Tracing your Lithuanian Ancestors

When I began my family history research it consisted only of what my grandparents could remember.  I always thought I came from a very small family.  Well 25 years later, I know that is not the case. 

Tracing your Lithuanian ancestors may seem daunting at first, but it is possible to do so from Australia.  The hardest part is just knowing where to start. 

This resource aims to direct you along your journey, providing tips on where to find information in Australia and overseas. An increasing variety of material, including maps, gazetteers, newspapers, shipping lists and civil records of birth death and marriage and immigration papers are being made available online. A good deal can be researched online and for free. 

There are many factors that make Lithuanian family history research challenging. People’s surnames change as does the language they are recorded in. Lithuanian records may be written in Lithuanian, Russian, Polish, German or Latin. 

I hope that this book will inspire a new generation of historians, people wishing to find out more about their roots, who will use and contribute to the Archives.

This book has been published by Unlock the Past and can be ordered online from Gould Genealogy for $17.50.  Any profit will be given to the Australian Lithuanian Archives.

https://www.gould.com.au/tracing-your-lithuanian-ancestors-from-australia/utp0211/

The Wolf Children

Volks kinder, Vilko vaikai, the children of the wolf

I had previously read an article about wolf children, German orphans from East Prussia who ended up in the Baltic States after WWII.  I had no idea that our family had wolf child story.  Recently I have been going over my family history notes, rereading everything.  I found a letter addressed to my grandmother.  I must of read it ten years ago without realizing its meaning until I read it again last week.  

A letter arrived addressed to Ieva in Australia in 1992.  It was written by Edith Hansen who had waited until Lithuania was free to write to her.  Ieva did not know her, but the letter details how Dita knew the family.  It seems that Dita was a German orphan in Kalingrad who made her way to Lithuania in 1946 with other Germans.  In April 1946, she found herself at Kaunas railway station, she was ten years old.  She was begging in the street during the day and would find a place to sleep at night. After several weeks she ended up an Žaliakalnis.  Hungry, she knocked on no.11 Rokiškis and Eugenija (Ieva's mother) answered the door.  She invited her in and although they didn’t have much gave her a boiled potato and a small piece of bacon.  That night she slept on the kitchen floor.  The other rooms in the house were filled with students. 

The days she spent begging in the streets and would return in the evening to sleep. She dusted and did other small jobs.  Eugenija sewed to sell clothes, she was a very industrial woman from whom Dita learn how to sew and cook. In the summer they took Dita to Raguva to Aleksandras (Eugenija's husband) father in Statiskai. Dita worked digging up potato from which she earnt 10 kg, she also begged 15 eggs, some bread and cheese. 

Eugenija found her work looking after a child to a wealthy family. The food was good, as the husband worked for the state.  After a week they threw her out as she did not want to undress to bath.  Dita returned to Rokiskis street.  By this stage, Dita had learned Lithuanian and was able to attend grade three at school.  Dita wanted to start Saules school in grade 5 but did not have any documents.  No one believed she was a German, so Eugenija made up the name Jadvyga Vidunaite and said she was from Klaipeda.   The government then wanted to send her to a children's home.  She began to cry and Eugenija took her home again.  

Dita in 1954, enrolled in the Kaunas Horticultural and Gardening technical school.  Dita moved into shared student accommodation for the next four years.  On the weekends she would return to visit the family. She would study, cook and clean the house. 

In 1959, Dita began to search for her relatives in Germany through the Red Cross. She was able to do this and fulfilled Eugenija's desire to see photos of her parents. 

When Eugnija became sick and was taken to the hospital, Dita went and begged to be allowed in to see her. She opened the door and saw a sign to say, died at 2:00pm.  This was about 3:00 pm and the nurse allowed her to stay in the room. Dita stood by the bed for 15 to 20 minutes before being ushered out. 

In 1970, Dita left Lithuania and ended up residing in Denmark.

One letter said all this, one letter that my grandmother kept and then I kept. Sometimes it takes time to understand the meaning of things and the foresight to hang onto things.  If it wasn't for this letter, I would never have known about the wolf child.

You can read more here

https://www.vilkovaikai.lt/ivadiniai-tekstai/vilko-vaikai/  

Celebrating Lithuanian Independence Day, 1950

 A long road to Freedom was the headline detailing the celebration of the 32nd Lithuanian Independence Day in the small town of Bridgetown, south of Perth in 1950.  Lithuanians as well as other new migrants were employed in a range of jobs in the surrounding area, undertaking their compulsory two-year contract.  

Newly married couple, Birutė and Jurgis residing in Bridgetown felt that a commemoration of some sort was in order. There were a few Lithuanians families at that time in Bridgetown, but more were needed for a worthy celebration.   Lithuanians from neighbouring towns of Nannup, Shannon River, Deanmill, Yornup, Manjimup, Jarrahwood and Pembertown were invited to attend.  The anniversary was held in the convent Hall at Bridgetown, the sister prepared the food and a table was draped in a newly made yellow, green and red flag.  Small flags from left over material were placed on the tables.  Birutė kept the flag and it was used on many Adelaide events until it disappeared. 

Jurgis quickly gathered a choir that sang several songs and both national anthems.   Around fifty Lithuanians gathered, attending mass in the morning at St Brigid’s church before lunch.  Zenonas Samuolis living in Nannup, delivered the main address detailing the history of Lithuania’s struggle for independence.  Father Kelliher welcomed those gathered and said that as he had come from another country, he could sympathise of the loss homeland. Amongst those invited were Father Duffy from Manjimup, F. Leeman and G. A Lydiate, Manager of Deanmill and Jardee Timber Mills, Doctor N.S Williams, Officer in change of the Commonwealth Employment Officer W.L. Owens And H.O Moore, Chairman of Bridgetown Road Board. 

Jurgis (George) Jonavicius spoke at the event, We chose Australia as our new homeland, came here because we knew that we will have freedom, democracy and prosperity. We are happy ones because we found a new homeland which accepted us as newcomers as their own fellow – Australians and is giving us freedom, democracy and independence.  

Photo from Waymarking website

Sir Jack, the table tennis champion

Vic Sirjatavicius

His greatest year in table tennis was 1953, when he became the first player in Australia to beat Michael Sabados, who had held 78 national titles and 13 world titles.

 He was known as Sir Jack due to his unpronounceable name to Australians. He later went by the surname of Sirvic.  Born Vytautas on 2 July 1930 in Kaunas to Aleksandras and Barbora Frostas. He was a civil engineering student in Lithuania and in Australia became an Insurance company representative.   He arrived in Australia with his parents, brothers Jurgis and Liudvikas and sister Regina.

 He is remembered for his spectacular leaps around the table and whirlwind hitting.  During his early years he had temperamental outbursts and shows of emotions.  His formula for success was fitness and long hours of practice.  He used to practice 5-6 hours at a time, four times a week.  He played basketball until an on court accident broke his leg.  Unable to return to basketball he focused on table tennis. Vic first played in 1944 as a young refugee in Augsburg Displaced Persons camp.  As a junior player he won many tournaments, eventually playing A grade for Augsburg.  He was never coached but had the example of world class players to follow as Lithuanian was no.3 table tennis nation in 1936. 

He was selected for Victorian interstate team and held no.2 Victorian state ranking.  He also played in a team, Lithuania who in 1950 was 3^rd place in the A grade and with Krivickas was runner up for the Victorian doubles.  In 1952 he won the Footscray Championships and in 1953 was winner of City of Melbourne championships. 

 

I was always with you

Upon arrival in Australia, Česlovas Dubinskas, was sent to Woomera to work.  He ended up working there for ten years.  In 1992, he published a book entitled, I was with you all time. Written in Lithuania, these are some extracts from his time in Woomera. 

50 Lithuanians flew to Woomera. The plane landed on site, near Philips Pond camp because the airfield in Kulemilka was not completed, only ground levelling works was still ongoing.

There was already a building where the project administration, an engineering department and a drawing room were located. I was assigned to live in a large military tent where Jonas Meškauskas, Kostas Tymukas and Algis Žilinskas were already located. The first night was very hot – about +30 C, so it was not pleasant to sleep.

In Woomera, when I arrived, the first impression was terrible because the heat in January was terrible and hard to bare, especially when during the physical work on railroad, sewer, plumbing, etc. There often were sandstorms, penetrating the mouth, eyes, nose. Cars had to stop because drivers could not see the road. When a storm struck us working outdoors, we had to hide under the floors of future buildings. Wooden houses were built on raised poles, so there was a space to hide under the floor.  Sand was blown into our rooms and administration premises.  After the storm finished, it was necessary to clean, dust the sheets, clothes, and everything else.

I became a friend with the pastor of the Anglican Church because I would donate flowers to the Church.  Jonas and I planted flower beds near the administration building and our apartments. Our assistants cared for the flower beds when they have time, and we ourselves worked on them on Sundays. The flowers grew beautifully because we used sludge from the sewers, which was a very good fertilizer when it dried. We gave flowers to the Anglican chaplain to decorate the church. Farmers from Woomera and the surrounding areas visited our gardens and marvelled that plants in the desert grew so well.

Life in Woomera was going normally. I had to meet people of different nationalities on a regular basis; many English and Australians worked there also, in addition to migrants.  The whole social life took place in our club, mostly sipping beer.  Fellow workers still lived in the Philips Pond camp. There was also Captain Bennett's camp, where several Lithuanians worked laying cables.

Many migrants bought trucks and entered into contracts to collect stones to deliver them to the quarry.  There they were ground into gravel (rubble), which was used for the construction of buildings, roads, squares, and airfields.

It was a great pleasure to work and live in Woomera, and I got to used to it after ten years, so it seemed to be my permanent place to live.  Our patron managing director realized that that living/life style is detrimental to my and Jonas’ health because the desert remains a desert. He arranged for us to be relocated to Adelaide, into a department of planning roads and aerodromes.

Transcribed by Edita Meskauskaitė.