My name is Andrzej Skowyra. I am a Polish citizen. My grandmother's brother Paul Skowyra was a soldier in the U.S. Army during World War 1. Thanks to the archives in St. Louis, I found Paul's personal file and managed to find his grave in Wyandotte

My name is Andrzej Skowyra. I am a polish citizen. My grandmother's brother Paul Skowyra\ Skowiera was a soldier in the U.S. Army during WW1. Thanks to the archives in St.Louis, I found Paul"s personal file and managed to find his grave in Wyandotte near Detroit. But there are still a lot of questions and mysteries about Paul, so I want to get Paul's retirement file to get as much information as possible about Paul's family and relatives. How can this be done and what resources can be used?

Parents
  • Thank you for posting your question to History Hub!

    We located some information that appears to be a match to the Paul Skowyra you are seeking, which we are happy to share with you.  The information seems to indicate he died at age 32 at Fort Bayard, New Mexico, so when you say you are seeking his retirement records, do you perhaps mean employment records?  If so, it may be difficult to locate such records; however, we can provide as much information as we can to assist you in your search.

    From Ancestry.com, we found an entry that appears to be a good match for the same Paul Skowyra you are seeking here, Paul Skowyra in the New Mexico, U.S., Deaths, 1889-1945 as it indicates he was born in Poland and is buried in Wyandotte, Michigan. The 1920 Census Paul Skowera in the 1920 United States Federal Census lists his occupation as a mechanic, but given it shows his residence as Hamtramck, Wayne, Michigan, it is also very possible he worked as an automotive worker in a car manufacturing plant. Since he was a U.S. veteran of WWI, his draft card should show his place of employment.  Unfortunately, while we did locate two draft cards on Ancestry.com, neither show his place of employment, Paul Skowiera in the New York, U.S., Abstracts of World War I Military Service, 1917-1919 - also note that it shows place of birth as Dublin - this appears to be a typo and should say Lublin. Also, while it shows Russia as the country of birth, Lublin is now part of Poland.  Here is another draft card for him found on Ancestry, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 for Paul Skowiera

    Fold3.com had very limited information, overall, but did corroborate that he was hospitalized and died at Fort Bayard, New Mexico, Skowyra Paul

    Please note that websites such as Ancestry.com and Fold3.com typically charge fees, so you may wish to check with your local public library or university library as these institutions often provide access to websites such as these. We have included screenshots for you below for your convenience, however. 

    From Ancestry.com:

           

       

    From Fold3.com:

    It is also noteworthy that the 1920 Census record indicates he lived in Hamtramck, Michigan. If you are trying to locate where he worked, the following online article from Automobile in American Life and Society, From Motor City to Motor Metropolis: How the Automobile Industry Reshaped Urban America  by Thomas J. Sugrue mentions that a Dodge plant was built in Hamtramck, so that could have been a possible place of employment for him. Keep in mind, however, that Hamtramck is in Wayne County, Michigan, also where Detroit is, so there were numerous car manufacturers in the area.  

    Going back to his death at Fort Bayard and noting that one of his draft cards indicated a 75% disability rating, it seems he was at Fort Bayard to receive treatment from the Veterans’ Administration’s hospital there.  While it is also unlikely any records of his medical treatment remain, you might wish to check out this link, Historic Fort Bayard and possibly contact them to see if they would have any information that would be helpful to you. Wikipedia also has an informative entry about the Fort Bayard Historic District.

    It is understandable that your ancestor feels like a mystery.  The 1920 Census shows he was most likely rooming at a boarding house, and says he was married, but it does not seem as though his wife accompanied him.  The draft records show he was living in Chautauqua County, New York at one point, so it is possible his wife and children remained there while he sought work, and then healthcare treatment in Michigan and New Mexico, respectively.  

    For general advice, we suggest reading the web page How to Begin Genealogical Research, the History Hub Blog Suggestions and Advice for Family History Researchers, and the FamilySearch Blog Beginning Genealogy: How to Get Started the Right Way.

    Please see Resources for Genealogists for an overview of National Archives records commonly used for genealogical research. The most popular records for genealogy include military service records, military pension application records, census records, ship passenger arrival lists, and land entry records (for federal lands only). 

    Since it shows he was a naturalized U.S. citizen, you may be able to locate some additional information from naturalization records. We also have passport applications (for certain time periods) and naturalization records. Naturalization records are held in the National Archives regional facilities. You can learn about visiting these facilities on our Visit Us webpage. 

    Finally, you may wish to contact the Detroit Historical Society or the Chautauqua County Historical Society to see if they are able to locate any information about residents from that time period.  

    We hope this is helpful to your family research!

Reply
  • Thank you for posting your question to History Hub!

    We located some information that appears to be a match to the Paul Skowyra you are seeking, which we are happy to share with you.  The information seems to indicate he died at age 32 at Fort Bayard, New Mexico, so when you say you are seeking his retirement records, do you perhaps mean employment records?  If so, it may be difficult to locate such records; however, we can provide as much information as we can to assist you in your search.

    From Ancestry.com, we found an entry that appears to be a good match for the same Paul Skowyra you are seeking here, Paul Skowyra in the New Mexico, U.S., Deaths, 1889-1945 as it indicates he was born in Poland and is buried in Wyandotte, Michigan. The 1920 Census Paul Skowera in the 1920 United States Federal Census lists his occupation as a mechanic, but given it shows his residence as Hamtramck, Wayne, Michigan, it is also very possible he worked as an automotive worker in a car manufacturing plant. Since he was a U.S. veteran of WWI, his draft card should show his place of employment.  Unfortunately, while we did locate two draft cards on Ancestry.com, neither show his place of employment, Paul Skowiera in the New York, U.S., Abstracts of World War I Military Service, 1917-1919 - also note that it shows place of birth as Dublin - this appears to be a typo and should say Lublin. Also, while it shows Russia as the country of birth, Lublin is now part of Poland.  Here is another draft card for him found on Ancestry, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 for Paul Skowiera

    Fold3.com had very limited information, overall, but did corroborate that he was hospitalized and died at Fort Bayard, New Mexico, Skowyra Paul

    Please note that websites such as Ancestry.com and Fold3.com typically charge fees, so you may wish to check with your local public library or university library as these institutions often provide access to websites such as these. We have included screenshots for you below for your convenience, however. 

    From Ancestry.com:

           

       

    From Fold3.com:

    It is also noteworthy that the 1920 Census record indicates he lived in Hamtramck, Michigan. If you are trying to locate where he worked, the following online article from Automobile in American Life and Society, From Motor City to Motor Metropolis: How the Automobile Industry Reshaped Urban America  by Thomas J. Sugrue mentions that a Dodge plant was built in Hamtramck, so that could have been a possible place of employment for him. Keep in mind, however, that Hamtramck is in Wayne County, Michigan, also where Detroit is, so there were numerous car manufacturers in the area.  

    Going back to his death at Fort Bayard and noting that one of his draft cards indicated a 75% disability rating, it seems he was at Fort Bayard to receive treatment from the Veterans’ Administration’s hospital there.  While it is also unlikely any records of his medical treatment remain, you might wish to check out this link, Historic Fort Bayard and possibly contact them to see if they would have any information that would be helpful to you. Wikipedia also has an informative entry about the Fort Bayard Historic District.

    It is understandable that your ancestor feels like a mystery.  The 1920 Census shows he was most likely rooming at a boarding house, and says he was married, but it does not seem as though his wife accompanied him.  The draft records show he was living in Chautauqua County, New York at one point, so it is possible his wife and children remained there while he sought work, and then healthcare treatment in Michigan and New Mexico, respectively.  

    For general advice, we suggest reading the web page How to Begin Genealogical Research, the History Hub Blog Suggestions and Advice for Family History Researchers, and the FamilySearch Blog Beginning Genealogy: How to Get Started the Right Way.

    Please see Resources for Genealogists for an overview of National Archives records commonly used for genealogical research. The most popular records for genealogy include military service records, military pension application records, census records, ship passenger arrival lists, and land entry records (for federal lands only). 

    Since it shows he was a naturalized U.S. citizen, you may be able to locate some additional information from naturalization records. We also have passport applications (for certain time periods) and naturalization records. Naturalization records are held in the National Archives regional facilities. You can learn about visiting these facilities on our Visit Us webpage. 

    Finally, you may wish to contact the Detroit Historical Society or the Chautauqua County Historical Society to see if they are able to locate any information about residents from that time period.  

    We hope this is helpful to your family research!

Children
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