. Ancestry.com,
a subscription site, and FamilySearch.org and HeritageQuest.com, both free for
me, have been the source of numerous records. Since many counties and states
have realized the popularity of genealogy one has only to be an accomplished
“googler” to learn something of value. For
a condensed look at Lithuania
and its history go to http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5379.htm.
While it would be great to locate records in Lithuanian State Historical
Archives of William and Magdeline, as well as their parents and siblings this
may never happen. Not only are there the
spelling variations, but since the records aren’t indexed at this time, it
would be nearly impossible to find them without knowing the parish they
belonged to at the time the record was recorded.[1]
You will notice at times that there are discrepancies in
records and information. This is the
bane of genealogy, but sometimes it’s unusual to not have discrepancies. In
this case the fear of the Russians catching up with him and his family may have
been the reason for some of what William Grinkevich reported[2]. People
afraid of being captured and returned taken to workfarms would understandably
fictionalize their date and place of birth as well as their name. It has been said that shots were fired when
he and Magdalena exited their homeland. That
would be enough to scare a single man, but one with a wife, and eventually a
family that obviously meant the world to him, William “Vincent” Grinkevich felt
he had much at stake.
Names varied widely in spelling and of course there’s a
language barrier in this case. A census enumerator or official who only speaks
English could easily misunderstand or be misunderstood when dealing with
Eastern European immigrants. Sometimes spellings were intentionally changed by
immigrants who wanted to fit in or escape prejudices. Reasons that dates of
birth weren’t reliable are illiteracy and the fact they were never recorded
immediately after birth. Until they
arrived here immigrants probably were never asked for an exact date of birth. They
must have been puzzled when confronted with an official in this country asking
for a specific date. They would then
decide how old they were to find a year of birth, then select a date from that
year. Dates are certainly more important
in today’s society. Lastly, sources can
be incorrect and misleading. It’s all
part of the hunt.
What follows is what I believe to be true. If you notice anything you think is an error
please contact me at katdan@centurytel.net
so it can be corrected in my master copy.
Also, if you have any records or interesting bits of information that
don’t appear here maybe now is a good time to share them! I truly believe history of a family should be
shared and passed down through the generations.
It belongs to us all.
A BIG thank you goes to John Grinker for the warm welcome
and guided tour of the Town of Little
Black and Dorchester. Mom and I enjoyed it immensely. And thanks also to his younger brother
Richard who passed on photos and information from Charles and Clara’s branch of
the tree and told me about the maps of Lithuanian towns. And to my Pupp aunts
and uncles who assisted with bits of info and passed on record copies from
Grandma’s stash. Most of all thank you
Mom for offering encouragement when I need it and enduring my endless questions
without complaint.
I write this history
of William and Magdeline Grinkevich and their families with deep admiration and
respect for their perseverance, bravery, and hard work. They were a tough and
resilient people, devout in their Catholic faith, and always resourceful. Never waiting for handouts or feeling
entitled they made their lives with tenacity and sweat. Though I do not
remember them, I treasure their memories and their obvious devotion to each
other and their family. For without
them, none of us would be here.
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