First Post of 2021- Josephine Dabuliewicz Alexinas Jeckering

This morning, I'm listening to a YouTube video- Cozy Coffee Shop Ambiance with Relaxing Jazz Music & Rain Sounds. 

Even though I've written about her before, I wanted to write about my great-grandmother this morning. I was thinking about her the other day. I always thinking about her on Jan 2 of every year. Most people don't memorize their great-grandparents birthdays, but hers is unique because she was born on Jan 2...and died on Jan 2. 

Josephine Mary Dabuliewicz was born in 1906 in Brooklyn, New York. She was the only child of Josef Dabuliewicz (1881-1977) & Stephania Ellert (1878-1913).

I found this picture on Ancestry.com, added by my cousin, Jill. 

The picture above, I found about 6 years ago and absolutely cherish it. It looks to have been taken the same day as the baby picture of Josephine- maybe a christening? 

Here, we can see Baby Josephine again (baby on the left), being held by her father, Josef. Her mother is behind Josef with her hand on his shoulder.

The other baby is Michael Anthony Ruski (1905-1957). Michael's parents- his father (holding him) was John James Ruski (b. 1885) and his wife Mary Ellert (1885-1971). Mary was Stephania's sister. Between the two sisters is their brother Joseph Ellert (1888-1966).  The elderly couple is the parents of Stephania, Mary and Joseph- Stanislaw Ellert (1849-1930) & Pauline Yocavich (1854-1937). 

On June 7, 1913 Stephania passes away. Originally, it was told that she died in the Great Dayton Flood but the dates don't match. I was told by a family member that she had strep. She was only 35 years old. 

Stephania is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio. (The spelling of her last name is different than other sources of the name).

By the 1920 U.S. Census, Josephine was living with the Alexinas family in Dayton. I don't know all of the circumstances with Joseph and his daughter, but Josephine did end up taking the Alexinas name. Her adoptive parents were John J. Alexinas (1874-1955) & Mary Kushinski (1879-1973). They already had one son- George Francis Alexinas (1904-1952). George never married. 

Josef, Josephine's father, by 1920 was living in Bedford, Ohio- re-married to Honorata Cieslak (1891-1977). Josef and Honorata had 6 children together- Mary (1914-1941), Helen (b. 1917), Walter Alexander (1918-1995), Stanley (b. 1921), Joseph John (1925-2012) and Adella Mary (b. 1930). They raised their children in Winchendon, Massachusetts. 

Josephine married my great-grandfather Gerard Jeckering (1900-1967) about 1924. 

Josephine married my great-grandfather Gerhard Jeckering (1900-1967) on July 29, 1924 at 8 o'clock in the morning.

How sweet is their wedding portrait?!

Gerhard was one of five children to Joseph Herman Jeckering (1870-1931) & Rose Horn (1872-1933). He was a tool maker, like many of his other family members.

 I am really fortunate to have this picture (above) of him at work. 

 

Around 1936/37, the couple purchased a home at 2334 Newport Ave in Dayton, Ohio. 

You can read more about the history of this house in another I wrote here.

Josephine and Gerhard raised 6 children together- Paul George (1924-1954), Richard Cletus (1926-2017), Rita Irene (1928-2015), Rosemary Emma (1930-2012), Joann Ethel (b. 1934) and Joseph John (b. 1939). 

Gerhard and Josephine were married roughly 41 years and lived in this home until Josephine passed away in 1965. She was only 59 years old and died of acute leukemia. Gerhard followed two years later in 1967. 

Josephine and Gerhard are buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.