My husband's grandfather was born in Wonszas, Poland, is that the same as Warsaw?

I don’t believe that there was or is a town with that name. The closest I could find is Wonsosch (in kreis: Schubin, Posen). Nowadays it is located in Poland and called Wąsosz (in province: Kujawsko-Pomorskie).

Do you have any links to online documents for your gf-il that contain the name of this town?

Hi Sylvia! Thank you for the help. I have a couple of things-his naturalization papers and  the ship manifest from when he emigrated. Some of his documents say he was from Russia, some say Poland. I will attach them here for you. Thank you again.

rw

rmirandaw 

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

We searched the JewishGen Communities Database and located another potential match:

However, we can not be certain if this is the correct one.  The multiple languages in use in this region at that time, the paucity of standardized spelling, and the fact that many American officials were unfamiliar with the relevant spelling conventions can lead to a great variety of spellings in the records.

In regards to the differing country of origin on his American paperwork, that may be attributed to the frequently shifting borders of Eastern Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries. As you may already know, in 1874 what is now known as Poland was split between Russia and Germany.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!

With the info on the naturalization doco, I found the following departure of the Wieland from Hamburg on 21 May 1893 with a possible 20 year old Felix: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSG9-V9SN-F?i=570 (#485)

The Wieland arrives in New York on 3 Jun 1893 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G1D7-9Q98?i=530 (#547, another spelling variant).

In his naturalization papers Felix mentioned that he’d traveled from Russia via Bremen, but this specific voyage of the Wieland only had Hamburg and Havre as ports of embarkation. Of course he could have traveled to Hamburg from Bremen. If this is the right guy, then his last residence would have been in Plock.

BTW I would have liked to have had a look at the family in the 1900 census, but it won’t show itself (The 1910-1950 census years are not an issue). Have you had better luck, or is there a possibility that the family might have visited the “old country” around 1900? At the moment the first US event that I have been able to find online is son Joseph’s death in 1908 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DHPK-RM?i=140), so there is a bit of a gap between 1893 and 1908 regarding documentation.

@rmirandaw

It has been a few days since I posted my previous message, but have not seen any feedback or acknowledgement since then. I could add more to this post but am wondering whether you’ve already found your answers or whether it isn’t important any more?

Hi Sylvia. I apologize for not responding sooner. I am a college student, and also have an elderly mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s Disease. Sadly, we just can’t manage her care at home anymore and had to move her into an assisted living facility. It’s been challenging trying to help her adjust. This week, she developed a blood clot in her lower leg and has to have a procedure done to protect her heart. Needless to say, I haven’t had much time to myself for much of anything. I really do appreciate the work you've done to help me. I should be able to get back to it in the next few days. I thank you for your patience as well. 

rw

Hi Sylvia. I'm sorry, I thought I had replied to your question earlier today. Anyway, I have been up to my eyeballs with family issues and haven't had an opportunity to look closely at any of this. I do appreciate your efforts-and your patience-on my behalf and hope to have time soon to study what's been given. If you have more info, that would be great. This does appear to be my husband's great grandfather, but as I said, I am just now able to take a close look. Thank you so much.

rw

Hi Jason. Thank you so much for this information. I'm hoping this will lead me to a birth or baptismal certificate/his parents names. That information seems to be missing on everything I've found!

rw

@rw

#1 Ah yes, the mystery of the (temporary) disappearance of your own replies… Apparently this is just one of the various new “features” of this recently upgraded website that make my life a little harder. I’m still hoping for a rollback to the previous version … :-)

#2 I understand that life can interrupt less important stuff. Unfortunately too many people on this website seem to disappear after their initial question. I can live with this when I’ve only spent a short amount of time on putting a reply together. However, in your case I’d had a rather big play with Felix’ background. The result needs to be thoroughly checked by someone who can actually read Russian and Polish, but I think that it will answer your original question: “Is the town of Wonszas the same as Warsaw?”.  Presently I am quite convinced that this is NOT the case.


Returning to that “probable” immigration, remember that it mentioned that Felix’ last Polish residence had been in Plock. So I decided to search within its voivodeship (“province”) and found a family from a small village called Wąsosze!
FYI For its location enter the following coordinates in Google: 53.173, 20.52.
Some brief info can be found in wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C4%85sosze,_M%C5%82awa_County .


And this is that family:


Piotr Portzuski b 1853 -
     Akta stanu cywilnego Parafii Rzymskokatolickiej w Kuczborku, 1853 birth certificate: https://www.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl/skan/-/skan/9f3800b51b5cdc8efbccf4870a4d1ddb4afd1da907e0b02b420da3779562af5e
     (s of Hipolit & Ewa Edelman, FYI their 1843 marriage in the Roman Catholic parish in Kuczbork:
          https://www.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl/en/skan/-/skan/57322a9182675de512cdf04e139d16e4b83a31bdd6dbb3d164ad2c1b59aa1af1 (#7))

X 1873 parish Szreńsk (Mława, Mazowieckie)
     Akta stanu cywilnego parafii rzymskokatolickiej Szreńsk powiat mławski, 1873 marriage:
          https://metryki.genealodzy.pl/index.php?op=pg&ar=13&zs=0616d&se=&sy=1873&kt=2&plik=020-021.jpg (#21)
     Or: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSVC-KC35?i=676

Apolonia Scholastyka Rościszewska b 13 Feb 1852 Ługi (parish Szreńsk, Mława, Mazowieckie)
     Akta stanu cywilnego parafii rzymskokatolickiej Szreńsk powiat mławski, 1852 BC:
          https://metryki.genealodzy.pl/index.php?op=pg&ar=13&zs=0616d&se=&sy=1852&kt=1&plik=028-033.jpg (#28)
     (d of Teofil & Józefa Zembrzuska)


Children (there could be more):

Feliks Potrzuski b 13 Jan 1874 Wąsosze (parish Wieczfnia Kościelna, Mława, Mazowieckie) –
     Akta Stanu Cywilnego Wieczfnia Kościelna, 1874 birth certificate:
          https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9GF-Y1CH?i=6 (#7)
Stanisław Potrzuski b 24 Dec 1875 Wąsosze X1907 to Stanisława Sokalska
     1875 BC: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99GF-Y5H2?i=74 (#144)
Konstancja Potrzuska b 12 Jul 1878 Wąsosze
     1878 BC: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9GF-YYBB?i=48 (#92)
Jan Potrzuski b 24 Jun 1880 Wąsosze, d 23 Sep 1880 Wąsosze
     1880 BC: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99GF-YYSN?i=48 (#92)
Franciszek Potrzuski b 7 Oct 1881 Wąsosze
     1881 BC: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9GF-YBGD?i=73 (#142)
Leon Potrzuski b 20 Mar 1887 Wąsosze X1924 to Czesława Kwiatkowska
     1887 BC: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9GF-YNF6?i=29 (#53)
     Various documents handed in for his 1924 Marriage: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSS2-Z911-7?i=185
     Possible 1908 passenger list to Baltimore: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89SD-HZCS?i=362 (#25)
Pelagia Potrzuska 20 Oct 1889 Wąsosze
     1889 BC: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P3-ZJQV?i=76 (#148)
Wanda Potrzuska b 8 Oct 1892 Wąsosze, d 29 Mar 1893 Wąsosze
     1892 BC: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9P3-8B5?i=77 (#134)
Władysław  Potrzuski b 16 Apr 1895 Wąsosze
     1895 BC: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P3-832D?i=41 (#78)



Enjoy, Sylvia

Wow! You are a miracle worker! As is so happens, my daughter has a good friend who immigrated here from Russia at age 19, not knowing a scrap of English! She is now in her mid-30s and has a government job in high tech, a husband and three kids and speaks perfect English. I'm sure she'd be happy to help me out. Thank you SO MUCH for all your hard work. I hope I can pay it forward when I get a bit better at this. SIncerely, Randi