Jonas Zvingis and Marijona Davidauskaite - Jewish connection plus Russian Soldier - 3x Grandparents

I had researcher Vincas B do some digging through the http://www.epaveldas.lt/ church records for me. He found the following goodie!

Viekšniai church, same parish in 18 of January, 1883. Priest Antanas Petrošius married Reserve Private Juozapas Žvingis, single, 31 years old ( b.1852 ) from Pluogai? village, son of peasants Jonas Žvingis and Marijona Davidauskaitė, legal spouses and peasant Morta Mileškaitė, single, 22 years old (b 1861) from Mažeikiai village, Viekšniai parish, daughter of Juozapas Mileška and Monika Vaitiekute, legal spouses. Witnesses were Juozapas Degutis, Pranas Milevičius, Stanislovas Januškis and others.

Pluogai might also be Krakei

Juozapas Zvingis is the father of Juozas Zvingis who migrated to the United States in 1914.  Aka Juozapas Zvingis and Marijona Davidauskaite , as well as Juozapas Mileska and Moinka Vaitiekute are my great-great-great-grandparents.

I remember my grandfather Edward Laukaitis, talking with my grandmother Bertha Laukaitis nee Zvingis about her Jewish grandmother.  The name Davidauskaite is a Jewish name in Lithuania, aka it’s a Litvak name.  The American equivalent is Davidson.  The Polish equivalent is Dawidowicz or Davidowicz . I'm betting Marijona is the relative they were talking about.

Also interesting is Juozapas is listed as a Reserve Private in the Russian army.  Lithuania was a vassal state (occupied territory) of Russian from 1795 to 1915.  Conscription of males was mandatory.  In many of the old pictures I have my relatives are wearing entire or pieces of Russian Uniforms. 

Zvingis / Davidson / Dawidowicz / Davidauskaite Marriage in 1883 - Am I Part Jewish?

I had researcher Vincas B do some digging through the http://www.epaveldas.lt/ church records for me. He found the following goodie!

Viekšniai church, same parish in 18 of January, 1883. Priest Antanas Petrošius married Reserve Private Juozapas Žvingis, single, 31 years old from Pluogai? village, son of peasants Jonas Žvingis and Marijona Davidauskaitė, legal spouses and peasant Morta Mileškaitė, single, 22 years old from Mažeikiai village, Viekšniai parish, daughter of Juozapas Mileška and Monika Vaitiekute, legal spouses. Witnesses were Juozapas Degutis, Pranas Milevičius, Stanislovas Januškis and others.

Pluogai might also be Krakei

Juozapas Zvingis is the father of Juozas Zvingis who migrated to the United States in 1914.  Aka Juozapas and Marijona are my great-great-great-grandparents.

I remember my grandfather Edward Laukaitis, talking with my grandmother Bertha Laukaitis nee Zvingis about her Jewish grandmother.  The name Davidauskaite is a Jewish name in Lithuania, aka it’s a Litvak name.  The American equivalent is Davidson.  The Polish equivalent is Dawidowicz or Davidowicz .

Also interesting is Juozapas is listed as a Reserve Private in the Russian army.  Lithuania was a vassal state (occupied territory) of Russian from 1795 to 1915.  Conscription of males was mandatory.  In many of the old pictures I have my relatives are wearing entire or pieces of Russian uniforms.

Ona Zvingaite, my great-great Aunt. Death record from fever....

Death record for my great-great Aunt, Ona Zvingaite / Zvingis / Zvingys....  Ona is Anna in English.  Ona is the daughter of Juozas Zvingis Sr, my great-great-grandfather.  His son and her brother Juozas Zvingis emigrated to the USA 100 years ago.  Zvingis may also be spelled Zvingys.

The record is handwritten Cyrillis...

Ona Žvingaitė, daughter of peasants Juozapas and Morta Žvingis, died 19 years old, fever, in 19 of February, 1904 and buried in cemetery of Tirkšliai parish in 21 of February.    

By verbal story, Juozas Zvingis Sr was drafted into the Japo-Russian war.  He deserted back to Lithuanian.  When he arrived he had back scarlet fever or smallpox.  He and five of the children died from the disease  Ona is probably one of the children that died at this time.