Genealogy Chat

Having struggled for ages to find something on a James Bernard Stych after he left his family in 1940's, started going through deaths one by one on 1837 etc!! My husband manages to squeeze out a small but a info from his Dad regarding other family members (reluctant to talk, but will eventually answer specific questions!). He says that James Bernard Stych had one sister, no brothers, the sister met a GI WW2 married him and went to America, but no name!! Got a few possible marriages from 1837. No thinking maybe he went out there when he left, no idea how to get any further, where to look. Have tried Ancestry.com. Suggestions please, this is giving me such a migraine!!! Tara

Do you know when James Bernard Stych was born?? Wondered if this was him - very long shot!! James STYCH Birth Date: 23 Jul 1913 Death Date: Aug 1986 Social Security Number: 506-03-4042 State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Nebraska Death Residence Localities ZIP Code: 68933 Localities: Clay Center, Clay, Nebraska Lone Tree, Clay, Nebraska Lynn, Clay, Nebraska Marshall, Clay, Nebraska Verona, Clay, Nebraska Merry

When was he born? There are 2 James Stych's on the USA Social Security Death Index: Name Birth Death Last Residence Last Benefit SSN Issued JAMES STYCH born: 12 Apr 1887 Died: Apr 1963 (Nebraska) (none specified) 505-48-4472 Nebraska JAMES STYCH born: 23 Jul 1913 Died: Aug 1986 68933 (Clay Center, Clay, NE) (none specified) 506-03-4042 Nebraska What was the sister's name & birth date?

I saw those as well but his birth was registered in March 1911 in Birmingham and we don't have the sisters name. I've found four possible marriages around the end of the 2nd World War of a female Stych in Birmingham. Total lack of info I know!! james married in 1930 had three children (one being my FIL) and disappeared 1940's.

The Commonwealth War Graves site lists some people with this surname in the right area. Even though James might not be mentioned, there will be addresses and other names which might help.

I think that you're first going to have to find some more info on the sister - i.e. track down her birth cert. You will have to hope that she was born in the same district as James (Birmingham). Presumably you have their parents marriage, which will give you a date from which to start looking. Between 1900 and 1910 there are 7 female Stych births in Birmingham on FreeBMD. You could specify the parents names as checking points which would reduce the cost. From 1911 onwards, you'll have to use 1837online, but at least the mother's maiden name is shown in the index from mid-1911 onwards. In fact, it's probably best to start with the post-1911 records as you can usually tell the right one from the mother's maiden name. Once you've found the sister's name, you could then find her marriage, which was presumably around 1945. With that, you should be able to find her husband's name and therefore find him on the 1930 US census, which would at least give you a part of the USA to start looking!

okay, I don't have the parents names but if I order James birth certificate I can get that from there. I've got one possible marriage in 1945 reg March, a Doris Stych and it had Wilson as the husbands surname, where do I get his first name, do I need to order the cert, I'll check on BMD, but anywhere else? Thank you all for your help, my husband would love to find out what happened to his grandad and if there are any other family members. Tara

One step at a time! First yes you do need James' birth cert so that you can find his mother's maiden name and his parents marriage. Without the parent's names, how will you know which Stych is his sister? Even though it's a relatively uncommon name, there are still quite a few around that area. Assuming that James' sister is in fact Doris, you could get her husband's name by doing a reverse lookup for Wilson in that quarter and district. But the marriage cert would give you his age and father's name, which will help you find him in the 1930 census. Of course, then there's no guarantee that that's where they went back to, or that James went to the same place. But at least it would be a start - you don't have much else to go on!

Thank you!! There is only one marriage of a female Stych in Birmingham in 1945 so it's a good one to try (there are none in 1945 or 1947 and 3 in 1946). It's a long shot but worth trying, sometimes they pay off!!

Yes but since you don't know James' father's name, even if the Doris Stych marriage is correct, how will you know? Unless James turns up as a witness at the marriage, there will be nothing to tie the Doris Stych / Mr Wilson marriage to your James. Far better in my opinion to work back from what you know - i.e. James birth, then to his parents marriage, then to his sister's birth and then to her marriage.