Category Archives: Jersey to Leningrad

The Journey from Rockaway, New Jersey to Leningrad, USSR December 1931.

They Did What They Had to Do

Posted on March 27, 2017 by kjw616

Being a parent is a job of overwhelming responsibility, which hits you like a ton of bricks the first time you hold that tiny helpless life in your arms and realize that he or she is totally dependent on you. … Continue reading →

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If Only We Stayed

Posted on December 12, 2016 by kjw616

December 11 was a significant day in my father’s family history. On that day eighty-five years ago, my grandparents and five of their six children set sail out of New York Harbor. Their daughter Anna had already gone in March … Continue reading →

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One-Way Trip- Who Knew?

Posted on November 17, 2016 by kjw616

I never moved during my entire childhood. Actually, that’s technically not true, because my parents moved from a house they had rented to a brand-new house when I was six months old. I just don’t think that counts. So I lived … Continue reading →

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Seeking Genealogy Mystery Solutions

Posted on September 26, 2016 by kjw616

Don’t you just hate it when you cannot solve that genealogy mystery? We all have many, but one which just continually bubbles up and gnaws at me is regarding the sale of my grandfather’s house prior to the big move … Continue reading →

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Finding Dad’s Hotel

Posted on March 9, 2014 by kjw616

We arrived in London after an eight-hour flight from Atlanta. Neither my husband nor I had slept much, but that did not matter.  There was a lot to do on this particular trip—some sightseeing, some research, and the ceremony honoring … Continue reading →

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Another Letter to Dad- London Trip

Posted on March 3, 2014 by kjw616

My research into Dad’s life has led to many daydreams of conversations I wish I could have with him . As I learn more, I have more questions to ask him or news to report. Dear Dad, I am going … Continue reading →

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Great Depression, Soviet Union and Google Search

Posted on September 9, 2013 by kjw616

I researched life in Rockaway, New Jersey during the Great Depression via local news articles, the 1930 census, city directories, and a trip to the county hall of records to view my grandfather’s house records- both the sale and purchase. … Continue reading →

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Two Grandfather’s, Two Paths

Posted on August 27, 2013 by kjw616

As I have researched the events preceding my grandparents’ decision to move their family from New Jersey to the USSR, I couldn’t help but reflect on how my other New Jersey grandparents handled living through the Great Depression. Dad’s parents … Continue reading →

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Where Was the Money?

Posted on August 11, 2013 by kjw616

They were moving from New Jersey to Leningrad during the Great Depression. How did they get the money? My immigrant grandparents made the difficult decision to return to their homeland  two years after the stock market crash of 1929 presumably because … Continue reading →

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The Trip: First Stop London-December 1931

Posted on August 10, 2013 by kjw616

In keeping with my idea of the necessity of incorporating history into the understanding of our ancestor’s story, I decided to research what London was like in December 1931.  This was the first stop on Dad’s journey. I had visited … Continue reading →

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