When we last left Anna in the , she was living with her sister Mary, brother-in-law Stanley Lichota, and mother, on Trowbridge in Detroit during the January, 1920 Census.
Anna was born August 5, 1902 at Ciechanowiec, Poland.
Translation
#127 Grodek Happened this in Kuczin on 26th of July (8th of August) year 1902 at 7pm. Appeared in
person Helena Puchalska, 55 years old, midwife, residing in Grodek, in presence of Ioann Koster, 69
years old and Jakov Gerwin 62 years old both church servants residing in Kuchin, and presented us the
female child, announcing that she was born in Grodek on 23rd of July (5th of August) of this year, at
6am, from Jozefa nee Tyminska, 37 years old, wife of Nikolay Pugacz. This child at the holy christening
conducted today by priest Alexander Dolengowski was given name Anna, and godparents were
Stanislaw Maruszewski and Michalina Jascholt. This act was read to illiterate announcer and witnesses
and signed only by us. Priest Markovsky, keeper of acts of civil state
On May 27, 1922, Anna (age 20) applied for a marriage license along with Stanley Rulkiewicz (age 22). His father is listed as Walter (Wladyslaw) and mother as Kate Sohatska (Katarzyna Sochacka). A record does exist that shows Wladyslaw and Katarzyna Sochacka being married in the parish at Jezewo in Poland. Gmina Jeżewo is a rural gmina in Świecie County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland. Stanley’s paternal grandparents appear to be Stanley (Stanislaus) and Petronela Korytowska who were married at Jezewo in 1867.
(Note that the midwife is a Helena Puchalska. The father of Anna is idendtified as Pugacz also know as Puchalski. The “a” at the end of Helena’s name is used in Polish language to denote a female. At the moment I have not made a connection of Helena and Mikolaj.
Stanley is said to be born on January 1. 1900. This is the date that he would consistently use as his birth. However, on his registration for the WWI draft he list January 1, 1899 as his birth date. On that registration, he is shown as living with his mother at 49 Oliver Ave. in Detroit. He is working as a radiator tester at the Long Mfg. Co. which is located at E. Grand Blvd and Beaubien. He has blue eyes and brown hair.
Stanley sailed from Bremen, Germany on December 19, 1911 and arrived January 12, 1912 at Ellis Island, New York along with his mother, sister Wladysawa (age 13), sister Michalene (9) and an unreadable named sibling (thought to be Genvwefa (7) and sister Stephanie (10 months). They sailed on the SS Barbarossa. Their destination is shown as Detroit. This would indicate that his father, Wladysaw, had arrived earlier and found work to afford to send for his family. We have seen this scenario before in the Pugacz and many immigrant families. I have been unable to find a record of Wladysaw’s arrival in America.
I have not been able to find the Rulkiewicz family in the 1920 Census.
On June 28, 1922, Anna and Stanley were married by the Father L. Szok presiding and Stanislaus Ruszkonski and Michaline Rulkiewicz acting as witnesses. On the registration of their wedding Anna’s father is listed as Michael. This is the name that appears on his death certificate. Again perhaps the English adoption of his name Mikolaj. Stanley list his occupation as “trimmer”.
In 1924, a daughter, Eva, is born. In a tragic repeat of her sister’s experience, this child dies on May 1, 1924. The death certificate shows the family as living at 8603 Conant in Hamtramck. She is listed as being four (4) months old. Eva is eventually buried at Mt. Olivet cemetery in Detroit. It appears that her remains were re-interred at Section 23, Lot 173, Space 4 from another site on October 8, 1954.
The balance of the decade would bring the births of two sons. Stanley Jr. born January 25, 1925 and Edward born December 4, 1926. If one looks at the birth of Stanley one realizes the Anna was probably just beginning her pregnancy at the time of Eva’s death.
The 1930 Census is taken on April 15. It shows Anna and Stanley living at 11868 Dwyer in Detroit. They are living with their two sons and Josephine Pugacz now age 66. Both Anna and Stanley are working at an auto accessory company. In the colum for Stanley it shows income of $3500 dollars but suspects this might be their combined income. In answer to a census question the family indicates that they have a radio. Shortly, after this census, daughter Virginia Anne is born on May 23, 1930.
On April 4, 1938, Stanley received his certificate of citizenship. It was awarded at the U.S District Court. He is listed as being 5 feet 10 ½ inches tall and weighing 140 pounds. His address is listed as 11850 Dwyer, Detroit, Michigan with his nationality as Polish.
On January 7, 1939, Stanley’s father Walter dies at Hamtramck, Michigan. His birth year is estimated as 1870. His mother is listed as Petronela Korytanska and his father is Stanley. His birthplace is given as Szynowek, Poland.
In the 1940 Census taken on April 5, the Rulkiewicz family continues to live at 11850 Dwyer. Stanley Sr. is working as a watchman at an auto company and Anna is listed as doing clerical work at an auto factory (Champion Spark Plug). Also, living with them is Josephine (77), sons Stanley Jr. (15), Edward (13) and daughter Virginia (9). Stanley is shown to have worked 26 weeks in the past year and Anna a full 52 weeks. Stanley’s income is shown as having been $600.
On September 26, 1944, Stanley passes away in a tragic repeat in this family of a husband/father dying at an early age. He is buried on September 30th at Mt. Olivet Cemetery Section 23, Lot 173, Space 3.
Stanley dies at Herman Kiefer Hospital. His obituary indicates that he is survived by his wife and mother, children Edward, Virginia, and Stanley Jr. who is listed as U.S. Army Air Corp in France. Additionally, surviving are sisters, Lottie Ruszkoonski, Mildred Niemczyk, Genevieve Astremborski, Stella Koniecki, and Frances Kristyniak.
We have reviewed a large number of documents about the life of the widowed Anna. Surviving is an undated supplementary application for employment presumably for the Champion Spark Plug Co (CSPC). In it she indicates that she attended school from 1914-1916 in Olyphant, Pennsylvania and from 1916 to 1919 work at the Jeffery ? Co. presumably in Detroit. We should remember as we look at her life, she apparently had only 2 years of formal schooling. That record implies that she began work at the age of 14 or 15. Some family legend says she and others who began work so young went to work on dead siblings birth certificates. In reality, children in that time frame did go to work at very early ages. Additionally, since Anna was born in Polish Russia, documentation of her birth with a certificate would be unlikely. In fact, later in life in an effort to provide proof of her birth date, Anna would obtain documents from the Polish government in 1959. That same application shows that her husband was also employed at Champion’s but again there is no date on that document.
On November 10, 1939, Anna files for naturalization with the US District Court in Detroit. On February 13, 1940 she receives her Certificate of Citizenship. It indicates her address is 11850 Dwyer Street and she is 5 feet 3 ½ inches tall and weighs 168 pounds. Her eyes are blue and her hair is brown.
A letter from June 8, 1956, congratulates Anna on her 25 years of continuous service CSPC. The letter further indicates that she had worked at CSPC beginning in 1916 for several periods of employment as a clerk in different departments over the next 14 years. It appears that she joined the company again permanently on June 8, 1931 and had work over the previous 20 years in the printing and maintenance departments.
A letter dated December 12, 1967 indicates that Anna will retire at the end of the year after 36 11/2 years of continuous service. Her pension will consist of monthly payments of $170.00 for as long as she will live with a minimum pay period of 10 years.
In fact, Anna would live until November 16, 1998. She had suffered a stroke some years earlier. She was laid to rest at Mt. Olivet Cemetery on November 20, 1998 next to her husband Stanley in space 2, their daughter Eva (space 4) and Josephine Pugacz (space 1).
The three surviving children of Anna and Stanley were; Stanley Jr. who married Shirley Marie Banzhof, Edward D. who married Helen Addis, and Virginia who married Walter Tuskiewicz. Shortly after the end of WWII both Rulkiewicz sons would legally change their name to Rogers.
Some years before her passing, I had written to Anna seeking information about her parents, the early days in the US and also about my grandparents Mary and Stanley Lichota. I have included copies of that exchange under the documents tab. Unfortunately, she was suffering from the effects of her stroke and her previously steady hand shows the damage.
On a personal note, I cannot help but admire the strength of the women in this line. Both Anna and Josephine suffered early widowhood with young families. Yet they prevailed. Additionally, Anna’s daughter Virginia (my godmother) also suffered an early widowhood and the devastation of separation from a daughter and husband from tuberculosis. Virginia would learn to drive in her late 40’s because she had to. Remarkably, they maintained a strong Roman Catholic faith through all of this when many others would have lost their way.