PAWEL GRAMIAK & WIKTORIA PROKOPOWICZ FROM POLAND

[Elliven]

Pawel Gramiak (born 29th July 1893) emigrated to the USA in 1914.  Wiktoria Prokopowicz (born 1898) did the same in 1915.  It is likely that they knew each other in Poland as they were married in Newark, New Jersey on 1st August 1915.  They were from the area around Brzezany, which is now Berezhany in the Ukraine.

Can anyone help with family connections for this couple, after their immigration to the USA.

[rutht22000]

Hi,

It looks like they stayed in Newark.

Pawel seems to have changed his name to Paul and Wiktoria to Victoria. 

His WW1 draft registration card gives their address as 296 Oliver Street, Newark and mentions a wife and 1 child (no names though).  According to this one his date of birth was 29 July 1892.

he had blonde hair and blue eyes and was 5ft 5 inches tall of slender build.

His WW2 draft registration card gives their address as 357 Walnut Street, Newark, Essex, NJ.  Date of birth here though matches yours of 29 July 1893.

They look as though they are around until at least 1957 in the US city directories but I can't see them obviously on any census as yet.

[rutht22000]

Found them in Newark in 1920 - will PM you the details of the 3 children recorded there as there is an outside chance they could be alive still.

Likewise 1930 as there are more children

[*Sandra*]

Victoria M. Gramiak - 9 May 1898 passed away 26 December 1995 - Perth Amboy Middlesex New Jersey.  SSN issued New Jersey (Before 1951)

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=gramiak&GSiman=1&GScid=100039&GRid=148020533&

Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ) - December 28, 1995

Mrs. Gramiak  - A Mass for Mrs. Victoria Gramiak, 97, of Newark will be offered at 9 a.m. Saturday in St. Casimir's Church, Newark. Arrangements are by the Rucki Funeral Home, 426 Lafayette St., Newark. 'Mrs. Gramiak died Tuesday in the Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy Division. 'She was a member of the Rosary Society, the 3d Order of St. Francis, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and the St. Hedwig Society, all of St. Casimir's Church. 'Born in Poland, she lived... etc etc - remainder pay per view.


1920 Census under Granick

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4RM-9QW

1930 Census under Graniak

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4DT-JCB

1940 Census under Gramisk

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4BK-8MF

Sandra

[shellyesq]

There appear to be burials for them listed here - http://www.rcancem.org/find-a-loved-one-search/

[*Sandra*]

Joseph M Gramiak - 6 April 1916 passed away October 1983 - Last Residence 07105 Newark, Essex, New Jersey.

Sandra

[rutht22000]

daughter Mary Jeanette born 19 November 1923 died 29 December 2007 - never married

son George died 1942 (WW2 death?)

son Victor born February 16 1922 died 22 December 1945

Pawel/Paul seems to have died in 1958, all of them at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington
(have PM'd you a proper link)

[Elliven]

Thank you Ruth and Sandra,

I have not received a description of Pawel/Paul before so that is a real bonus.  There were quite a few children but there appears to be some weird naming conventions and the two sons known to have been in the military during WW2 were on the 1920/30/40 censuses as George (Polish equivalent Jerzy) but was actually named Grzegorz (Gregory) and Charles/Carl but was actually named Victor!

Both of these boys were killed in WW2 and it was an empty grave in England that lead to my investigation Grzegorz was exhumed in 1949 and re-buried in New Jerzy with his brother Victor who was killed in the Netherlands and was exhumed and re-buried in 1950.  Both were killed in air crashes; Grzegorz in Royal Air Force bomber that crashed into the Irish Sea and Victor in a USAAF bomber that was shot down and crashed in Holland.

Victoria's obituary showed that she had a surviving brother E Henry Gramiak but I have not been able to find him.

I am trying to add these boys to a memorial to Polish airmen (in England) and a colleague is trying to do the same in Poland.  Sadly, we have not even been able to find a photograph of Grzegorz/George although we have got a picture of their gravestone.

Thanks for your responses

[*Sandra*]

Missing Aircrew Report - Re Victor Gramiak

http://www.303rdbg.com/MACR/11758.pdf

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?18898-Unidentified-polish-airman-s-grave&p=110847#post110847

WW2 Enlistment for Victor

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8LV-5VJ

Sandra