My Lithuanian Heritage - Laukaitis, Varanauskas, Zvingys, Balvocius and more

Thought some folks might be interested in this.  Below is my Lithuanian genealogy from my mother's parents and back.  Thanks to this list and esp Vincas Bundza who did a ton of the the doc research for me on the epavaldys items..  Yellow items are the immigrants...

o   GEN1 (father) - Edward Anthony Laukaitis, b. 1915 Brooklyn NY USA, d March 8 1991 East Quogue, NY

§  GEN2 (grandfather) – Antanas Vincent “Tony” Laukaitis, born 23 JUNE 1887 -  Šaltinėnai Village, Jieznas Locality, Birštonas City, Nemanu Parish, Kaunas County, Vilnius Gub, Lithuania. Death 11 FEB 1975 • Riverhead, Suffolk, New York, United States of America.

·        GEN3 (great-grandfather) – Aleksandras Laukaitis, b about 1840 Jeiznas locality, Kaunas County, Lithuania. Died 12 April 1920 Nemanjunai, Alytus District, Lithuania

o   GEN4 (2x-great -grandfather) – Antanas Laukaitis.  Born about 1818 Puzonys, Nemanjunai Parish, Lithuania.  Died 7 Dec 1885 Saltinenai Village, Jeiznas locality, Birstonas City, Nemanu Parish, Kaunas County, Vilnius Gubernaria, Lithuania

§  GEN5 (gggreat-grandfather) – Mykolas Laukaitis.  Referenced in docs, dates unknown.

§  GEN5 (3x-great -grandmother) – Rozalija Gecionis. Referenced in docs, dates unknown.

o   GEN4 (2x-great -grandmother) – Leva Slegeviciute.  Birth ABT 1821 • Šaltinėnai Village, Jieznas Locality, Birštonas City, Nemanu Parish, Kaunas County, Vilnius Gub, Lithuania.  Death 2 NOV 1880 • Šaltinėnai Village, Jieznas Locality, Birštonas City, Nemanu Parish, Kaunas County, Vilnius Gubernaria, Lithuania

§  GEN5 (3x-great -grandfather) Antanas Slegevicius.  Referenced in docs, dates unknown.

§  GEN5 (3x-great -grandmother) Magdelena Zukas. Referenced in docs, dates unknown.

·        GEN3 (great-grandmother) Judity “Justina” Mikuleviciute.  Birth ABT 1840 • Jeiznas Locality, Kaunas County, Lithuania.  Death 3 NOV 1904 • Šaltinėnai Village, Jieznas Locality, Birštonas City, Nemanu Parish, Kaunas County, Vilnius Gub, Lithuania

§  GEN2 (grandmother) Cecilia Edwega Varenauskas.  Birth 01 JAN 1890 • Mankunai, Alytaus, Lithuania.  Death 28 SEPTEMBER 1952 • 675 Central Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

·        GEN3 (great-grandfather) Konstantinas Varnanauskas.  Birth 1846 • Mankunai, Alytaus, Lithuania. Death 23 MARCH 1923 • Mankunai, Alytaus, Lithuania.

o   GEN4 (2x-great -grandfather) Laurynas Varanaskaus.  Birth Mankunai, Alytaus, Lithuania.  Death BEFORE 1923 • Mankunai, Alytaus, Lithuania

o   GEN4 (2x-great -grandmother) Eleonara Matelioniute.  Birth Unknown.  Death BEFORE 1923 • Mankunai, Alytaus, Lithuania

·        GEN3 (great-grandmother) Morta Jesniute.  Birth ABT 1844 • Mankunai, Alytaus, Lithuania.  Death 13 APRIL 1928 • Sipuleiskiu, Miroslavas, Lithuania

o   GEN4 (2x-great-grandfather) Vaitekus Jeznas.   Birth Cigoniskes, Lithuania.  Death Unknown

o   GEN1 (mother) – Martha Bronislava “Bertha” Laukaitis.  Birth 27 AUG 1918 • Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.  Death 28 DEC 2002 • Whiting, Ocean, New Jersey, United States of America

§  GEN2 (grandfather) Juozas Anthony Zvingys.  Birth 20 APRIL 1883 • Tirkšliai, Mazeikin, Lithuania .  Death JULY 1934 • Laizuva, Mazeikiai, Lithuania.

·        GEN3 (great-grandfather) Juozapas Zvingis.  Birth ABT 1852 • Plugoai, Lithuania. Death ABT 1904 • Tirksliai, Mazeikiai, Lithuania

o   GEN4 ( 2x-great-grandfather) Jonas Zvingis.  Birth ABT 1837 • Lithuania.  Death Unknown

o   GEN4 ( 2x-great-grandmother) Marijona Davidauskaite.  Birth ABT 1860 • Pluogai, Mazeikai, Lithuania. Death Unknown

·        GEN3 (great-grandmother) Morta Mileskaite.  Birth 23 FEB 1858 • Tirksliai, Viekeniai, Mazekai, Lithuania. Death AFT. 1930

o   GEN4 (2x-great-grandfather ) Juozapas Mileska.  Birth ABT 1835 • Viekeniai, Mazekai, Lithuania. Death Unknown

o   GEN4 (2X-great-grandmother) Monika Vaitiekute.  Birth ABT 1840 • Vieksniai, Matzeikai, Lithuania.  Death Unknown

§  GEN2 (grandmother) Martha Balvocius.  Birth 12 MARCH 1893 • Maigai, Vieksniai, Lithuania. Death 11 AUG 1943 • Kings, New York, USA

·        GEN3 ( great-grandfather ) Leonas Balvocius.  Birth ABT 1847 • Maigai, Vieksniai, Lithuania. Death Unknown

o   GEN4 ( 2x-great-grandfather) Juozapas Balvocius. Resident of Maigai, Vieksniai, Lithuania.  Referred to in docs, dates unknown.

o   GEN4 ( 2x-great-grandmother) Ona Perminaite.  Resident of Maigai, Vieksniai, Lithuania.  Referred to in docs, dates unknown.

·        GEN3 ( great-grandmother) Ona Petrauskas.  Birth ABT 1847 • Buknaiciai, Mazeikiai, Lithuania.  Death UNKNOWN • Lithuania

o   GEN4 ( 2x-great-grandfather ) Petras Petrauskas. Resident of Buknaiciai, Mazeikiai, Lithuainia at birth of daughter Ona.

o   GEN4 ( 2x-great-grandmother ) Elena Norkute. Resident of Buknaiciai, Mazeikiai, Lithuainia at birth of daughter Ona.

1876 marriage of my 3x grandparents - Petrauskas and Balvocius - Leckava

Received this great doc from my researcher, Vincas Bundza today. The doc identifies my 3x great grandparents.

Petras Petrauskas and Elena Norkute (Leckava)  // Juozapas Balvočius and Ona Perminaite (Maigai).

A few reasons this is significant for my research.

• Another hook into the Maigai area - near Vieksniai and Mazekiai.  See my posts at http://weekendgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/ana-bavocius-butkus-vaicilius-of-maigai.html and http://weekendgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/maigai-near-krakiai-vieksniai-mazekiai.html for more on Maigai.
• Zvingys is a fairly uncommon name.  MindaugasK has Zvingys and the same names in his tree as mine.  He is from Leckava.  We are also a light dna match.
• VirginiaM is a tight dna match of mine.  She is from Maigai.  Her father is a Perminis and her uncle, Jonas, is the one mentioned in http://weekendgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/maigai-near-krakiai-vieksniai-mazekiai.html .
• Also note the number of Norkute living in Maigai.

Year 1876, 15 of May. Priest of Leckava church Bartkevičius registered marriage between peasant Leonas Balvočius, single, 29 years old from Maigai village Viekšniai parish and Ona Petravičiūtė, single, 19 years old from Buknaičiai village Leckava parish Viekšniai eldership.

Son of peasant Juozapas and Ona Perminaitė, legitimate spouses Balvočius and daughter of peasants Petras and Elena Norkutė, legitimate spouses Petrauskas. Witnesses were Kazimieras Šimkus, Antanas Tupikas, Antanas Krūtinis and others.

My trace into this is as follows:
Me > Christine Laukaitis > Bertha Laukaitis > Martha Balvocius > Ona Balvocius

Any ideas or thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks to my 'doc digger' Vincas Bundza...

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. 

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. 

Zvingys as well as Zvingis - Who'da Thunk

Had dinner with a Lithuanian lady named Virginia this week.  I'd uploaded my autosomal DNA to familytreedna.com and we'd matched out as 4th cousins.  After a few conversations, she was travelling through Florida and we got together for dinner.  I brought along my Uncle Danny.

Humor point.  I'd asked if I could bring my Uncle, and they said sure.  They had a vision of someone 80 years old.  Danny is only 5 years older than me.

So I was showing her my tree, and she pointed out Zvingis in Lithuania would probably be spelled Zvingys in many situations ( the Z would have a hat on it too ).  Interesting.  Going to have to do some doc revisions.

So are we related?  Probably.  Her father was from Tirksliai, Mazeikiai, Lithuania, same as my great-grandfather, Juozas Zvingis / Zvingys.  

And her mother was from Vieksniai, Mazeikiai, Lithuania, where my  Great-Great Grandmother, Anna Petrauskas, as well as my Great Grandmother, Martha Balvocius was from.  

Virginia didn't have a good fell for her family tree beyond her parents.  Quite a few wars and such if you've ever read up on Lithuanian history.  Maybe one day we'll figure it out. Hoping I can get to Lithuania one day and dig in, leaving a real document for my kids.

Mother, mother, wherefore art thou from

[2014/0216 - Just found out Zvingis may also be spelled Zvingys]

Howdy, or as they say in Lithuanian, "labas"...

Mom is still living, so she'll be C. Laukaitis from now.  She's as much 100% Lithuanian heritage as you can get.  Which means since the borders of Lithuania have shifted so much, and the messes Lithuanians have been through, I wouldn't be surprised to see Polish, Russian or Latvian pop into my heritage tree.

Culturally I was blessed.  I used to visit my grandparents in New York during the holidays and the summer.  I thought black bread, kielbasa, borscht, eels, herring, heavy beers and other Baltic goodies were normal.  As I grew up in rural Georgia, I eventually noticed my friends didn't eat those kinds of things. Hmmm.  Culinary diversity through heritage at a young age!

My autosomal DNA definitely comes through with alot of Lithuanian.  Nothing I've been able to match up yet.  Another story there.

My mother's mother's names are below.  The names can vary, as I've found out.  That will be a topic for another blog post, probably one on each name and its derivatives.  Remember, I'm doing this blog partly in hope of SEO-ifying my family tree so researchers out there looking could find the data.

Edward Anthony LAUKAITIS b 1915 Brooklyn d 1991
---+ Antanas Vincent LAUKAITIS b 1887 - birth listed as Saltineinze, Sieshltnai Kaimo, Uzno Russia, Uzno Lithuania - cant quite figure it out
---+---+ Alexander LAUKAITIS b ??? Lithuania
---+---+ Justine KESSLUTIA b ??? Lithuania
---+ Cecilia VARANUSKAS b 1886 Suwalkus Russia, Suvalki Lithuania
---+---+ Motiejus VARENAUSKAS ??? Lithuania
---+---+ Martha YESMIUTE ??? Lithuania
Bertha Bronislava Martha ZVINGIS b 1918 Brooklyn d 2002
---+ Juozapas Antanas ZVINGIS b 1883 Tirksliai Mazekiai Lithuania d 1934 Laizauva, Mazeikiai, Lithuania
---+---+ Juozapas ZVINGIS SR ??? Lithuania
---+---+ Anna MILESKAITE ??? Lithuania
---+ Marta BALVOCIUS B 1893 Vieksniai, Mazeikiai, Lithuania d 1942 NYC ( remarried a KAZLAUSKAS )
---+---+ unknown BALVOCIUS
---+---+ Anna PETRAUSKAS - ??? Vieksniai Mazekiai Lithuania

The Lithuanian side is tough.  Records are online, but, surprise, they're a combination of pre-1900 handwritten Russian Cryllic, Polish, Latin, and Lithuanian.  Oh dear lordy.  I may have to spend some money to get it unwired. "Aciu" for reading.  

As usual, "got hints"?  Contact me...

Anna Petrauaskas and Pranas (Frank) Balvocius in Vieksnia Lithuania 1925