Joseph Toney Volinsky (Volonis post 1930)

3/27/08

Found what I believe to be one of the immigration certificates for a Josef Walonis (the name on his marriage license. Here's the facts.

The document read as follows:

July 11, 1906 arriving at port of Baltimore

Josef Walonis

28 years old (false #? If his birthday is correct he should be about 20)

single

farm laborer

yes to read/write (we know he couldn't write)

Nationality: russian

race or people: Lithuanian

permanent residence: Russia

final destination: Laukau allegeny PA (hard to read)

He had a ticket for his final destination

He paid for his own passage

He was in possession of $2

Whether in the US before: YES

Dates in US before: 1898 and 1903 (or just could be 1900)

stayed in Allegh...before

going to join: Brother John Walonis , Treble (?) Ave 649 Allegheny, PA

and what looks like...

cousin Sallspnsic Valonis (--I think I'm blind now trying to read that.)

I think this is pretty strong because it mentions two other trips, the spelling on the actual log looks more like Walonis (which is on his marriage certificate) and he's still using the Lithuanian spelling of Josef and he's visiting his brother JOHN in PA.

3/27/08 (input by liz oliner, info. provided by Julie Mountain)

I have another address to add to this that my Granddad told me (Stanley)- 310 Titan St. I don't know what city it was in he just told me it was the first residence he remembered and it was a row house.

I just came across a note my Mom had written down on a piece of paper here in my file that may be a link to the Mary/Maria T. on the wedding and baptism certificate--it says they had a Stanley Tamulionis who was a cousin from Europe that they took care of when they were living in PA. Not sure if it is related to the Maria thing or not but thought I would mention it.

I have a note from my interview with my Granddad (Stanley) that says the family came to America through Staten Island. Then it says they lived in Chicago first so that must be the Titan St. address.??? Maybe???

He also said that Joseph and Sarah met at church.

Just some little tidbits I found when I was digging around. Oh, yes, Liz, you are right, Joseph did in fact work for a Sugar Factory! I think you have found some really neat info here!!! You GO GIRL!!!

3/27/08 (input by liz oliner, infor. provided by Julie Mountain)

Sarah:

Naturalization #: 6334250

Petition #: 186461

Voters Registration #: 397635/3

Joseph:

Naturalization #: 2038737

Petition #: 66242 Vol. 265

My Dad (paul daukas) loved this guy. He lived to be 87 and smoked Herbitartan cigarettes (3 packs a day no filters) and drank a quart of Schlitz Beer for breakfast every morning. He also loved boiler-makers (shot in a beer). He said that their address was 3266 Cedar St. in Philadelphia! Wow, to remember that! His wife Sarah was a caterer. He also said he had an amazingly thick beard and that he would make sure to hug him and scratch him with it each time he came over.

I spoke with my great uncle stanley valonis and he said Joseph worked at a restaurant as a mechanic and at a sugar mill. For some time he worked a horn and hardarts (sp?). My father said the restaurant jobs were great because he would bring home huge loaves of warm bread that the employees were allowed to cook for themselves over the holidays.

Liz Oliner

3/27/08 (input by liz oliner written by shirley conaster)

5. Joseph Toney Volinsky aka Valonis dod May 1885 dod Jan 6, 1971

Last one in family to change their surname. Came to U.S. 1904

It appears he went to and from Lithuania to U.S. twice

He spoke: Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, English - (note by liz-- yiddish too as per 1910 census)

Wrote/Read: We know he could not write

Work: Russian Army, U.S. Work: manager sugar mill, baker, Linton's Lunch Restaurant -

Married Sarah aka Ksauerva Piragis Masulsonis Matulioniute, Masulioniute, Matulonis Volinsky-Valonis(Lots of different spellings)

Sarah DOB June 1889 DOD Mar 9, 1959 Born Vilnius,Lithuania

Spoke: Polish, Russian, Lithuanian, Latvia, Hungarian, Czech., Hebrew, English. She could read and write I saw her letters - wish I still had one!

Sarah came to U.S. we think 1906

Marriage May 31, 1913 @ St. Casimir Lithuanian Church 324 Wharton Street, Phila. Pa. Joseph Walonis and Ksavera Masulioniute

Rev. J. Kaulakis

Witnesses: Paul Walonis and Maria Traimas

Joseph and Sarah’s children:

1.Joseph, Jr. DOB Aug. 29, 1914 DOD Jan 1987 lived in W. VA

baptized St. Casimir Lithuanian Church

Married to Gertrude

Sons: Bill dob 5-30-41 married Janet lives in W.VA

Children: Bill, Jr. Houston TX; Susan Enola, PA

Bill had been a Philly cop

Email: WVgardenhappy@yahoo.com

and Joe (aka Sam) married Maxine dod 8-1-04 has 21 grandkids.

2. Emily Valonis Daukas deceased

Married to Paul Daukas

Children: Paul and Steven

3. Amelia Valonis Powell (living)

Married to Walter Powell DOD July 2006

Children: Walter and

Nancy Hankey email tgardenerO @adelphia.net

Uncle Walter was planning on answering my questions but unfortunately he died before he could answer me.

4.Theresa Valonis DOD 8-22-1965

Married to Duke Vendzules-Deceased

Children: Dorothy (deceased -drugs so sad)

and Pat

5.Stanley DOB 11-16-1916 Pensacola, FL

Stanley baptized Dec 31, 1916 St. Casimir Lithuanian Church

Witnesses: Casimir Simkus and Ursula Puodzinkynas

married Anne Lou Carnley Valonis DOB 10-05-1921

Child: Shirley Susan Valonis DOB 1-1-1947

married Charlie Conatser DOB 5-11-45

Child: Julie Ann Conatser DOB 11-8-71

Married Rick Mountain

Child: Elise Nicole Mountain 10-12-99

Notes:

Grandfather Joseph Valonis liked to drink too much and got very ugly in his early years when he did. He had not been very kind to my Dad and others.

Our cousin Bill and I got a chuckle together because we both

heard the same quote growing up. “Children were to be seen but NOT heard.” As I told Bill I am happy to report that terrible Lithuanian tradition ended with me!!!!!I consider children a blessing from God. I’m glad my daughter and granddaughter didn’t have to live with that quote.

Love cousin Shirley

3/24/08 by liz oliner--found a 1910 Census with a Joseph volinsky living with the max goldstein family in a jewish neighborhood in NJ. The census lists him as speaking Yiddish as his native language and russian born and give the iinformation that his parents were russian born and also spoke yiddish. The year of immigration of 1904 and the birthday of abt 1884 matches up with both records.

Asked my Rabbi about this and he said he definitely sounded of Jewish descent.

3/27/08 by liz oliner

Is it just me or did you notice the spelling of Joseph and Paul's name: Walonis?

I read somewhere that the V-W thing was an issue in Lithuania but I have the census record of 1930 and in it they are still listed as Volinsky. Here it is 1913 and they are Walonis? I wonder what the system was back then to change your name? Did you have to file a formal request? Interesting question.

Marriage May 31, 1913 @ St. Casimir Lithuanian Church 324 Wharton Street, Phila. Pa. Joseph Walonis and Ksavera Masulioniute

Rev. J. Kaulakis

Witnesses: Paul Walonis and Maria Traimas (Is this the same boarder listed in the 1920 census?)

3/27/08 by liz oliner--

Dearest Liz

Grandfather Joseph had been in the Russian Army. His son Joseph, Jr. had his Russian uniform

but he destroyed it according to my Dad. Justin was also in the Russian army because they

could not get him out of the country soon enough. We know Grandfather Joseph went back to the old country maybe that is how he

got drafted into the army?

Another thing I forgot to write is that the family was in Chicago a short time before settling

in Philly. How and why I don't know. But their was a big population of Jewish people in

Chicago at that time.

Here are the addresses for them in Philly:

1922 -1931 7933 Madison Avenue

1931- 1933 2926 Almond Street

Aug 1933 - 3266 Cedar Street Grandmother Valonis died in this house.

I am enjoying your information. I too wanted to check out the Catholic Church

in Lithuania. I really think is was the Jewish population that was under attack

not the Catholics! It was the Catholic Church that has been so unkind to the

Jewish population which I find horrible.

I think we are getting closer to the facts. Good job!!!!

Sarah is going to be a tougher nut to crack but with God's help we will crack it!

My boss said she didn't have work for me today so maybe I can try to find some

stuff.

Love Shirley

p.s. I am so happy you and the daughters have connected!!!!!!

     My keyboard is sticking:  My mom's name is ANNIE.

3/27/06

Hi cousins!

Here's some of the research I came up with yesterday. Assuming that the 1910 census I found about Joseph Volinsky was correct (same birth year, same immigration date) and noting that it was written that he spoke yiddish as his primary language and that his parent both spoke it as well as the names of his neighbors, I search mapquest using the address found on the census and researched if there was a Jewish community in the area.

The information I found is noted below. If you were going to join a synagogue or be in a Jewish community and then decide to convert to Christianity in two years this would be an amazingly, almost guilt-free easy transition. The Newark local Jewish community at the time really stressed, "the desire to be American than Jewish".

This temple (10 minutes from the census address) was the root of a large Jewish culture at the time in Newark. It stressed assimilation and seems almost Christian in its approach. (Rabbis are listed as reverend!! no kippahs, no tallit!! women sat with men!! No Hebrew!!!  (My family goes to a Reform Temple too and although women and men sit together but my son wears a Tallit and kippah--women wear them too if they want.) I called the temple and unfortunately they have no records of marriages, etc. 

Judiasm is a religion with a great deal of emphasis on the mother, Joseph grew up in a family of men and sarah was here alone.

I was interested to note shirley in your missive you stated, "Cousin Bernice said her father John (oldest) told her of the hard times. He told her that his parents had to hide their religion and language. John’s mother Anna told the boys never forget your religion and never give it up." What language could be an issue if you were a Catholic in Lithuania? Latin? I checked on persecution of Catholics at the same time in Lithuanian and have been unable to find anything. If they were Jewish, then Yiddish would be the obvious language to conceal.

I have to say, If I had to go through all they did, I'd have moved to Philly and converted (or told them I was Christian) too! Tough times. Interesting stuff.

Marriage May 31, 1913 @ St. Casimir Lithuanian Church 324 Wharton Street, Phila. Pa. Joseph Walonis and Ksavera Masulioniute

Rev. J. Kaulakis

Witnesses: Paul Walonis and Maria Traimas

http://www.newarkhistory.com/hopewell.html

3/27/08 by Julie Mountain

Liz,

I was just looking over this census and I came across something interesting....Their boarder: Mary Trackimar...the rest of her family seems to live next door to Joseph and Sarah. There is a Maria Trakimiute, listed on the certificate of baptism for Joseph Jr. and a Maria Traimas listed on Joseph and Sarah's Certificate of Marriage. This last name is similar to their boarder's last name... wonder if it is the same person or family???

Also, it is neat to see that John Valonis is listed on the Certificate of Baptism for Joseph Jr.-- seems to go along with the 1920 census, he was living with them then.  I wonder if Steffie is his daughter?   I am sending you these two documents tomorrow in the mail so you can have a copy of them.  This is fascinating, isn't it?!

Blessings,

Julie

3/27/08 by liz oliner

"There is a Maria Trakimiute, listed on the certificate of baptism for Joseph Jr. and a Maria Traimas listed on Joseph and Sarah's Certificate of Marriage. "

YES!!! of course that's her. If you remember a previous email I sent, in lithuania there were root surnames with different endings identifying the marriage/female/male status of the user.

Endings in --iute were for single females, endings in --as --us --is were for males. So if you go to the roots of both surnames Trakim-- vs. Traim-- it makes this surname really only one letter off. I'm not sure about the --mar, I'll look into it. Too much of a coincidence if you ask me. I say this could be a fit. Wow. interesting.

One more thing Julie, if you notice he's listed on this document (1920 census) as a helper in a sugar Co. That's one of the reasons I thought this could be our guy too. Didn't joseph work for a sugar co.?

Liz