Stanislawa (Czlonka) Smith (1921 - 1977)

Born 27 Oct 1921 in Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Vernon Lee Cook — married Oct 1940 (to 22 Oct 1942) in Colón, Panama

Wife of Robert Bruce McGee — married 25 May 1946 (to about Nov 1950) in National City, San Diego, California, United States

Descendants

Died 5 Mar 1977 at age 55 in Chula Vista, San Diego, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jim Myers [send private message]

Biography

Stanislawa was born 27 Oct 1921 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA (Hudson County). She was the youngest of six children born to ethnically Polish, immigrant parents, Franciszek J Czlonka (1889-1933) and Marianna Rzeszutek (1884-1926). She was born at home, 220 Railroad Avenue, and her birth was attended by a midwife rather than a doctor. Throughout her life, Stanislawa went by the name "Stella". ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Even before the Depression struck, Stella had a pretty grim childhood. On 14 Apr 1925, Stella's mother, Mary, checked into the Hudson County Insane Hospital. Stella at age 3 appears in the 1925 New York State Census living in a private boarding house for children at 24 Hastings Place in Hempstead, Long Island. This foster home was run by Thomas and Phoebe Gritman (aged 73 and 68) along with their grandchildren (aged 17, 16, and 6). The NY Census shows that aside from the Gritmans, 26 total foster children lived simultaneously in the home. Stella, Evelyn, and Frank Jr were just 3 of the 26. The ages of the 26 foster children ranged from 3 to 15. The average age was 9 years old. There were three 3 year-olds. ^[2]

A month after her fifth birthday, Stella's mother died. As Stella's mother went into the hospital when Stella was 3 years old, Stella likely had little or no memory of her mother.

Stella was required to collect rags on the street to raise money for her foster parents. In Kirk Douglas' autobiography, The Ragman's Son, Kirk Douglas described his father's profession as the lowest of the low. Ragmen were derided daily on the street by most children. Children like Stella however, collected discarded cloth from the trashcans and streets for a "rag man". ^[10]

At age 9, Stella appeared in the 1930 US Census living in a boarding house at 84 Woods Avenue in Rockville Centre, Long Island, along with her sister Evelyn. This home for children was operated by a 47 year-old widow named Nellie Freytag. This house only had 10 foster children. ^[3]

In Aug 1933 Stella's father passed away leaving Stella an orphan at age 11. ^[11]

As a teen Stella learned to cook in the home of an Italian family and she became an excellent cook. ^[12]

At age 15, 22 Oct 1937 (less than a week before her 16th birthday), Stella applied for a Social Security Number. She was unemployed at the time. She represented her birth year as 1919 rather than 1921, effectively making her 18. 1937 was the first year some employers were required to ensure workers had a Social Security Number. About 40% of jobs in the US were exempt from the SSN requirement. These included agricultural, domestic servants, and casual labor. So applying for a number in spite of having no job, shows some real intention to get a good job. ^[5]

Stella worked as a Radio City Rockette for a short time. ^[12]

About this time Stella met her first husband, Lee Cook (1918-1971).

In October 1940, Stella (aged 19) travelled to Panama by ship. She married Lee in the Canal Zone at Colón, Panama. She then returned to Jacksonville, Florida, Lee's home port. While travelling through the Panama Canal, Stella fell from a ship into Gatun Lake. ^{[10] [13]}

Stella gave birth to her first child in Jacksonville, Florida in early 1941. By 22 Oct 1942, she was granted a divorce from Lee. On 1 Feb 1944, Stella's second child was born. Sometime around 1943 Stella moved to Imperial Beach, California. ^[14]

Vernon did not provide any child support to Stella. In fairness, he was fighting in WWII, but he never corrected that situation. Stella worked as a cook and could not make enough money to raise two children. She gave her second child, Ritchie, up for adoption (see bio of Vernon Lee Cook). ^[12]

On 25 May 1946, Stella remarried to a man named Bob McGee in National City, California. In 1947, Bob and Stella were witnesses to Stella's ex-mother-in-law's wedding in National City (Marie Nelson and Bill Kiefer). ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Before wartime, Bob was an avocado rancher. During the war Bob was a radio operator at the radio station the Navy had in Imperial Beach. Later he was stationed on the island of Tinian in the Pacific. Tinian was taken from the Japanese in Aug 1944. The Navy then improved a large airfield on Tinian to prosecute the conclusion of WWII. Tinian was the point from which bombers including the Enola Gay took off to drop atomic bombs on Japan. The Navy also operated a leper colony on Tinian. In 1948, Stella and her daughter visited Bob on Tinian, returning on the USS Breckinridge (AP-176). ^{[10] [17] [18]}

The 1950 US Census has Bob back in Imperial Beach with the family living at 321 Daisy Street, Apartment B. Bob was still working as a Navy Radioman. Later that same year, Bob and Stella divorced (possibly in Mexico). ^[4]

In about 1955, Stella (aged 34) married Wayne Smith (aged 35). The couple lived at various homes in Nestor, San Ysidro, and Chula Vista. Wayne worked as an inspector at an aircraft plant. After a few years, he developed eye problems. Anticipating his blindness, the couple purchased and built up a 300 acre cattle ranch in Piedmont, Missouri on his work vacations. Fortunately, the blindness never came.

Stella passed away 05 Mar 1977 at home in San Diego County from an aneurysm. She was 55 years old.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Certificate of Cloncka, Stanislawa. New Jersey Department of Health. Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. Certificate 10991. Birth Name: Stanislawa Cloncka. Birth Sex: Female. Birth Date: 27 Oct 1921.Father: Frank Cloncka. Mother: Mary Rynilck. Jersey City.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} 1925 NY State Census. New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 23; Assembly District: 01; City: Hempstead; County: Nassau; Page: 53; Line 25. (Ancestry $)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} 1930 United States Federal Census, Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C., 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.; FHL microfilm: 2341194; Census Place: Rockville Centre, Nassau, New York; ED: 0070; Page: 7B; Line 92. (Ancestry $) (Family Search)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} 1950 United States Federal Census, Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C., 1950. Record Group Number: 29. Roll: 4655; Census Place: National City, San Diego, California; ED: 37-192; Sheet Number: 198; Line 4. (Ancestry $) (Family Search)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} SS-5 Application for Social Security Number. Social Security Administration (SSA), OEIO, FOIA Workgroup, 6100 Wabash Ave, P.O. Box 33022, Baltimore, MD 21290-3022. Stella Czlonka; Birth: 27 Oct 1919. Father: Frank Czlonka; Mother: Mary Zersutak.
6. ↑ Death Certificate of Stella Smith. San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk. San Diego County, California, USA. State File #77-036271. Local Certificate # 8000 02176. Died: 5 Mar 1977 11:55pm. Born 27 Oct 1921, New York. Immediate cause of death: subarachnoid brain tumor. SSN: 132-07-7122.
7. ↑ Death Index - Smith, Stella. California Death Index, 1940-1997. State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics. Stella Smith. Birth: 27 Oct 1921 New York. Death: 5 Mar 1977 San Diego. Gender: Female. SSN: 132077122
8. ↑ SSDI - Smith, Stella. Social Security Death Index. Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration. Number: 132-07-7122; Issue State: New York; Issue Date: Before 1951. Stella Smith. Death Mar 1977. Last Benefit: 92154, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
9. ↑ Social Security Claims - Czlonka, Stella. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. Stella Czlonka, white female, 27 Oct 1919 Jersey City, NJ. Frank Czlonka. Mary Rynlick. Mar 1977. SSN: 132-07-7122. Applied Oct 1937. Name listed as STELLA CZLONKA; STELLA CZLONKA COOK (Mar 1955); STELLA SMITH; STELLA MCGEE.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Personal recollections of Jim Myers as related by Stella Czlonka in the 1970s.
11. ↑ Death Certificate of Czlonka, Frank. New Jersey, State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records, Certificate of Death, Certificate 880, Frank Czlonka, died 1 August 1933, in Camden County; New Jersey State Archives Microfilm 738.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} Personal recollections of her daughter as related to Jim Myers 2018-22.
13. ↑ Military Record - Cook, Vernon Lee. National Personnel Records Center. Official Military Personnel File. Cook, Vernon Lee. Military Service Number: 380-96-72 USN. File held by Jim Myers (as of 2011).
14. ↑ Divorce Cook-Cook (1942). Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001. Stella C Cook. Vernon Lee Cook. Divorce Place: Duval County, Florida. Certificate #10029.
15. ↑ Marriage Record McGee-Cook. California Department of Health; San Diego, California, USA. 1946. Certificate #46-042615. Groom: McGee, Robert Bruce (Parents: Randolph McGee, Pearl Rouch) Age 26 (from California), White, Single, 1st Marriage. Bride: Cook, Stella (Parents: Frank Czlonka, Mary Rynlick) Age 23 (from New Jersey), White, Divorced, 2nd Marriage, Marriage: 25 May 1946 National City, San Diego, California .
16. ↑ Marriage Record Kiefer-Nelson. Certificate of Marriage. First Methodist Church of National City, California. 20 Jun 1947. William J Kiefer. Marie Frances Nelson. Edward C Ermy [Ermy signature unclear]. Witnesses: Mrs. Stella McGee, Mr. R. B. McGee.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} USS Breckinridge (Dec 1948). California, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1959. Selected Passenger and Crew Lists and Manifests. National Archives, Washington, D.C. NAI Number: 4498993; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85. M1410-San Francisco 1893-1953; 401. 1300-86325, List 112. Image #1129.
18. ↑ Marriage License McGee-Cook (1946). San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk. San Diego County, California, USA. State File #46-042615. Robert Bruce McGee. Stella Cook. License Issued: 21 May 1946. Performed 25 May 1946 in National City. Groom: Aged 26, 1st Marriage, Navy, born in California, father Randolph McGee, mother Pearl Rouch (Illinois). Bride: Aged 23, Divorced, born in New Jersey, father Frank Czlonka, mother Mary Rynlick