This week in Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, the prompt is “Brother”.
Two weeks ago I talked about the Gornowicz family, and what research I have done so far. You can read about them here. This week I decided to talk about one of the children, Franz.
Frank Gornowicz was born in about 1869. He immigrated to the U.S. with his parents and siblings in April 1894 on board the ship “America”. He was going to live at 1626 Lancaster Street, Baltimore, Maryland.
I have not found a 1900 Federal census for Frank as of yet. Still looking!
In 1903 Frank was living with his father, Michael, at 1626 Lancaster Street, Baltimore, Maryland. He was working as a laborer.
Frank was living at 2216 Essex Street in Baltimore during the years 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1914, 1917 and 1922 according to several U.S. city directories. His occupation was listed relatively consistent as a Tailor, Carpenter and Laborer across these directories.
On 2 June 1909, Frank filed a Petition for Naturalization. He said he lived at 2216 Essex Street in Baltimore, Maryland and was a Tailor. He was born on the 5th August 1870, in Mangelmül, Germany and immigrated from Bremerhaven in April 1894 on board the vessel “Amerika”.
Frank said his wife was Annie Gornowitz, who was from Nagozyn, Austria, which is possibly Nagoszyn. Frank said he had 1 child Katherine, who was born in 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland. He signed his Oath of Allegiance on 4th April 1910, almost exactly 16 years after coming to the U.S.
Everything Frank said in his petition matches up with everything I have for him so far. The date of immigration, ship name, street address, occupation, wife and child’s name. I still need to find his place of birth, as the one he listed doesn’t seem to exist anymore.
In 1910, Frank was living with his wife, Anna, and daughter Katherine. They had been married for 8 years and it was the first marriage for them both. Anna was a mother to 3 children, only 1 of whom was living at the time of the census. Frank was a Naturalized citizen, having immigrated in 1894 and Anna in 1900. They were both working out of their home, on their Own Account, he as a Tailor and her as an Overall Maker. Frank owned his own home.
Frank’s father, Michael, passed away in November 1910 and Frank is listed on his estate docket as having paid a surety. His address was listed as 2216 Essex Street.
By 1920, I found a Frank Gornova living at 2216 Essex Street. I believe this is Frank Gornowicz even though his wife’s name is now Sophie. His daughter Catherine is living with them as well, along with another daughter named Marie. Frank was working as a Laborer at a Cemetery. Frank and Sophie are both listed as immigrating in 1900, and naturalized in 1910.
In 1920, Frank is listed in a city directory as living at 2216 Essex and working as a Laborer. He is listed with another Laborer named Dominick Gornowitz living at the same address. Is he a relative?
In 1922, Frank and Sophia were living at 2216 Essex Street. Their surname is listed as Gornowicz again. Frank was working as a Laborer.
Is this the same couple? Could Annie have also gone by Sophia? Was she a second wife? The fact that Frank owned his own home in 1910, the 1920 city directory and that they are still living there in 1922, I believe at the very least, that this is Frank Gornowicz in the 1920 census. Maybe he decided to use a different surname. Maybe one of the neighbors gave the information to the census takers and couldn’t remember their surname correctly.
By 1930, the family had moved to 5703 O’Donnell Street, renting his home for $15 per month. The census has them listed as Goosewetz. Frank was working as a Grave Digger at a Cemetery, and Mary was working as a Laborer at a Factory.
Whoever gave the information to the census taker said that Frank had married at age 32, which fits for his marriage to Anna. Sophie’s age at her first marriage says 34, which places her marriage around 1913. This almost guarantees that Anna and Sophie are 2 different women, if the information on the census is accurate.
By 1940, Frank had died, Marie had married and Sophie had moved in with her. According to the census data that Marie gave, they had all lived at the same place in 1935. So they were still living in Baltimore, just not at the Fait Street address. Marie and her husband Michael Kantorski had a son who was about 8 years old, so they must have married shortly after the 1930 census.
I can not find any obituaries or headstones for Frank, Anna, or Sophie. So who is Sophie? What was her maiden name? What happened to Anna? Who’s daughter is Mary/Marie? Her age fits for the end of Anna’s marriage and the start of Sophie’s! All questions I still don’t have answers too.
If you are related to any of these family members, or know anything about them, please feel free to contact me or leave a message on the blog post. Thanks!!
