Walter was my grandfather. He was born in Tomasze, Mazowieckie, Poland 27 November 1876 per his naturalization records. He was the son of Jan and Anna Budziszszewska.
Walter married Helena Mierzejewska (she had the same surname) on 9 February 1908. Two children were born in Poland, Waclaw (Walter) and Czeslawa (Celia). My father was born in Toledo after his parents’ arrival in the US.
From oral family stories, he and Helena had a small farm in Poland with a few farm animals (cows and a bull), likely milled wheat, and lived in a community that contained both Roman Catholic and Jewish citizens. The story told had been the community was very small and rural. Priests would travel to attend to the sick and dying or to perform marriages. The community, whether Jewish or Catholic, would gather for a death to prepare a body for burial. This was well before modern day American funeral practices where a body may be embalmed and kept for days or possibly over a week before burial. Embalming would have not been the practice then so Catholics would bury their dead in this regional fairly quickly, within two days or so of death.
Walter traveled to the United States at least once prior to emigrating to the US. In November 1909, a ship manifest from arriving at Ellis Island indicates both Walter and his brother, Marcin. Each had listed Helena as their point of contact in Poland. Helena was residing in Borowce. Son Waclaw (Walter) was born in February 1909. It’s possible my grandfather came and went multiple times to raise money to send home to help support the family. Helena’s siblings (Władysław, Jan, and Kalixty) came to the US between 1905 and 1908, first settling in Pennsylvania and then moving westward to Toledo.
Walter’s brother, Marcel, did attempt to settle in the US but disliked it here. He returned to Poland, married, had a family, and died in Poland. I can find no record of Walter’s other siblings settling in the US. Walter so far has been the only sibling in his family that I have found to have settled in the US, although a nephew, John, did settle in the US just prior to or at the start of US engagement in World War I.
On 23 February 1923, Walter arrived at Ellis Island after sailing from Copenhagen with his family, heading to Toledo. On the manifest, he was stated to be a farmer with a destination as an address on Buckingham Street, Toledo which was for her Helen’s brother, John. On that manifest, it states the last time he was in the US was Nov. 17 (1922). I have not found manifest or other record relating to this trip, but it would make some sense. Helena’s family had been in Pennsylvania or Toledo for a number of years before their arrival and perhaps Walter would have been looking for a place to live or work on his arrival.
Upon arrival at Ellis, Walter and his family were indicated as QE LPC, which meant “quota exceeded, likely public charge.” Meaning, the quota of Poles to be admitted for 1923 had already been met by February when they arrived and the family was deemed unable to support itself. This decision may have been made in part due to the notation that was made that my grandmother was unable to read and write in her own language. They had been held at Ellis Island, and then my grandfather had been admitted to the hospital at Ellis on 9 March. It look as if an initial hearing on the family’s status was scheduled for 28 February. There is no indication of a re-hearing or any delay due to Walter’s hospitalization. He was released from the hospital on 20 March, and the manifest indicates the family was admitted to the country on 24 March. There was even notation of the meals the family was provided and had consumed through this stay: 85 breakfasts, 85 dinners, and 81 suppers.
The family eventually made it to Toledo, to Helena’s brother’s home (John Mierzejewski) at 1763 Buckingham Ave. The following year on 23 December 1923, my father was born at this home on Buckingham. This address is interesting and none of my family will appear on a census with this address–all of this activity took place between approximately 1921 and 1925. This is the address on my dad’s birth certificate. It also seems that several of father’s close relatives had lived in that home with their families over a relatively short period of time as I’ve found evidence that Helena’s brother Władysław had lived at this residence as well.
By 1928, my grandparents Walter and Helena were living on Woodstock Ave. The 1930 census shows that Walter had submitted his papers for naturalization, Helena and the children were indicated as aliens. The first two children, Walter and Celia, were 21 and 19 at the time of this census. Walter and these two children were employed in factories (I believe Walter was employed at Overland and son Walter and daughter Celia were employed at Champion.) They owned their home and it was valued at $5300. Helena is indicated as unable to read and write and both Walter and Helena were noted as unable to speak English.
Walter did obtain his citizenship in 1938. His naturalization paperwork does state “wife not naturalized.” This paperwork reflects an address of 622 Woodstock, the same as the 1930 census. However, the 1940 census shows the family living at 1143 Hamilton as renters. However this census states the family had been living in this same house since 1935. I do know that at some time during the 1930s, during the Great Depression, my grandparents did lose their home, so it likely would have occurred after the date of my grandfather’s naturalization on 17 November 1938. Walter was registered to vote as well in 1938, meaning he would have been able to vote for president in 1940. The 1940 census does state my grandfather was employed in a WPA project and worked 30 weeks during 1940 at an income of $450.
Walter did keep in touch with his brother, Marcel. They visited in the US and I understand the Wladyslaw and Helena did take one trip back to Poland. The photo above of Walter, Helena, Marcel, and Czeslawa has no date and I do not know where it was taken.
By 1943, Walter and Helen were residing on Evesham. I am not sure at what point Walter and Helen took up residence on Evesham.
Helena finally was naturalized and registered to vote in 1943, giving the address on Evesham. Walter died on 1 May 1946 and is buried with his wife in Calvary Cemetery in Section 41.
Note: names in my family are repetitive and there are a number of Walters (Władysław or Walclaw) and Johns (Jan). Where possible, I have put in the relationship they have to my grandfather or grandmother. Walter’s wife, Helena, had the same surname before marriage as well. The surname is quite common in the region they came from, So please bear with me as I write about my dad’s family! To see the distribution of the surname as it is in the region they came from, look at this map: https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/Mierzejewski#google_vignette and zoom in on the Masovian Voivodeship.