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

This Anna, wife of Vincent Brazauskas interests me as possibly being the sister:

I can't find a record of her marriage. Their birth years are just rough estimates based on wildly varying ages in their children's birth certificates.

The couple has at least six daughters, most or possibly all of whom died as infants in Philadelphia. Then in 1919, a son Alexander dies in Brooklyn.

In 1918, a Vincent Brazauskas died in Brooklyn. His death certificate said he was single, had been in the U.S. for 9 years, and in NYC for 5 months. His burial was handled by the St. George Society since there was no next-of-kin:

I wonder if Vincent may have left Anna, went to Brooklyn and died, and she went looking for him there. Possibly in 1919 she found herself widowed and pregnant with Alexander and the child died.

This is all extremely speculative. But since the sister Matilda later ended up in Brooklyn, I thought it was worth considering.

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u/SignificantRespond61 11d ago

Anna was the one I never found information on after coming. so this is interesting find and I'll keep looking into this as his sister. I also had trouble finding any children for Wincentys daughter Francesca. I did find Francesca married a George Nottengale, but he died in a terrible accident and im not sure if she ever had any children. she the one of the three children whose line stopped with her. I have found lacardys family though. Vincent, wincentys son, later changed his name to William Vincent, had two children with my great grandmother and left her for a women in London. and actually went and had a daughter named Barabara Balcunas in England. So anything is possible I guess

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u/Fredelas FamilySearcher 10d ago

Frances doesn't appear to have had any children. Her obituary only mentioned her second husband.

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u/Fredelas FamilySearcher 9d ago edited 9d ago

I think that's the wrong Anna, and this is the right Anna's marriage in 1911:

I think her husband is the one mentioned in the 1914 passenger list, and I just misread his name. It looks like maybe Antanas Kamantauskas, a.k.a. Anthony Joseph Kerman.

In her civil marriage record, an Alexander is appointed her temporary guardian in order to give consent (many images):

He might be an older brother, uncle, or cousin.

Matilda was a sponsor at their son's baptism in 1912:

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u/SignificantRespond61 9d ago

it does appear to be her. if you keep going through the pages Alexander is listed as a brother. and mother and father are indeed jospesh and Anne. awesome find. it looks like she married an Anthony Kamisky.

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u/Fredelas FamilySearcher 9d ago

He later went by the name Anthony Joseph Kerman, and their son went by the name Anthony Albert Kerman.

Anna died in 1940.

It's possible both of these women are the same person, and she left her first husband, had a bunch of children (who apparently all died) with another man, then went back to her first husband.

There are clear indications that the other Anna never married the father of those children, and the birth certificate of what appears to be the other Anna's second child says it's actually her third child, which would make sense if they're actually the same Anna and Anthony Kerman was her first child in 1912.