Searching for Lithuanian Relatives

Searching for Lithuanian Relatives

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Bender and Seurusaitis

Siaurusevicius

Repinski

Skaudis

1972 Trip

2003 Trip

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Introduction

My name is Elaine Bender and I am searching for my grandparent's relatives. Both my mother's and my father's parents emigrated from Lithuania in the early 1900's.

After two years of searching, in December of 2001, I was contacted by the Skaudis family from Lithuania. I was so elated to hear from my grandmother Skaudis' nieces and nephews, as well as, my mother's cousins! Our correspondence is continuing and it has been the most wonderful experience for me and all of my family.

The Siaurusevicius' relatives contacted me in February of 2003, after finding this website. I was able to visit Lithuania for the first time in July of 2003. What a heart-warming experience it was, to visit all of my grandmother Skaudius' relatives, as well as, my grandfather Siaurusevicius' relatives! It was also wonderful to visit the beautiful country, attend the Song and Dance Festival held in Vilnius, and spend a weekend at the farmstead of my grandmother's relatives.

Even though I've been very fortunate in finding some of my relatives, I would still like to locate information on the Repinski and Bender relatives.

Please contact me if you know how I can go about accessing birth, death, baptismal or marriage records from the towns and villages in Lithuania that my grandparents came from.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

My grandfather was born in Prienai, Lithuania. He sailed from Hamburg, Germany on May 11, 1904. He arrived in New York on the Hamburg. At that time I believe his name was spelled Joseph Siaurusiavycze. However, I knew him as Joe Seurusaitis when I was growing up in Herrin, Illinois. His brother,Tony, and sisters, Anna and Catherine, who lived in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, went by Sursavage . His oldest brother, Moteijus Siaurusevicius, lived most of his life in Lithuania. My mother, aunt, and uncle went by Sorukas as they were growing up in Herrin, Illinois. My grandfather was born April 2, 1885 and died on February 22, 1973 at the age of 87.

My grandmother, Elzbieta (Elizabeth) Skaudis, was born on February 2, 1886. She was the eldest of three daughters and three brothers born to Jokubo Skouidzouis and Magdes Marcinylionytes in Pakuonis, in the southern part of Lithuania. Her sister's names were Ona (Anna) and Mare (Mary). Her brother's names were, Jurgis (George), Juozas (Joseph), and Pranciskus (Francis). At age seventeen her passage way to America was paid by an uncle who expected her to pay him back by working for him. She sailed from Hamburg, Germany to New York on the Graf Waldersee on October 25, 1906. She met my grandfather, Joe Seurusaitis, and they were married in Mahanoy City, PA on November 14, 1908. They then migrated to Sheboygan, WI where my mother, Mary, was born in 1909 and my uncle, Vincent (or Willie) was born in 1910. They were baptised there in the Immaculate Conception Church.

My grandparents finally migrated to Southern Illinois where they had one more child, Alba, who was born in 1912. They lived there for the remainder of their lives. My grandmother died on May 30, 1958 at the age of 72.

My grandfather, Joseph Bender, was born January 5, 1871 in Sakiu, Lithuania. He was orphaned at the age of 5 and worked for his uncle as he was growing up. He served in both the German and Russian armies. He sailed from Bremen, Germany on April 25, 1899. He arrived in New York on the Kaiser Frederick.

He worked in Belleville, Illinois for about two years and then went to New York where he met Agnes Repinski. I believe they were married in Brooklyn, NY on May 18, 1904. They lived in Southern Illinois for the rest of their lives and had three children, Agnes, Nellie and Aggard. My grandfather worked in the coal mines until he was 70. He died on June 26, 1948 at the age of 77.

My grandmother, Agnes Repinski, was born in Shaki, Lithuania on February 21, 1876. She immigrated to New York on April 24, 1903. She had two sisters, Barbara and Ann, and one brother, Anthony,(or Tony). Tony had two daughters, Mildred and Mayme, who lived in Herrin, Illinois for some time until they migrated to New York. My grandmother lived in Southern Illinois with my grandfather until her death on January 9, 1956 at the age of 80.

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Name Chart

I have various spellings of my relatives' last names, the Lithuanian spellings and the Americanized versions of their names. Here are some of the names:

Siaurusiavycze

Surasavage

Sursavage

Seurusaitis

Sorukas

Siaurusevicius

Skaudis

Skaudziute

Skaudis

Skouidzouis

Skaudzius

Bender