Balizek/Swarce/Mienscow
My Baliczek/Mienscow/Swarce Family Tree
My great-grand-uncle, Frantisek Balizek was born on September 23,
1872 in Hlinsko, County of Chrudim, State of Austria. His native language was
Bohemian.], but he was fluent in seven languages. (Source: probate record for name change). As of October 2000, Chrudim
is in the Czech Republic.
His parents were William (Vassily/Waclaw) Balizek and Marie Green. (Source: Sophie Balizek Mienscow's death certificate and Frantisek's marriage record). Frantisek was the brother of my great-grandmother, Sophie Caroline Balizek Menshow (Mienscow). They had a sister named Cecilie Baliczek.
Frantisek Balizek emigrated to Boston, MA, where he married Helene (Helen) Schubert, daughter of William Schubert and Katharine Doum (Thum) on July 3, 1907. They were married by Charles E. Silloway, J.P., 87 Rockland Street, Boston, MA. Helene was born on September 10, 1885 in Poland.
Family legend suggests that Frantisek had a twin, but the parish records didn't support this rumor.
My great grandmother, Sophie Balizek married Gleb Menshow (Mienscow) in Russia. Gleb's mother's name may have been Sabrina. Sophie and Gleb's children were Michael Mienscow and Ksenia Mienscow (my grandmother). Michael Mienscow was born in Lodz, Poland, whis is also where Cecilty Balizcek was married.
Frantisek and Sophiealso had a sister named Cecily, who was married in Lodz,Poland, possible to Reinholt Schubert. Cecily and Reinholt's daughters were Martha and Wanda. Wanda married a man named Muller and moved to Germany or Poland. Wanda had a daughter named Slivka and another named Alinka (Ali).
Wanda Muller kept in touch with my grandmother, Ksenia Mienscow Haller. Following are two of the letters she wrote to her:
Wanda Muller letter in English
Wanda Muller
letter in Polish
Translation of
Wanda's Polish letter
In 1905, Frantisek and Helen Balizek lived at 243 Roxbury Street in Roxbury, Massachusetts. They had the following children:
Helen, born 1907
Martha, born 1913
Frank, born 1914, died 1963, married
Audrey Harris
Frantisek Balizek legally changed his name on May 2, 1916 to Karl F. Swarce.
Probate Record for Name Change
On January 16, 1920, he lived at 30 Amherst Street, Boston, MA. On January 12, 1944, Helen Shubert Swarce lived at 532 Pleasant Street, Brockton, MA.
I have many family pictures from my grandmother, including some which were taken in Russia before they emigrated. To see these photos, click the following link:
Sophie Balizek Mienscow's Funeral Card