Amanuensis Monday - How I Finally Found Out When She Died...

I hadn't been able to find out when my great grandmother, Jadwiga Tabor nee Paszkawicz, died.  I knew that she had died before my great grandfather, Adam Tabor Sr, but I didn't even know how long before him she died.  I really didn't have much to go on.

Adam, Jadwiga, Aldona and Clarence Tabor

Now I know that I could request a record search from the Vital Records Department in Pennsylvania, but I'm a cheapskate and they charge quite a bit more when you don't know the exact date.  Heck if you only know the year, you're pretty much forking over more money.  I was determined to figure this out myself...or should I say, as cheaply as possible.

Her tombstone had only the year (1945), when I finally found the cemetery she was buried in, so that wasn't going to do the trick, but then...

A few years ago, I found a Western Union telegram in a packet of genealogy papers given to me and the question was answered.

"PAF2 8-Scranton Penn Jun 30 303A

1945 Jun 30 AM 6 13

C P Tabor =

708 Garfield St  670 Garfield

Mother Tabor passed away Sunday morn 2 AM=
Adam Tabor 224 Oak St Scranton PA

2 AM 224 Oak St."

So little information to tell me just what I wanted to know.  Jadwiga passed away in the early morning hours of June 30th 1945.  I was able to send away for her death certificate.  Sadly, I didn't get any parent names from the death certificates, but I had that already from their marriage certificate.  Jadwiga died at 64 years of age, what I would consider young, but I guess that's by today's standards.  Then again, who doesn't hope that their ancestors lived to ripe old ages?

Amanuensis Monday - One Letter, So Many Questions

This letter was one that was passed on to me by my uncle.  It helped me narrow down the time when my great grandmother, Jadwiga, died.  She isn't mentioned by name in the letter (which I did find odd) but it is obviously who the attorney was talking about since that is Clarence's mother.

I found it a bit odd that my great grandmother was the sole owner of the property in question.  Any ideas there?  Also the property isn't elaborated on because obviously Clarence would have known what the attorney was talking about, but I'm curious about that property and certainly want to find out more.  Maybe it was left to her by a family member?  Would she really have purchased it on her own?  I'm also very curious because this property wasn't mentioned in the will/correspondence after Jadwiga's husband died.  As I blogged about previously, the property in dispute then was their home.  Could it possibly be the same property?  So many questions.  Lots still to look up and learn!

"Law Offices
Walter W Kaczmarek
426-27 Connell Building
2 Scranton, Pennsylvania
Telephone 2-8241

July 13, 1945

Mr Clarence P. Tabor
670 Garfield St.
Hazleton, PA

Dear Mr. Tabor;

Due to the fact that your mother, who died only recently, was the sole owner of the property that was leased to the Socony Vacuum Oil Company, payment of rentals by the company will not be made to your father unless sole ownership in the property is vested in him or authority given to collect the same.  At present he has an undivided one-third interest in it, and each of the four children own an undivided one-sixth interest.

I talked this matter over with your father, and he thinks it could all be simplified if the children and their husbands or wives, as the case may be, would convey their respective interests in the property to him and he in turn would execute a Will leaving the property to the children in equal shares.  To me this sounds like a very practical solution because someone will have to look after the payment of taxes and the upkeep and maintenance of the property.  I think you will all agree that your father is the proper person to do this.

Will you talk this over with your wife and if such an arrangement is agreeable, let me know at once, and I will prepare the required papers for your signatures?

Very truly yours,
Walter W Kaczmarek

WWK: eml"

Tuesday's Tall Tales! - On the run from the Czar

Tabor, Czechoslovakia at the end of the 19th century

My maiden name is Tabor.  From what I've encountered, this is said to be a Czech surname, but my Tabor ancestors aren't from the former Czechoslovakia, so why were they called "Tabor"?  Time for some tall tales, courtesy of my dad......

My great-grandpa, Adam Tabor, and his brother were on the run from the Russian Czar.  They were caught cutting down and selling trees that were the czar's so they fled to the United States.  They didn't take the direct route.  Apparently, they feared the czar's men would be able to catch them more easily if they took a direct route, so instead they traipsed around Europe for a bit and found themselves in a town named Tabor in what used to be Czechoslovakia ("B" on the map).

Now why did they pick this city's name for their own.  Well, I'm told that it was a rough, bad-ass town and they fancied the comparison with themselves, so Tabors they became.  My dad says that they eventually went through Germany and then on to England before heading over to the US and eventually settling down in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  Quite the journey.


View Larger Map


What are the nuggets of truth in this rather tall sounding tale?  It's hard to tell.  My great aunt, Lillian Ruminski nee Tabor, is the only surviving child of the above-mentioned Adam and his wife Jadwiga.  I've only had the privilege of sitting down with my Aunt Lillian once in the past 10 years.  My father was there and let's just say that he polluted the pool more than a little.  I asked him before driving to visit to please not answer questions for her.  The answers needed to be from her and unprompted or his tales and memories could influence her answers.  Sadly, my father rarely does anything he's asked, but I gotta love him.  Unfortunately, his need to interfere could mean that I'll never know the truth.  What Aunt Lillian did manage to tell me, was that her father didn't like to talk about his past.

Adam and Jadwiga are the couple on the left.

So now what I actually know about my great-grandfather...

Adam was born between 1874 and 1885 in Russia (this later became Lithuania in later censuses as borders changed, which is helpful at narrowing down his region since Russia is rather large!).  He arrived in America between 1884 and 1890 and became a citizen in 1896.  He married Jadwiga Paszkawicz on April 2, 1902.  They had four children, Aldona, Clarence (my grandpa), Adam Jr, and Lillian.  He passes away in 1958.  He ran a shop in Scranton and joined the Polish National Catholic Church because (according to Aunt Lillian) the majority of the people that patronized his store belonged to that church.

I've never been able to find that "brother" of his.  The only thing I have is a picture of Adam and Jadwiga with another couple and children.  I've been told that the other gentleman is his brother, but no name is given and really just hearsay. I haven't been able to find his passenger record or naturalization papers, but I'm working on it.

Should we disregard these tall tales that our colorful family members pass on?  No.  They could hold that little piece of truth that can break through a brick wall or two.  If nothing else they're entertaining when taken with a tablespoon of salt!