Lithuania/Prussia/Germany SACAREVEK GABIONAT

[Murma]

I believe my ggrandmother was Lithuanian - Eva Sacarevek- but we have no info except a birthdate @ 1871 and death date @ 1937. She married a Prussian, Johann Gabionat and lived in County Pilkallen East Prussia, later Germany, now Russia. Johann was killed at work- trampled by horses - worked on building dykes - was this a common occupation in Prussia in the 1880s -1890s? We have an affidavit from the 1930's attesting to my grandfather's DOB completed by his mother in Augsburg Germany and she is listed as an annuitant - could she have been receiving a pension or death benefit from Johann?  Would this have been the usual German common practice? My grandfather, their only child, was born in Germany 1893. I haven't seen the Gabionat surname other than my relatives, Gabionat and Sacarevek yield no results in searches. Anyone know if these names seem to be Lithuanian/German/Prussian? Sacarevek definitely sounds Slavic, yet Gabionat seems to some to have French origins. On some Censuses other Gabionat relatives listed Russian as their ethnicity. My grandfather spoke Lithuanian Russian German and English. In the early 1930's Eva lived in Jodzhalen Germany which I am told was destroyed in the war. Any info or directions or research areas would be a blessing. Thank you.

[garstonite]

the only other one I could find - is he one of your family ??
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9RG-HLP

[SwissGill]

Hi

Reading your post brought back memories of someone I knew a good few years ago named Glaboniat. It is quite a popular name in Austria but there are also Glaboniats in Germany.

Sorry cannot help more.

[Murma]

Yes, thank you for checking, Garstonite, that is my grandfather. I have that Census. I use family search and the local Family History Center, and am an ancestry.com member, so I have what they have.
Thank you SwissGill, I do wonder where the name came from. Historically, there were some French Huguenot Communities near Konigsberg Prussia beginning in the 1700s. We are told the T at the end is pronounced like an S. It became Gabjunas Gabyunas and Gabunas. I have seen a Gabijunas birth cert in NY, but do not know if they are related. I found a Gabjunat surname listed in a Pillkallen Personal Family Names 1930 Listing, and a Gabunat in Prussian Surnames.  Searching languages, the best I could come up with is that Gabija is the Lithuanian goddess of hearth and home, Jonas is the Lithuanian form of John; so maybe the name is a derivative form somehow? Gabijajonas? The search continues...

[SwissGill]

This is getting a bit muddled for my poor old head.

The Frank Gaboniat on the NY 1915 Census dob 1894 is living with Anton Gabjunas and his wife Mary all give Russia as country of origin. Agnes Willkute is also a lodger with them.

There is also a FT on Ancestry which gives Anton Gabjunas as being the child of Eva Sacarevek and John Gabunas.

Anton Gabunas / Gabjunas died 1934 Connecticut, born 1885 according to cemetery inscription.

No more mention of Frank Gaboniat.

[Murma]

Yep SwissGill I have all that and that seems to be most of all that there is. The FT on ancestry is my niece's - she has it a little wrong. Anton is Frank's uncle. We surmise he must have been Johann's brother. Eva and Johann only had 1 child. Anton's wife was Theresa; either the Census is incorrect or there was a wife we don't know about.  The 1910 Kings Census shows an Anthony Gabunas, Russian, boarder, working in an ice house, as in 1915. I assume this is Anton as well. His death cert lists him as Anthony Gabyunas, born in Lithuania 1886, wife Theresa. The search continues...

[Lorram]

 Hi!
Looking for relatives.Maybe there is the same line of descent? Would be nice to contact. My grandfather Jurgis Gabjunas  (‘J‘ is pronounced like ‘Y‘ in ‘yellow‘; ‘G‘ – like ‘G‘ in ‘good‘) was born in 1888, died in 1952. Place of birth was near the Lithuanian –Prussian border. My great-grandfather Gabjunas Andreas was born in Prussia, later Germany. Now it is a Russian territory.
As we live in Lithuania, after the World War II the surname of our family was made more Lithuanian. It was transformed into Gabijūnas (‘Ū‘ is pronounced like ‘OO‘ in ‘school‘). Exclusively, only our family has such surname in Lithuania.
We know that some relatives live in Germany (now it is a Russian territory), but we haven‘t been in search of them.
Also we were interested in our ancestry. Around the year 1710 some French people setlled in the territories of Lithuania and Russia. In 1815-1816 the soldiers of Napoleon settled there as well. We think, that our surname is of French descent.
Kind regards!

[Murma]

Hi Lorram Thank you very much for your reply and the additional information. Every little bit is helpful. It is great to meet you! It certainly seems we are related as the surname is so unusual.

My grandfather Franz Gabionat was born in 1894 in Girrehlischken, East Prussia. I am told his father Johann Gabionat had 2 brothers and 3 sisters - Anton, Richard, Anna, Francisca, and Marie. They would have been born in the 1870's-1880's. Anton married Theresa  Giedraitis who was born in Lithuania in 1880.
 
After my grandfather Franz's father Johann died in 1899, his mother Eva Sacarevek Gabionat worked for and lived with a family with the surname Radtke- the father was Ludwig- they may have been related. Is this name familiar to you?

I was also told that my grandfather Franz had a cousin with the name Vladyslaw Nowicki. Is that familiar to you?

I had my DNA analyzed and I have no German or French roots - only Lithuanian- so perhaps both my ggrandparents (Johann Gabionat and Eva Sacarevek) are from Lithuanian families.

Again, thank you so much. Please keep in touch.

[Koralle]

Hello Murma

I have registered here to find emigrated family members in Brazil. At first I looked around and found your request. For some times, there are broadcasting contributions on the origin of surnames on the radio. Prof. Dr. Udolph, a renowned name researcher, gives free information on surnames sent in. Here is the link for requesting.

https://www.mdr.de/sachsenradio/programm/namenkunde156.html


Maybe you are in luck and your surname will be chosen... English shouldn't be a problem.

Kind regards from Germany
Brigitte