Jurek | Magdziarz

Family Names

With many cousins on both sides of my family having babies, I thought it it would be fun and helpful to share some family names from our tree! While some are quite common, so many of them are wonderful and unique and I would LOVE to see them passed down to future generations!  

Starting with my maternal side, the following two sets of names belong to the family line of my grandfather, Dexter Jennings. 

Jennings & Zerbe


Grandfathers

Dexter

Arthur

Cecil

William

Gilbert

Thomas

James

Jacob

Issac

Henry


Uncles

Dennis Dion

Myron

Miles

Ralph

Fletcher

Oliver

Benjamin

Albert

Robert


Grandmothers

Leona

Lillian “Lillie”

Sarah

Lydia

Deborah

Ann

Elenor

Hettie

Mariah

Keturah


Aunts

Ruth Ann

Sherla

Eva

Cleona Belle

Eveline

Elenora “Ella”

Mary Etta

Henrietta

Martha

Cavanagh & Hughes

(Grandma Bergman)

 

Grandfathers

Howard

Daniel

Andrew

Oliver

Alfred

Enoch

Nathanial

Theobold

George

Elias

 

Uncles

Asbury

Alexander

Floyd

Ivan

Clifford

Samuel

Harrison

Walton

Rupert

 

Grandmothers

Margaret Elizabeth

Edna

Minnie Etta

Charlotte

Agnes

Jane

Nancy

Hannah

Catherine

Eva

 

Aunts

Marian

Emma

Harriet

Minerva

Amanda

Maria

Letitia

Eliza

Rebecca

The next set of names belong to the Polish family line of my grandmother Janice AKA “Mimi” in our family.

Jurek & Magdziarz

 

Grandfathers

Bernard “Benny”

Leon

Adalbert

Matthew

Michael

Jan (John)

Martin

Andreas

Jozef (Joseph)

Laurentius (Lawrence)

 

Uncles

Jerome

Gordon

Josephus (Joseph)

Adam

Stanislaw (Stanley)

Frank

Simon

Peter

Sabastian

 

Grandmothers

Janice Ann

Violet

Anna

Marianna

Victoria

Magdalena

Catherina

Agnes

Sophia

Thecla

 

Aunts

Lorraine

Eva

Alvina

Irene

Antonia

Catherine

Yadviga

Josepha

Mary

For the paternal line of my family tree, below are the family names from both my Italian grandfather Philip Carra and grandmother Bernice Schroeder.

Carra & Tiberino

 

Grandfathers

Philip

Samuel

 

Uncles

Stanley

Paul

Gregory

Donald

Joseph

Pietro (Pete)

Natale (Nick)

Angelo

Anthony

Carmelo

 

Grandmothers

Violetta (Viola)

Santa

Barbara

 

Aunts

Esther Lena

Angela

Joan

Theresa

Marie (by marriage)

Anna (by marriage)

Rose (by marriage)

Schroeder & Vanocker

 

Grandfathers

James

John

Henry

Hugh

George

Frederick

Lester

Daniel

William

Alexander

 

Uncles

Joel

Hosea

Owen

Julius

Charles

Arthur

Harry

Clyde

Rudolph

Herman

 

Grandmothers

Bernice Eileen

Alma

Zenanah Rose

Patience

Charlotte

Juliette

Sarah

Julia

Elizabeth

Saloma

 

Aunts

Carole

Helen

Cleona Belle

Rose

Edith

Enda

Emma

Florence

Mary

Thankful

I’m a sucker for anything vintage and names are no exception!

Below are my favorite 5 of each:

Boys

  1. Cecil
  2. Oliver
  3. Fletcher
  4. Dexter
  5. Gilbert (Gil for short)

Girls

  1. Rose
  2. Leona
  3. Violet
  4. Minnie Etta
  5. Emma

Please leave a comment with your favorites or let me know which ones surprised you the most!

If you are curious to learn more about any specific ancestors or relatives I’ve included on these lists, please let me know and I would be happy to share!

Family Names Read More »

Grandma Violet Jurek’s “Babcia” Sugar Cookie Recipe

These delightful crispy treats have been a holiday staple in our family for generations and are my absolute favorite sugar cookie!

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins | Total Time: 30 mins

Servings: 36-48 Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) softened margarine
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour (loose not packed)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper to prevent sticking.
  2. Mix baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and flour together in a bowl and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat powdered sugar, white sugar and softened margarine together until smooth.
  4. Add in oil, eggs and vanilla and beat with mixer until combined. Slowly add flour mixture, mixing with a strong spoon until cookie dough forms.
  5. Roll the dough into 2-inch balls (or larger for larger cookies) and then roll the top ½ of the cookie ball in a separate bowl of granulated sugar (it’s fun to use colored sugar) then place on cookie sheet.
  6. Space the cookies about 3 inches apart and then use a decorative cookie stamp (like the set below) to smash down the sugar covered cookie ball (the more you smash the thinner and crispier the cookie will be). If you don’t have a fancy cookie stamp, the bottom of a decretive glass or sugar bowl will work just fine!
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min or until the bottom of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. It’s better to pull them out a little bit early if you’re not sure they’re done…however, the smell should tell you.
  8. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
  9. Store cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Below is a 4 Generations Photo of Violet Jurek “Babcia”, Daughter Jan, Granddaughter Jodi and Great-Granddaughter Megan (me) taken in Violet’s home in Duluth, Minnesota in October of 1990. We were visiting to celebrate her 80th birthday! 

Grandma Violet Jurek’s “Babcia” Sugar Cookie Recipe Read More »