Joseph Marion Jerkens (1883-1952) Followup

As of July 9, 2011, I am able to document the following facts about Joseph Marion Jerkens, one of my husband's maternal uncles who was born in 1883 in Austria and died in 1952 in Florida. Another family blog posting will contain the copies of the documents I used to write this posting.

Joseph Marion Jerkens was born in Zadarow, Buzcacz, Galicia, Austria Hungarian Empire. His Austrian name was Josef Jurkiewicz as listed on his Ellis Island Record #677808 on September 22, 1908 as an alien. Joseph Marion Jerkens has also been found in genealogy records as Jurkiewicz.

On the Certificate of Arrival for Naturalization Purposes, Josef Jurkiewicz arrived at Ellis Island, NY for permanent admission to the United States on the ship Kronprinzessin Cecilie, Record #677808 by direction of the Secretary of Labor, signed by Raymond F. Crist, Commisioner of Naturalization.

Joseph Marion Jerkens (Jierkens) was born on Mar 25, 1883 according to his own handwriting in the WWI Draft Registration. His birthplace was listed as Austria. Joseph’s surname Jerkens has also been found in genealogy records as Jerkins, Jerkina, and Jierkens.

Joseph Jerkens in the 1910 U.S. Census was a servant & worked on a dairy farm near Roxbury, Delaware, County, NY; the 1910 census states he arrived in the US in 1908, was 27, not 26 by the May 6, 1910 enumeration date; Joseph stated he was from Russia/Poland by the time he was in the U.S. His parents were listed as also being from Russia/Poland in the 1910 U.S. Census. At the time of the 1910 U.S. Census, Joseph's village of Zadarow was taken over by Russia and then Poland. Eastern Europe's countries' boundaries always seemed to be in an upheaval. Joseph's oldest daughter verified that she was told that her father worked on a dairy farm in upper state New York when we first arrived in the United States in 1908.

On September 12, 1918, Joseph Marion Jerkens registered for the WWI draft. His occupation was as horseman for Harry T. Peters on St. Mark's Avenue, Islip, Suffolk County, New York and his wife was Jennie Elizabeth Jerkens (Jierkens). In the 1930 U.S. Census it states that Joseph Marion Jerkens married at age 31. This indicates that Joseph Marion and Jennie Elizabeth Jerkens from Sweden possibly married in 1914. They lived on Union Avenue in Islip, New York. Joseph was of medium height and medium build, with blue eyes and brown hair.

The U.S. 1920 Census lists Joseph Marion Jerkens (misspelled as Jerkina) with first wife Jennie E. He immigrated to the USA in 1908 & Jennie E. immigrated to the USA in 1902. Joseph was 37 and Jennie E. was 38 on January 3, 1920. They rented on Raymond Street in Islip Township, New York. Joseph was listed as a groom for a private family. Joseph and his parents were born in Austria and spoke German. Joseph indicates “Pa” meaning that his status with naturalization is that his first papers were applied for in the U.S. 1920 Census and he was naturalized by the 1930 U.S. Census.

On November 13, 1926 Jozeph Jurkiewicz, age 43, applied for the USA Declaration of Intention, in the Village of Patchogue, Suffolk County, NY; occupation private groom, resided Islip, Suffolk County, NY, white, dark complexion, 5'10", 168 lbs., brown hair, grey eyes, scar on chin, birthplace Zadarow, Austria; came from Bremen, Germany on Crown Princess Cecile. Joseph Jurkiewicz's last residence was given as Tarnobrzeg. His birthplace was Buczacz which is the same district as the village of Zadarow but about 400 miles NE of modern Vienna, Austria. Joseph Jurkiewicz arrived at the port of NY in the state of NY about 21 Sep 1908. He was not an anarchrist or a polygamist. He intended to become a citizen of the USA & permanently reside therein. Superior Court, Suffolk County, NY, Fred S. Pulver, Clerk The form statesd that it is invalid for all purposes seven years after the date hereof. Record #651879

The U.S. 1930 Census states Joseph Marion Jerkens (Jerkina) was first married at age 31, which would make the year about 1914 with his marriage to Jennie E. (possibly) Elizabeth Jerkina. She was 30; they possibly married in the Catholic Church in East Islip but as of yet not records can be found there.

In 1925-1927 Joseph Marion Jerkens’ future wife, single teacher Minerva Lucile Love, and Joseph Marion Jerkens’ future brother-in law William Augustus Robbins, civil engineer, lived at the Wilson Rooming or Boarding House on Monell Ave. in Islip, New York according to Joseph Marion and Minerva Lucile Love Jerkens’ oldest daughter who was born in 1928.

Joseph Marion Jerkens married Minerva Lucile Love on Saturday, May 14, 1927 in Syracuse, New York according to a wedding announcement by the bride’s parents Charles Nelson and Fila “Filey” Rhobe Tower Love of Syracuse, New York.

Joseph Marion Jerkens and his second wife Minerva Lucile Love Jerkens lived on Breezy Point, Islip, Suffolk County, New York with their two oldest children born in 1928 and 1929.

Joseph became a naturalized citizen on November 9, 1929.

In 1936 at age 53, Joseph Jerkens rented a stable at the Vanderbilt Estate and lived in Oakdale, Suffolk County, New York when a Ford dealer delivered a V8 station wagon from Holbrook, NY to the family. By this time all five children were born to Joseph and Minerva Jerkens.

Minerva Love Jerkens, wife of Joseph, was a Kindergarten teacher at Islip, NY when she passed away at school at the age of 61 in 1944.

Joseph Jerkens passed away January 1, 1952 in Dade County, Florida. Joseph Jerkens’funeral service was at the Lindenhurst, NY Catholic Church. He was buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery, on Brentwood Boulevard south of Sunrise Highway.

Joseph Marion Jerkens was survived by five children and two grandchildren at the time of his death. More grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren have been born since his death are living and are not named here to protect their privacy.

I will appreciate any additions, corrections, or deletions about this narrative I have created based on my genealogical research from Jerkens descendents. Please reply in the comments area below. I have not written any information except that based on records I have found online at Ancestry.com, EllisIsland.org, or the Suffolk County Courthouse records located at Riverhead, New York.

The information about Zadarow was emailed to me by two experts in the field from that part of Eastern Europe:

Brian J. Lenius

Author of Genealogical Gazateer of Galicia:  http://www.lenius.ca/Gazetteer/Gazetteer.htm

President Emeritus and Internet Chairman for East European Genealogical Society: http://www.eegsociety.org/Home.aspx

Matthew Bielawa:

Originator of: Halgal: Genealogy of Halychyna and Eastern Galicia: http://www.halgal.com/index.htm