Helena Storc Nykaza Makowski

This is Helen.  She is Wojciech's wife, Erwin Sr's mother, Erwin Jr's grandmother, my husband's great grandmother, and my children's great-great grandmother.  I have to tell you, for a woman I've never met and haven't really heard stories about, I know an awful lot about her life.  Not those fun little details that you get with family members, but all of the "papers" I have on her tell some facts.

She was born in a very small village in Poland, called Zajączkowice, (pronounced: Zajonkovich) on December 12, 1892, and christened on December 13, 1892.  She was the daughter of Michal and Marjanna Czuba Sztorc.  

Helen's family immigrated to the United States in the early 1900's.  Helen came in 1899, met and married Wojciech Nykaza on August 22, 1911 in Chicago, Illinois at St. John Cantius Church.  Her first baby, Edward, was born on October 3rd, 1912 when she was just 19 years old.  Leon came next, on October 22nd, 1914.  There isn't a record available for Erwin and Florence, but Erwin came on December 10th, 1917 and Florence in 1920.

 **On Edward's birth she is shown as being from Buczkowicie, and in Leon's it's Rajackowic...you can kind of see the brutalized name of Zajączkowice, (pronounced: Zajonkovich) in both entries.

 The 1920 census shows all family members living together at 1318 Crittenden. Helen's younger sister Stephania Stortz (Czeropski) is living with them.  

On January 2nd, 1929 at the age of 37, her husband Wojciech passed away leaving her a widow with four young children. Both of her parents had passed away, as well as her father in law...where this young mother ended up in time for the 1930 census is unknown.  

On October 11th, 1930 she was married to Jan Makowski.  The 1940 census shows her married to Jan and living with two of his children and her three youngest.  

 

Helen passed away on February 11, 1986 and is buried next to both of her husbands, her daughter Florence, and her grandson Tomasz. 

 That's a lot of knowledge for a woman I've never met before!! This is where I would love to hear any memories, pictures, or stories that any of you have of Helen (or any family member)!  It's a way of filling in that little dash for Helen!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HELEN'S ANCESTRY....Click HERE!!  (It's new...so bear with me as I add to it)

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Found some wonderful pictures of Helen on a recent trip home to Chicago.  They are not the best as they are all pictures of pictures---but I am so THRILLED to have them!  I don't know all of the people, and I don't know the different events happening in the photos, but the magical thing to me...there are photos!  If anyone would like to add names, dates, events...please feel free to comment below!  It will message me and I will get the correct info added!