Sentimental Sunday: Lithuanian Guokas Family, 1936

This is a photo that includes members of the Antanas Guokas family taken on 13 February 1936.  Antanas is my second great-uncle, the older brother of my great-grandfather Charles (Kazimieras) Guokas Sr. (1863-1939), who came to the USA.  His six children in this picture are my first cousins twice removed.

This photo was sent to me by my third cousin Osvaldas Guokas, who wrote:

Central sitting figure is my great-grandfather Antanas Guokas and five sons Kazimieras, Justinas, Leonas, Antanas Junior, Jonas, and daughter Marijona.

Ten days before Jonas Guokas' wedding all the family came to Panevezys (a city in Lithuania) to Mr. Moigis' notary office. And they did a photo. :) After two weeks my great-grandfather Antanas died.

Sitting: Stefanija Černišonienė (1888-1966, mother-in-law of Leonas Guokas),  Tadas Mikalauskas from USA (1869-1960), Antanas Guokas [Sr.] (1861-1936), Bronislovas Pranscevičius (1871-1975, Jonas Guokas' soon-to-be father-in-law),  Marijona "Marytė" Guokaitė - Burkauskienė (born in 1900).

Standing:  Kazimieras Guokas (born 1908), Teodoras Černišovas (1885-1948, father-in-law of Leonas Guokas), Justinas Guokas (1903-1971, the grandfather of Osvaldas), Leonas Guokas (1904-1980), Leonas' wife Marija Černišovaite - Guokiene (1912-1989), Antanas Guokas [Jr.], and Jonas Guokas (1895-1975).

Antanas Jr., on the back row, has one eye closed.  Osvaldas tells me he lost the eye fighting in World War I.


© Amanda Pape - 2017 - click here to e-mail me.

Sentimental Sunday: Leo Radauskas, 1889-1973

Leonas "Leo" Radauskas is a first cousin two times removed on my Guokas (maternal grandfather's) line.  He was born on June 22, 1889 in Gikoniai village, Rozalimas parish, Šiauliai county (which is adjacent to Panevėžys county), Lithuania, He was the second son (and second of eight children) of Ignatijus Radauskas (ABT 1853-1913) and Agota Guokas (born 1861), my great-grandfather Charles Guokas Sr.'s older sister.

According to the Illinois, Northern District Naturalization Index, 1840-1950, Leo arrived in the United States on July 14, 1909.  By the time of the 1910 Census (April 18), he was living with the family of his uncle, my great-grandfather, in Houston, Texas, and working as a porter in a restaurant.  He's in the Houston city directories of 1911 through 1913, still living at 1717 Shearn, but working as a butcher the first two years and then as a waiter.

The next record I have for Leo is his December 23, 1926, naturalization.  At the time he was living at 3548 S. Halstead in Chicago, in the Bridgeport neighborhood.

Late in 1928, Leo made a trip back to Lithuania (I found the passenger lists, for his leaving Bremen, Germany, on September 19, and arriving in New York City on September 28).  My third cousin, Osvaldas Guokas in Lithuania (who has been an immense help in research there), says his uncle Aleksandras Guokas from Panevėžys (who has also provided valuable research) tells this story about Leo's trip:

He (Leonas) came back to Lithuania with the clear target to find a wife during one month [he had only one month vacation].  He, along with Guokas family guys, was looking for girls in the Smilgiai area.  There was one young lady which Leo liked. He and a few guys came to her home to review and propose.  But Jonas Guokas (father of my uncle) didn't like this lady.  He and another guy sat near the young lady and all evening they were joking with girl.  She was happy and very funny and she had a good time joking with the guys. After this evening Leo understood that she was not a girl which he wanted to marry.  He said, "I can't show this girl in America."  So after a few days Jonas Guokas introduced another girl to Leo. She was from the Tamošiūnas family,  Tamošiūnaitė. My uncle doesn't remember her first name, he remembers only the surname Tamošiūnaite.  They married and came to the USA. It's funny history.

The woman Leo married was Ona Tamošiūnaite (1907-1988), who was apparently sometimes called Anna in the United States.  According to the passenger list for her arrival (on December 8, 1928, about two months after Leo got back), she was born in Jasoniai village, which is very near Gikoniai, and to Smilgiai and Čelkiai, where my Guokas kin are from.

When Ona / Anna became a naturalized citizen in 1935, she and Leo were living at 3258 S. Union in Chicago, also in Bridgeport.  They are still living there through at least 1947.  The 1940 Census lists Leo's occupation as a hotel chef, and his World War II draft registration card states that he was a chef at the famous Edgewater Beach Hotel (closed 1967, torn down 1970-71) at 5300 N. Sheridan in Chicago.  The photo above might have been taken around this time.  Later the family moved to 6223 S. Albany, near Marquette Park and Lithuanian Plaza.

Leo and Ona / Anna had one daughter, Bernice Ann Radauskas Dylo (1940-2004), two grandchildren, and at least two great-grandchildren.

As there are a lot of Lithuanians in Chicago, I think I will find at least one more relative there.

© Amanda Pape - 2017 - click here to e-mail me.

Sentimental Sunday: Happy Easter, 1972

Easter 1972 (which was April 2), taken in the backyard (outside the detached garage) of our family's home at 8015 Sharpview in Houston, Texas.  In the back are my brothers Brian (almost 10) and Mark (almost 12); seated are my sisters Karen (age 14) and Mary (age 8), and me, age 15.


© Amanda Pape - 2017 - click here to e-mail me.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Wolfe Family China

Not too long ago, I was contacted by a third cousin (and now DNA match) Lynae, who sent me the picture above.  She wrote:  "My grandmother was Annie Carol Wolfe Lichtenstein.  I thought you might like to see some china that I have:

The Wolfes [Abram Cecil Wolfe, my great-great uncle, his wife Ada Edwards Wolfe, and daughters Annie and Irma] had four cups & saucers left. The were given to my daughter, Maura, by Irma May Wolfe Nolte (sister of Annie), because she was the only grandchild with a last name starting with "W". 😉 The mug next to them was Annie's mug. She told us that each member of the family had their own mug to use for eating & drinking."

Thank you, cousin Lynae, for sharing these!


© Amanda Pape - 2017 - click here to e-mail me.

Motivation Monday: Happy National Siblings Day!

From my birthday (which was a few days ago) in 1967.  From left, my brother Mark (almost 7), me (age 10), my sister Karen (age 9), my brother Brian (almost 5), and my sister Mary (almost two-and-a-half).  In the den of the family home at 8015 Sharpview, Houston, Texas.


© Amanda Pape - 2017 - click here to e-mail me.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Another Painting by Aunt Gret!

I'm so excited!  I set up some alerts on eBay, and a few weeks ago, this turned up:

It's a framed watercolor painting of Little Miss Muffet done by my great aunt, Margaret Anna "Gretchen" Reis Pape (1886-1947)!  Here is an enlargement of her signature:

Even better, when you turn the painting over, you find this written on the backing paper:

It reads, "Little Miss Muffett [sic] - by Gretchen Reis Pape and framed by Lee John Pape."  Lee is Aunt Gret's husband, my great uncle Leo "Lee" John Pape (1893-1979).

Of course I will be hanging this up in my house, along with the now-framed drawing by my architect first cousin twice removed, Ewald Theodore Pape (1894-1976).

© Amanda Pape - 2017 - click here to e-mail me.

Sibling Saturday: April Fool on Me! Wolfe, Not Shelton, Family Reunion, c. 1964-1969

The photograph at left is of my great-grandmother (seated at far left), Addilee Tennessee Shelton Wolfe Odom Harris (1890-1977), and her four children and their spouses. Standing are Wallace "Archie" Archibald (1896-1970), Lloyd L. Wolfe (1906-1993), Louis Ely (1913-1980), and Robert "Bob" L. Brown (1908-1970). Seated are Addilee, my grandmother Sara (1908-1997), Lloyd's second wife Georgia Noreen Turner Wolfe (1911-1997), Neva Marie Wolfe Ely (1912-1995), Edith Elizabeth Wolfe Smith Murff Brown Gould Knox (1910-2006), and my aunt, Sara's daughter, Sister Jean Marie (Jo Ann) Guokas (b. 1930).

I first posted this photograph nearly seven years ago, and at the time, I thought it had been taken at a Shelton family reunion.  However, when I attended the reunion in June 2016, I found the following newspaper clipping in an album owned by my first cousin twice removed Shirley Thompson:

According to the caption, this photograph was taken during the Christmas holidays at the home of my great uncle Lloyd L. Wolfe at Crystal Lakes Estates near Lake Livingston, Texas. Archie and Bob both died in 1970, so this photograph was taken sometime before then; but after the death of Lloyd's first wife Florida Louise "Sally" Lasyone, who died April 29, 1963.  Noreen and Lloyd married on August 31, 1964, and the article gives the implication that they are a married couple, so the photograph was likely taken between Christmas 1964 and Christmas 1969.

Oddly, the caption in the newspaper leaves out the names of half the women.  The caption should have read, in the style of the day, "Left to right, seated, Mrs. C. B. [Addilee Tennessee Shelton Wolfe Odom] Harris, Mrs. W. [Sara Melzina Wolfe Guokas] Archibald, Mrs. L. L. [Georgia Noreen Turner] Wolfe, Mrs. Louis [Neva Marie Wolfe] Ely, Mrs. R. L. [then Edith Elizabeth Wolfe Smith Murff] Brown, and Sister Jean Marie [Jo Ann] Guokas.

© Amanda Pape - 2017 - click here to e-mail me.