Re: Peter Erkman U.S. Records
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In reply to:
Last name Polish?
Arturs Zageris 10/03/10
Dear Arthur and Nick,
During the 1920 U.S. census, The Peter Erkman family lived at 3821 Deodar Street in East Chicago, Lake County IN (present-day zip code 46312).There was a Lithuanian Catholic Parish in that neighborhood by the name of St. Francis.St. Francis was established in 1913 and has since closed.The St. Francis church records are on microfilm and can be rented from the Mormon Family History Library.Here is a link to a description of the film’s contents:
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/printing/titledetailsprint.asp?titleno=682732http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/printing/titledetailsprint.asp?titleno=682732
In all likelihood, St. Francis is the church where Peter and Anna were married and where their daughter was baptized.The priest would have recorded in the church’s marriage register, the names of the bride and grooms parents as well as where they were baptized.
There is also a WW I Draft Registration record for Peter Erkman.
He was born on August 15, 1883 in Russia.At the time of his registration on September 12, 1918, he was living with his wife “Hanacah” at 3808 Parrish Avenue in East Chicago, Lake County IN 46312.Peter was employed as a Molder with the American Steel Foundry located in Indiana Harbor (East Chicago) IN.
There is also a U.S. Naturalization Record Index for a Peter Erkman.According to the index, Peter was born on August 15, 1883 in Russia.He had filed for his Naturalization papers in the Lake County Circuit Court located in Crown Point, IN.At the time of his filing, he was living at 3112 137th Street (now Broadway) in Indiana Harbor (East Chicago), IN.According to the index, Peter was denied naturalization and was assigned certificate no. P-247.
Although he may have been denied his citizenship at the time, the documents he filed have pertinent genealogy information about his place of birth and his immigration process.Perhaps it also has some information about Anna’s immigration process.
The State Archives Division of the Indiana Commission on Public Records is now the official record keeper for Naturalization documents filed in the various Indiana County Circuit Courts.
http://www.in.gov/icpr/2941.htmhttp://www.in.gov/icpr/2941.htm
You can contact them and ask them for a copy of Peter Erkman’s U.S. Naturalization documents (i.e., Petitions).
Good luck.
Norbert