#89: A Record I Want to Understand Better | 1920 US Census for Elizabeth Sulki

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2026-29): A Source I Want to Understand Better

The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of July 13 is "A Source I Want to Understand Better." While Amy Johnson Crow provides a prompt, she understands that people will interpret it in many different ways. I have chosen to interpret a "source" as the specific document used to prove a fact, rather than a broader collection. For this week's post, I am going to get a better understanding of the 1920 U.S. Census for Elizabeth Sulki in the Borough of Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.

This 1920 Census entry serves as the "fingerprint" of the family after they fled Washington. While the surname is recorded as "Sulki," the seven sons listed confirm the identity of the family.

#42: Those Places Thursday #1 - Mining Towns of Washington State

Black Diamond and Ronald Washington

"Those Places Thursday" is a genealogy blogging prompt that allows writers to write about the places that their family lived in.  In my inaugural use of this prompt, I'm going to write about the mining towns of Black Diamond and Ronald Washington.  

#35 - In the Kitchen: The Cookie Jar

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-05)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of January 31 is "In the Kitchen."

Matrimonial Monday: Anna Marie Gillen and Charles William Summers

The years of the Great Depression continued in 1935.  However, life still went on during this time.

Charles "Charlie" William (Soltis) Summers had returned to Long Island, New York from his second tour of duty in the Army in 1930  He was working in a gas station on Main Street in Hempstead.

Anna Marie Gillen was still living at the home of her parents. Edward and Caroline Gillen in North Merrick, Long Island, New York.

Charles William (Soltis) Summers - North Merrick Fire Department

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2020 - 15)

My family has a long history with Fire Departments.  Here is just one of those stories...

Photo Credit: Mark Barone, longislandfiretrucks.com.

Charles William (Soltis) Summers - Mechanic

On February 23, 1893, Rudolf Diesel received a patent in Germany for the engine that bears his name. The diesel engine burns fuel oil rather than gasoline and is used in trucks and heavy industrial machinery.  The anniversary of the invention of the Diesel engine is the inspiration for this week's family history post.

Charles William (Soltis) Summers (April 2, 1906 - January 29, 2002) first enlisted in the Army in New York City on February 2, 1924 at the age of 17.  At the time, he lied about his birth year in order to enlist and said he was born in 1904.   "I was sent to Mitchell Field on Long Island, New York.  Then I was sent back to Ohio for mechanics training."[1]  He graduated from Air Corps Tech School on February 5, 1926.  This was the beginning of Charles' long career with mechanics.  After being trained in Ohio, he was transferred back to Mitchell Field and became part of the First Observation Squadron.  At this time, the U. S. Air Force had not yet been formed.  He was part of the Air Service which later became the U.S. Army Air Corps on July 2, 1926.  He was a mechanic at Mitchell Field until being discharged on February 1, 1927.

The Rhode Avenue Houses

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2020-04)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of January 22 is "Close To Home."

As a response to this genealogy blogging prompt, I have decided to update an early family history blogging post that I wrote in 2015.  How does this post fit the topic?  My great grandparents, their daughter (my grandmother) and their son all lived side by side in North Merrick, New York.

Grandpa Gillen's House

Recently I received an email from my mother that my Great Grandfather's house had been torn down in 2014 to make way for a new house.  I wanted to document a little about what I knew about the house.