Obit Sunday -- Constant Joseph Vidunas II 1918-1991

Obit Sunday -- Constant Joseph Vidunas II 1918-1991

1991

Constant Vidunas of Morrisville, Bucks County PA died 26 October 1991, according to the Social Security Death Index.  His social security card was issued before 1951 in Pennsylvania.  In the Social Security Applications and Claims Index, his parents are listed as Konstantas and Nellie Rateta Vidunas, that he had no disability, and that his name was changed in 1936 as Constant Joseph Vidunas, and in 1991 as Constant Vidunas.

Constant Joseph Vidunas II 1991 gravestone
Section 9-B; site 872;
Indiantown Gap National Cemetery

(Quenzer, 2010)

He is buried in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, Lebanon County PA; Section 9-B, Site 872.  Find-a-Grave Memorial # 61453491.  According to abbreviations.com, the AMMH1 on his gravestone means Aviation Machinist's Mate (hydraulic Mechanic) Petty Officer 1st Class.

Is Constant Joseph Vidunas your Vidunas ancestor?


Bibliography;

Quenzer, D. (2010, November 11). Constant J. Vidunas, Jr Memorial # 61453491. 

              Retrieved August 17, 2017, from Find-a-Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/

              fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=61453491&ref=acom#

Obit Sunday -- Constant Joseph Vidunas III 1945

Constant Joseph Vidunas III 1945

Mini Pedigree from Ancestry.com

1943

Constant Joseph Vidunas II and Catherine Markulin married in January, in Cook County Illinois.  They later had three children, Paul, Constant III, and Anne.

1945

Constant Joseph Vidunas III is born and died less than 2 months later.  This little boy was born prematurely in Greensburg PA in February, and he died at the hospital in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, PA.  I assume this would be his birth hospital, as well.  The address is listed at #16 Forbes Road, Westmoreland PA.  He is named as a Junior, rather than the Third, probably because the name is not exactly the same as his grandfather Kostantas.  However, the Lithuanian name and the Anglicized name are the same, therefore I consider this boy is the third Constant.  He was premature, and the doctor attended him from the moment of birth to his death.  He probably never even left the hospital.  He died of diarrhea which he'd had for five days.  

The informant's signature appears to be his mothers' authentic handwriting.  He had a Catholic burial in Greensburg PA.

Constant Joseph Vidunas III 1945 death certificate

(Ancestry.com, 2014)

Constant Joseph Vidunas III 1945 Gravestone

(Franny, 2013)

Ancestry.com. (2014). Constant J. Vidunas 1945 death certificate. Retrieved from Pennsylvania Death Certificates 

              1906-1964 [database online]: https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/5164/42410_2421406272_0839-

              02065?pid=605427389&backurl=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?

             indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D5164%26h%3D605427389%26ssrc%3Dpt%26tid%3D47476789%

             26pid%3D150047174799%26usePUB%3Dtrue&ssrc=pt&treeid

Franny. (2013, November 6). Constant J. Vidunas III, memorial # 119908800. Retrieved August 17, 2017, 

              from Find-A-Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119908800&ref=acom

Military Monday -- Constant Joseph Vidunas II 1918-1991

Constant Joseph Vidunas II 1918 - 1991

Mini Pedigree from Ancestry.com

As far as I can tell, he is not a relation of mine.  However, I still labour under the delusion that all Vidunas people are related, since there just aren't that many of us.

1940

Constant Vidunas enlisted into the US Navy.  This is his draft card.  He apparently lived with his father Konstantas Vidunas at 105 Hamilton Avenue, Vandergrift, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.  He worked for the Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corp at the plant in Vandergrift.  He was age 22, was born 28 May 1919 in East Vandergrift PA.  

Constant Joseph Vidunas
WWII Draft Card part 1
1940 from https://www.fold3.com/image/546380449

He was tall and lean, weighed 180 pounds and was over 6 feet tall.  He had blue eyes, brown hair, light complexion.  He registered for enlistment in Vandergrift on October 1940.

Constant Joseph Vidunas
WWII Draft Card part 2
1940 from 
https://www.fold3.com/image/546380449

The next three screenshots are of that house address as it currently is.  I don't imagine the house has changed that much in the last 50 years or so.

105 Hamilton Avenue, Vandergrift PA

(Google Maps, 2017)

105 Hamilton Avenue, Vandergrift PA

(Google Maps, 2017)

105 Hamilton Avenue, Vandergrift PA

(Google Maps, 2008)

1942

Constant Vidunas Joins the Navy.  He is one of 53 local men to join the Navy, and is living in Vandergrift PA.

Constant Vidunas joins the Navy 1942
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh PA)
7 Feb 1942 page 4

1942

This article indicates Constance was in the Navy Air unit.  "The group ... represented the largest contingent of fledgling air officers to be enlisted here by the Navy."  He lived in Vandergrift.

Constant Vidunas 1942 Navy Air Unit
Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh PA)
6 February 1942 page 32
downloaded from Newspapers.com March 2017

 Bibliography for those not cited directly in the blog:

Google Maps. (2008). 105 Hamilton Avenue, Vandergrift PA street view. 

            Retrieved August 17, 2017, from Google Maps Street View: https://www.google.com/maps/place/105+Hamilton+Ave,+Vandergrift,+PA+15690/

            @40.6032693,-79.5590521,3a,75y,298.94h,94.69t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sp-

            nVlBAGlE18bz7Op8nORg!2e0!7i3328!8i1664!4m5!3m4!1s0x8834b081cf

            43cf05:0xe667763851bb3f14!8m2!3d40.6034253!4d-79.559

Google Maps. (2017). 105 Hamilton Avenue, Vandergrift PA Satellite View. 

            Retrieved from Google Maps Satellite View: https://www.google.com/maps/place/105+Hamilton+Ave,+Vandergrift,+PA+15690/

            @40.6033481,-79.5593964,41m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x8834b081cf43cf

            05:0xe667763851bb3f14!8m2!3d40.6034253!4d-79.5594025

Google Maps. (2017). 105 Hamilton Avenue, Vandergrift PA Standard View.         

            Retrieved from Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/105+Hamilton+Ave,+Vandergrift,+PA+15690/

            @40.5958591,-79.5830758,14.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x8834b081cf43cf05:0xe

            667763851bb3f14!8m2!3d40.6034253!4d-79.5594025