Looking for Livana

I had known my husband's paternal uncle, Albert Paul Dagutis (1920-1987), had briefly been married to a woman named Livana B. (Russell) Mueller. A decade ago, I found their 1949 marriage record and several city directories that showed them living in Lincoln Park, Michigan, throughout the 1950s. But I could never find out more about Livana until I really studied their marriage record.

Albert P. DaGutis and Livana B. Mueller Marriage License;
courtesy of Ancestry.com

They were married in Sandusky County, Ohio, on 26 February 1949. The index of the marriage license said Livana was born in 1928 and was 21 years old. It also provided her parents names. When I looked closely at the scanned image, I realized Livana said she was 31 years old, not 21. Armed with a better birth year, I searched the Michigan divorce records again for her divorce from her previous husband, Mr. Mueller. Finding that record, led me to believe Livana had not been completely honest on her 1949 marriage license. She was 41, not 31, and she had been married twice previously, not once. And so, more of her life became known.

***

Estella "Stella" B. Russell was born 6 March 1907 in Elk Rapids, Michigan to George William Russell and Mary Boursaw. Mary's father was three-quarters Chippewa and spelled his surname a variety of ways. When the 1910 census was enumerated, Mary lived with several of her children on what was referred to as the Indian Town Reservation. They lived in "civilized" (as opposed to aboriginal) housing on property owned by the iron company. Mary listed her marital status as divorced. However the divorce decree for desertion was not granted until 1919. Estella's mother then married Carl Martinsen, a Norwegian, with whom she'd lived with for almost a decade.  Estella was enumerated as Carl's step-daughter in the 1920 census.

On 4 June 1923 Estella married Melvin Artlip in Muskegon County, Michigan. Both the bride and groom lived in Muskegon. Melvin worked as a chauffeur and Estella as a waitress. The couple had three children:

• Cassius "Cash" Melvin Artlip, born 22 February 1924 in Muskegon, died 22 June 2001 in Muskegon. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and married 1) Marcella Ruth Lane about 1947 and 2) Juanita Ellen (Worden) McEntaffer on 9 December 1966. He had two children with his first wife.
• George Stanley Artlip, born 16 August 1925 in Muskegon Heights, died 10 September 1996 in Polk County, Florida. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and married 1) Delores May Seitz on 20 July 1946 in Detroit; and 2) Gloria Rita Anderson on 7 July 1991 in Palm Beach County, Florida. He had three children with his first wife.
• Pearl Delores Artlip, born and died on 10 January 1927 in Muskegon Heights.

On 15 April 1927 Estelle L. Artlip filed a petition in the Muskegon County courts for a divorce. An absolute divorce decree for extreme cruelty was granted on 13 June 1928. On 1 November 1928, Estella married John Mueller in Bellaire, Michigan. Her mother and half-sister were witnesses. John was born on 1 June 1900 in Zurich, Switzerland, and had immigrated to Canada in 1924 to become a farmer. He entered the U.S. 28 July 1925 on his way to Minneapolis to begin working at Toro Manufacturing. He lived in Detroit at the time of their marriage.

In 1930, John and Estella lived at the Seneca Hotel in Detroit. He worked as a laborer at a dairy. Estella's ex-husband and eldest son, Cassius, lived in Muskegon Heights with Melvin's sister and brother-in-law. I have not been able to find Estella's youngest son, George Stanley Artlip, in the 1930 census.

On 20 October 1931, Estella had Norene L. Mueller in Detroit. When the 1940 census was enumerated John Mueller rented a home at 3755 Van Dyke Street and he continued to work at a dairy. Living in the home with him were his wife, Estella (enumerated as L. Estelle); their daughter, Norene; and Estella's son, George (enumerated as S. George Mueller). John registered for the World War II draft on 16 February 1942. He and Estella continued to live at the house on Van Dyke Street and he worked for U.S. Rubber Company. He listed his wife as the person who would always know his address, but listed her as Betty Mueller. Was this the explanation for the initial "B.," which appeared frequently on other records for Estella?

On 24 February 1949, Estelle B. L. Mueller and John W. Mueller were divorced in Wayne County, Michigan. She married Albert Paul Dagutis in Sandusky County, Ohio, two days later. Albert was a steelworker, who lived in Detroit, and was my husband's paternal uncle. Estella was listed on the marriage license as Livana B. Mueller, a music teacher who also lived in Detroit. This is the first record on which her given name is listed as Livana.

Throughout the 1950s Albert and Livana lived at 2219 Hartwick Avenue in Lincoln Park, Michigan. Her given name was listed as Livana in the city directories. They divorced some time after 1960. Albert never married again.

Estella, aka Livana, died in Kearny, Michigan on 13 July 1988 and was interred at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Elk Rapids. Her headstone says Livana B. Mueller, 1907-1988. Her second husband also died in Kearny on 7 October 1991. He is interred in the same cemetery with matching headstones. Did John Mueller and Estella get back together?

Her first husband, Melvin Artlip, died on 11 August 1964 in Muskegon Heights, the same day his second wife died. They are interred together at Sunrise Memorial Gardens in Muskegon. Albert Paul Dagutis died on 16 February 1987 in Traverse City, Michigan.

5th Infantry Division World War II Combat Narrative

Peter Charles Dagutis was born on 10 March 1918. He was my husband's father and we lost him in 1991. He lived in Detroit as a young man and was engaged to be married. Then, his life was interrupted by the military draft enacted under the Selective Service and Training Act of 1940. He was drafted on 7 April 1941 and did not return home from Europe until 18 June 1945. He served as part of the 5th Infantry Division, more specifically with Company H, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment, 5th Division, Third Army.[1]

This combat narrative was written by Army historians after the World War II and is part of the official history of the U.S. Army.

France

The division arrived at Utah Beach France 11 July 1944 and assumed defensive positions from 1st Infantry Division near Caumont 13 July 1944. On 26 July 1944 it attacked to take Vidouville and made a limited advance to Torigny-sur-Vire-Caumont Road, after which it was reassembled 1 August 1944. On 8 August 1944 the division opened its offensive toward Nantes, taking Angers 10 August 1944, and with the assistance of 7th Armored Division, captured Chartes 18 August 1944. Speeding easter the division crossed the Seine at Montereau 24 August 1944 and took Rheims 30 August 1944 and established a bridgehead across the Meuse at Verdun at month's end. The division began the battle for Metz 7 September 1944 as the 2nd Infantry was stopped in the Amanviller-Verneville area and the 11th Infantry pushed up the Meuse heights near Dornot. The 2nd Infantry continued to batter the city's outer fortifications, and on 8 September 1944 the division gained a precarious bridgehead over the Moselle which immediately came under heavy shell fire and continuous counter attack. The 2nd Infantry made repeated frontal assaults as engineers bridge the river for tanks on 12 September 1944. But the Arnaville bridgehead effort was hampered by German shelling or the deep mud and ammunition shortages. The 10th Infantry and 11th Infantry regrouped inside the perimeter and defended it against a strong German attack 17 September 1944.

Soldiers of the 5th and 95th infantry divisions in Metz; photograph courtesy
of the Center for Military History

The division attacked Fort Driant commencing 27 September 1944, which guarded the northern approaches to Metz. The 11th Infantry forced its way into the bastion's outer edges 3 October 1944, but the Germans counterattacked from the tunnels after dar. The division committed itself entirely into this battle in very costly combat, but by 12 October 1944, attempts to seize the fort were given up, and the division withdrew to rest. On 12 November 1944 the division returned to the assault and was counterattacked at once as it entered the bridgehead of 6th Armored Division. Over the next few days the 2nd Infantry took Ancerville; the 10 Infantry reduced Fort Aisne, BOies de l'Hospital, Marly, and Fort Queuleu; and the the 11th Infantry pushed into Metz itself, the division encircling the town completed the following day. Rear-guard opposition inside Metz had been mopped up by 22 November 1944, but the division kept infantry to contain the forts there while it relieved the 95th Infantry division and attacked cross the Nied 25 November 1944. The Ste. Quentin fortifications surrendered to the division on 6 December 1944 as it was pulled back to assembly areas.

Belgium and Luxembourg

On 16 December 1944, the German Ardennes counteroffensive began, and the division relieved the 95th Infantry Division at Saarlautern bridgehead, attacking out of it 18 December 1944. After slow progress, Waldbilling and Haller fell 25 December 1944. Throughout January the division continued to reduce the southern flank of the German drive in conjunction with 4th Infantry Division. On 4 February 1945 it was relieved in line by 6th Cavalry Group and took up new positions.

5th Infantry Division medics during the Battle of the Bulge; photograph
courtesy of the Center of Military History

Germany

It attacked across the Sauer River near Echternach 7 February 1945 despite strong currents and German shelling which prevented bridging. It expanded this bridgehead to the West Wall LIne by 10 February 1945 and by 19 February 1945 cleared up to the west bank of the Pruem RIver. After regrouping, the 2nd Infantry and 10th Infantry crossed the Pruem near Peffingen during the night of 24-25 February 1945. The 11th Infantry cut the Bitburg-Trier Highway on 27 February 1945 and cleared to the west bank of the Kyll by the following day. The division opened its attack to establish the Kyll bridgehead between Erdorf and Philippsheim on 2 March 1945. Progress was rapid as the division leapfrogged elements past numerous towns and reached the Moselle 10 March 1945. The 2nd Infantry and 11 Infantry crossed the rivier 14 March 1945 after divisional regroupment and seize Treis, Lutz and Eveshausen.

5th Infantry Division crossing the Sauer River; photograph courtesy of Center
for Military History

Working closely with the 4th Armored Division, the division reached the Rhine with the 11 Infantry at Oppenheim and Nierstein on 21 March 1945. The next day the regiment crossed the river with little difficulty. On 26 March 1945 the 10th Infantry captured the Rhine-Main airport as the division reached Frankfurt-am-Main. On 4 April 1945 it completed clearing the city and secured it until 9 April 1945 when it closed into the Olsenburg area. The 10 Infantry attacked to take Arnsberg while the 2nd Infantry reached the Ruhr River 12 April 1945. The 11th Infantry rejoined the division from Frankfurt on 14 April 1945, and the division then occupied Westphalian regions south of the Ruhr until relieved by the 75th Infantry Division on 24 April 1945.

Czechoslovakia and Austria

On 1 May 1945 the division advanced across the Czechoslovaian border and into Austria behind armored units. On 5 May 1945 the division attacked across the Tepla River and followed the 4th Armored Division through the Regen and Freyung passes as the hostilities brought its offensive to a halt.

Chipping Away at the Dagutis Family

My husband's family tree has been a particularly tough nut to crack. I discover a bit more each time I poke at it but what I know has taken years. His ethnicity is 98 percent eastern European. His paternal grandparents immigrated from Lithuania; his maternal grandmother, from Austria; and his maternal grandfather was a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian Emipre but immigrated from what is now Serbia and considered himself German.

My husband's oldest sister believes their paternal grandmother, Cecilia Dagutis/Degutis had 13 children, including three sets of twins. I have learned of nine children, including two boys who died young. Cecilia's oldest known son was John Joseph Degutis. I now believe was born on 16 April 1902 in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

When the 1920 census was enumerated, John was 16 years old and worked as a clerk in a drug store. His family lived in West Hazleton. Five years later John was arrested and held on $3,000 bond. He was charged with performing an illegal operation which resulted in the death of Mrs. Linnie Baker. Arrested with John was Peter O'Donnell, who was described in the newspaper as being "friendly with the woman."

21 February 1925 Scranton Republic, courtesy of Newspapers.com

After the above article and similar ones appeared in several local newspapers no other mention of the incident has been found.

John married Mary Bridget (or Bernadette) O'Donnell, daughter of Hugh and Ella "Nellie" (Campbell) O'Donnell on 35 June 1925. For several years I knew nothing more about John and Mary. When I found them through a series of obituaries discovered on Newspapers.com, I discovered that John had changed the spelling of his surname to DeGatis. There is a family story that John had performed an abortion (which was illegal at the time) and disappeared for several years before his younger brother, Tony, found him in either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.

I learned John and Mary had a son they named Bernard who lived but three days in in March 1928. Little Bernard died on 21 March of circulatory failure due to toxemia from his mother who had eclampsia. When I found the 1930 census, I discovered Bernard had a twin brother, John Joseph DeGatis, Jr., who lived. A sister Constance "Connie" followed in 1936. John Sr. worked as a pharmacist and a salesman for a candy manufacturer in 1930 and 1940, respectively.

He died on 26 April 1983 and was interred at Our Lady of Grace Cemetery in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. His wife, Mary, died on 7 February 2000 and was buried beside her husband.

John Joseph DeGatis, Jr., married Nancy McMullen; they had three children before her death in 1987. John Jr.'s second wife was Margaret Jane (Lavin) Berry. John's son Michael Dennis DeGatis died suddenly in 1993. He was married to Rosemary Mace and had three children. John Jr. died 11 May 2006.

Constance "Connie" DeGatis married Thomas Francis McArdle, who died on 16 September 1999 and was interred at Our Lady of Grace Cemetery. They had two children.

_______________
Three Sons Born in One Year. . .Really?

Worldwide Genealogy: Registering Your U.S. WWII Solider

On 11 November we in the United States celebrated Veterans Day, which was originally called Armistice Day. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed 11 November 1919 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day when he said, "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with great gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations..." The U.S. Congress created Armistice Day as a national holiday on 4 June 1926. The name of the day of commemoration was changed to Veterans Day in 1954.

In my bi-monthly post for Worldwide Genealogy -- A Genealogical Collaboration, I detail how you can commemorate your U.S. World War II ancestor at the National World War II Memorial in Washington and the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

World War II Memorial in Washington, District of Columbia; courtesy of
Wikipedia

World War II Army Awards and Decorations

My father-in-law was drafted into the U.S. Army on 7 April 1941 and today is the 71st anniversary of his honorable discharge. During his active service he earned or was awarded the following medals, ribbons and devices:

• Bronze Star Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster -- awarded for heroic achievement or service, meritorious achievement or service, or meritorious service in a combat zone; each Oak Leaf Cluster denotes multiple awards
• Purple Heart Medal -- awarded for wounds suffered in combat
• Army Good Conduct Medal -- awarded to active duty military personnel who completed three years of honorable and faithful service
• American Defense Medal -- recognized military service members who were on active service between 8 September 1939 and 7 December 1941 (before Pearl Harbor was attacked and the U.S. entered the war)
• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Three Bronze Battle Stars -- recognized military service members who performed military service in the European (including Africa and the Middle East) Theater of Operations; battle stars are awarded for each military campaign[1]
• World War II Victory Medal -- awarded to any military member who was on active service between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946

My father-in-law's ribbon "rack;" built using EZ Rack Builder[1]

On 16 May 1945, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster. His citation read:

Staff Sergeant PETER C. DAGUTIS, 36109224, Infantry, 2d Infantry Regiment, United States Army. For distinctive service in connection with military operations against the enemy during the period 20 September 1944 to 15 April 1945 in Europe. On innumerable occasions, Sergeant DAGUTIS, a squad leader, has voluntarily exposed himself to enemy fire for the safety and protection of his unit. In addition to directing the operation of his squad in SANRY-SUR-NEID, he commandeered a weapon and from the speed with which he completed fire missions, was largely responsible for the disruption of a desperate enemy counterattack. His courage, leadership and devotion to duty reflect great credit upon himself and the armed forces. Entered service from Michigan.

-- ALBERT E. BROWN

Major General, U.S. Army

Commanding

My father-in-law's Bronze Star Citation; personal collection

In addition to the medals and ribbons, he also received or earned the following:

• Combat Infantry Badge -- for active combat
• Expert Infantry Badge -- for attaining certain required infantry skills
• Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-W Bar (wheeled vehicles) -- awarded to soldiers who exhibited a high degree of skill in the operation and maintenance of motor vechicles
• Six Overseas Bars -- each bar denotes 6 months in a combat zone
• Honorable Discharge Lapel Button, better known among soldiers as the Ruptured Duck -- awarded to military service members who were honorably discharged during World War II

His uniform would have also included patches indicating rank and the units in which he served. In my father-in-law's case, the 5th Infantry Division and perhaps his 2nd Infantry Regiment patch.

Terrible picture of the shadowbox present I made for my
husband; personal collection

I collected over time all of my father-in-law's medals, ribbons, badges, pins, and patches and had a shadow box made for my husband as a birthday present several years ago. When my father, a Korean War veteran, saw it, he was most impressed with the Combat Infantry Badge, not to be confused with the Expert Infantry Badge.

Combat Infantry Badge; photograph courtesy of the U.S. Army

The Expert Infantry Badge is awarded to infantry men with certain specialities, after testing and exhibiting specific required skills. It is a merit badge, if you will. The Combat Infantry Badge was awarded to soldiers who were 1) infantry men satisfactorily performing infantry duties, 2) assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is actively engaged in armed combat, and 3) actively participating in such ground combat. Campaign or battle credit alone is not sufficient for award of the Combat Infantry Badge. The badge is still awarded today. If you see a soldier wearing one, he has been in an actual ground battle and under enemy fire.

If you would like to learn more about the awards and decorations listed on your ancestor's Army discharge papers, I found the following sources very useful:

Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards

Awards and Decorations of the United States Armed Forces, which includes links to explanations about individuals awards and decorations

Badges of the United States Army

If you are interested in purchasing your ancestor's Army awards, simply Google the term "Army medals" and you will find plenty of sources. Most of these sources include a slew of commemorative medals and ribbons, but none of them are listed in the Army military awards regulation. They do make nice keepsakes and momentos, but should not be confused with the official ones.

_______________
[1] A few days ago, when reading The Army Ground Forces: The Organization of Ground Combat Troops, I learned 5th Infantry Division was informed in early July 1945 that it was entitled to credit for two additional campaigns. My father-in-law's honorable papers reflect only three campaigns as he separated from the Army in mid June. I have not yet updated his ribbon rack to accurately reflect the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver star which is used instead of five Bronze Battle Stars. His updated ribbon rack would look like this:

Top row left to right: Bronze Star with one Oakleaf cluster, Purple Heart, and
Army Good Conduct Medal. Bottom Row left to right: American Defense
Service; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign with one Silver Battle
Start; World War II Victory; image courtesy of EZ Rack Builder.

7 Tips When Researching Your U.S. Army World War II Soldiers
Women's Army Corps (WACs) in World War Two
Understanding the U.S. Army World War II Infantry Division
Army Campaign Streamers

Killer Cabbage

Charles Dagutis was born on 12 February 1914 in West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to Adam and Cecelia Daguts, who were my husband's paternal grandparents. According to my sister-in-law, Adam and Cecelia had thirteen children, including at least two sets of twins. To date, I have only found evidence of nine children. Little Charles died on 19 March 1920 at the family home on Winters Avenue. He had just celebrated his sixth birthday barely a month before.

411 Winters Avenue, West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 2009; personal collection

I didn't know of Charles' existence until the Pennsylvania death certificates became available online a few years ago. From the death certificate, I discovered that Charles died of gastroenteritis and had suffered from the complaint for a month. While many call it a stomach flu, it really has nothing to do with the flu at all. Gastroenteritis is caused by a bacterial or viral infection. When caused by a viral infection the most common are the rotavirus or the norovirus. When caused by a bacterial infection, the most common causes are contact with another infected person, contaminated food or water, or unwashed hands after going to the bathroom or changing a diaper.

At the time Charles died, the Dagutis household was likely in a bit of upheaval. His mother gave birth the day before to the family's youngest known son, Albert Paul Dagutis. It's quite likely that Charles' older sister, twelve-year-old Anna, was responsible for his care during the final days of his illness.

Charles Dagutis 1920 Pennsylvania Death Certificate; courtesy of Ancestry.com

While I will never know for sure, an interesting notation on Charles' death certificate leads me to believe he died because he ate contaminated cabbage. It probably was not thoroughly cleaned before eating.

Army Campaign Streamers

Today would have been my father-in-law's 98th birthday. In honor of his life and military service during World War II with Company H, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division, I am starting an occasional series about what I have learned while researching his military service, which I have been doing for nearly 30 years. Today I'm describing Army campaign streamers. If you have visited a museum of a color-bearing Army organization, you've probably seen some of them.

Campaign streamers are ribbons that hang from the top of a military color-bearing unit's flag staff. Each streamer (2-3/4 inches by 4-feet long) is embroidered with the designation of a campaign and the year in which it occurred. The Army flag currently has 189 ribbons commemorating all of the campaigns in which the service fought since its founding in 1775. Individual color-bearing elements of the Army's organization are privileged to add streamers to their flags for each campaign in which they fought.

The concept of campaign streamers became popular in the Civil War when several Army organizations embroidered the names of battles on their organizational colors. This practice was replaced when Army units were authorized to place silver bands, engraved with the names of battles, around their flag staffs. American Expeditionary Force units in World War I were unable to obtain these silver bands so General Pershing authorized the use of small ribbons bearing the names of World War I operations. In 1921 all color-bearing Army organizations were authorized to use the campaign streamers currently used today.

Army flag with campaign streamers; source unknown

Each war or conflict includes a different number of streamers depending on how many campaigns comprised it and each war has a different ribbon design. The design of the streamers are also used for the campaign medals and ribbons soldiers are awarded. The specific names of the campaigns are embroidered on the ribbon.

World War II European Theater of Operations (green/brown) campaign streamers;
photograph courtesy of the 63rd Infantry Division

The complete list of Army campaign streamers, along with an image of the ribbon design, may be found here:

• Revolutionary War (16 streamers)
• War of 1812 (6 streamers)
• Mexican War (10 streamers)
• Civil War (25 streamers)
• Indian Wars (14 streamers)
• War with Spain (3 streamers)
• China Relief Expedition (3 streamers)
• Philippine Insurrection (11 streamers)
• Mexican Expedition (1 streamer)
• World War I (13 streamers)
• World War II (38 streamers)
• Korean War (10 streamers)
• Vietnam War (17 streamers)
• Armed Forces Expeditions (4 streamers)
• Southwest Asia (3 streamers)
• Kosovo (2 streamers)
• War on Terrorism (13 streamers)

My father-in-law's division earned five campaign streamers during World War II:

• Normandy
• Northern France
• Ardennes-Alsace
• Rhineland
• Central Europe

I began trying to collect the streamers several years ago and pretty easily was able to collect the first four streamers. However, Central Europe proved a challenge. A few weeks ago a seller on eBay offered that streamer and had a Buy It Now Button (love that thing!). I've cleaned the ribbons and am having them framed now as a gift to my husband.

World War II European Theater of Operations Central Europe campaign
streamer; image courtesy of UnitHistories.com

If you are interested in learning more information about your ancestor's Army service, then the Center for Military History is a good website to visit. If you want to read something informative buy quite dry, Army Regulation 600-8-22: Military Awards will explain campaign streamers in exhaustive detail.

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NOTE: My third cousin once removed, Haskins Thomas Farrar, served in 10th Infantry, 5th Infantry Division. He died on 19 November 1944. A previous post, Fortress Metz and the 5th Infantry Division, told his story.

I have written about my father-in-law's war experiences: Historic WWII Assault Crossing of the Rhine River, They Called It Ireland, and When Things Went Sour on the Sauer.

To read all my posts related to World War II, click here.

Three Sons Born in One Year...Really?

I have written before about my husband's grandparents. They were all immigrants from eastern Europe. His paternal grandparents considered themselves Lithuanian and his maternal grandparents considered themselves German. However, when great grandfather, Leopold Fishthaler, left to come to the U.S., he lived in the portion of the Austro-Hungarian empire that is now Hungary. When his wife left eight years later, she lived in what is now Novi Sad, Serbia.

I would find a tidbit about each family group about once every five or ten years; learn a little more and that would be it.  Currently, I have eleven possibilities for the spelling of the maiden name of my husband's paternal grandmother, Cecelia. I have settled on Klimasansluski, because her original Social Security application is the only document I have in her own handwriting. Cecelia had as many as thirteen children, including more than one set of twins, according to my oldest sister-in-law. I have been able to find nine to date.

According to the documents I've found, all three of the oldest of Cecelia's sons -- John Joseph, Francis Adam, and Joseph Dagutis -- were born in 1904!

John Joseph's Social Security Applications and Claims Index record, indicated he was born on 27 July 1904 and spelled his surname as Degutis, which is the more common spelling.

Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 for John
Joseph Degutis; courtesy Ancestry.com

Francis "Frank" Adam Dagutis was born on 1 August 1904.

Frank Dagutis' original application for a Social Security account; personal
collection

And Joseph Dagutis was born on 3 October 1904.

The application for a headstone completed by Ceceilia Dagutis for her
son, Joseph; courtesy of Ancestry.com

It is clear none or some of these records are correct. My thinking at this time is that Frank must have known his own birthday and his birth date is most likely correct. My assumption is Cecelia misremembered Joseph's birth date forty-three years later or got confused during a time of grief. I am also discounting John's birth date as family lore says he ran into a bit of legal trouble when working in a drug store and disappeared for several years. If that is true, changing one's date of birth would be within the realm of possibility. Recently, I discovered an article in the 1925 Daily News that would indicate family lore about an illegal abortion was true.

Mount Carmel Daily News, 21 Feb 1925; courtesy of
Newspapers.com

According to the 1920 census, 18-year-old John Dagutis worked as a clerk in a drug store. He married Mary Bernadetta (or Bridget) O'Donnell on 21 June 1925. I believe the Peter O'Donnell mentioned in the article is her brother.

After this article, I have not been able to find another record for John Joseph Degutis until his death in 1998.

What do you think about all these 1904 births?

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The Onion Layers that Were Cecelia Dagutis

Su Naujais Metais

For the past two years I've been writing about the New Year's traditions of some of my ancestors homelands, including Germany and Scotland. Today, I'm wandering over to my husband's side of the tree and his paternal grandparent's homeland, Lithuania.

On New Year's Eve, families usually spent time together and ate traditional foods. Fortune-telling, or guessing, games were played. If there was tension, reconciliation was attempted. Little alcohol was consumed.

Fireworks over Vilnius, Lithuania; courtesy of VisitLithuania

It was important to get up early on New Year's Day. If you did not, you would have a slothful year with no luck. If you were behind in your work, you would late all year. If you heard a lot of birds chirping, you would have many visitors over the coming year and it would be a fun one. If you borrowed something on New Year's Day, you would experience shortages throughout the year.

Lithuanians used to watch the weather carefully. If New Year's Eve was cold, Easter would be warm. If the night cold, clear and star-filled, the summer would be a good one. If the morning dawned foggy, there would be many deaths. If there was a blizzard, farmers would harvest a bumper crop. Huge snowflakes meant the cows would give a lot of milk.

Today, the end-of-year traditions have lost some of their importance in comparison with Christmas celebrations. The first day of the new year is spent with family or close friends at home or in a restaurant. People still hope the first piece of news they hear will be good as it reveals the type of news they hear throughout the year.

And since 1919, 1 January has also been Flag Day. To celebrate, a solemn ceremony, in which the flag is replaced, is held on Gediminas Field in Vilnius, the capital.

52 Ancestors #52: Genealogy Resolutions

I didn't used make resolutions on New Year's. I believe self-improvement is a continuous process. When your recognize something about yourself that doesn't please you, start fixing it right away. Don't wait for the new year. Sometimes you fail, have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again. Other times you can take a victory lap. Trying to become a better person is a never-ending process.

But on 1 January 2013 I made one resolution and that was Dad's 20+ years of genealogy research would not die and would continue and be shared with others.

I'd always been intrigued by family history from the first time I sat with Dad in his home office helping him with data entry into his Family Tree Maker database and listening to his stories. Since he was working on his and Mom's family, I would work on my husbands'. His grandparents all emigrated from eastern Europe and progress was slow to nonexistent. I would stop for years at a time, start again, find a tidbit, and hit another brick wall.

Trakai, Lithuania, where my husbands' paternal grandfather was born. It
took 10 years to locate the name of this city; photograph courtesy of
Wikipedia

But in 2012, I brought back all Dad's genealogy files and software because his health did not permit him to continue and became obsessed!

One night I realized I was making interesting discovery after interesting discovery and without much thought started blogging about them. Who wouldn't want to tell people that Charles Dickens' Bleak House was written about their family? Or that the 1st Lord Howe had to forcibly toss someone out of the window to enforce his claim to a Jennens inheritance? Or about the quack doctor who likely killed Jonathan Hiller's first wife?

However, I quickly ran out of steam. I was writing all the time and no longer researching. Soon I had no more material about which to blog. After a month, the blog almost died. I stopped thinking about it and started researching in earnest again. And, of course, started finding interesting stories. After five months I resumed blogging and learned to pace myself. I don't have to post every day. I came up with a schedule that works for me -- usually three or four posts a week -- if it's less, that is okay, too. When I have an idea I made a placeholder post, schedule it and include the link to the person in my tree and a brief description of what I want to write about. I've got ideas through 2018 now!

On 1 January 2014 I made another New Year's resolution, I would write a book about Dad's one immigrant line from Scotland -- his mother's paternal Muir line. He didn't know much about his Muir ancestors because when he was researching he had no access to Scottish records. Using ScotlandsPeople, I do.

East Kilbride, Scotland, Parish Church, built in 1774, where my great great
aunt, Martha Muir married John Riddell in 1852; photograph courtesy of
Wikipedia

After several false start starts, I started writing the book as a blog in October of 2014. When completed, it will encompass eight volumes -- one for every child of my Muir three times great grandparents who lived to adulthood and had children. When I finish the descendants of one child, I make an electronic book and post a link, making it available for download to anyone who is interested. After the second volume was completed I skipped ahead to my two times great grandfather, James Muir. And hit a wall when I got to my own grandmother. I found it very difficult to write about people I actually knew.

So I am making another New Year's resolution in 2016 -- I will start writing this book again, darn it!

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge optional theme Resolution.

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Writing a Family History
Hello from the Old Dominion

Heirlooms: Designing a Room for Heirlooms

We extensively renovated the middle section of our home in 2011 through 2013. Part of that project included modernizing a half bathroom, or powder room, near the family room and kitchen. About the time I was designing the room, Mom decided to sell their house. So I brought several much cherished items home with me, including a painting my very talented mother created, which hung for many years in the dining room of their home. I designed the powder room as a showcase for Mom's painting -- a room for heirlooms!

I actually designed this bathroom twice. The first time, a few years before the work actually started. I only got as far as a concept board, which illustrated my conceptual ideas, before losing interest or life got in the way. I can't really remember why the project never got off the ground.

Mood board with my original thoughts on designing the half bathroom;
personal collection

The wallpaper included maps of states. I still love it as it was so relevant for me. I LOVE maps and managed a team of research analysts who monitored the technology environment of state and local governments. But when I brought Mom's painting home I knew the design had to change.

Mom's painting was a copy of one her sister purchased when their family was stationed in Iran. Mom sure did love that painting. And so do I -- so much I designed a room around it. Different wallpaper, tile and granite were selected to match the colors of Mom's artwork.

Mom's painting prior to hanging; personal collection 

The room also includes two silhouettes of my husband's parents and of him as a little boy. I just love them. The one of his parents was done while on vacation at Disney Land; so you never know from where that future heirloom will come.

Silhouettes of members of the Dagutis family; personal collection

Jeanne Byran Insalaco, author of Everyone Has a Story, challenged fellow geneabloggers to write about their family heirlooms during the month of November.

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Heirlooms: Quilts and Embroidery 
Heirlooms: Tiffany? Chandelier
Heirlooms: The Olive Wood Bible 
An Homage to Mom
Memories Are My Favorite Heirlooms

52 Ancestors #23: My Wedding

When my husband proposed, he thought I would want a wedding ceremony; he just hoped it would be small. His first surprise was learning I thought our parents would join us at the courthouse, witness our marriage, and we'd all go out and have a nice lunch! He couldn't believe it. I was an only daughter, surely we needed a wedding ceremony.

We compromised with a very small wedding. We mailed 16 invitations. There were 31 guests, including five children under the age of five. We were married in the historic district of New Bern, North Carolina, by my parents long-time minister. Our wedding lunch was at the historic Henderson House (which is no longer in business), and our overnight guests filled up the bed-and-breakfast across the street. My double-first cousin and best friend forever flew in from Luxembourg to be my maid of honor and Pete's Dad was his best man.

I'm on the left and my double first cousin, Joyce, is on the right

I carried a single white silk rose (Mom's idea) and wore that ivory silk suit on special occasions for several years.

Pete and his Dad, who was his best man

I did not walk down the aisle, something that terrified me. Instead, the wedding party sat on the first pew and at noon we stood up and were united in marriage. It took about 10 minutes!

Pete and I at our wedding lunch

We celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary last month. We've both changed a bit. Pete is better looking now and I, well, I went a different direction. :)

Pete's immediate family

My family

"Immediate" is a relative term for my family. My father and his brother married sisters! And we all grew up in the same town or next door. Then there was my grandmother and a beloved widowed aunt and a few other dearly loved family and friends.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge optional theme Wedding.

I'm Retired!

The official last day of my work career was Friday, 22 May 2015. I still remember my first-day of full-time employment began on 6 June 1977. That's 38 years! It seemed to go by in a blink of an eye and last forever at the same time.

I learned early I like working for small start-ups that had successfully negotiated the associated perils of being new and were experiencing a period of growth which was close to paralyzing them. More specialization of job functions, well-defined processes (but not too much), and strong leadership were required. I felt like I excelled when I found those types of jobs. I was lucky to do so three times in my career and they were my absolute favorite experiences.

Successfully working through that phase of a company's existence does not last forever, though. At some point the founder wants to reap his or her just reward for the sacrifices they and their family have made. So the next step is typically an acquisition. Acquisitions are leap into the unknown. A good leader needs to have change management skills to ensure their teams make positive first impressions on the new owners. They must also be an educator and advocate for their part of the business. New and different skills are frequently required of a leaders -- something you find out as you go.

The company for which I worked was acquired in 2010 by a well-led, growing, global company staffed with talented people up and down the organization chart. It was the best acquisition I ever experienced in every way. It just wasn't for me and the types of challenges I enjoy.

My team, their family and friends  at one of annual summer
get  togethers at our home; personal collection

The most important skill a leader must have is willingness to do succession planning. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to lead people should always be working to make ourselves irrelevant to our organization. It's the only way I know to advance the careers of your staff and make your team stronger.

We were in the middle of executing a major new expansion of our product, something important to the entire company. During all the excitement, I woke up one day, looked at my calendar over coffee, and realized there wasn't one meeting I absolutely needed to attend. My team could handle every issue. I knew then it was time to begin the next chapter of my life. The team, my managers and I built over the last several years, is passionate, ambitious, and hard-charging. I've loved every minute of watching them grow and succeed. But it's time to let them take over the reins and achieve their own rewards and recognition.

My husband and I on a 2010 Chairman's Club trip to Jamaica;
photograph taken by Charles Tsui

I'm excited for them and for me!

The Onion Layers that Were Cecelia Dagutis

After discovering my husband's paternal grandmother remarried after her first husband died, I decided to re-examine what information I did have about her. Cecelia Dagutis, like many of my husband's Lithuanian ancestors, has been a lot like an onion. The layers peel off slowly as I uncover a small bit of information, leaving many layers of the unknown. I have two big questions: 1) am I dealing with two women named Celia and Cecelia who married Adam Dagutis or one, and 2) what in the heck was her maiden name? I have a slew of options from which to choose.

Cecelia first showed up on the 1900 Census for Hazle Township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Her name is spelled Celia Clomaskousky. She was born in April 1883 in Poland Rus and immigrated in 1899. She worked as a servant in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Griskconick, who seemed to run a small boarding house for immigrant coal miners. This may have been where Celia and Adam Dagutis met as he lived at the boarding house.

Cecelia showed up next as Celia Domoshowski, who was born on 10 April 1882 in Russia Poland. Her father was Anthony Domoshowski and he gave his consent to the marriage. Celia lived in Harwood, Pennsylvania, a coal patch, and married Adam Dagutis on 24 November 1900. And honestly, I'm not sure if this is "my" Cecelia or not. My husband's oldest sister had a vague recollection that Adam had been married before. Currently, my family tree reflects Adam being married twice. I have not been able to find a second marriage record for Adam, which makes me wonder if Celia and Cecelia are one in the same person.

Snippet of Adam Dagutis and Celia Dowoshowski Pennsylvania marriage
record; document courtesy of FamilySearch.org

I also have two different birth dates. 10 April 1882 for Celia (marriage record) and 22 November 1882 for Cecelia (death certificate).

Cecelia and Adam had nine known children, though my sister-in-law remembers her Dad talking about 13 children, several of whom died infancy or very young. Luzerne County began recording births in 1893 and this something I need to pursue for all of the children:

• John Joseph Dagutis, born about 1902
• Francis Adam Dagutis, born 1 August 1904
• Joseph Dagutis, born 3 October 1904
• Anthony Dagutis, born 3 October 1906
• Anna Dagutis, born 1 June 1908
• Anthony D. Dagutis, born 10 October 1911
• Charles Dagutis, born 12 February 1914
• Peter Charles Dagutis, born 10 March 1918
• Albert Paul Dagutis, born 18 March 1920

I'm sure you can see a problem right away with the birth dates for Francis and Joseph. The source for Francis' birth date was the application he completed for a Social Security account in 1936. The source for Joseph's birth date is the application his mother sent for a headstone for a military veteran. She submitted the application in 1950.

Francis Dagutis was baptized on 14 August 1904. His mother's maiden name was listed in the church register Kilmasauckuite (keep in mind this is what I believe Latin version of her name). No church baptismal record has been found for Joseph. Anthony Dagutis was buried on 26 November 1906. His mother's maiden name was listed in the church register as Kilmaskeuc. The Pennsylvania death certificate listed her maiden name as Klemazaska. The Pennsylvania death certificate for Charles' death in 1920 listed his mother's maiden name as Klenosioski.

Francis Adam Dagutis' church baptismal record; document courtesy of
Holy Name Parish in West Hazleton, Pennsylvania

Cecelia's oldest known son, John Joseph, married Mary Berndetta O'Donnell in 1925. He listed his mother's maiden name as Cecelia Rolickas. Daughter, Anna, married Joseph Genevich on 2 January 1926. Her mother's maiden name was listed as Kavalaitis on the marriage license. 

Adam Dagutis died in 1925 and Cecelia remarried in 1929. Her father's name was listed as Anthony Klamanakie on her marriage license.[1] On her obituary, which was probably written by her son Anthony (born in 1911), Cecelia's maiden name was Klimasuskis. When Cecelia died in 1967, her son Francis was the informant listed on the death certificate. He did not know the names of Cecelia's parents.

Snippet of Anthony Shrupskis and Cecelia Dagutis' marriage Michigan
marriage record; document courtesy of Ancestry.com

And then there is Cecelia Dagutis' application for Social Security. She listed her father's name as Klimasansluski, which is the spelling I currently have in my tree.

What's your vote for her maiden name? And did Adam Dagutis marry twice?

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[1] This marriage lasted very long. It took place in Michigan, but but 6 years later, she was back in Pennsylvania and called herself Cecelia Dagutis. The second husband was not mentioned in her obituary and my father-in-law never spoke of a step-father. My sister-in-law believes her second husband died three years after they were married but I have been unable to find a death certificate yet.

Cecelia [you decide her maiden name] was born on 10 April 1882 or 22 November 1882. Her father's given name was Anthony. She may have married Adam Dagutis on 24 November 1900 or it may have been later. She and Adam had nine known children. Adam died in 1925. Cecelia and her sons Francis, Anthony, Peter, and Albert to Hamtramck, Michigan, between 1927 and 1929. She married Anthony Shrupskis on 13 April 1929 in Detroit. When the 1930 census was enumerated Cecelia and her sons were still living in Hamtramck and Cecelia said she was married, but Anthony was not listed as living with her. By 1935 she was back in West Hazleton and called herself Cecelia Dagutis. She died on 23 May 1967 at the Hazleton State Hospital of peritonitis due to a perforation of the bowel and colon cancer. She was buried beside her first husband on 27 May 1967 at the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church Cemetery.

Cecelia's Big Secret? 

Cecelia's Big Secret?

Ancestry.com recently added a new Michigan record collection, Marriage Records, 1867-1952. Several of my husband's and my ancestors lived in Michigan during that time period; so I spent several days searching for them in this new set of records. Many questions were answered, several maiden names discovered, and then I got one big surprise.

After searching for all my husband's Dagutis ancestors by first and last name, I searched on just the Dagutis surname to see what else might be there. And lo, and behold, I got my surprise. My husband's paternal grandmother, remarried after her first husband, Adam Dagutis, died in 1925. She and her youngest children had moved to Hamtramck and rented a home at 11398 St. Aubin Avenue some time between 1927 and 1929.

On 13 April 1929 widow Cecelia married Anthony Shrupskis. Both had been married before. Anthony listed his age on the license as 30 years old and Cecelia's was listed as 42. However, that was a bit optimistic since she was born in 1882 and was really 47.

Marriage license and certificate for Anthony Strupskis and Cecelia Dagutis;
courtesy of Ancestry.com

I think my husband is still trying to wrap his brain around this new little bit of family history. I got yet another version of her maiden name and her mother's name, which was a first.

I sent the marriage record to my husband's older sister and she knew all about the second husband. According to her, he died three years after the marriage. She was surprised her brother didn't remember this. I married the wrong Dagutis!

52 Ancestors #1: They Called It Ireland!

Ancestor Name: Peter Charles Dagutis (1918-1991)

My husband and I have been remodeling our house for the last two or three years and I've used the upheaval as an excuse to let my genealogical files get extremely unorganized. My fresh start was cleaning up my office and putting my books into some sort of order and creating a filing system for all the paper my genealogy hobby obsession has created.

While sorting the piles of paper by family line, I ran across all my father-in-law's World War II files. He served in Company H, 2nd Infantry Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division. For most of the division's time in Europe, they were assigned to Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army.

The division spent time in Iceland where they did stevadore work and helped the Sea Bees build Meeks Field. In 1943 the Division left Iceland for England. In October of that year they moved to Northern Ireland to continue their training and prepare for fighting in Europe.

It was among my father-in-law's papers that I found a pamphlet entitled, "And they called it Ireland!"

Personal collection

To the Irish -- Begorrah!
This book is respectfully dedicated because they have done so much to make us feel at Home -- away from Home.

And now we'll tell you about the place..

Once upon a time  -- Irish balladry explains that some careless angels let fall "a little bit of Heaven" which settled on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, and they called it Ireland. Many centuries have passed since that celestial accident and, after a belligerent historical background, Ireland in 1921 became divided into the twenty-six independent counties of the Irish Free State or Eire, and the six remaining counties of Northern Ireland, with which we are concerned, and which are still under British sovereignty. So when World War II began, Northern Ireland swore her allegiance to Britain and went all out for victory!

Then came the Yanks with everything, including the kitchen stove. We dispersed through the countryside and settled as much as the Army overseas ever settles down.

The customs were a little strange. We learned to drink tea in self-defense (the British have the oddest conception of coffee!) It was hard to get used to driving on the left side of the road -- and what roads!

But the natives were friendly. They were good listeners. And sure the Blarney in her talk took you back to old New York.

Personal collection

Rationing and shortages made things a little hard at first, but we soon got acquainted until even market day didn't amaze us. The stalls appear and disappear at the last Wednesday in each month and the gypsies are in town every market day.

We took a dim view of the blackout when man's best friend was his flashlight.

We went to villages often. The beer was both mild and bitter but we grew to like it. Shopping was pretty difficult for a while. You have to memorize opening and closing times if you want to get in anywhere.

Personal collection

We took a weekend pass and fought the Battle of Belfast where we ran into the Navy, the Air Corps, WACs, etc. It was interesting to contact other branches of the forces, but where ever we went there was the Red Cross, and the indefatigable hostess. However, we were here for a purpose so training was more rigid than usual. And now we're prepared for anything to hasten peace!

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge, optional theme Fresh Start.

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Peter Charles Dagutis was born on 10 Mar 1918 at West Hazleton, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, to Adam Peter and Cecilia (Klimasansluski) Dagutis. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on 7 April 1941 and served with Company H, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division. The division was attached to Patton's Third Army in early August 1944 after arriving in France on 9 July 1944 and participating in Operation Cobra, the breakout of the bocage terrain as part of Omar Bradley's First Army. On V-E day the division was in Czechoslovakia. Peter was honorably discharged on 18 June 1945. Later that summer he married Elizabeth Theresa Fishtahler. They had three children; their only son is my husband.

Charles Peter Dagutis: Historic WWII Assault Rhine River Crossing
Guest Blog: "Stay Alive in `45!"