Genealogy: Krynicki
Off and on, I have claimed genealogy a hobby. Usually I have these phases of interest which wax and wane. When researching into my mother's mothers' family, I would run into stumbling blocks which would inhibit progress and lead to frustration which in turn leads to a lull in interest and activity.
The problem. Last names and the way they are spelled. My grandmother spelled her name differently from some of her siblings, most of the siblings spell their names differently from their parents. Cousins differ from cousins, aunts and uncles differ from their own siblings and the list goes on. So just two generations back, just to my grandmother, I have this puzzle of mud to figure out.
My great-grandparents are Krynicki, my grandmother and one of her siblings spelled it Krynitski, some of the siblings modified it to Krynicky and there is also Kernicky, and toss in a couple of Krynizski's while you're at it.
You see, up until this weekend, I had no idea just how many permutations on this single family name had in just a couple of generations. My mom and I along with several of her cousins went on a mini pilgrimage this weekend. We visited the house my great grandparents owned, where they raised my grandmother, where my mother's aunt Sophia had lived until she recently passed away, and which is currently for sale.
My grandmother was apparently infamous for her elaborate ghost stories and stories of UFO's. The house is still full of furniture and belongings of family past. My cousin Diana and I were starting our own ghost story when we noted the slightly parted curtains in the upstairs window and the moving front door swaying with the wind.
Our tour guide was my mother's cousin Dorothy, who still lives nearby to the "homestead" on a road full of homes of her own mother, cousins and family. Dorothy called the area "the patch" where so many of the extended family lived and still lives in the area. We went to St. Mary's Byzantine cemetery where I was shown where my great grandparents were buried along with over a dozen other relatives and their variations of "Krynicki" on the headstones.
Dorothy knew everyone buried there, or at least all the different inter relationships. Wondering around the cemetery she would point out, "oh, there's more Krynicki's over this way too." and would go on to explain how this person was one of ten children and then went on to have eight of his own. The family is enormous apparently. I did take photos of headstones, to add to my genealogy database along with correct spellings of names and dates when available. I learned there are many married pairs of Nicholas's to Catherine's (aka Catarina's) as well as Joseph's to Josephine's. Plus the usual multiple generations using the exact same names.
It was amazing to share such a unique experience with my mom and the cousins who could share so many stories. The "Krynicki women" mini reunion.
My cousin Diana is my mother's cousin Katie's daughter, she too is the only girl with three brothers and is the third child, and her son Daniel:
My mom with her cousins:
You see, up until this weekend, I had no idea just how many permutations on this single family name had in just a couple of generations. My mom and I along with several of her cousins went on a mini pilgrimage this weekend. We visited the house my great grandparents owned, where they raised my grandmother, where my mother's aunt Sophia had lived until she recently passed away, and which is currently for sale.
My grandmother was apparently infamous for her elaborate ghost stories and stories of UFO's. The house is still full of furniture and belongings of family past. My cousin Diana and I were starting our own ghost story when we noted the slightly parted curtains in the upstairs window and the moving front door swaying with the wind.
Our tour guide was my mother's cousin Dorothy, who still lives nearby to the "homestead" on a road full of homes of her own mother, cousins and family. Dorothy called the area "the patch" where so many of the extended family lived and still lives in the area. We went to St. Mary's Byzantine cemetery where I was shown where my great grandparents were buried along with over a dozen other relatives and their variations of "Krynicki" on the headstones.
Dorothy knew everyone buried there, or at least all the different inter relationships. Wondering around the cemetery she would point out, "oh, there's more Krynicki's over this way too." and would go on to explain how this person was one of ten children and then went on to have eight of his own. The family is enormous apparently. I did take photos of headstones, to add to my genealogy database along with correct spellings of names and dates when available. I learned there are many married pairs of Nicholas's to Catherine's (aka Catarina's) as well as Joseph's to Josephine's. Plus the usual multiple generations using the exact same names.
It was amazing to share such a unique experience with my mom and the cousins who could share so many stories. The "Krynicki women" mini reunion.
My cousin Diana is my mother's cousin Katie's daughter, she too is the only girl with three brothers and is the third child, and her son Daniel:
My mom with her cousins: