Genealogical Gems

My second great grandmother was born a Durkin. She was born in 1839 in Ireland but I know little else of her before she came to America in 1870. Every so often I do a broad search for Durkins. Here I came across a Margaret Durkin. The announcement – as transcribed: In Hyde Park , on the 8 th inst., by Rev. J.B. Laughlin, Miss Margaret Durkin, to Mr. Patrick Lenehan, all of Pittston. May the happy couple long enjoy The conjugal life with pleasure, And each new year new pleasure bring, As this year brought them together. The marriage announcement appeared on page two of the Pittston Gazette on 16 January 1852. Pittston is located in Luzerne County. Wedding Wednesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016

A nationwide search for a missing man began – and ended – in Duryea in 1941. Duryea is in Luzerne County . State Police in Pennsylvania were looking for him, assumably to give notice of his father’s passing. An article titled “Missing Youth Returns” ran in the Wilkes-Barre Evening News on 17 April 1941. It read: Wilkes-Barre Evening News 17 April 1941 Frank Matys, 1216 Spring Street, Duryea, for whom a nation-wide search was instituted two weeks ago when his father, Peter Matys, was fatally injured when struck by an Erie train, returned to his home. He received the first notice of his father’s death when he purchased a newspaper in Colorado . Had he run away or gone for work? If he went for work, why did his family not know his whereabouts? So why was Frank Matys in Colorado ? Two weeks prior, on 4 April 1941, the same paper ran its initial article, titled “See Frank Matys.” It read: Wilkes-Barre Evening News 4 April 1941 State Police were requested ...

I have not yet connected the Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Matys to my Matys line. However, some surnames do not show up all that often and when they do, I pay attention! The wedding announcement of Edmund Matys popped up in a newspaper search for Matys.   The announcement reads: Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Olszewski, 217 Chestnut Street , Dupont, announce the marriage of their daughter, Miss Valeria Olszewski, to Dr. Edmund V. Matys, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Matys, 1136 Spring Street, Avoca. The ceremony took place July 3, 1939, in the Holy Family Church , Sugar Notch. Rev. Chester Kolakowski officiated.   Miss Virginia Olsewski and Henry Matys were the attendants.   Mrs. Matys is a graduate of Pittston High School , East Stroudsburg State Teacher’s College and is now a member of the Dupont faculty.   Dr. Matys is a graduate of Duryea High School , Pennsylvania State College, Jefferson Medical College and has attended the MacKenie Post G...

My great grandmother is Bessie Matys. While searching for information on her and her brother, Frank, I came across an obituary in the Wilkes-Barre Record ( Wilkes-Barre , Luzerne County,  PA ). Stanley Matys’ obituary ran on Wednesday, 8 November 1944.    His obituary reads: Stanley Matys, 1136 Spring Street, Avoca, died early yesterday morning in Jefferson Hospital , Philadelphia .   Mr. Matys was born in Poland and had been a resident of the Avoca section since coming to this country 40 years ago. He was a member of SS Peter and Paul’s Church, Avoca.   Surviving are his widow and these children: Dr. Edwin Mays, a lieutenant in the US Navy, on duty at sea; Corp. Henry Matys, US Army in Italy ; Mrs. Lillian Guisinski, at home, and two grandchildren.   I do not know of any relation between Stanley and my Matys line. He would have come to America in 1904, just a few years earlier than my Bessie and her brother Frank. Frank’s daughter C...

Thomas Farrow, a blacksmith in the mines at Wilkes Barre, left On This Day in 1881   in search for his children. About six months prior he sent to Wales for his brother, William. William came and lived with Thomas and his family.    On Saturday, 29 October 1881, William had told Thomas he was taking Thomas’ wife and two children to Plymouth . It should have been just a few mile trip. None of them had returned since. Thomas then discovered that his brother had secured tickets on the late train for St Louis .   Thomas and a detective left to find the elopers and recover his children.   Source Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 2 November 1881. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress.      On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 201...

A Wilkes-Barre man was sentenced to nine years at Eastern Penitentiary for murder. It was On This Day in 1880 that the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer reported that Justus Hoffman pled guilty to murdering his wife and child last July. He shot his wife five times and killed their child, who laid in her arms.   Source Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 30 September 1880. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress.      On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

  A Pittston miner was killed On This Day in 1882. Thirty-two year old James Dougherty was killed by falling rock. He was employed at the Barnes Shatt. Pittston in located in Luzerne County and played an important role in the mining history of Pennsylvania. Source: Lancaster daily intelligencer. ( Lancaster , Pa. ), 22 May 1882. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress.    On This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

A two year old Luzerne County murder was sold On This Day in 1880. Two years ago an organ grinder named Gardena murdered his 10 year old daughter, Rosa. He then buried her body in the woods near Wanamac, in Luzerene County , near where he killed her.    Gardena ’s younger daughter, Pauline, was eight at that time and is the one who reported the murder to the authorities. She also asked for protection from her father, as she was scared for her life.       Source: Lancaster daily intelligencer. ( Lancaster , Pa. ), 17 May 1880. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress. On This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015