The Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
Founded in 1966 in Chicago, Illinois, the Balzekas Museum is dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of Lithuanian culture. The Museum celebrates the notable achievements of Lithuanian Americans, the Lithuanian nation, and Lithuanian communities world wide.
Operating as usual
Handmade Drinking Straw Christmas Ornaments
The plastic drinking straw ornaments come in a variety of shapes including several varieties of stars, snowflakes, bird cages and other geometric patterns.
These are made in the traditional style with string holding all of the pieces together and no glue.
Ornaments are made by a local Lithuanian folk artist – Ale Namikas.
Shop online : https://balzekasmuseum.myshopify.com/products/lithuanian_christmas_tree_ornaments_assorted
Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture 56th Anniversary Excellence Award Dinner
Honoring the old tradition of hand-made Christmas tree ornaments, Kristina and Donata decorated a Lithuanian Christmas tree at the Nantucket Historical Association in Nantucket, Massachusetts with traditional ornaments borrowed from the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture. To see the NHA Festival of Tress, follow the link https://nha.org/join-give/benefit-events/festival-of-trees/
Show off your love of Lithuanian culture with this colorful sash design mug.
Order one for yourself or to give as a gift.
Available to order via our website: https://balzekasmuseum.myshopify.com/products/sash-mug
Show off your love of Lithuanian culture with this colorful sash design mug.
Order one for yourself or to give as a gift.
Available to order via our website: https://balzekasmuseum.myshopify.com/products/sash-mug
The Lithuanian Special (KGB) Archives has launched a new website on which names of the victims of the Soviet KGB are listed. The website is new and the names to the list are being added. Total of two million names should be listed when the list is completed.
The Electronic Surname Archive publishes the surnames of people mentioned in the documents of the NKGB-MGB-KGB of the Lithuanian SSR, NKVD-MVD of the Lithuanian SSR, the Lithuanian Communist Party and other archival fonds of the Lithuanian SSR, held by the Lithuanian Special Archive.
On the website, according to the selected criteria: surname, first name, alias, year of birth, you can find people who during the Soviet occupation 1940-1941, 1944-1990 were:
exiled from Lithuania;
included in the lists of persons scheduled for expulsion from Lithuania;
arrested, interrogated, tried and imprisoned by the Soviet repressive structures;
evacuated to the interior of the USSR at the outbreak of the German-Soviet War;
imprisoned in the USSR NKVD inspection-filtration camps;
drafted to the Red Army;
participated in the Second World War in the ranks of the Red Army and in Soviet partisan units, and were killed or wounded;
came from East Prussia to Lithuania after the end of the German-Soviet war ("wolf children");
fled to the West at the end of the German-Soviet War;
participated or died in the Freedom Struggle in post-war Lithuania;
participated in the unarmed anti-Soviet resistance;
persecuted and/or secretly monitored by the USSR special services;
left Lithuania for temporary or permanent residence abroad.
The search results show the surnames, given names and/or aliases and year of birth of the people who matched the selected search criteria, as well as the numbers of the archival fonds, inventories and files held by the Lithuanian Special Archive that contain information on the person being searched.
If you find information about the person you are looking for on the website, you can contact the Lithuanian Special Archive and:
In the reading rooms of the archive, you can consult the documents in which the wanted person is mentioned.
Information about the reading rooms of the Archives, their addresses, opening hours and contacts, the procedure for ordering and accessing documents can be found here: https://www.archyvai.lt/lt/skaityklos/lya-skaityklos.html
Digitised documents are available on the Digital Reading Room of the Electronic Archive Information System (EAIS) (https://eais.archyvai.lt), where they can be read without restriction.
Request and order analogue or digital copies of documents mentioning the person you are looking for.
For information on how to make a request and how to pay for the production of copies, see here: https://www.archyvai.lt/lt/lya_paslaugos/lya_mokamos-paslaugos.html
Request a document search and the production of information about the person you are looking for.
For request forms, information on how to make a request and how to pay for the search, see here: https://www.archyvai.lt/lt/lya_prasymu-formos.html
The names on this website are derived mainly from documents written in Russian from the Soviet repressive structures. They were mostly written by non-Lithuanian employees, for whom Lithuanian surnames were a "tough nut to crack". Thus, it is not uncommon for a Russian surname in a document to differ from the original surname, and it is not always possible to identify the correct version of the surname, which can lead to errors, distortions and other inaccuracies in the published surnames.
The website is constantly being updated, so if you do not find the surname of a person you are interested in, it does not mean that it is not in our records. Please contact the Lithuanian Special Archive and we will search the documents.
If you have any questions about accessing the documents or making a request, you can email [email protected] or call (8 5) 264 9024.
https://lyapavardes.virtualu.lt/pavardes/3?sqid=e827fb007ef73239498ff767e080189f6943e46f
Norime Jus informuoti, kad šioje svetainėje naudojami slapukai (angl. cookies). Jeigu sutinkate, prašome, paspauskite mygtuką „Sutinku“ arba naršykite toliau. Daugiau informacijos rasite Privatumo politikos apraše.
The Balzekas Museum Genealogy Department has received Jonas Jaukštis's family story and photographs as a gift from Jonas's great-grandson, Richard M. Parker. Jonas Jaukštis was one of the earliest immigrants in Chicago; he arrived in 1883. The Museum is grateful for Richard Parker's gift and encourages everyone who has stories and images of the Lithuanian immigration to the US share them with the Museum.
Laura Lapinskas and Sigita Balzekas were sharing their expertise at the Lithuanian Christmas Tree ornament making classes at the Balzekas Museum this year.
Šiemet Balzeko lietuvių kultūros muziejuje tradicinius Kalėdų eglutės šiaudinukus gaminti mokė Laura Lapinskas ir Sigita Balzekas.
Linksmų Šventų Kalėdų!
The tradition of decorating the Lithuanian Christmas Tree at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago lives on. This year, the tree was decorated by Balzekas Museum Board Member Rita Janz and Museum Gift Shop Manager Ieva Ulozaitė. If you are traveling, stop by out tree and take a picture. We would love to post your pictures with the Lithuanian Christmas Tree!
Lietuviškos Kalėdų eglutės puošimo Čikagos O'Hare tarptautiniame oro uoste tradicija tebegyvuoja. Šiemet eglutę puošė Balzeko muziejaus direktorių tarybos narė Rita Janz ir muziejaus dovanų parduotuvės vedėja Ieva Ulozaitė. Jei keliaujate, užsukite prie eglutės ir nusifotografuokite. Mielai paskelbsime jūsų nuotraukas!
Linksmų Šventų Kalėdų!
Gedimino lituanistinė mokykla Balzeko lietuvių kultūros muziejuje. Keturiolika įvairaus amžiaus mokinių - visa mokykla pirmą kartą ekskursijoje kartu. Apžiūrėjo muziejaus parodas, įspūdžius užsirašė arba nusipiešė. Apie parodas papasakojo Karilė Vaitkutė ir Jolanta Taras, dovanomis apdalino muziejaus viceprezidentė Sigita Balzekas. Dovanų vaikai išsinešė senovišką Vilniaus žemėlapį. Gera dovana pasiruošiant Lietuvos sostinės 700-mečio minėjimui kitais metais.
Gediminas Lithuanian School at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture. Fourteen students of different ages - the whole school on a field trip together for the first time. They visited the museum's exhibitions, wrote down or drew their impressions. Karilė Vaitkutė and Jolanta Taras told about the exhibitions, and Sigita Balzekas, the vice-president of the museum, gave gifts. The children were gifted an ancient map of Vilnius. A good gift in preparation for the 700th anniversary of the Lithuanian capital next year.
It is always a pleasure when new staff members of the Lithuanian Consulate in Chicago visit the Balzekas Museum. This time it was Attaché Julijonas Matukas. He is pictured here in front of Petras Rimša's "The Ploughman", Consul Juze Daužvardienė's national costume, Adolfas Valeška's stained glass window, and the DP luggage. The Museum's exhibitions were shown by the museum's genealogist Karilė Vaitkutė and the Museum's vice-president Sigita Balzekienė. The consulate's representative for culture Ieva Dilytė joined the tour as did Dr Tomasz Błaszczak, a researcher at the Lithuanian National Martynas Mažvydas Library, who is currently in Chicago researching the archives of Aleksandras Ružancovas at the Balzekas Museum.
Visada malonu, kai į Balzeko muziejų užsuka naujai atvykę dirbti į Čikagą Lietuvos konsulato darbuotojai. Šį kartą apsilankė atašė Julijonas Matukas. Nuotraukose jis prie Petro Rimšos "Artojo", konsulės Juzės Daužvardienės tautinio kostiumo, Adolfo Valeškos vitražo bei DP lagminų. Muziejaus parodas aprodėmuziejaus genealogė Karilė Vaitkutė ir muziejaus viceprezidentė Sigita Balzekienė, o iš konsulato su svečiu atvyko konsulato atstovė kultūrai Ieva Dilytė. Prie pasivaikščiojimo po parodas prisijungė ir šiuo metu Čikagoje viešintis ir Balzeko muziejuje Aleksandro Ružancovo archyvą tyrinėjantis Lietuvos Nacionalinės Martyno Mažvydo bibliotekos mokslo darbuotojas Dr. Tomasz Błaszczak.
"LITHUANIA IN 1922" Symposium
This Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10am - 4pm Central Time (11:00 am - 5 pm Eastern Time) the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture is hosting a symposium entitled "Lithuania in 1922." Join us for a series of fascinating presentations that will bring this formative year in Lithuania's history and the events leading up to it to life.
10:00 AM CT (11 AM Eastern Time) - A Case for Lost Causes: Lithuanian American Support of Freedom, Independence, and Recognition for their Ancestral Homeland
Irena Brokas Chambers, curator of the Balzekas Museum's "For Freedom" and "No Home To Go To" exhibitions (formerly curator of exhibitions at the Library of Congress) on the contribution of Lithuanian Americans to Lithuania's independence struggle and the US recognition of statehood.
11 AM (12 PM ET) - Lithuanian President Aleksandras Stulginskis
Ramunė Račkauskas, the granddaughter of Lithuania's second president and signatory of Lithuania's Declaration of Independence in 1918, will speak about her grandfather's term in office, in 1922, and his legacy.
12 PM (1 PM ET) - The 100th Anniversary of the LITAS
Balzekas Museum numismatic curator and historian Frank Passic will discuss the noteworthy beginnings of Lithuania's first unit of currency, the LITAS.
1 PM (2 PM ET) - KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - Lithuanian Americans’ Final Contribution to the Recognition of Lithuania by the United States on July 28, 1922
Guest presenter and scholar Piotr Szlaužys, a PhD candidate from the Institute of History and Political Sciences at the University of Białystok, Poland, at the symposium on the exclusive invitation of the Balzekas Museum, will highlight the role of Lithuanian Americans in achieving US recognition for Lithuania.
2 PM (3 PM ET) - The Making of the Films "Lithuanian Americans: Envoys of a Nation" and "Laisvės Varpas: Lithuania's Liberty Bell"
Filmmaker and Balzekas Museum film consultant, Arvydas Reneckis, will share what he has discovered (and uncovered) in the making of "Lithuanian Americans: Envoys of a Nation," his current film project about Lithuanian American contributions to the U.S. recognition of statehood. Registered symposium attendees will get a preview of his recently completed film "Lithuania's Liberty Bell." (Online attendees will be able to watch the film through a special Vimeo link.)
3:30 PM (4:30 PM ET) - "The Ploughman" (1922) by Petras Rimša
Program participants will have a special viewing of Rimša's bronze sculpture representing the enduring spirit and resilience of the Lithuanian people and nation in the face of hardship. Museum V.P. and interim director, Sigita Balzekas, will provide background about this iconic work of art, on loan from the Boston MFA, and other interesting items from the time period in the Museum's collections and exhibitions.
Each presentation will be approximately 30-40 minutes long with a Q&A afterwards. There will be a short break between speakers. The Zoom link will permit online attendees to log in intermittently or to watch continuously during the course of the day. All presentations will be in English. Refreshments will be served throughout the day. Everyone is warmly invited to attend!
REGISTER TODAY!
Register by phone: 773-582-6500 during business hours (10:00am to 4:00pm) or through Eventbrite: https://lithuania1922.eventbrite.com
SYMPOSIUM IN PERSON: Balzekas Museum, 6500 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago IL 60629
ONLINE THROUGH ZOOM: Only registered attendees will receive a link to the Zoom presentation.
FEE: Balzekas Museum Members $15 | Non-members $20 | Students & Seniors $5
This program and its featured exhibitions are supported in part by members and private donors of the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture and by grants from the Lithuanian Foundation, CityArts, Illinois Arts Council Agency, and other grantors. The Museum gratefully acknowledges all contributors to its exhibitions and programs. To donate to the Museum, go to: https://balzekasmuseum.org/donate.
In 1920, Lithuanian Americans present a 1,000,000 signature petition to U.S. President Harding asking for US recognition of Lithuanian statehood
Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
6500 S. Pulaski Rd.
Chicago, IL 60629
Museum Hours: MON - SAT 10 AM - 4 PM
SUN 12 - 4 PM
Telephone: 773-582-6500
Email: [email protected]
Balzekas Museum welcomes the Kalnas Ensemble string quartet featuring original compositions inspired by ancient Lithuanian folk music
Photos from Generalinis konsulatas Čikagoje's post
Tomorrow :)
IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES RECOGNITION OF LITHUANIAN INDEPENDENCE, PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE PREMIERE OF THE NEW LITHUANIAN DOCUMENTARY FILM!
The Lithuanian American Community presents:
“Lietuvos Laisvės varpas“ (Lithuania's Liberty Bell), a documentary film about the efforts of the Lithuanian Americans to support Lithuania‘s independence a hundred years ago.
Film director – Arvydas Reneckis
When: July 29, Friday, 7 pm.
Where: Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, 6500 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629
Tickets: Donation. Light refreshments will be served.
The Balzekas Museum gratefully acknowledges its members, donors, and the following grantors for their partial support: the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Culture and Special Events through CityArts.
IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES RECOGNITION OF LITHUANIAN INDEPENDENCE, PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE PREMIERE OF THE NEW LITHUANIAN DOCUMENTARY FILM!
The Lithuanian American Community presents:
“Lietuvos Laisvės varpas“ (Lithuania's Liberty Bell), a documentary film about the efforts of the Lithuanian Americans to support Lithuania‘s independence a hundred years ago.
Film director – Arvydas Reneckis
When: July 29, Friday, 7 pm.
Where: Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, 6500 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629
Tickets: Donation. Light refreshments will be served.
The Balzekas Museum gratefully acknowledges its members, donors, and the following grantors for their partial support: the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Culture and Special Events through CityArts.
IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES RECOGNITION OF LITHUANIAN INDEPENDENCE, PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE PREMIERE OF THE NEW LITHUANIAN DOCUMENTARY FILM!
The Lithuanian American Community presents:
“Lietuvos Laisvės varpas“ (Lithuania's Liberty Bell), a documentary film about the efforts of the Lithuanian Americans to support Lithuania‘s independence a hundred years ago.
Film director – Arvydas Reneckis
When: July 29, Friday, 7 pm.
Where: Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, 6500 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629
Tickets: Donation. Light refreshments will be served.
The Balzekas Museum gratefully acknowledges its members, donors, and the following grantors for their partial support: the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Culture and Special Events through CityArts.
The lives of Stephen Darius' relatives in archival documents
By Karilė Vaitkutė, genealogist
(This article was originally written in 2013 for the 80th anniversary of Darius and Girėnas’ flight)
If you were to walk through the Lithuanian St. Casimir's Cemetery in Chicago and accidentally stumble upon the rather ornate monument engraved with the names Laura and John Nalson and Katherine and William Stulpin, it would probably not occur to you to think that the sisters of the legendary Lithuanian, Stephen Darius, and their husbands are laid to rest there. Only at the bottom of the monument would a keen observer read the small letters: 'Sisters and brothers-in-law of the transatlantic pilot Captain Darius'. Actually, the names Nalson and Stulpin do not sound very Lithuanian. Maybe the sisters were married to foreigners? Especially when their names are John and William. So, let's see who were the relatives of the Lithuanian national hero, pilot Stephen Darius. Who were his parents, sisters, and brothers? Where and how did they live? What did they do? What can we learn about Stephen Darius and his family members from documents in the US National Archives and other archives?
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the flight of Darius and Girėnas across the Atlantic. On that occasion, many people will probably read the pilots' biographies. Some for the first time, others for the first time again. Steponas Darius was born in Lithuania, in the village of Rubiškė near Judrėnai. By the way, Rubiškė was renamed Darius after the tragic death of Steponas, so it is not worth looking for Rubiškė on present-day maps. However, Stephen Darius's parents’ last names were not Darius and Darienė, his brothers were not Darius, and his sisters were not Dariūtės. The surname of the head of the family was Jucevičius-Darašius (which is why Stephen later chooses the surname of Darašius, but shortens it). It is not known why Darius's father's surname was double, but his wife and children were called Jucevičius. When Jonas Jucevičius-Darašius died, his widow Augustina married a neighbor, Kazimieras Degutis, and went to America in search of happiness.
Thus, in various biographies, we read that Augustina Degutienė and her three children - Steponas, Konstancija, and Laura - sailed to the USA in 1907 to stay with her husband Kazimieras Degutis who had already left there the year before. I thought it would be interesting to find the document of the family's arrival in the United States - the ship passenger lists. The search usually starts with the surname. So, under what name did the family arrive? Degutis? Jucevicius? The Darasius? When after marriage mother changed her name into Degutienė, did the children remain Jucevicius? After much research, I find that the future legendary pilot Steponas Darius first came to the United States from Lithuania as Stefan Degutienė. So, to find his sailing record as Darius, Jucevicius, Darasius, or Jucius is impossible. In the archives, the fact of the arrival of little Stepukas in America is "covered" by the surname Degutienė. Why did this happen? The answer is simple. A mother and her young children were sailing. The census enumerator wrote down the mother's surname as Degutienė, but the children's surnames were replaced only by quotation marks, which means that the surname is the same as the one written above. Steponas became Stefan Degutienė and his sister Constancija Jucevičiūtė became Constanzia Degutienė. Thus began the distortions of names and surnames that very often accompanied the lives of many immigrants to America. By the way, the second daughter, Laura (Aurelija in some places), was not with her mother. Maybe it was just not written down? Or was she really on a different ship, with a different name? Augustina Degutienė, with Stephan and Constance, sailed on the "Breslau" from Bremen to New York on 15 December 1907. They sailed on 30 November and spent two weeks on board. The ship's passenger list shows that Augustina Degutienė was 38 years old, Stephen-Stefan was 11 years old and Constanzia-Constanzia was 9 years old; their last place of residence was Rubiszki (Rubiske), and the name of the next of kin or friend (in Degutienė's case, her father) who remained in the country from which the immigrant came was Ludwik Degutienė Konstantinova, and their address was Rubiszki. Augustina's father's name was Ludwik, but his surname was definitely not Degutienė. The census enumerator simply repeated Augustina's surname at the time, without going into such "unremarkable" things as writing down her real surname. And Konstantinova could have been the name of Ludwig's father - Konstantin. Augustina and her children came to New Jersey, Newark, to stay with her husband Kazimiras Degutis, who lived at 570 Market Street, Newark, New Jersey. Augustina was 5.1 feet tall at the time of her arrival, blonde, born in Judren (Judrenai), and her children were born in Rubitzki (Rubiske).
I tried to search for the arrival document from Casimir Deguitis. Again, after a short search, I find that he did not arrive a year ago, as the biographies of Darius in various publications state but a couple of weeks before Augustine arrived. The passenger list of the "Barbarossa" ship, which left Bremen on 12 November 1907, contains the following entry: Casimir Deguttis, 21 years old, a farm laborer, a Lithuanian from the village of Robiszki (Rubiske), where the nearest surviving relative was his father, Jonas Deguttis, came to the city of Newark, New Jersey to stay with an acquaintance named Wincentas Jakas, who lived at 570 Marki Street, Newark, New Jersey. Is this the same Degutis? Could Augustine's 38-year-old husband have been 21 years old? It seems unlikely, but I can tell you in advance that, after some further investigations, this fact has been confirmed. Augustina's husband, Casimir, was only a few years older than her eldest son, Boleslav. Incidentally, it was Boleslovas Jucevičius, who later shortened his surname to Jucius (often spelled Jucus) and changed his given name to William B., who came to America a couple of years before his mother and brother and sisters. Wasn't it only to him that Kazimieras Degutis and a few weeks later, Augustina Degutienė and her children went? When one thinks of the incredible distortion of surnames, it is easy to assume that the Wincentas Jakas to whom Degutis went was William Jucius, because very often the name Vincentas was 'Americanized' to William. Maybe Boleslov had two names - Boleslov Vincent? This question can only be answered by looking at the archival documents of the Jucevic family in Lithuania.
Be that as it may, this was the first journey of the family of Stephen Darius from Lithuania to America. Later, his mother, Darius himself, his sisters and their husbands, and his brother Boleslovas would all make more trips to Lithuania, some more than once.
After living in New Jersey for about a year (according to the biographies), the Degutis family moved to Illinois, on the south side of Chicago, in what is known as the West Pullman district. The birth of Augustine's last son, Stanley, is evidence of this. Stanley Degutis, the brother of Stephen Darius, was born on June 10, 1909, on Butler Street in the West Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. His parents are listed as Charles (Casimir), 23, and Augustine Waswila (Augustina Vaišvila; Vaišvilaite was Augustina's maiden name), 40. By the way, an interesting detail is that later, sometime between 1930 and 1940, Stanley Degutis changed his surname to Jucus, i.e. the same as that of his half-sisters and brother. Why he did not keep his father's surname, which he received at birth, can only be speculated. His father, Casimir Deguitis, is also absent from most of the family photographs, as would be usual. And there is another document that shows that Stanley changed his name: a World War II registration card on which 56-year-old Charles Degutis gives his residential address (7212 S. Rockwell, Chicago, IL) as the same as that of Stanley Jucus, who he identifies as the person who will always know where he lives. These were the requirements at the time. Charles Degutis states that he is unemployed. Incidentally, this information is also signed for Degutis by Stanley Jucus. Why a 56-year-old man was living with his son, unemployed and unable to provide his own information and sign for himself is anyone's guess.
How did the family of Stephen Darius live on? On June 3, 1917, William (Boleslovas) Jucus registers for World War I draft registration and states that he is single, working as a "barn man" for the Peter Schanof Co. company - maybe on a barn farm - and lives at 3358 S. Auburn Avenue in Chicago. Auburn Street is in the Bridgeport area of Chicago; it will later be renamed Lituanica in honor of Darius and Girėnas.
On 15 December 1918, Stephen's eldest sibling Laura marries. Her husband is John Našlėnas. The couple later changes their surname to Nalson, which, by the way, will often be confused with Nelson, since Nelson is a much more common surname. Thus, John Nalson is not an American, but a real Lithuanian, born in 1888 in the village of Rečionys, Taujėnai parish, Ukmergė county. His father was Baltramiejus Našlėnas. John Našlėnas came to America in 1909, and in 1919 he took US citizenship. In 1924, the couple came to Lithuania. All of this information is written on the passport application. On 3 May, John and Laura set sail on the Leviathan from New York to Lithuania via France and Germany. They will not return to Chicago for six months. By the way, Steponas Darius was also living in Lithuania at the time, and in 1924 he married Jaunute Škėmaitė. Apparently, Steponas's sister Laura and her husband Jonas, with whom Steponas was in close contact, were present at his wedding.
The US census document of 7 January 1920 is also interesting. Stephen's mother and stepfather were no longer living in West Pullman but in Bridgeport at 749 W. 33rd Street. Living in the same house are Charles Degutis (listed as Deguidis, which made it difficult to find the document), in his forties, who works as a laborer, his wife Augusta, his son Stanley, and William Jucus, Katie (Constance) Jucus, John Nelson, Lizzie (Laura) Nelson and Stephen Darius. In the summer of the same year, Stephen Darius will leave for Lithuania to volunteer in the Lithuanian army. He would not return to the United States until 1927. By the way, Stephen Darius becomes a United States citizen just before he leaves for Lithuania. Even in this serious document, there is a mistake: in one place Stephen Darius is referred to as Stephen Malnosky, apparently confusing his surname with that of Anthony Malnosky, a witness who claimed to know Darius.
Well, in 1930 the situation changed. The head of the family was no longer Darius's 45-year-old stepfather Kazimieras Degutis, but his 44-year-old brother William Jucius. William (Boleslovas) works as a restaurant manager. Living with him are John Nelson (Našlėnas), 41, who works as a hairdresser in his own hairdressing salon, Lora Nelson (Laura Našlėnas), Charles (Casimir) Degutis, who works as a cleaner, Augustina Degutis, and Stanley Degutis, 20, who works as a driver in a restaurant. Constance Catherine and Stephen are no longer in the house. Constance married William Stulpin, also Lithuanian, in Chicago in 1923 and they were separated, while Stephen, although he had already returned to the United States by the time of the census, was being treated for tuberculosis in a war veterans' sanatorium in Colorado. Katherine's husband, Stulpin, was a pharmacist and had his own pharmacy. The couple lived at 6410 South Talman, Chicago.
The restaurant, which was also run by Darius' brother William Boleslovas Jucus and brother Stanley, was owned by sisters Laura and Katherine. It was called the Jucus Sisters Restaurant. It was in this restaurant that Steponas Darius met Stasys Girėnas.
I also found records in the archives of other trips to Lithuania by Darius' relatives, of which there were many. Augustina Degutienė, the mother of Steponas Darius, went to Lithuania in 1930. She traveled with her daughter Constancija-Catherine and her husband William Stulpinas.
Laura Nalson and her husband John sailed to Lithuania again in 1933 to await the arrival of Darius and Girėnas. After the crash of the Lituanika and the burial of the pilots, they returned to the United States. Laura and her husband made another trip to Lithuania in 1937.
In 1934, after the death of Stephen Darius's mother, Augustina, she was taken to and buried in the cemetery of her birthplace in Judrėnai, next to her parents and first husband. In 1935, Caterine and William Stulpinas, who had crossed the Atlantic once again, and her eldest son Boleslovas Jucius were present at her burial.
According to the 1940 US census, John and Laura Nalson and William and Stella Jucus (Jacus, Jocus) were living at 3239 S. Halsted Street in the Bridgeport area of Chicago. John worked as a barber and Darius's brother William worked in a restaurant bar. His wife Stella was a restaurant manager. So, we find out that William was also married, and his wife's name was Stella. William Jucus died on 7 August 1940. He was buried in St Casimir's Cemetery in Chicago. John Nalson - John Našlėnas - also died on 30 September 1945. Four years later, in 1949, his wife Laura, sister of Stephen Darius, died. She was buried next to her husband.
The youngest son of Augustina Jucevičienė-Degutienė, Stanley, was also married. He was still living in Chicago in 1942, and sometime later moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. William and Katherine had also moved there. William Stulpin died in 1968 and was buried in St Casimir's Cemetery next to John and Laura Nalson. Katherine died in Florida in 1972 and was also buried in St Casimir's Cemetery in Chicago. Stanley and Josephine Jucus (Degutis) died in Florida and were buried there.
This is a short story about the lives of Stephen Darius' relatives. It is almost illegible, because today if you walk through the streets where Stephen Darius himself, his sisters and their husbands, and his mother lived, you see a very different picture. Neither West Pullman, Bridgeport, nor Marquette Park is the so-called "Lithuanian" neighborhood anymore. Gone are the houses where Steponas lived before he went back to Lithuania, and gone is the Jucius sisters' restaurant where all the Lithuanians in the area used to eat and where the escorts of Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas to New York and Lithuania were organized. The houses where the Našlėnas and Stulpinas lived are still standing, but there is no evidence of the wealthy Lithuanians who lived there and the relatives of the famous pilot. All that remains is an ornate monument in the cemetery, from which Laura and Jonas Našlėnas smile at passers-by. Although both of Stephen's brothers were married and both of his sisters were married, neither of them had children, so there is no one to talk to about the past. All that remains are a few books that give some insight into the lives of the pilot's relatives, and documents with inaccurately spelled names fading away in archives.
6500 S Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL
60629
From downtown Chicago, take the Orange Line towards Midway to Pulaski stop; then take Bus53A Southbound on Pulaski to 65th Street.
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