I've been doing a lot of research in my family history lately. I came across my 2nd cousin once removed who has also been doing a lot of research recently. He made trips up to the old family land and has copies of old records. He was very nice and gave me copies of all the documents and what he has found.In an old document to start mortgage, the family name is written as "Bitchkowski". Now when someone says it, I can say I have proof that they are unoriginal and that the same joke has been used since at least 1891. All the research is worth it if only for that reason.
He also sent an old family picture in front of the family house in Menasha, WI. My great-grandfather, Frank Beachkofski is the handsome short guy on the right. He is two years older than the tall guy on the far left and 3 years older than the kid next to him.
It is great to know more about the family and our history. I still haven't come across someone who would qualify me for the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists, but there is a rumor of a name change to flee a sketchy past. No proof as of yet.
I am just glad that of all the alternate spellings that I have seen, "Bitchkowski" was not the version our family settled on.
4 comments:
I sort of feel sorry for that tall guy to the left. He looks like he stumbled upon his family taking a picture and tried to stick himself in there despite not being included. Maybe because he's so tall...poor guy!
Why does everyone in that picture look so tired and slumped over?
They're from Wisconsin. Live was hard and very, very cold.
Brian,
Check for second marriges, adoptions, etc. I believe that Ben was a half-brother of Frank. I did not know about any other siblings. PaBeach
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