Wednesday's Child -- Albin Vidunas Birth Certificate

Albin Vidunas Birth certificate 1906

This is a birth certificate I found online.  The child is Albin Vidunas.  He was born 15 November 1906 to Hipolite and Maggie Poscavage Vidunas, in Shenandoah, Schuylkill Pennsylvania.  He is a single male, and is legitimate.  Albin was born at 6pm.  Line 20 indicates that he is the first born child.

Hipolite Vidunas is 25 years old and born in Lithuania, works as a laborer.

Maggie is 24 years old, born in Lithuania and works as a Housewife.

What is very interesting, to me, is that it looks like Hipolite delivered his own child.  The reason I think this is beccause of the signature line.  First of all, Hipolite apparently could not write, since he made his mark on the signature line.  The directions for the signature say 

"When there is no attending physician or midwife, then the father, householder, etc., should make this return"

This tells me there was no attending physician at the birth.  There may have been a lay midwife, similar to the ones depicted on the British TV show "Call the Midwife."  I can't tell.

Hmmm.  Looking closer, one finds the last line, which indicates this record was filed 3/24/1923.  This would be a delayed birth certificate,  filed when Albin was 17 years old.  Too late for WWI; too early for WWII.  Perhaps Albin was trying to join the Army and needed a birth certificate?

Is this your Vidunas?  I suspect all US Vidunas' are related, my project is to prove such.

Source:
Record Url: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi­bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=General­60484&h=432155

Source Information: Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Birth Records, 1906­1908 [database on­line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Original data: Pennsylvania (State). Birth certificates, 1906–1908. Series 11.89 (50 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Music Monday -- William Vidunas

3 Generation Pedigree from Ancestry.com 

This is an article I found about my father.  He was a Tech Sergeant for US Air Force at the time, and played tuba in the orchestra.  I've already written about his own father, the Soldier Musician in the US Army.  Dad never knew that his dad played so many instruments, yet he himself plays the Bass Violin and the Tuba.

The Town Talk (Alexandria, Louisiana)
Sun, Sep 15, 1974 · Page 29
Downloaded on Feb 26, 2017 from
Newspapers.com

The article reads:

The membership of the Rapides Symphony Orchestra is a cross section of professions drawn from musicians as far away as Beaumont, Tex.  T.Sgt. Bill Vidunas, stationed at England Air Force Base, discusses a selection during a rehearsal with Miss Florence Kushner of Lake Charles (Louisiana) and State Police Troop E Lt. Bill Taylor of Bunkie.  Miss Kushner is the aunt of Symphony Conductor William Kushner, also of Lake Charles.

======================================

Mystery Monday -- Hipolite, Hypolite, Ipolitas

Pennsylvania, Birth Records, 1906-1908 from Ancestry.com
Hipolito Vidunas and Maggie Poscavage had a son Albin
It looks as if Daddy delivered his little boy

I started researching an interesting name.  First, it was Hipolite Vidunas, the father who delivered his own baby, Albin, at home in 1906 (see birth certificate above).  This was in Schulkill Pennsylvania.  One would think with a name like this, it should be easy to find.

1896 Hypolit Widunis, age 19,
Hamburg Passenger List

Hypolit Widunas, age 27
right side of page, ninth surname up from bottom
1899 Hamburg Passenger List

Then I discovered that Augustus W. Vidunas' sister, Elzbieta was on a ship to America, and was going to visit her brother Hipolite Vidunas.  This Hipolite is married to Valeria.  In the 1912 record below, he is "Ipolitas."  How can we be more confusing?!

Feb 1912 marriage record
Ipolitas Vidunas and Valerija Lucinskiute

I deduced that the pronounciation must be hip-POLL-it-uh.  His name would be Americanized to Paul.  Also, the Polish spelling is Ipolitas.  I also found one Paulitas.  Here, in 1925, his death record (below) again is spelled Hipolite (pronounced still, hip-POLL-it-uh).  His parents George and Rose have Americanized names (Lit = Jurgis and Rozalija), why not Paul?  I'm sure this is the same person because his wife is the same.

1925 Death certificate Hipolite Vidunas
wife Valeria Vidunas
parents George and Rose Savakinas Vidunas

So, I have found three Hipolites and one Ipolitas.  And nobody's wife matches up.  AND, I find bald spots on the top of my head, undoubtedly from frustration..




I found another one on MyHeritage.com.  Hypolite and Mary Helandzesyte Vidunas had one son, Bronislaus.  I have a Bronislaus I'd found earlier, but he is married to Mary, no kids so far.

Ipolitas Vidunas is Augustus W. Vidunas' aunt's brother
Augustus W. Vidunas -- Ona Viduniene his mother -- Petras Paliutis her brother -- Ona Paliutiene his wife -- Ipolitas Vidunas her brother

Ipolitas "Paul" Vidunas is Agustus W. Vidunas' aunt's nephew (Which is Geni.com's contorted way of saying they are cousins)
Augustus W. Vidunas -- Ona Viduniene his mother -- Petras Pauliutis her brother -- Ona Paliutiene his wife -- Jurgis "George" Vidunas her brother -- Ipolitas "Paul" Vidunas his son


So, what you, dear reader, can do is to comment if you also have similar problems, how you've solved it (assuming you did solve the dilemma), and any suggestions you have for me.  Are my premises and assumptions correct?  I am open to suggestions.

Comment below.

In the News Wednesday -- Joseph Vidunas 1943

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
Thu, Mar 18, 1943 ·  Page 24
downloaded March 2017, Newspapers.com

Second Lt. Joseph Vidunas visits wife 1943
recently rec'd commission at Camp Davis NC, spends a short visit with his wife, Lois, at the home of his parents, Mr and Mrs John
Yorski of Penn Street, Kingston. Reporting for duty he will go to Camp Haan, Calif. Lt. Vidunas has been in the US Army since 1928

Wednesday's Child -- Anne Vidunas

The Levittown Times (Levittown, Pennsylvania
24 August 1965, page 3
Downloaded 10 March 2017
from Newspapers.com

I don't know anything about this little girl, Anne Vidunas, except she would be about 5 years old in 1965. This puts her birth date about 1960, and she would be 57 years old in 2017.

Do you know who this might be?  If so, contact me using the form on the right.

If my premise is correct, this would be a cousin of some sort.

Wonderful Resources

I found a few wonderful resources in my research.  I will list them here for two reasons.  First is a selfish one -- I want to be able to quickly find them to use them again.  Second is to share with you, my fellow family historian.  I will add more as I find them.

1. Historic Map Works -- the subtitle is residential genealogy.  I have only searched two surnames and one residence and I like what I see.
2. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps -- I used this when researching my Vidunas clan in Pennsylvania.  I could really see how close they lived to the mines, the new school built of bricks and that they were within walking distance of their church.
3. Gjenvick Passenger Lists of Ellis Island -- I found my Vidunas immigrants using this site
4. The Map search of land ownership from the Library of Congress.  It can be a bit tricky to use, but you can search by state then by county.  Once you get the "slideshow" up, typically you have to click on the words on the slide from which you can find and search for your desired county.
5. A place to purchase maps.  You can download a small resolution map for 5$, or a printable version for 20$.  I don't know about you, but that seems very expensive.  Especially when your purchased item comes with their watermark all over it.  What I did was I found the map here on their searchable engine, then I went to the Library of Congress site (above) to pinpoint the map I wanted.
6. Some other websites I've not been able to fully explore but plan to include
1. Farm Ownership guide from Archives.gov
2. The Plat Plotter app which is supposed to work as an overlay with Google maps.  Should be useful when searching for present day locations for historical places
3. Students of Descent either have their own app or they list other ways of finding genealogically significant locations
4. Google Earth Hacks sounds cool, doesn't it?
5. Searching for Townships.  Need to try this one out
6. Heaven for Genealogists.  Well, I could use a little Heaven about now
7. A YouTube video I thought was important enough to include here
8. Another YouTube video I thought was important

Andrew Yorski obituary October 1946

Wilkes Barre Times Leader. (1946, October 8). 

Newspapers.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from 

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News 

(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania).

Andrew Yorski was stepfather to Stella and Anna Vidunas, Louis and John Vidunas, and my grandfather Joseph Vidunas.  The obituary reads as follows:  "Andrew Yorski, 20 Penn street, Kingston, a veteran of World War I, died yesterday in Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, following illness of three days.
The funeral will be held from the home … with a high mass of requiem at 10:30 in St. Hedwig’s Church.  Burial will be in St. Mary’s cemetery, Pringle.Mr. Yorski was a resident of the West Side 50 years.  He came to this country from Poland when a young man.  Deceased had worked around the mines until a week ago.  He was a member of St. Hedwig’s Church, Kingston, Woodward Local of the United Mine Workers of America, and American Legion Post 395
Surviving are the following stepchildren:  Mrs. Stella Lohman, Louis and John Vidunas, and Miss Anna Vidunas, all of Kingston; Also 11 grandchildren."

Apparently his liver became very bad the last few days of his life.  He may have consumed alcohol, although one can get cirrhosis from other diseases.

Miscellaneous Vidunas stuff

Mary Vidunas Yorski with
Joseph and Lois Howell Vidunas,
1940s Kingston PA

This is a photograph of Joseph A. Vidunas with his mother Mary Vidunas Yorski and his wife Lois Howell Vidunas.  I wonder, is this a different set of insignia on his uniform?

I suspect the photographer is Louis A. Vidunas, his brother for a couple of reasons.  The photographer is a man, as evidenced by the shadow of a man's hat; and this photograph is owned by Joseph's grand nephew, Louis Vidunas III.

As far as I know, my dad has never seen this photograph of his parents.

Postcard of the Panama Canal from
Joseph to his brother Louis A. Vidunas, 1932

Back of the postcard of the Panama Canal from Joseph

This is the front of a postcard sent from Joseph on arrival at the Canal Zone in 1932.  What this tells me is that when Joseph was shipped to the Canal Zone because of the attack on Pearl Harbour, it was not his first trip.








Here, he writes

"Breezed in this afternoon.  I've got about 8 Atlas Beers under my belt and I'm going round for more.  Hot as h--l. Wish you were here.  Joe."

Postcard is owned by Louis' grandson, Louis Vidunas III.

SS Patricia,August Vidunas arrived 1901

These images are from the Ellis Island site.  The first one is a postcard of four sister ships, including the SS Patricia.  August arrived on this ship in 1901

SS Patricia Promenade Deck

This is a photograph of the promenade deck of all four sister ships.  Did August Vidunas walk these wooden planks?  How crowded was it?  Was it cold?  Did he get sick?

Naturalization for Andrew Yorski 1914

In his declaration of intent for Andrew Yorski to become a legal, naturalized citizen, he reports that he is 26 years old, a miner with fair complextion and black hair, brown eyes, and a scar and coal marks marring his face.  He is of average build, 5'10" and 195 pounds.  He was born in Cahy Slaszy Poland.  It is written as Russia Poland because it was considered property of Russia at the time.

His address is 38 Penn Street in Kingston, that he left Hamburg Germany but cannot remember the ship he sailed on, arriving at New York 15th May 1903.  The Czar of Russia then was Nicolas II.

I love to see the real signatures of my ancestors, and although he is related by marriage, he is still important, and this appears to be his true signature.  Sometimes the clerk will sign for the applicant, but this looks like the real deal.

Veteran's Compensation Andrew Yorski 1934

On this Veteran's Compensation application, we see that Andrew Yorski was in the Army for a grand total of six months.  That's a very short time, but I'm sure he was very glad to be done with it.

Death Certificate 1946 for Andrew Yorski

This is the death certificate for Andrew Yorski, also spelled Yarski.  He died at Moses Taylor hospital in Scranton, Lackawanna County PA.  he lived at 20 Penn Street, Kingston, Luzerne, PA.  His wife, born 1887, died before he did.  He was only 59 years old at the time he died.  His occupation was laborer.

Step daughter Anne Vidunas (who seems to not be married at this time) was a nurse who cared for her mother before she died, did she care for Andrew?  She gave the information for the certificate, and she also lived at 20 Penn Street in Kingston.  Andrew died at 9am on the 7th of October, 1946.  He died of Cirrhosis of the Liver.  In parenthesis is the word "Biliary" and I think this is another name for the condition.

Andrew is buried in Pringle Cemetery, Luzerne County, PA.  The funeral director looks like William A. Shukwictus, 232 Zerby Avenue, Kingston PA.  This address is the funeral home across the street from the church.

Mary Sadauskaite Vidunas Yorski

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News 
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
Mon, Aug 27, 1945 ·  Page 18

This is the obituary for Mary Sadauskas Vidunas Yorski.  She died at home at 20 Penn Street in Kingston about 6 months and 1 week after that.  Her daughter Anne Vidunas was a Registered Nurse who got her education in New York, two hours or so from Kingston.  She came down to care for Mary.  But, once again, the really new news is her sister Martha Markelonis.  I've been conversing with a cousin, who said that Mary and her sister Martha lived next door to each other.  I did find something like that, but no proof of a sisterly connection until I found this article.  And, here are three other sisters still living in Lithuania.

1920 Kingston Census
Mary Vidunas 71 Penn Street 

 In the 1920 Census, Mary is a widow living with her children on 71 Penn Street in Kingston.  She is not working, her two oldest boys are working either in the Coal Mines or as a messenger for the Telegraph.  The next two kids are in school and the baby stays home.

Mary and Louis arrived in 1905 but are not naturalized by this time.  These two speak Lithuanian as well as English, while the other children speak only English.

71 Penn Street from Google Maps

1930 Kingston Census

This is the 1930 Census.  Mary now lives on 20 Penn Street with Andrew Yorski.  Louis, John and Anna are also living with them, along with Louis' wife Frances and their two children Louis II and Dolores.  Andrew is from Poland and is naturalized.  Mary and Louis are also listed as naturalized.  I think it may be because at that time, women and children were naturalized when the husband/father was.

Andrew, Louis and John work in the Coal Mines.  Joseph is gone in the Army.  Stella is also out of the house.

Interestingly, take a look at their neighbors, the Markelonis at 18 Penn Street.  This is actually the other half of the house.  This is also Mary's sister Martha.  So in one duplex, they had many children including Stella Vidunas and Stella Markelonis; Joseph Vidunas and Joseph Markelonis (who is listed here as Adolph Jr).  They also went by the last name of "Markel" which muddies the water.  But, we may or may not get back to them later.

1940 Kingston Census

In this, the 1940 Kingston Census, we find the family living in the same house, this time with Stella Lowman and grandchildren Mary and Edward.  Andrew still works in the Coal mines.

Interesting, the line above, line 41, is Pamela Jane DeLong.  She is the granddaughter of Adolph and Martha Markelonis of 18 Penn Street.

Penn Street Fire Map 1919

This is the Fire Map for the Penn Street area.  If you find 20 Penn Street, you can see they are within a block of St Mary's RC Church, and the Penn Street School.  I don't know if the kids attended that school, but probably they did.  Also, to the left of the map, is the Kingston Coal Company.  Did the Vidunas men-folk work in this mine?  It would be within walking distance.  It make sense to have the workers' housing that close to the mines.

Penn Street Fire Map 1925

This fire map is from 1925.  Again, you can see that 20 Penn Street is within walking distance of the church and the Penn Street School.  But now there is a new street, with it's own school, Pringle Street School built in 1923.  Again, there is the Kingston Coal Mines.

The Rotterdam, which Mary and Louis Vidunas traveled on

This is the ship that carried Mary and her little son Louis to Ellis Island.

1905 Ships Manifest
Marianna Widenown and son Ludvig

 And this is the Ship's Manifest.  You can see on line 10 Marianna Widenown and her son Ludwig.  They are bound for her husband A. Widenowa on Park Street, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

Again, who knew that Vidunas was spelled this way?  According to people on the FaceBook page "Lithuanian Global Genealogical Society" they found this entry, and everything lines up.  If one takes into account the way the name is pronounced, add in non-Lithuanian people trying to write down the names, and a rushed clerk and we have something weird.


On my to-do list
1. find these three sisters in Lithuania
2. write about Martha Sadausky Markalonis living right next door.
3.  write about immigration proofs
4.  find the naturalization for Mary and Louis.
______________________________________________________

Bibliography

Ancestry.com. (1920). 1920 United States Federal Census. Retrieved from Kingston Ward 5, Luzerne, Pennsylvania : Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com. (2002). 1930 United States Federal Census. Retrieved from Kingston, Luzerne, Pennsylvania: http://interactive.ancestry.com/6224/

4639400_00047/52887690?

backurl=http://person.ancestry.com/tree/47

476789/person/150047140756/facts/citation

/600180305279/edit/record

Ancestry.com. (2012). 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Retrieved from Kingston, Luzerne, Pennsylvania: http://interactive.ancestry.com/2442/

M-T0627-03554-00387/28867852?

backurl=http://person.ancestry.com/tree/47

476789/person/150047140756/facts/

citation/600180433024/edit/record

Google. (2017). Maps. Retrieved from 71 Penn Street: https://www.google.com/maps/place/

71+Penn+St,+Kingston,+PA+18704/@41.2709

39,-75.9036269,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!

1s0x89c510a0c0441fe1:0x396a7e4a96c53ae

e!8m2!3d41.270939!4d-75.9014382

Lithuanian Global Genealogical Society. (n.d.). Facebook Page. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/groups/

lithuanian.genealogy/

Sanborn Map Company. (1919). Kingston including Edwardsville, Dorranceton and Pringle Boroughs, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, July 1919. Retrieved from Kingston-1919_sheet17: https://collection1.libraries.psu.edu/

cdm/compoundobject/collection/maps1/id/

11918/rec/7

Sanborn Map Company. (1925). Kingston including Pringle and Edwardsville, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, June 1925. Retrieved February 11, 2017, from Kingston-1925_sheet28: https://collection1.libraries.psu.edu/

cdm/compoundobject/collection/maps1/id/

27424/rec/6

The Plain Speaker. (1901, December 27). Newspapers.com. Retrieved from Social Page: https://www.newspapers.com/image/

?spot=8825804

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. (1945, August 27). The Evening News (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) [database online]. Retrieved from Page 18: Newspapers.com

Joseph Vidunas newspaper articles

OMG!  (I rarely say that phrase, but ... OMG!)

I was given access for a short time to Newspapers.com, the value of which I was very skeptical.  Yet it has provided such a wealth of personal information on my family.  This little branch of the Vidunas line is extremely silent.  No oral history passed down from one generation to the next.  Very little in the way of written information.  Until now.

I want to share a newspaper article I found about my Grandfather Joseph A. Vidunas. He was 1st Lt with the 84th, and the article was printed about 3 weeks before he died. Two different headlines, my favourite is "Vidunas Explores Nazi Town"
"With the 84th Infantry Division in Europe -- Lt. Joseph Vidunas, 201 Penn Street, made a personal reconnaissance of the German town of Wurm two weeks before it had been taken by the Railsplitter Division.
"Lt. Vidunas became separated from his company while it was moving into position at the town of Lindern. Arriving at the battalion headquarters in the town of Beeck, he inquired the way to Lindern. Taking the road pointed out to him, he arrived at a railroad underpass. Realizing that he was not on the right road, he decided to find out where he was.
"Entering the apparently deserted town ahead, he spotted a sentry standing in a doorway. He hailed the sentry, asking for some information. Receiving no answer he decided to try the pass word. As soon as the sentry heard this, he turned and ran toward the rear of the house. Glimpsing his German helmet in the shadows, the lieutenant decided that it was time for him to leave. He did.""Entering the apparently deserted town ahead, he spotted a sentry standing in a doorway. He hailed the sentry, asking for some information. Receiving no answer he decided to try the pass word. As soon as the sentry heard this, he turned and ran toward the rear of the house. Glimpsing his German helmet in the shadows, the lieutenant decided that it was time for him to leave. He did."

from The Wilkes-Barre Record, 24 January 1945, page 17

My dad and I never knew anything about his military career.  Growing up, I had two photos to look at, and wonder at.  As I started my genealogy adventure, I found this.  It says:

 AGPC-G 201 Vidunas, Joseph
(13 Mar 45)  01053411

8 June 1945

Dear Mrs. Vidunas:

I am referring to my letter of 13 March 1945, which confirmed the death of your husband, First Lieutenant Joseph Vidunas, on 19 February 1945 in Germany.

The military authorities have conducted an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding your husband's death and the report has now been received in the War Department.  This report reveals that Lieutenant Vidunas died instantly on the afternoon of 19 February 1945 in his camp area near Brachelen, Germany, as the result of injuries sustained when a pistol which he was handling, was accidentally discharged.  Lieutenant Vidunas was on a duty status at the time of the accident.

Report of death for Joseph Vidunas.
On duty, no misconduct

The Quartermaster General, Washington, D. C., has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the burial of our military personnel who die overseas and any inquiry, regarding the location of your husband's grave, may be addressed to that official.

There is very little I can say to mitigate your grief or relieve your sorrow but I cannot refrain from tendering my heartfelt sympathy and expressing the hope that you will find comfort in the knowledge that Lieutenant Vidunas died while serving honorably and faithfully in his country's cause.

Sincerely yours,
Robert H. Dunlop
Brigadier General
Acting The Adjutant General of the Army

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
Mon, Jul 21, 1941 ·  Page 6

In this article (which has a spelling error.  Yes, I am THAT kind of person) in the local newspaper, Joseph Vidunas has been promoted to Tech Sgt.  He's finished his training at the Coast Artillery School, lives now at Camp Davis NC, assigned to the Barrage Balloon Battalion.

But, the most exciting part, the really new news for me, is the last paragraph.  Because he had a musical lyre on his lapel, and because the 1930 census has him as a soldier musician, I figured he was in a band.  I wondered what kind of instrument he played?  Well, here is the answer to my question -- he played in the Army Band and orchestra and was an "accomplished musician on the violin, trombone and saxaphone."  My dad was in the Air Force Band and played the Bass Viol and the Tuba.  I guess musicality is in our genes!  Dad never knew about his father's musical talent.  Now, I wonder ... did Joseph also have a camera in his hand?

Suggestions are most definately welcome.  You see, I didn't get this much information working alone.  I have to thank the Lithuanian Global Society on Facebook, my friend Vikki for lending me access to Newspapers.com; my newly found Vidunas cousins; and the facebook group Friends and Family of the 84th Division.  These people gave me snippets (or huge chunks) of information with which I could flesh out the people and the stories, and chase down new information that nobody else seems to know!  Well guess what!  We all know this now.  Feel free to share your information.