Vyzhnytsia, Chernivtsi oblast

[yvonne]

I would like the address and postal code of the above city with the hope of writing the city mayor to see if there are any remaining relatives with the surname "Kruchkowski/Kruczkowski".

[Hannia]

Yvonne,

I wouldn't have any expections from such a letter. Vyzhnytsia is a fair size district center town. It is not a small place. Generally speaking these letters are much more effective when the village is smaller.

The surname looks Polish. You might do better by searching thru PUR Collection.

HalGal: Home Page of the PUR Collection
http://www.halgal.com/pur_home.html

[yvonne]

Hello Hannia,
Thanks for your reply. I was not aware of the size of Vyzhnystia as my grandfather was a farmer and I thought that he came from a small village in former Galicia. Although his name sounds Polish, he spoke Ukrainian and we celebrated Ukrainian customs. Also, he immigrated to Canada around 1911. I still have not located him in passenger list not was I able to get the long copy of his immigration papers, only an index card. He also did not possess any birth, marriage or passport information. I do have some information on his family, though. But any advice that you can give me would be most appreciated.

[Hannia]

Immigrants frequently referred to their district center as place of origin for geographical reference, because their own villages were small.

I will provide you with the list of villages in the district.

Where did Grandfather specifically settle upon immigration?
What was Grandfather's given name? What religion did he practice? Your own parent's Baptismal Certificate might tell us where Grandfather was from.
What is the family history?

[Hannia]

Was Roman Kruczkowski a relative?

[yvonne]

Hello Hannia,
Thank you very much for replying. No, to my knowledge Roman Kruczkowski is not a relative. The following is a brief history of my grandfather. He was born Jurko (George)in former Galicia in 1877 to parents Lassramas Kruczkowsky and Anne Gelerus (this is confirmed by a marriage certificate of his brother Stefan). He had 3 siblings, two sisters, one which was older and is believed to have remained in Galicia and the younger, Justyna born in 1879. He also had a younger brother named Stefan, born in 1885. Jurko, Justyna and Stefan all immigrated to Canada, Jurko around 1911 (based on homestead records), Stefan around 1906 (based on his Manitoba marriage certificate) and Justyna's immigration date ia unknown (I will be receiving this date when I receive Justyna's and her husband's immigration papers). All three relatives settled on farms in Manitoba. Jurko and Stefan received land under the Homestead Act and settled in the interlake area of Manitoba, approxinately 100 miles north of Winnipeg. Justyna settled in the Elphinstone area of Manitoba but their land was obtained through an outright purchase. Jurko married Katyryna Zuk probably prior to immigration as there is no record of their marriage in Manitoba. Stefan married Warwara (Barbra) in 1907 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Justyna married Peter Gerelus and they were also probably married when they immigrated to Canada. As I mentioned before, Jurko's and Stefan's immigration records consist of just index cards with no information on ancestral village. The Canadian Government destroyed all of the original documentation for the applications prior to 1917. I am hoping that since Peter Gerelus applied for his immigration papers in 1921 and these records are more detailed, they will also show Justyna's village.
With the exception of the 1940 questionnaire that all Canadians had to complete and the Russian Consular passport applications, I have basically exhausted all possible sources of information in Canada.
That is why I was hoping that perhaps I could start some communication with their ancestral village.
Any help would be most appreciated.

[yvonne]

Hello Hannia,
You asked me about my father's baptismal records. Unfortunately, he does not have one. At the time of his birth (1916) there was even no church in his area.
Yvonne