Genealogical Gems

Onifer Romanko and his wife Rosalie are buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery in Valley Township, just outside Coatesville, Chester County, PA.  Onifer is my great grandfather's uncle. I first "found" Onifer on the passenger list for my great grandfather (Panko Hruszczak). Panko had listed his Uncle Onifer as the person receiving him in Coatesville. From other records, I believe Onifer arrived in Coatesville himself in 1901. My goal is to determine when exactly he came over and where he actually came from!  Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. (c) Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2017

Awhile back I saw this sort of post on someone else’s genealogy blog. I forget who wrote but I love the idea of each week remembering those who have passed, wishing the living a happy birthday or happy anniversary or simply remembering family events. Hence, this coming year – 2015 – I have decided to do the same.   Sunday, 28 December M. Virginia Acre Garris passed 5 years ago in 2009. The wife of Charles S. Garris, she was 90 years old when she passed. Their grandson Kevin married my first cousin Beth Ann Still. Charles Joseph Buckley turns 12 today!   His great grandfather, Raymond Welsh, was one of my grandmother’s brothers. Wednesday, 31 December Mattie L. Kittinger Eckman passed 25 years ago at the age of 87. She was married to Charles D. Eckman, son of Darius J. and Ella M. Doner Eckman. Darius was brother to hubby’s great grandfather, Charles Eckman. John Lawrence Schlichter turns 51. John is, according to FTM...

My great grandfather, Panko Hruszczak, arrived in Ellis Island on Thursday, 20 April 1911 on the Volturno. He boarded the Volturno in Rotterdam, traveling by himself. He was just 18 years old. My twins are 16 and I still get nervous when they cross the highway and Panko's parents saw their son off as he traveled across the Atlantic by himself to a new country where he was to meet his uncle. Did he know anyone else on board? There were 1,024 passengers. There were 24 in first class and 1000 in third class.  He listed that his final destination was Coatesville, PA to see his uncle Onifer Romanko. The ship was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Glasgow, Scotland in 1906. It was built for New York & Continental Line, British flag. The year before my great grandfather boarded it, in 1910, she was sold to the Uranium Line, British flag. According to the Ellis Island site, the ship weighed 3,602 gross tons and measured 340 ...

Historically, 17 April marks the day in 1907 when more immigrants were processed through Ellis Island than on any other day -- 11,747 people. Today, more than 40% of US citizens -- 100 million Americans – can trace their roots back to the 17 million brave and hopeful immigrants who took their first steps towards freedom and opportunity by going through the “Golden Door” of Ellis Island. Ellis Island Family History Day was first celebrated on April 17, 2001 to commemorate the opening of the American Family Immigration History Center® at Ellis Island and its companion website: www.ellisisland.org . Like many Americans, I can trace some of my immigrants as coming through Ellis Island.  My great grandfather Panko Hruszczak came into Ellis Island on 20 April 1911 by himself at the age of 18. He came over on the S.S. Volturno (seen here) from Rotterdam, Holland. He had listed his ethnicity as Austria, Ruthenian. On his shop manifest he li...

Onifer Romanko and Rose Wasylkow in May 1917. A friend sent me a link to Family Search for another relative and I stumbled across the marriage application for Onifer and Rose. Both are from Austria and both had previous marriage according to this. I first "met" my Uncle Onifer Romanko through my great grandfather Panko Hruszczak. Panko had listed Onifer on one of his immigration papers. He had to list who he was coming to see in America and he list his uncle. It dawned on me that I had seen the name Romanko - or something similar - and realized it was at our cemetery! I know little else about Onifer, except that he is my Panko's mother's brother.

According to their tombstone, he was born 24 June 1873 and passed 2 June 1939. She was born 22 August 1866 and passed 3 January 1937. According to the Chester County Archives, they were married 4 June 1917 in Coatesville. Little is know of Onifer and even less of Rosalia, his bride. I first learned of Onifer while researching my great grandfather, Panko Hruszczak. Panko immigrated to the US on 20 April 1911 aboard the Volturno from Rotterdam, Holland. His last known address was Prusy, Austria. He listed his ethnicity as Austria, Ruthenian. He was an 18 year old single white male. He lists that he was coming to see his uncle Onifer Romanko in Coatesville, PA, that his destination is Coatesville, PA and that a living relative back home was his father Ted Hruszczak in Austria. (According to the Ellis Island Passenger Record). Hence, Onifer would be Panko's mother's - Catherine Romanko - brother.