This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Author: lietuvagen
Surnames: NEFAS, NEFFAS, HANKINS, ORDAS
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
Message Board Post:
I am Pauline Grigelaitis. My two blood-relatives are Frances Urbonas Kaminski and her
daughter, Betty Hankins who were both born in RAMAYGALA, LITHUANIA. Frances's maiden
name was URBONAS. She married a man named Bronislavas NEFFAS, who was the father of
BETTY. She was baptized PETRONA NEFFAS. In America, Petrone was called BETTY when she grew
up. What happened was that her dad, BRONISLAVAS NEFAS deserted his family in Lithuania
and he remarried in 1907 in Chicago. His wife was my grandfather's sister. His name
was ANTONAS URBONAS from RAMYGALA, LITHUANIA. My granddad and this Nefas fellow came over
on the boat together in 1903. NEFAS started a new family in Chicago and had a tavern. My
grandfather brought over his sister Frances and Petrone, or BETTY in 1909. Then, Frances
had NEFAS declared legally dead and married DOMINICK KAMINSKI. The third sibling was
RALPH URBONAS or URBAN and he helped BETTY with the tavern in SUMMIT and is buried in
Lithuanian National Ceme!
tery. I worked very hard to find BETTY HANKINS. My mother, MARY URBAN PIEZA told me
some things about the family.
I know a lot about the story of the family of BETTY'S dad and how my grandfather,
ANTON found him. I have talked to WALTER HANKINS about this family history on the phone.
He and his wonderful wife, SUE have told me many things about the family. I am sorry that
I only now have found your message, but that doesn't mean that we can't exchange
stories about the family. BETTY is a blood relative of mine, as well. Her mom was my
great-aunt. One of my goals was to find out about what happened. Do you have any contact
with Walter at all? I know that his brother was Donald. So, this means that you and I
are blood relatives, I think through FRANCES and BETTY. BETTY would be your great
grandma, isn't that right? And Betty's mom, FRANCES is my great-aunt. You have a
whole branch of the family that you don't know about through the Nefas name. He
disowned his family and was a bigamist, but I am very interested in the story of his life.
The wife he married in 1907 in Chicago!
divorced him and I am wondering if she ever found out what he did. And also, did his
two children Martha and Joseph Neffas ever find out. This Nefas changed his name to
NEFFAS and he also had a brother, WLADYSLAVAS NEFFAS. There is, I believe one living
relative of this NEFFAS line. I think her name is BARBARA NEFFAS ORDAS. So far I
haven't been able to contact her to ask her.
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