Hey STELLLAAA!

It's driving me crazy!

We've finally figured out who Philadelphia Stella is ... we've even been in contact with her great grandaughter, Bernice (Stasik) Bowman ... but we still don't know HOW, exactly, Stella Muchorski is related to Maryanna Boguslawski!

Stella was born in Poland about 1897 and immigrated to the US in 1913. She married Jan Pawlowski in Philadelphia, PA in 1914. Jan was born in Mlawa, Poland on June 24, 1889.

They had five children: Leonard, Sophia, Joseph, Helen and Edward ... all born in Philadelphia between 1915-1925. Their daughter Helen married Bronislaw (Bennie) Stasik who operated a grocery store in Philadelphia. Helen and Bennie had two children: Bernice and George.

From family pictures and snippets of information, we know Helen and Bennie paid a number of visits to New Britain and are shown in this picture with Benny (back row), Bernice & Frank (standing right) and Hedy (kneeling front).

Based on the similar settings of the photos below, the woman sitting to the right of Maryanna may well be (her cousin) Stella, as they appear to be close in age.

 

 

PHILADELPHIA PEOPLE UPDATE ~ May 29, 2013

 

I heard this week from someone who found this Grala family blog. Grala (yes, that's her first name!) is the granddaughter of Paul Grala & Mary Ozeryk of Easthampton, MA ... her mother, Anastasia (aka Stasia) was their daughter.

 

Because Bronislaw started out in that area when he first arrived in the U.S., I've kept an eye on the Easthampton & Northampton Grala families, thinking there might someday be a connection to us. The name "Stacia" peaked my interest because of this photo of my dad and a young lady by that name.

 

The Stacia in this picture is not Grala's mother and, as it turns out, we're not related in any way. In the meantime, Aunt Joan thinks THIS Stacia accompanied our "Philadelphia People" when they came to visit ... perhaps thinking she and my dad would be a good match. Fortunately for me, they didn't hit it off or I wouldn't be writing this now!!!