McManus Wedding

This is a photograph of the wedding of my aunt and uncle, Stella Skrobul and William McManus. From left to right are James Mc Manus, Veronica (Skrobul) Mensing (sister of the bride), Stella Skrobul and William McManus. 

Mom and Dad's Wedding Photo

Here is the only formal portrait from my parents' wedding on April 24, 1954. This portrait is in a cardboard frame from the "Swiss Chalet, Bismark Hotel, Chicago". From left to right are Clarence and Margaret Sharp, and Edwin and Ann (Skrobul) Brady.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Welcome to Couples Week on Kathy's Genealogy Blog! Over the next few days I will be posting photos of some of the couples on my family tree. I'm beginning today with a picture of my mom and dad, Ann (Skrobul) and Edwin Brady. This photo was taken in 1955. I like this photo because it shows them relaxing, rather than in a formal pose.

For a more formal couple's photo, I've included a picture of me and my husband, Patrick Blake, from our wedding.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Remembering Mom

In honor of her birthday, here is a photo of my mom, Ann (Skrobul) Brady.

My mom liked having a December birthday. And she loved Christmas--the decorations, the music, baking cookies and visiting with relatives. She loved plants, so for many years I bought her a pointsetta plant for her birthday.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Here is a picture of my parents, Edwin F. Brady and Ann Skrobul on their wedding day, April 24, 1954.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Things are very busy in my life these days, but I couldn't let today go by without remembering my mom. Happy Birthday Mom!

Family Fun

This is a picture of my mom, uncle and cousin on a family outing. This picture was taken in the early 1950s, probably in southern Illinois. Seated is my uncle, Al Mensing and my mom, Ann Skrobul. Uncle Al is holding his son, Stanley Mensing. The rolled up pant legs are a different look for my mom. I wonder if they were going to do some fishing that day.

The Bridal Party

Here is a picture of my parents and their attendants on their wedding day, April 24, 1954. It was a small wedding! From left to right: Clarence and Margaret Sharp; and my parents, Edwin F. Brady and Ann Skrobul.

Marie

This is a photo of Marie. I bet you're wondering, "Marie who?" Well, so am I. The picture is from an old photo album that belonged to my mom, Ann Skrobul. I do not know of any relative that this could be a picture of, although the name Marie was found on my Grandpa Skrobul's side of the family. Marie's hairstyle reminds me of photos I've seen of people from the 1920s.

If you recognize this photo of Marie, please contact me to exchange information.

Another Mystery Photo

This picture is from an old photo album that belonged to my mother, Ann Skrobul. The people in the photo are unidentified. It was on a page with photos that included Bill Waxner, a cousin of my mom. In fact, the man in this photo could be Bill or a close relative of his. I am not aware of any relatives who were members of a religious order at this time, so the identity of the nun in this picture is a particular mystery.

Mom and Her Siblings

My mom, Ann Skrobul, was one of 8 children. And from what I saw of them, they all got along well. I know my mom loved them all, and felt loved by them. The photo above shows my mom goofing around with her 2 brothers, Stan and Putt (aka Tony).

I have alot of photos of my mom with 1 or more of her siblings. In the photo below are Stella and my mom standing, with their oldest sister Josephine seated. The photo was taken in April, 1957. My mom is standing behind Aunt Jo because she was a little bit pregnant at the time.



The next picture shows Veronica, Ann and Jule Skrobul standing in front of the family home in Beckemeyer, Illinois.


Here is one more photo of my mom and some of her siblings. From left to right, Stella, Veronica and Ann are shown spending a quiet evening together knitting.



I only have one photo of my mom with her siblings when they were children. It is a picture of the 5 sisters that I have posted here. I have no picures of the sixth sister, Maria, who died as an infant.

My mom was very lucky to have grown up with so many great brothers and sisters, and to have stayed close to them as adults.

To see more photos and comments about brothers and sisters, look at the 11th edition of Smile For the Camera, posted by the footnoteMaven.

Ann, Tony and Friends

This is a photo of my mom, one of her brothers, and two of their friends. Standing are Bob Kahroff, my mom Ann Skrobul, and Tony Kannell. Kneeling is Tony Skrobul, also known as Uncle Putt. Uncle Putt was a fun guy. It looks as if Tony Kannell and Uncle Putt are ready to go hunting. I believe this picture was taken in Beckemeyer, Illinois in front of the Skrobul home.

Taking a Second Look at Things

I have found over the years that it is a good idea to take a second look at what I already have. Sometimes it can lead to major discoveries, and sometimes just to interesting details. One example comes from my research on my Skrobul family.

My grandpa was Anton Skrobul (Antanas Skrabulis.) He and his 3 brothers, William, Stanley and Joseph, all came to the United States.

Discovering their parents' names, and the many spellings of them, has been a challenge. On Anton's marriage certificate, his parents are given as Wm Skrobul and Ella Rinch[?]. On Anton's death certificate, his father's name is given as John, mother's name unknown.

I expanded my search to Anton's siblings. On the death certificate of Anton's brother William, the deceased brother's name is given as Vincent and the parents' names are Vincent Skrobulis and Elizebeth Sorokowa. (The Lithuanian name Vincas is translated as either William or Vincent in English.) I've also seen the mother's name given as Syrak or Soroka on other documents.

So, I was a bit confused about Anton's mother's surname. None of the possible surnames I'd seen sounded Lithuanian to me. In Lithuanian, a married woman's name generally ends in -iene and an unmarried woman's name ends in -aite or -yte. So I felt I still hadn't found the Lithuanian version of the mother's surname. In fact, I thought Sorokowa sounded more Japanese than Lithuanian. (I admit, I'm not knowledgeable about Eastern European or Japanese names.)

My confusion was solved by a visit from a Lithuanian cousin. He told me that Sorokowa was a Polish version of Soroka, and that the Lithuanian version for a single woman was Sorokaite. Both he and another Lithuanian cousin mentioned that the Soroka name was common in the area that our Skrobul ancestors were from, and that the Sorokas were cousins (somehow) of the Skrobuls.

So now, I come to my second look. I have found passenger lists for some of my Lithuanian relatives, including grandpa's brother William (indexed on Ancestry.com as Vizenty Scro??.) William traveled from Bremen, Germany to Baltimore aboard the Hannover. He arrived in June, 1905. According to the passenger list, William was going to Munson, PA to join his brother Josef Skrobul. This made sense to me. I had been told that grandpa and his brothers lived in Pennsylvania for a few years. And grandpa's passenger list from 1904 indicated he was going to join Josef in Munson Station.

When I looked at William's passenger list again recently, I noticed that listed on the line above him was Thomas Soroka, from the same town (possibly Maceviciai)in the Suwalki region of Lithuania. Thomas is going to join his brother, Josef Soroka, in Munson, PA.

So, this isn't a major discovery that will take me back 3 generations or add 1000 more names to my database. But I find it kind of neat to know that my great uncle William Skrobul traveled to America with a Soroka cousin, and that they were going to Pennsylvania together to join their brothers. It is always good to have family and not to be alone.

Emilija Skrabulyte, 1916-1979

This is a photo of Emilija Skrabulyte (aka Emily Skrobul). Emily was born in Kapciamiestis, Lithuania, the daughter of Stanislovas Skrabulis and Ona Jauciulyte. Emily came to the United States and married Ballis Steponis. They lived in Cleveland, and Emily died there in 1979.

Emily was a first cousin of my mom, Ann (Skrobul) Brady. This photo of Emily helped to reconnect 2 branches of the Skrobul family who had lost touch with each other. A cousin brought this photo, and others, to Lithuania on a visit. A cousin he met there recognized the photos.

Vernie, Bob and Ann

Here is a photo of my mom, her sister and a friend of theirs. From left to right: Veronica (Skrobul) Mensing (aka Aunt Vernie), Bob Kahroff (a friend) and Ann (Skrobul) Brady (my mom). I believe the photo was taken in Beckemeyer, Illinois in the early 1940s.

Bob appears to be wearing a uniform of some type, but I do not recognize it. I'd like to hear from anybody who knew Bob or recognizes his uniform.

The Skrobuls and Friends

This is a picture of some of my Skrobul relatives from Beckemeyer, Illinois and their friends. I believe the photo was taken in the early 1940s.

In the back row: Grandpa Anton Skrobul (aka Antanas Skrabulis), a friend named Tony McCloskey, my uncle Stan Skrobul.

In the front row: my uncle Anthony Skrobul, an unidentified friend.

If you know the name of the unidentified friend, I'd like to hear from you.

A Lithuanian Sense of Humor

That's my mom, Ann Skrobul Brady, in the front row to the left. (The one with the largest mustache.) I believe this was probably a party for employees of the Veterans Administration office in Chicago, but I'm not certain of that.

This photo reminds me of one of my mom's best traits--her sense of humor. I know it may not be a characteristic of all Lithuanians, but it is of the Lithuanian half of my family. They are great fun! I have alot of silly photos of my mom and her siblings.

Some ethnic groups have stereotypes of having a temper, being serious, organized, thrifty, etc. For me, when I think of Lithuanians I think of their sense of humor.

Joseph Jonutis, Veteran

In honor of Veterans Day, here is another soldier from my family tree. This is a photo of Joseph Jonutis, who was a cousin of my mom. Joseph was the son of Joseph Jonutis and Stella Norvaisaite.



Here is a picture of our cousin Joe Jonutis, enjoying a visit to Chicago. Also pictured are my mom's friend Stella Gordon (left,) and my mom Ann Skrobul (right.)

Stan Skrobul, Veteran

Here is a photo of my uncle Stan Skrobul who was stationed in Germany during World War II.



In this photo, Uncle Stan is standing at the far right. I was told this photo was taken at Fort Leonard Wood, but I don't know if that is correct.

Uncle Stan was a great guy and I'm glad he lived for many years after his discharge from the service.

Calvary Cemetery Photos

In honor of Halloween, I will be posting some cemetery photos this week. This first photo is of my mom and dad’s headstone. They are buried in Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Cook County, Illinois. Calvary is a large Catholic Cemetery in the Archdiocese of Chicago. It was founded in 1859, and was popular with the north side Irish (if a cemetery can ever be called popular.) I’ve seen many obituaries from the late 1800s that contained the words “thence by carriage to Calvary.”

The second photo shows the statue of St. Patrick near the front entrance to Calvary Cemetery. My parents’ grave is near the statue. In the background is Chicago Avenue, and the Chicago “L” tracks that go through Evanston and end in Wilmette.




Here is a link to the Catholic Cemeteries Archdiocese of Chicago website. It contains information about the consecration date, location and current contact information for the 43 Catholic Cemeteries in Cook and Lake counties, Illinois.