Charles Zirkel aka Karl Jablonowski

Born as Karl Ludwig Jablonowski, changed his name to Karl Jablonowsky then Charles Zirkel, after his stepfather.

=====================

Karl met his wife Frieda in the USA. He visited Germany several times in his life, both to visit his own family (Kurt Kneip) and his wife's family (Georg, Elizabeth "Tante Elis", and Johanna "Tante Hanni"). He visited them, and their children, in the late 1950's and 1960's.

Georg's children Arntraud and Jutta recalled in 2014 what they could remember of Onkel Karl. They loved his visits and looked forward to them. He was full of humor and good cheer. Physically, Onkel Karl was thin and somewhat vain. He dressed sharply and frequently combed his hair. He sent them many gifts from the US, including handmade toys and old dresses. He sent them Helen's wedding dress. He sent a bicycle by mail. He sent $20 US dollars to Jutta for her birthdays.

=====================

Birth document:

Karl Ludwig Jablonowski

He was born in the city of Wattenscheid on 25th February 1897 the son of Wilhelm Jablonowski who lives in Höntrop No 133 5/10 who is protestant in religion (evangelisch in German)

The mother is Maria Jablonowski whose birth name was Maria Madeia, she was also "evangelisch"/protestant

and she was living "with him" (wohnhaft bei ihm) same address

The child was born in the morning (vormittag -prelunchtime) at 2:30 a.m. at home in Höntrop and was male... (männlichen Geschlechts)

Then comes some legal text: This was document was read and authorised by the father Wilhelm Jablonowski.

Right at the bottom it says that this document is an authorised copy of the "family book" and that this copy was requested on the 10th of June 1916. Probably your grandfather got married and needed a copy for his own new "family book"

To the left is a stamp that says: "Gebühren 50 Pfennig", i.e. the document cost 50 cents...

=

the place of birth is Höntrop, it's part of the town of Bochum. In 2007 it had 20,000 inhabitants, one of the largest districts in District Wattenscheid. The area is an industrial region known as the Ruhr area. It's part of the larger region North Rhine-Westphalia:

http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fde.wikipedia.org%2Fw...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhr_Area

=====================

Background of the area:

From Wikipedia: Towns in the area first grew during the Industrial Revolution, mainly basing their economy on coal mining and steel production. ... In January 1923 French forces occupied the Ruhr area as a means of reprisal after Germany did not fulfill reparation payments demanded by the Versailles Treaty. The German government answered with "passive resistance," which meant that coal miners and railway workers refused to obey any instructions by the occupation forces. Production and transportation came to a standstill, but the financial consequences completely ruined public finances in Germany and passive resistance was called off in late 1923.

=====

Karl emigrated to America in 1923.

From Ellis Island:

First Name: Karl

Last Name: Jablonowski

Ethnicity: German

Last Place of Residence:

Date of Arrival: Oct 12, 1923

Age at Arrival: 25 Gender: M Marital Status:

Ship of Travel: Reliance

Port of Departure: Hamburg

Manifest Line Number: 0016

===============

Marriage certificate (1927) name recorded as Charles Jablonowsky (with a "y")

Naturalization Certificate (Feb 19, 1937) name recorded as Charles Zirkel.

Address: 10-67 Grove St, Far Rockaway, NY.

In 1955, filed a court request to formally change his name:

"In the matter of the Application of CHARLES ZIRKEL, formerly known as KARL YABLONOWSKI, and CHARLES JABLONOWSKY, for leave to change, amend, and correct the marriage License and Record of Marriage issued to CHARLES JABLONOWSKY, Groom, and FRIEDA RINNAGEL, Bride, bearing number 5568, Year 1927.

By the 1960's, lived at 141 Cotton Lane, Levittown, New York to the end of his life, just around the corner from son Alfred and his family at 123 Rope Lane.

Worked at Pierce Country Day Camp, New York, for many years as a cook.

In 1959, purchased a burial plot at Pinelawn Cemetary, Plot M, Grave 1, Range 37, Block 4, Section 50, Division Greenlawn.

Death certificate:

Date of Death: Dec 30 1971

Name of Deceased: Charles L. Zirkel

Marital Status: Widowed

Social Security No 098-03-1007A

Color: White

If Veteran, Name of War: No

Occupation: Retired Kitchen Helper, Far Rockaway High School

Birthplace: Germany

Citizen of What Country: USA

Father's Name: Adolph Zirkel

Mother's Name: Maria Madeia

Place of Death: Syosset Hopital, Syosset

Lenth of Stay in Town, City, or Village: 1 month

Cause of Death: Immediate Cause: Metastatic Carcinoma; Adenocarcinoma Prostate; Arterio Sclerotic-Heart Disease

Time Dr. in Attendance: 10-1969 to 12-30-1971

Place of Burial: Washington Memorial, Coram, New York

Undertaker: Thomas M. Quinn & Sons, Inc.

Dated: March 9, 1972