JOSEPH UKNAVAGE FAMILY, circa 1902

l-to-r, daughter Frances (A), son Joseph (B), father Joseph (C), daughter Petronia (D), mother Petronia Jasaitis (Sites) Uknavage (E), son Frank (F), son William (G)

This treasured photograph is the only one we have of our Uknavage family who came to this country from Lithuania. My paternal grandfather is "son Joseph (B)" above.

Finally! In June of 2003 my niece Rachel A. Benoit found our Lithuanian family (shown above) on a ship's passenger list!

The family arrived in New York on June 28, 1889 aboard the ship Lahn which departed from Bremen, Germany. It lists their origin as Russia and last residence Langenberg. Interestly, the last name is spelled Juknewicz

• Josas JUKNEWICZ - 30- Male - Laborer - Literacy unknown
• Franz JUKNEWICZ - 3 - Male - Child
• Josefa JUKNEWICZ - 2 - Female - Child
• Patr JUKNEWICZ - 26 - Female - Wife
• Petronella JUKNEWICZ - 6 mos. - Female - Infant

Traveling with the family were two male adults, family, I'm sure

• Franzka JUKNEWICZ - 25 - Male - no occupation
• Vino JESCHAITIS - 21 - Male - no occupation

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New! – May 2006 – received baptismal records for Frances and William at St. Casimir’s Church in Pittston, PA. The church was established in 1885, now merged with John the Evangelist. Here is what I learned from these records:

Page13, entry 59 March 22, 1891 – Francisca Juchniewicz, born March 14, daughter of Joseph Juchniewicz and Petronilla Jasaitis, sponsors were Andreas Jasaitis and Elisabeth Jasaitis. Minister was Georgius Kolesinkas

Page58, entry 139 October 9, 1892 – Vincentius Juchniewicz born October 5, son of Joseph Juchniewicz and Petronilla Jasaitis, sponsors were Vincentius Jasaitis and Agatha Jasaitis. Minister was J. F. Zlotorzynski

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The 1900 U.S. census for Vermillion County, Illinois, Westville Coal Company Patch, offers this information, flawed as it surely is:

last name

first name

relation-ship

race

sex

birth-

date

age

marital

yrsmar.

*

**

birthplace

Ukanavage

Joseph

head

w

m

Mar

1860

40

m

16

Russia/Lith

Patrona

wife

w

f

May

1864

36

m

16

6

5

Russia/Lith

Joseph

son

w

m

Mar

1886

14

s

Russia/Lith

Frank

son

w

m

July

1886

13

s

Russia/Lith

Patrona

daughter

w

f

Oct

1888

11

s

Russia/Lith

Frances

daughter

w

f

Mar

1891

9

s

Pennsylvania

William

son

w

m

Oct

1892

7

s

Pennsylvania

*mother of how many children

**number of these children living

There is additional information on the census form which indicates:

• father Joseph (B) was a coal miner and his two older boys were trappers in the mine
• Frances and William were at school
• the family immigrated to the U. S. in 1889
• all could read and write
• all could speak English except mother Patrona (E)
• they lived in a rented house
• citizenship status is listed as "al" for alien

The only information I know is incorrect are the birth dates for the children for they are not even spaced 9 months apart.

The 1910 U. S. census for Georgetown Township, Westville, Illinois, offers this information:

last name	first name	relation-ship	sex	age	marital	occupation
Uknavage	Petronia	head	f	48	w.d.	none
	Joseph	son	m	24	s	coal miner
	Frank	son	m	22	s	coal miner
	Petronia	daughter	f	21	s	none
	Frances	daughter	f	19	s	clerk in a general store
	William	son	m	17	s	coal miner

Additional information and/or differences on the census form indicates:

• the family immigrated to U.S. in 1888, not 1889
• father Joseph died between 1900 and 1910 - note: we have found no death notices or records
• mother Petronia still did not speak English in 1910 and does not read nor write
• note differences in spelling of last name Uknavage/Ukanavage and Petronia/Petrona

We do not have any further information at this time about father Joseph (C). Son Frank was last known to have moved up north, perhaps to Michigan, looking for work. He had a sister in the Detroit area and there was work in the automobile factories. For more information about the family as the years passed, go to these pages:

• Joseph Uknavage (B)
• Petronia Jesaitis Uknavage
• Petronia Uknavage Galesky (D)
• Joseph Galesky
• Frances Uknavage Mosteiko (A)
• Mosteiko
• William Ukanavage (G)
• Galesky family unknown
• Joseph Sites family
• William Sites family
• Frances Gillis family

also, the next generation of Uknavages....

• Petrona Uknavage Tucker
• Joseph Anthony Uknavage
• William Louis Uknavage

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections, please email me at pamruss@frii.com