Searching for Vishnosky,Visnofsky,ect......

[dianna1]

Hi All,
I'm searching for info on my family name.No documentation ,only hear-say that my G.father came from
Smerechka(now Ukrainia)in 1903.He came to N.Y.,was in
Scranton Pa.,N.J.and then settled in Clearfield county Pa.
Any help advise Thanks

[Hannia]

What was Grandfather's given name?

[dianna1]

My grandfather's name was George.Born 1888,immigrated
1903. Thank you. Dianna

[Hannia]

There is a George J. Visnovsky listed in Social Security Records:
b. April 18, 1889/d. 3/1974 in Somerset. PA. Is this the Vis/hnov/fsky you are looking for? If it is, consider doing a SS-5 inquiry. Click on to SS-5, far right of his name.
This record is brief and doesn't contain much information, but it does contain the name of the applicant's parents (father's full name and mother's maiden name) and the applicants birth place.

RootsWeb MetaSearch
http://resources.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/metasearch

PS> I have been trying wildcard searches for immigration.
Searching Ellis Island Database in One Step
http://home.pacbell.net/spmorse/ellis/ellis.html

Do not use George as given name, because that has been anglicized from Gyorgi, Jurij, Yurij??? Also give yourself some flexibility with timeframe, since you are going on family hearsay. I will continue looking a little later.



[Edited by Hannia on 25th February 2002 at 15:21]

[dianna1]

Hi Hannia,
Thank you for the info and your time,really appreciate
it.I did get his SS-5,it only states Austria as place of
birth.Parents names,John and Cathern ??-no maiden name.
I requested searches @ INS and NARA no records found.
The church he attended in Pa. had a fire long ago-no records.On Ellis Island site I've found a few possibles,
none fit exactly.Spellings are off(laugh)ages are off.
He could have streched on the age,for fear of being sent
back(traveling alone at 15)and then there is no mention of
Smerechka or even that Oblast on the possibles I've found.
So I've not found him or the birth place isn't right.
Surely I've over looked something any help is appreciated.
Thanks again Dianna

[Hannia]

Dianna,

It could be that he didn't come thru Ellis Island. In that time frame, many came thru Canadian ports, entering USA by using border crossings like St. Alban's, VT. All very legal. Many of these were headed for NYC.

Have you done a Soundex Check for Immigration Records for the surname? Those would include St. Alban's, which you can probably view by ordering thru LDS/Mormon Genealogy Library.

My PC is acting up tonight.

Will post all info for both Soundex Search for Immigration Records and Archival Inquiry in Ukraine tomorrow.

[Hannia]

Hello Dianna,

The closest transliteration I could find for Smerechka is Smerecha, and right next door to it a Smero/echka - (diminutive of Smerecha (Fir Tree), meaning smaller Smerecha) in Lvivska Oblast. Village w/O spelling is Soviet name and w/E is Rusyn/Ruthenian/Ukrainian name.

I'm partial to Shtetlseeker for village search. I like the built in Soundex and that one can get a print up of the village. I also like using the zoom on right. It helps to visualize where the village is generally located in Ukraine.
JewishGen ShtetlSeeker - Town Search
http://www.jewishgen.org/ShtetlSeeker/loctown.htm

Turn of century village Smerechka> District Centers could have been Sambor, Staro Sambor/ir, or Drohobycz & Strij might have been where archdiocese/church district center was> East Galicia, Austro-Hungarian Empire. Immigrants frequently used the names of their district centers as place of birth for geographic purposes, because their own villages were very small.

Keeping in mind the general location of village today, look at an old map of Galica/Austro Hungarian Empire. Make sure to also click on to detailed map on this site. The site itself has a distinct Polish flavor. Throughout they refer to RUSYN as Russian. Russian town of Halicz as opposed to Rusyn town of Halich. The site does offer good maps though.

Halicka Province(Ziemia Halicka)
http://www.kresy.co.uk/galicja.html

According to my postal index book, there is only one SMEREKIV (plural of Smerecha & Smereczka or OF FIR TREES) in Lvivska Oblast. The larger village has absorbed the smaller one??? District names too have changed several times in the last 100 yrs.

Now:
Smerekiv>Zovtivskij Raion>Lvivska Oblast.

Address to Village Mayor.

Lvivska Oblast
Zovtivskij Raion
Smerekiv
Holova Sela
UA 80358

A letter of inquiry re any Vosnovsky family survivors still in village will cost about $3. Indicate that they were from SMERECZKA. Using Ukrainian is ideal, but English and German work as well. Make the letter simple. Don't worry about surname transliteration variations. Make sure to use original version of given name - Gyorgi/Jurij. Include two IRC's w/your inquiry. Intl Response Coupons can be purchased at your local post ofc, and the village mayor or surviving relative can turn it in for stamps at their post ofc.

I checked LDS. Smereczka is cued up, but not filmed yet. Those records are generally pre 1870's. The alternative here is requesting an archival search. You can qualify/limit time frame and cost. There is no prepayment! They will notify you if they have info and what the cost will be.

Use the name of village & district as it is now.

Info for dates over 100 yrs old are in the Central State Historical Archives in Lviv, Ukraine.

LVIV
pl. Soborna, 3-a
Tsentralnyi Derzhavnyj Istorychnyi Arkhiv Ukrainy, Lviv
Director: Orest Iaroslavoych Matsiuk
Deputy Director: Diana Pelc
UA 79000

Less than 100 yrs should be available thru State Archives of Lviv Oblast, Ukraine

Lviv
vul. Pidvalna 13
Derzhavnyi Arkhiv Lvivskoi Oblasti
UA 79008

Have you looked at the Lviv Obit lists (1939-1945) thru LDS? Covers all of Lvivska Oblast.
Place details ('Ukraine, L viv')
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Libr...t_disp=Ukraine,_L_viv

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The Soundex code for Visno/ev/w/fsky/ij is V251 and W251 for Wisno/ev/w/fsky/ij. Remember not to get stuck on anglicized spelling. This Soundex code also works for LDS immigration records.

SOUNDEX
http://208.249.158.172/safe/shipmenu.htm

Once you verify Soundex code, click on to records available for that code. These records will cover all ports of entry, including St. Alban's which you can also view thru LDS.

Good Luck!!! Keep me posted.