Walter Imbiorski mystery?
HUGE mystery. Walter and wife Pauline show up in 1920 Chicago census, with children Steven, Lawrence, Adeline. I find he had another daughter in 1915, who seemingly died. Per that census, he was born about 1888 in Poland. I CANNOT find him in any other census. Can’t find him in Illinois death index, findagrave, or google, except for recent obit of his daughter. He is not the Walter who died in 1944. He is not the Walter who was born in 1925 (1944 Walter is father to him).
EVERY Imbiorski in the SSDI is accounted for, and linked to my grandfather Andrew who immigrated before 1888, and his 4 sons. I have census for each of the 4..no Walter who FITS. There is an excellent documented file at rootsweb..he is not in that. I spent hours yesterday at familysearch, found tons of items, but nothing further on THIS Walter.
I don’t have ancestry.com, so if he has an immigration record, or full census showing when he came, I don’t have that. This ISN’T a common name where I could think there isn’t a relationship.. every other Imbiorski is documented and connected, as well as linked to Chicago. An Emborsky family in NY is likely to be a brother to Andrew, but that does not help here. Have been in touch with his granddaughter, who only knows her mom’s brothers name Steven. Want to be able to validate my connection to her.
Where did he come from, and what happened to him? What am I missing here, gang?
the key solution is posted here, but am leaving this open for anyone else to input… my thinking is that he and Pauline/Pearl died after 1950 (end of Illinois death index) but prior to social security death index which begins about 1960ish. I have a lead on what happened to Steven but not Lawrence…
I love this group!
Wendy, I checked Monavo and found a Walter Imbiorski who was born about 1896 and married Marie in 1920 in Winnebago County IL Archives Marriage Recordshttp://files.usgwarchives.org/il/winnebago/vitals/marriages/marri.txt
Ancestry also has a WW2 draft card for a Walter Imbiorski born 12 Dec 1881 in Poland, This would have been from 1942.
The full 1920 census info says
1920 United States Federal Census
about Walter Imborski
Name: Walter Imborski
[Walter Imbordki]
Home in 1920: Chicago Ward 16, Cook (Chicago), Illinois
Age: 36
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1884
Birthplace: Poland
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
[Head]
Spouse’s Name: Pauline Imborski
Father’s Birth Place: Poland
Mother’s Birth Place: Poland
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Year of immigration: 1905
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Walter Imborski 36
Pauline Imborski 28
Steven Imborski 9
Lawrence Imborski 3
[3 1/12]
Adeline Imborski 0
[7/12]
I am not familiar with US records however a few suggestions, nor do I have a subscription account.
Did he return to Poland
Did he decide to go to the UK and fight in WW1/2( a long shot) , many Polish did, we even had Polish camps and employed Polish to teach English( which is more likely given his age)…if so was he killed….if he was he is likely to be on cwgc site…had a quick check I can’t see him, but you could spend some time playing around with his name spelling, initials etc http://www.cwgc.org
Did he survive and stay in Britian….again many did regardless of their family back home in the US or Poland…..there was a TV programme on the other week of US Polish families who thought their men had died in the War’s…they don’t put that on if it is an isolated person, a couple of them went on to Canada, one to Austrailia, neither family knew about each other…it was very sad.
A name change, official or not
Using a middle name in records
Involved in some way with the gangsters in the prohibition era
References :
I looked him up on Ancestry.com and couldn’t find much. Is it possible that he and his wife returned to Poland after the 1920 census? With the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian empire, it became much harder to immigrate back to the U.S. after 1921. The part of Poland where he came from might have been part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and then become part of Russia or Poland. Europe was still recovering from World War I and immigration to the U.S. dropped dramatically in the 1920’s. Could he have perhaps returned home to visit family and then found it difficult to return?
References :
Wendy, they are listed under Imborski and Imbordki. I can add alternate information so the next person can find them more easily in the 1920 census.
References :
ancestry.vom
Wendy, I checked Monavo and found a Walter Imbiorski who was born about 1896 and married Marie in 1920 in Winnebago County IL Archives Marriage Recordshttp://files.usgwarchives.org/il/winnebago/vitals/marriages/marri.txt
Ancestry also has a WW2 draft card for a Walter Imbiorski born 12 Dec 1881 in Poland, This would have been from 1942.
The full 1920 census info says
1920 United States Federal Census
about Walter Imborski
Name: Walter Imborski
[Walter Imbordki]
Home in 1920: Chicago Ward 16, Cook (Chicago), Illinois
Age: 36
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1884
Birthplace: Poland
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
[Head]
Spouse’s Name: Pauline Imborski
Father’s Birth Place: Poland
Mother’s Birth Place: Poland
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Year of immigration: 1905
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Walter Imborski 36
Pauline Imborski 28
Steven Imborski 9
Lawrence Imborski 3
[3 1/12]
Adeline Imborski 0
[7/12]
References :
World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 about Walter Paul Imberski
Name: Walter Paul Imberski
City: Chicago
County: Cook
State: Illinois
Birth Date: 30 Dec 1882
Race: White
FHL Roll Number: 1613896
DraftBoard: 65
Home address: 2023 Charlston ? St Chicago Cook Illinois
Citizen of Poland Russia
Laborer – International Harvesting Co
Nearest relative Palegia ? Imberski
Signed with his mark X
Sep 12 1918
References :
Ancestry.com