February is moving right along and the weekend has arrived once again. Randy Seaver has a fun challenge for us this week:

1)  Marie Cooke Beckman on her blog, MarieB’s Genealogy Blog–Southeastern USA, asked and answered this question, and it is right up the SNGF alley:  Did your grandparents know their grandparents?  Thank you for the idea, Marie!

Here are my four grandparents:

1. George Kucharik aka Sabo (1893-1936) – George was born in Pennsylvania a few years after his parents settled in America. The family never went back to Europe and none of his grandparents came to the U.S., so George never met or knew any of his grandparents. One of his grandparents, John Kucharik 1820-1893), died four months before George was born. His surviving grandparents were Maria Repka (1825-1896), Michael Kacsenyak (1834-after 1899)) and Anna Haluska (1832- after 1899). I also find it interesting that George was the informant on the death certificates of both his parents. He didn’t even know the first names of his paternal grandparents, but knew his maternal grandparents were Michael Kacsenyak and Anna Haluska. His dad clearly never talked about his parents.
2. Julia Scerbak (1893-1985) – Julia was also born in America, but her family returned to Slovakia to live permanently in October 1898. Therefore, she grew up with all four grandparents living within a mile of her home. Nana returned to New Jersey permanently in 1910 and all four of her grandparents were still living – John Scerbak (1836-1916), Maria Patorai (1839-1912), John Murcko (1831-1917) and Maria Szova (1845-1925).
3. Vernon Tarbox Adams (1899-1968) – Vernon grew up in the same town or nearby his grandparents. His grandfather, Charles Stewart, died in November 1894, but he knew the other three – Calvin Segee Adams (1843-1921), Nellie F. Tarbox (1856-1927), Elida Ann Hicks (1833-1914).
4. Hazel Ethel Coleman (1901-1995) – Hazel also grew up living near her grandparents and knew three of them. Her grandmother, Margrethe Bruun (1843-1890) died years before she was born. William Coleman (1834-1905), Sarah Moriah Crouse (1833-1930) and Frits Wille Oscar Emil Jensen (1845-1920) all lived in Calais, Maine.

Therefore, only three of my 2X great grandparents died before my grandparents were born, but George Sabo never knew any of his because they lived their lived in Slovakia. My other three grandparents all grew up with their families living nearby.

Thanks, Randy, for an interesting way to look at ancestors.