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My Family History

My Family History. By Katy Cerwinske. Why don’t I have much info on my father’s side?. Answer: Directly from an e-mail from my father to me.

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My Family History

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  1. My Family History By Katy Cerwinske

  2. Why don’t I have much info on my father’s side? • Answer: • Directly from an e-mail from my father to me “My mom was born in Stamford CT, my Dad in Rockford Iowa. Cheryl was born 8/17...1955 I think. Walter in November...1947?, Susan in May, 1950? She was only a year ahead of me in school I don't have any old pics...or even current pics...sorryIn looking at the stuff on the Geneology site from Germany where the name was spelled the same, maybe it didn't change...I really have no evidence of what it might have been changed from, if at all. “

  3. Prussia • Pommern is a region of Prussia and it’s capitol is Stettin, where my great-great grandparents came from • After the 30-Years-War (1648) Pommern consisted of two areas: Schwedish-Pommern in the West under Swedish rule and the Eastern area under the rule of the Brandenburg Electors. After the defeat of Napoleon, Sweden in 1815 renounced all her claims to areas in Germany incl. Pommern. Pommern West of the Oder River was also called Vorpommern (Cis-Pomerania), East of the Oder River Hinterpommern (Trans-Pomerania). In 1938 areas from the former provinces of Westpreussen and Posen which were lost after WWI were added in an administrative reform. Hinter-Pommern was cleansed of its ethnic German population and given to Poland in 1945. The Western powers were silent on the ethnic cleansing. Stettin was renamed Szczecin. • http://users.foxvalley.net/~goertz/faq.pom.html

  4. Joseph Cerwinske (Great-Great Grandfather) • Born: 1854  Voelschendorf-Stettin, Pommern, Pruessen • AWOL from Prussian Army and came over to America with his brother Martin • Moved to Rockford, Iowa in 1870 • Married: Carolena (Lena) Belitz in 1877 • Died: 1902

  5. Carolena (Belitz) Cerwinske(Great-Great Grandmother) • Born: Oct. 8, 1857 in Veolschendorf-Stettin • Remarried: Rev. Harvey Hostettler after Joseph’s death • Hostettler Massacre in PA where Native Americans slaughtered the whole family in late 1700’s • Death: March 30, 1938 in Rockford, Iowa

  6. Their Children • Frederick: Feb. 12, 1878 • Emma: March 4, 1880 • Otto: Feb. 8, 1882 • Elise: Sept. 30, 1885 • All born in Rockford, Iowa

  7. Rockford, Iowa • http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/travel/dg/maps/f5/750x750_iowa_m.gif

  8. Frederick M. F. Cerwinske(Great Grandfather aka my dad’s Grandpa) • Born: Feb 12, 1878 in Rockford, Iowa • Married: Nellie Krause on August 17, 1910 • Served as Justice as the Peace for many years • Farmer • Died: November 1972

  9. Frederick M. F. Cerwinske (Great Grandfather)

  10. Nellie (Krause) Cerwinske

  11. Their Children • Robert • Gilbert Emerson (my grandpa) • Herbert • Still living in Houston, Texas • Wife Alceste just died in the recent years • Only has 4 fingers on one hand, likes to trick small children when they count how many fingers he has • Richard

  12. Gilbert Cerwinske (Grandfather aka Dad’s dad)) • Born: April 11, 1913 in Rockford, Iowa • Married: Marion Smith (Stamford, CT) • Moved East to NJ during the Great Depression to get a job with his brother • Had a college degree from Buena Vista College • Worked as sports reporter for the newspaper and teacher/principal in Iowa • Worked as grocery store manager in Union, New Jersey • Applied at Prudential with his brother, but only one job available so they flipped a coin • *Has another son with another woman, but don’t know anything about it • Death: November 21, 1991 in Union New, Jersey

  13. Marion (Smith) Cerwinske(grandmother aka Dad’s mom) • Born: Nov. 6, 1918 in Stamford, CT • Met Gilbert while he worked at an ACME grocery store in Newark, NJ • She shopped there with her mom • Her mother Susie lived in Union, NJ with her until her death • Died: Jan. 12, 2002 in Barnegat, NJ where she lived with my Aunt Cheryl

  14. Susie Smith(My Grandma’s mom) • Was part of the DAR and very racist • That caused my Aunt Susan to marry without telling her parents and grandmother about it because Donald is black • My mother recalled the awkward moments of moving Susan out of the house and not having to say why

  15. Gilbert and Marion (And Me)

  16. Their Children • Barbara (Van Grofsky) • Married: Frank • Son: Tommy • Walter • Married: lots of ladies from the Pacific • Sons: Tommy, Michael, Scott, Craig • Now a Brother’s Keeper • *Interracial marriage • Susan (Gray) • Married: Donald • Daughter: Samantha • *Interracial marriage • Alfred Daniel (my dad) • Cheryl (Symes • Married: Erich • Sons: Erich Jr, Greg, Drew

  17. Cerwinske Cousins

  18. Alfred Daniel Cerwinske (Dad) • Born: August 12, 1952 in Irvington, New Jersey • Currently Lives: Browns Mills, New Jersey • Married: • Nancy Thompson (my mom) on June 1, 1974 • Divorced in 1998 • Lisa in May of 2005

  19. Dad’s House

  20. Their Children • Daniel James • Born: Sept. 18, 1979 • Graduate of University of Dayton, where he played soccer • Lives in Hermosa Beach, California • Works as a Account Representative for LA Galaxy soccer team • That’s where David Beckham is going • Jeffrey Alan • Born: Jan. 23, 1982 • Currently working on Masters at University of Louisville Speed School • Lives in Louisville on 4th Street • Kathryn Ann • Born: June 23, 1984

  21. Katy Cerwinske • Born: June 23, 1984 in Lansdale, PA • Moved to Oldham County, KY on February 14, 1990 (17 years ago today)

  22. Nancy Alice (Thompson) Cerwinske(My Mom) • Born: May 21, 1954 in Abington, PA • Currently works at Camden Station Elementary as a “paraprofessional” aka teacher’s aid in an EBD classroom • Still lives in Oldham County

  23. Thompson Family(My Mom’s side)

  24. The Children • Gail Ann: June 15, 1951 • Son: • Michael: Dec. 8, 1983 • John Bradley: July 18, 1952 • Married: Linda • Sons: • Andrew John: May 15, 1975 • Scott: Gregory: Nov. 6, 1981 • Nancy Alice (my mom) • Margaret Ann: Aug. 10, 1955 • Married: Joe Tomarelli • Stepson: Chris • Karen Ruth: Jan. 24, 1958 • Not Married: Chuck • Children: Allison, Kevin and David (twins) *No one completed college

  25. Our Roots in PA

  26. Gregory Laverne Thompson(Grandpa aka my mom’s Dad) • Born: Oct. 21, 1926 in Buffalo, NY • Served in the military where he gained his fascination for model airplanes • Went to Drexler University in 1946 and had his Practicum at Lansdale Tube Company in PA • Married: Margaret Morris on Sept. 16, 1950 • Could not get married in the church because Margaret was not Catholic

  27. Margaret Emily (Morris) Thompson(Grandma aka my Mom’s mom) • Born: July 10, 1920 in Skippack, PA • Ran away from home when she was 16 because she had differences in opinion with her stepmother • Siblings: • Mabel (farm in Punxatawney) • Elwood • Stanley (Pete) • Lou

  28. The Story • How did Margaret and Gregory meet? • The Real Story: • Both worked at Lansdale Tube Company • What I’ve been told since childhood by my grandparents: • Grandma was a trapeze artist and the circus came to town one day. She fell off the trapeze and grandpa caught her and they fell in love.

  29. A quick trip down Grandma’s history • Father: Harry Corbin Morris • Born: 1886 in Wayne, PA • Died: 1950s • His father: Elwood Morris married Margaret Archer Grant (relation to Ulysses S. Grant somehow) • Mother: Lillian Barrett • Born: Philadelphia PA • Died: 1920s

  30. Owen F. Thompson(Great Grandpa aka my mom’s grandpa) • Born: June 24, 1898 in Silver Creek NY • Married: Alice Gamel on Feb. 10, 1923 • Died: Feb 26, 1986 in Lansdale, PA • Found out their old house is now worth well over $.5 million

  31. Ties to Prussia with the Thompsons • The further you go back in time, the Thompson’s origins were in Prussia as well. • Currently Prussia is Poland and Germany, so they are both part of my heritage

  32. Sources • Iowa Map: • http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/travel/dg/maps/f5/750x750_iowa_m.gif • Prussia Information: • http://users.foxvalley.net/~goertz/faq.pom.html • http://www.familysearch.org • Text Messages with my Dad • Interviews with my Mom

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