If you've been eagerly awaiting your chance to appear on PBS and WHYY's Genealogy Roadshow, now's your chance!
Last week, PBS and WHYY announced that they are seeking local participants to share their families’ stories for season two of the program, which first premiered nationally on PBS stations last fall. Final participants will be part of an episode taping in Philadelphia. You can read more here.
I have never met my maternal grandfather, Walter Kuzen(s), he was born in Lithuania on July 24, either in 1891 or 1894.He and my Grandmother, Victoria Cheskey, on November 30, 1920 in Westmoreland County, PA. in 1929. After the birth of 5 children, they supposedly divorced. I haven't been able to find any record of it, nor can i find record of her 2nd marriage to Walter Cerankosky. I could not find anything about him until June 1952. I found his death certificate, he died in Monongalia County, West Virginia of burns he received in a house fire. I live in Burlington, Iowa. I watch Genealogy Roadshow show religously. I want to find out. When did he leave Lithuania? Who are his parents and brothers and sisters. Did he remarry? Did he have other children?
Kathleen,
Interesting questions. Of course, it's possible that the couple separated without formally divorcing, but hopefully you could find more evidence of other relatives and what his life was like between 1929 and 1952.
You may be interested in HSP's Research by Mail service, where you could hire one of our staff experts to tackle a research topic like this for you. You can learn more about that service here: www.hsp.org/research-by-mail
However, since Westmoreland County is in western PA, you may also/instead want to contact the Heinz History Center's Library and Archive, based in Pittsburgh. If they don't have a fee-based research service, they may be able to point you to someone local who could look for divorce records or the second marriage in the appropriate court records.
Good luck!
Dana Dorman
Researcher