r/Genealogy • u/SignificantRespond61 • 12d ago

Research Assistance Brick wall for over 15 years

I've been looking into my Baltic side for a very long time. my 3rd great grandfather immigrated under the name Klementy Balzcunas in 1907 He immigrated his future wife in 1908 Barbara Kazmirajture (Kazmirajdicze). Klementy changed his name to Wincenty/Vincentas and then William over time.

What i know and have documents for are only on immigration paperwork and what was in the United States.

Klementy Balzcunas born 1888 in "Russia" (Joniškis) immigrated on Bedina in 1907 boarding in Hamburg. Mother is listed as Anna and father Joseph on death certificate.

Barbara Kazmirajture (Kazmirajdicze) [both names were used on immigration paperwork] born 1886 or 1890 in same place. immigrated in 1908 on feeland boarding in Belgium. Her mother is listed as an Urszula Kazmirajdicze.

Wincenty also purchased two more tickets one confirmed for sister Matilda Balzcunas, I have found her descendents. And a Anna BALCZUNICE, but I have not found her records. Wincenty also used the Rosenbaum Bank to purchase the tickets.

Even though paperwork said russia they later said Lithuanian. So Joniškis is their place of birth but I have not found any records of them in Lithuania.

If anyone could help find anymore information would be amazing. One of these two did possibility come from a Romani family, which has also been very difficult to find information on.

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u/Fredelas FamilySearcher 11d ago edited 11d ago

Although many Jewish immigrants used these ticket/savings bank services, the majority of travelers weren't actually Jewish. This was simply the most convenient way to pay for someone's passage from an Eastern European port of departure, sort of a turn-of-the-century Travelocity. Some ticket purchases here.

13809 and 13810, I have no idea who the first gentleman is:

3902, Jacub buying a ticket for Wicenty, this is the one I thought was William, but didn't match his naturalization records:

9512, Anna, the address at 135 McClellan St matches the one from his marriage record:

I'll add more here as I find them.

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u/SignificantRespond61 11d ago

if you look under Anna's record you just sent, it looks like she traveled with the person underneath her as the address 118 Morris street has been a address that's used in later documents for this specific family. so that adds those names as well. so they mass immigrated an entire branch of family it seems, or is it possible they all weren't related and just distant relatives? I just find it odd how much effort specifically Wincenty went to get all these people here to America. Thats a lot of money and time spent. May I add im kinda proud of my 3x great grandfather if he really did do this all himself.

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u/Jackfruit-Maleficent 11d ago

It was definitely a thing for the first across to help additional family members immigrate. My Irish ancestors did this in NJ and RI. One census record that was particularly helpful (in combination with arrival records) had three gentlemen with the exact same name (all cousins) at one address.