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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => US Lookup Requests => Topic started by: redclover on Friday 06 December 19 10:06 GMT (UK)
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I have struggled to find details of the death of JOHN KRUK.
He was born in Poland in 1894, immigrated to the USA in 1904 and lived at 380 Chesnut, Newark, Essex, New jersey. His name may be spelt KRUCK, or KRACK.
He appears in the 1836 US City Directory but is missing in 1838 edition, his wife is listed as a widow in 1838.
I have checked Ancestry, New Jersey, Death Index without success.
His wife is Stella Kruk, and she is in the New Jersey Death Index under her original name, Stefania Kruk, died Apr 1961. With the family home in Newark, I have no reason doubt that John died in Newark.
Thanks.
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He appears in the 1836 US City Directory but is missing in 1838 edition, his wife is listed as a widow in 1838.
He's listed up to 1936, she's a widow from 1937 onwards so presumably he died circa 1936.
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Findagrave is listing two burials for the name John Kruk in the 1936/7 period at Holy Cross cemetery in North Arlington. Have you checked those out?
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Thanks. I have seen these two and both refer to burials at Bergen, New Jersey. At least one of these presumably refers to John Kruk (wife Anna Kruk) in the 1930 US census. Not sure about the other one.
With three cemeteries in Newark, there would have to be a specific reason for a burial at Bergen.
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Holy Cross cemetery is only 6 miles from 380 Chestnut. It's a very large cemetery supervised by the RC Archdiocese of Newark.
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Looks like the answer.
The two burials, one in Feb 1836 and the other Apr 1837:
There is a record in the 1837 City Directory for a John Kruk at Garfield, Bergen County, New jersey, so this could be connected with the 1837 burial. and the 1830 Census record. That leaves us with the Feb 1836 burial. So for the moment I'll go with that, until any other information turns up, one way or the other.
Thanks.
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This shows everyone who is buried in that plot - https://www.rcancem.org/find-a-loved-one-search/?deceased_search=Go&burial_date=&fn=john&ln=kruk&cemcode=&owner_id=0004675060 John who died 1936 & Stefania are together.
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Thanks Shellyesq, I'm blocked from opening the link, but at least I know that I have the right burial details. I presume no one else is buried in that plot.
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The search can be done here - https://www.rcancem.org/find-a-loved-one-search/ You can click on "full list of deceased" to see whoever is in each plot. There is also an Alexander Kruck, buried 22 Nov. 2008, with them. Also, this is not something I've ever seen before, but it looks like Stefania's left leg was buried there on 5 Jun. 1959. I guess she had an amputation.
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Thanks for that. Access was blocked because I am living in France. Using a VPN I managed to view the site and download the information. This thing of burying a limb, does seem odd, perhaps it's a Polish thing. Visiting cemeteries in Poland I noticed, on family graves, if say, the husband dies, they bury him, erect a stone with his details on, and then put his wife's details on the stone with a gap left for the date she dies. Seems a bit morbid to me. You visit the grave, and each time you are reminded of your mortality.
it is odd to see that the name on the grave record for Alexander is KRUCK and KRUK for John and Stella. The New Jersey marriage index 1912 has Stella Szelajko married to John KRUCK. the US Find a Grave Index 1936 has the burial of John KRUK, Stella is on the New Jersey Death Index as Stefania KRUK. Up to 1939 all the census and Directories use KRUK, the 1940 census uses KRACK. The joys of research.
Thanks for your help.
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You're welcome. I have seen it in the US where the gravestone has the partial information for the spouse who was not yet deceased. Maybe it's cheaper to do as much as possible at once?
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Ask the Rabbi:
A limb that is amputated should be buried in the grave where the person will eventually be buried. If the gravesite has not yet been decided, it should be temporarily buried, and later reburied with the person in his grave.
(sources: Code of Jewish Law – Y.D. 362:1, with Pitchei Teshuva; Noda B'Yehuda Y.D. 2:209; Igros Moshe Y.D. 1:231)
https://www.aish.com/atr/Burying_a_Limb.html
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Thanks for this very interesting information. This seems to bring a Jewish element into the family research.
My family came from Bircza, in southern Poland. Around 1900, I'm told, that about half the village was Polish Jews with one quarter Polish Catholics and one quarter Ukrainian Orthodox. Several family members emigrated to the States around 1910 but these American immigrants were reluctant to keep in touch with their Polish family. There appeared to be some dreadful scandal which alienated the two sides.
One suggestion for this situation was that a mixed marriage had occurred between a Jew and a Catholic. At that time, in a small village, I presume this would have amounted to a dreadful scandal.
Could Stella/Stefania Szalajko have been of the Jewish faith, or a convert to Catholicism, despite being buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at North Arlington?