Ludwig Frank Hrovat was born on 6 August 1923, in LaSalle, Illinois, to Frank and Caroline Misjak Hrovat. Both of Ludwig’s parents had immigrated to the United States from Slovakia and married in LaSalle on 17 June 1901. A few months after their first anniversary they had their first child—a son who they named Frank Hrovat Jr. Over the next several years, the couple had at least six more children before having Ludwig in 1923. Throughout this time Ludwig’s father Frank supported his family by working as a miner. On 13 February 1931, when Ludwig was seven years old, his…
Author: familyhistorian
Seaman 1C John Joseph Iwanicki
John Joseph Iwanicki was born 5 January 1922, to Xavier and Frances Koprowski Iwanicki. His parents had been married for almost 20 years when he was born and had 11 other children—5 boys and 6 girls—prior to John’s birth. However, not all had survived—at least two children passed away before he was born. Xavier, John’s father, was an immigrant who in his mid-teens left Poland for the U.S. in the mid to late 1890s. John’s mother, Frances, was born in 1883 in Peru, Illinois, to parents who had immigrated as young adults from Poland to the U.S. While John would…
Seaman 1C Stanley Joseph Iwanicki
Stanley Joseph Iwanicki was born 27 May 1919, to Xavier and Frances Koprowski Iwanicki. His parents had been married for 17 years when he was born and had 10 other children—4 boys and 6 girls—prior to Stanley’s birth. However, not all had survived—at least two children passed away before he was born. Xavier and Frances welcomed one more child after Stanley—a boy, John Iwanicki, who was born in January 1922 when Stanley was two. Xavier, Stanley’s father, was an immigrant who in his mid-teens left Poland for the U.S. in the mid to late 1890s. Stanley’s mother, Frances, was born…
Stories Behind the Stars – A Rewarding Volunteer Opportunity
This year when I attended Roots Tech, I attended a virtual session by Don Milne who talked about Stories Behind the Stars (SBTS) – a volunteer effort he founded. Don and those who sign up to help him are “telling the stories of 421,000 US World War II fallen.” I was really impressed and interested in the work they were doing so checked into it, listened to the training videos Don has provided, and started contributing. I have been researching other people’s family history for about 20 years now and my own for most of my life so the project…
2 LT Raymond C. Hopp, Service Number O-819812
Raymond C. Hopp was born on 11 June 1923, in LaSalle, Illinois, to Fred W. and Victoria Markiewicz Hopp. His mother, Victoria, was the daughter of Peter and Agnes Widlowski Markiewicz—a couple who had left Poland about 1892 with their first child, Josephine. Raymond’s father was a driver throughout his childhood first working for American Railway Express Company for several years and then for a bakery, possibly the one owned by Henry Hopp in Spring Valley. When Raymond was about 10 years old, his father became a driver for the LaSalle Fire Department. By that time, his parents had a…
SGT Robert James Hetherington, Service No. 36000529
Robert James Hetherington was born on either Christmas eve or Christmas day in 1908 in LaSalle, Illinois, to Thomas and Eleanor “Ella” Hanley Hetherington. His parents, both in their early to mid-twenties, married in October the year before his birth. His father, Thomas Hetherington, worked as a miner for the LaSalle County Carbon Coal Company in LaSalle. Robert’s grandfather, John Hetherington, worked at the same company as a supervisor. He had been there about 40 years and retired when Robert was about 16. However, the next year, in 1925, Robert’s grandfather died of a stroke. Soon after, Thomas, Robert’s father,…
PVT John Walter Gorczynski, Service Number 36775718
John Walter Gorczynski was born on 18 September 1920, in LaSalle, Illinois. He was the youngest child of John and Barbara Klimala Gorczynski. His father, John Sr. had immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1909. Two years later John’s mother, Barbara, left Poland for America with her two-year-old son Wladyslaw (Walter) to join her husband in LaSalle. By 1920, John’s parents had at least five more children including John Jr. John Sr. was working in the furnace area of the local zinc works, and he and his wife had bought a home at 222 Sterling street in the…
PFC Walter Bernard Gielow, Service No. 36327153
Walter Bernard Gielow was born on 29 September 1912, in LaSalle, Illinois, to Fred and Annie Neidemeier Gielow. Walter’s father Fred was a miner who was born in an area in Germany lying about 75 miles north of Berlin. In 1887, when Fred was 23, he and his brother Carl left Germany for America. The next year Fred’s parents, Heinrich and Alexandrina Gielow, arrived with another brother Henry Jr. and his family. Fred Gielow married Annie Neidemeier—a local girl born in Peru—on 30 September 1891. It’s unknown if Walter’s maternal grandmother, Sophia Niedemeier was alive at this time—his maternal grandfather…
SGT Carl John Gielow, Service Number 36485740
Carl John Gielow was born on 16 April 1921, in LaSalle, Illinois, to Carl Louis and Rose Kierski Gielow. Carl’s parents had married the year before on 16 September 1920. Gielow Sr. was a teamster at Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company, the same job held by his father-in-law., John Kierski. Three of Carl Gielow Jr.’s grandparents were immigrants from Germany, and one was from Poland. All had settled in the U.S. in the 1880s, and Carl most likely would have known all four of them. His paternal grandparent Carl Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Gielow died in 1928 when Carl was 6…
PVT John Mathew Gerdovick, Service No. 36675870
John Mathew Gerdovick (also referred to by some family members as Gerdovich) was born in LaSalle, Illinois, on 22 June 1918, while the United States was engaged in the first World War. His parents were John and Christine Krizel Gerdovick—both immigrants from Jugoslavia who married In LaSalle on 16 November 1913. Their first child had been a daughter who they named Christine. Four more children followed John’s birth: William (Frank), Joseph (Frank), Marie, and Richard. John’s father, John Gerdovick Sr., worked in the quarry at the cement company. He had purchased a home in the southwest part of LaSalle on…