What was the maiden name of John W. Zima's wife Marie of Chicago?
The Zima family was found on Ancestry World Tree.
| What we knew | |||||
| 1910 Census | The family had been found in the 1910 Chicago, Illinois census. It said that Marie was born about 1881 in Austria and was Polish. She came to the US in 1901 and the couple had been married for 7 years. | ||||
| Where we looked | |||||
| Chicago Polish Marriage Index | The Polish
Genealogical Society of America has created an index to the marriage
records of 42 Polish Catholic parishes in Chicago and made it available
online with a robust search capability. Looking for a John Zima with a
wife Marie married about 1902 or 03, uncovered this entry:
|
||||
| Ellis Island Ship Manifests | The ships' passenger lists were searched for a Maria Sokolowski who arrived in New York about 1901. In March, 1901, Marya Sokolowski, age 23, arrived from Bremen. A single 23-year old, she was on her way to Chicago. A brother or cousin, Pawel Sokolowski, was with her on the boat and their last places of residence in Galacia were given as well as the Chicago addresses they were going to. | ||||
| 1910 Census | Looking again at the 1910 census record for John Zima and his wife Marie, we can see that one of the three boarders with the family was a Pavel Sokolowski who came to the US in 1901. | ||||
| What we learned | |||||
| Maiden name | The Pavel Sokolowski
in the 1910 census ties the marriage record to the ship's manifest and
confirms the maiden name of John Zima's wife.
The actual marriage record of St. Adalbert Church (LDS film #1704766) may have more information, perhaps giving Marie's parents' names. The name of Marie's Polish home on the manifest needs deciphering and investigation as well. |
||||
| Internet resources | For this month's puzzle, we learned the value of looking around the Internet for less well-known depositories of useful records. The Chicago Polish marriage index is not one of the major resources one turns to but if for Chicago Polish maiden names it is invaluable. | ||||
Got a pedigree puzzle? Get help from a professional researcher.