For our cousins 2015

In fondest memory of my Radzvilowicz 1^st cousins, and sibling.  Mary Radzvilowicz-Conway, Frank Radzvilowicz Jr., Janet Politowicz-Craddock-Staggs, Joseph Radzvilowicz Jr., Tony Karney, and Paula Radzvilowicz-Doherty.   By Henry Scott-Holland (1847-1918). 

Death Is Nothing At All

Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
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Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
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Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
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Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
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Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?
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Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just round the corner.
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All is well.
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Shout out for old photos

Asking all the cousins to send me photo and document scans of our parents, aunts and uncles and grand parents.  Thanks in advance.  Steve

Radzvilowizc Reader # 2

Following  is the second issue of the Radzvilowicz Reader, Vol 2 Fall 1990.

The photo on the front page is of our maternal great grandparents, Zofy  and Marcel Zachar, shown seated and Marcel’s niece, un-named, standing behind them.  Her father, Marcel’s brother, apparently had died earlier of influenza, (there were influenza pandemics in Eastern Europe in 1889-1890 and again in 1917-1919, most likely he died in the earlier one).  She would have been a cousin of our Babcia, Michalena, and most likely was raised as a family member in Marcel’s household with the last name, Zachar. This might explain why she would be in a family photograph.

I would speculate her age to be between 12 and 15. Zofy and Marcel appear to be in their 40’s, suggesting their own children to be of similar age or slightly younger.  Helen’s notes indicate our Bobcia, Michalena had 3 sisters, Mary Zachar-Krupowski, Blanche and Josefa, and 2 brothers, Boleslaw and Stanley (Imagery & Reflections page 18). It is possible that one of these sisters was actually this cousin.

 

Radzvilozicz Reader 1st issue 1990

Back in 1990 our cousin Pam took a huge task upon herself.  She began publishing a family newsletter called “The Radzvilowicz Reader”, intended to be a quarterly event.  Pam was young and most of us were already busy raising families so, sadly, she didn’t get the participation her efforts deserved.  However, she did capture remarkable memories that could not be created now.  Many, many thanks to her and to all those who helped.  I’m certain that my mother enjoyed writing her memories partly because there was interest from the family.

All told, I have 11 issues totaling 77 pages. I’ve scanned my mother’s copies because she had added some handwritten annotations. 

The way to eat a whole elephant is one bite at a time, so I’ll post one issue at a time to the blog. Something to look forward too for almost every month.

 

Imagery & Reflections

Welcome Family and Friends

This blog will be a collection of stories and family histories of the Ancestors and Descendants of John Radzvilowicz (1893-1977) and Michelina Zacharowa (1898-1953).  Both were Polish immigrants who met in Uncasville, CT some time just before WW1.  There they raised 6 children.  Those children gave them 17 grandchildren. Those grandchildren gave them 27+ great grand children. 
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There is one rule.  Please consider whatever facts you share may be viewed by anyone on the web.
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As the family continues to grow more great great, and great great great grandchildren it is harder and harder to keep track so I welcome your contributions. 
At the same time, we have lost connections to our ancestors.  Hopefully some may find this blog and reconnect with our branch.
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Our roots also speak of Boleslaw (Bennie) Radzvilowicz, a younger brother of John by 3 years.  His family settled in Norwich, CT and some changed to the surname Radwill.  There is a recent suggestion of an older brother, Vincenti but still many questions.  Michelina Zacharowa became Michelina Zachar Radzvilowicz and beside her sister Mary Zacharowa Kurpowski, a Montville resident, she had sisters Blance and Josefa, and brothers Boleslaw and Stanley (Reflections page 18), all connections lost to us at this time.
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Some of the confusion over surnames comes from the shifting boarders of Poland.  In Russian Poland in 1866 a protest / revolt against Russian rule lead to the banning of the use of the Polish language in public and only Russian being taught in schools thereafter.  A proud and defiant people, the Poles tried to keep their language alive and D spoke a mix of Russian Polish, although he read and wrote in mostly Russian.  The modern Russian alphabet has 33 characters of Cyrillid script.  4 letters were deleted in 1917-1918.  8 letters were deleted before 1750. The Polish alphabet now has 32 characters but is has different origins than Russian.  A study into the details is a major college study that I can’t begin here.  Only believe me that compressing either language down to 26 characters leaves lots of new variations possible.
Then comes Americanization of names.  The new immigrants wanted to fit in to their new country with names that didn’t mark them as immigrants so, names were shortened and modified.
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Helen Radzvilowicz-Karney (1926-2011) was the 5th child.  In 1991, after cancer surgery, I suggested her spend some of her recovery writing her childhood memories.  A year later she gave me 24 typed, well composed pages which I would like to share with those who did not get one of the few printed copies. Her mini autobiography is contained in the following 25 photo scans. (sorry to say I am having trouble posting these photos and I am working on a fix.  Meanwhile, here are some to the names she listed and the page numbers they will be found on.   
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This list is both my mother’s spellings from her memories, possibly of names she never saw written out, and my guessing on when the ending ‘s’ was plural for a family or singular.  So, either one of us may be less than perfect with the spellings.  

page	surname	full name	relation	to
1	Fox	Dr Morton Fox
2	Wisniewski
2	Allen
2	Rheaume
2		Sophie	Cousin
3	none
4	Palczewski
4	Radzvilowicz	Bennie	Brother	John Radzvilowicz
4	Rassmussen
4	Sobolewski	Joe Sobolewski
4	Sobolewski	Helen Sobolewski
5	Kropowski	Walter Kropowski	Cousin
5	Macknicki
6	Luty
6	Voit
7	Bolles
7	Kenn
7	Perringer	Lillian Perringer
7	Zieger
7	House
7	Pulahovich
7	Shea	Mike Shea
7	Shea	Helen Shea
7	Munson	Marjorie Munson
7	Dryhan
8	Herbert
8	Lak
8	Poplawski
8	Carron
8	Bassinett
8	Zagorski
9	Donahue	Dr. Donahue
9	Fox	Dr. Fox
9	Rassmussen	Dr. Rassmussen
9	Lubchansky	Dr. Lubchansky
10	Sheehan
10	Brooks
10	Leckenback
11	Kondratowicz
11	Chalutas
12	Bokoff
12	Angeloszek
13	Sobolewski
13	Krajewski
13	Perringer
13	Thibeault
14	Scoviche
15	Paroza	Sophie Paroza
16	Stankiewicz	Chester Stankiewicz
17	none
18	Tamulevich
18	Pistrowski	Helen Zachar Pistrowski	Cousin	Lena Zachar Radzvilowicz
18	Zacharowa	Walarian Zacharowa	Uncle	Lena Zachar Radzvilowicz
18	Weisler	Judge Weisler
18	Pistrowski	Walter Pistrowski Sr
18	Pistrowski	Walter Pistrowski Jr
18	Zacharowa	Amelia ? Zacharowa
18	Zacharowa	Blanch	Sister	Lena Zachar Radzvilowicz
18	Zacharowa	Mary	Sister	Lena Zachar Radzvilowicz
18	Zacharowa	Josefa	Sister	Lena Zachar Radzvilowicz
18	Zacharowa	Boleslaw	Brother	Lena Zachar Radzvilowicz
18	Zacharowa	Stanley	Brother	Lena Zachar Radzvilowicz
19	Marslow
19	Sobanski
19	Goldblatt	Phillip Goldblatt
19	Goldblatt	Morris Goldblatt
20	Hendel	William Hendel
20	Hendel	Myron Hendel
20	Gutkowski	Felix Gutkowski
21	Koleda	Polly Koleda
21	Matweef
21	Leist
21	Smiddy
21	Soja	Alice Soja
22	Mioduszewski	Raymond Mioduszewski
22	Chapel
22	Krupowski	Alec Krupowski
22	Krupowski	Mary Zacharowa Krupowski
22	Krupowski	Mary Krupowski
22	Krupowski	Helen Krupowski
22	Krupowski	Walter Krupowski
22	Krupowski	Alec Krupowski r
22	Krupowski	Sophie Krupowski
22	Willard	Larry Willard
22	Willard	Mary Krupowski Willard
23	Sobolewski	Joe Sobolewski
23	Stefanski	Hellen Stefanski Sobolewski
24	Radzvilowicz	Bennie Radzvilowicz
24	Radzvilowicz	Julia ? Radzvilowicz
24	Radzvilowicz	Anne
24	Radzvilowicz	Mary
24	Radzvilowicz	Nellie
24	Radzvilowicz	Stanley
24	Radzvilowicz	Michael
24	Radzvilowicz	Joseph
24	Psylucki	Rose Radzvilowicz Psylucki
24	Psylucki	Frank Psylucki
24	Psylucki	Helen Psylucki
24	Psylucki	Frances Psylucki
24	Psylucki	Joseph Psylucki
24	Psylucki	Clair Psylucki
24	Walenczyk	Stanley Walenczyk
24	Macknicki	Amelia Macknicki
24	Macknicki	Evelyn Macknicki
24	Macknicki	Fannie Macknicki

 Wish me luck on posting her text.