The family often used the spelling Vaitkunas but his death certificate and his wife's headstone use Waitkunas. Other records have included variants such as Withicunas, Woytkunas, Voytkunas, Vaitkunas, Vitikunis, Vaitkunes and even Watkins.
Andrew was born to Antonas Vaitkunas and his wife Magdalena Budrys (although Andrew's death certificate says his mother's name was Anna Krutula -- the form was filled out by a staff person, not a relative) in Lithunia.
He was living in the village Kampiskiai in Kaunas, Lithuania when he married Ona/Anna Keturakis in Garliava.
Supposedly a story that he worked the land and saved money and was on his way to buy his own property when he was attacked and all his money stolen. He went back home and saved again but his time he went to Garliava and bought estate there (this neatly explains how he went fro Guadelli to Garliava)
He left Lithuania and arrived in Scotland sometime before 1897. He was living in Holytown, Lanarkshire, Scotland with his wife when their youngest son, Joseph was born there. From 1904-1907 he was a coal miner in Scotland. On 20 Mar 1907, he left on the ship Astoria for the United States. His daughter, Agatha/Agnes was already in Scranton, Pa. His wife and son came to the US in 1908 on on the Furnessia; his daughters Veronica and Katrina and Katrina's children came over in 1909 on the Furnessia.
Some recollections of his granddaughter Catherine "Kitty" Cummings West:
"Grandpop wasn't much as a storekeeper in Lithuania (Gram was better at it). He was an overseer for a large estate for a time. Men only went to school. They were taught Russian under the Russian Government. Grand pop learned four or five languages and was considered "educated." He left his wife and his three brothers and two sisters behind and sailed for Canada, giving in to his wanderlust. Michigan was another stop. (Note: I haven't been able to verify his travel to anywhere but Scotland and Pennsylvania)
In later years, he moved to Elmhurst and rarely visited. They spoke Lithuanian mostly and I was the youngest so the communications suffered. I never got to visit him at Elmhurst because we had no car. He visited us several times - I can remember greeting him at the gate, but with the language barrier, I missed a lot in my young life not being able to converse with my grandparents — or parents, either, for a long time. We spoke a lot of Lithuanian as I was growing up and I knew all the basics but not enough to really learn a lot. Always wished I’d learned more from them!"
The memorial for his brother Jurgis is here
Andrew was born to Antonas Vaitkunas and his wife Magdalena Budrys (although Andrew's death certificate says his mother's name was Anna Krutula -- the form was filled out by a staff person, not a relative) in Lithunia.
He was living in the village Kampiskiai in Kaunas, Lithuania when he married Ona/Anna Keturakis in Garliava.
Supposedly a story that he worked the land and saved money and was on his way to buy his own property when he was attacked and all his money stolen. He went back home and saved again but his time he went to Garliava and bought estate there (this neatly explains how he went fro Guadelli to Garliava)
He left Lithuania and arrived in Scotland sometime before 1897. He was living in Holytown, Lanarkshire, Scotland with his wife when their youngest son, Joseph was born there. From 1904-1907 he was a coal miner in Scotland. On 20 Mar 1907, he left on the ship Astoria for the United States. His daughter, Agatha/Agnes was already in Scranton, Pa. His wife and son came to the US in 1908 on on the Furnessia; his daughters Veronica and Katrina and Katrina's children came over in 1909 on the Furnessia.
Some recollections of his granddaughter Catherine "Kitty" Cummings West:
"Grandpop wasn't much as a storekeeper in Lithuania (Gram was better at it). He was an overseer for a large estate for a time. Men only went to school. They were taught Russian under the Russian Government. Grand pop learned four or five languages and was considered "educated." He left his wife and his three brothers and two sisters behind and sailed for Canada, giving in to his wanderlust. Michigan was another stop. (Note: I haven't been able to verify his travel to anywhere but Scotland and Pennsylvania)
In later years, he moved to Elmhurst and rarely visited. They spoke Lithuanian mostly and I was the youngest so the communications suffered. I never got to visit him at Elmhurst because we had no car. He visited us several times - I can remember greeting him at the gate, but with the language barrier, I missed a lot in my young life not being able to converse with my grandparents — or parents, either, for a long time. We spoke a lot of Lithuanian as I was growing up and I knew all the basics but not enough to really learn a lot. Always wished I’d learned more from them!"
The memorial for his brother Jurgis is here
The family often used the spelling Vaitkunas but his death certificate and his wife's headstone use Waitkunas. Other records have included variants such as Withicunas, Woytkunas, Voytkunas, Vaitkunas, Vitikunis, Vaitkunes and even Watkins.
Andrew was born to Antonas Vaitkunas and his wife Magdalena Budrys (although Andrew's death certificate says his mother's name was Anna Krutula -- the form was filled out by a staff person, not a relative) in Lithunia.
He was living in the village Kampiskiai in Kaunas, Lithuania when he married Ona/Anna Keturakis in Garliava.
Supposedly a story that he worked the land and saved money and was on his way to buy his own property when he was attacked and all his money stolen. He went back home and saved again but his time he went to Garliava and bought estate there (this neatly explains how he went fro Guadelli to Garliava)
He left Lithuania and arrived in Scotland sometime before 1897. He was living in Holytown, Lanarkshire, Scotland with his wife when their youngest son, Joseph was born there. From 1904-1907 he was a coal miner in Scotland. On 20 Mar 1907, he left on the ship Astoria for the United States. His daughter, Agatha/Agnes was already in Scranton, Pa. His wife and son came to the US in 1908 on on the Furnessia; his daughters Veronica and Katrina and Katrina's children came over in 1909 on the Furnessia.
Some recollections of his granddaughter Catherine "Kitty" Cummings West:
"Grandpop wasn't much as a storekeeper in Lithuania (Gram was better at it). He was an overseer for a large estate for a time. Men only went to school. They were taught Russian under the Russian Government. Grand pop learned four or five languages and was considered "educated." He left his wife and his three brothers and two sisters behind and sailed for Canada, giving in to his wanderlust. Michigan was another stop. (Note: I haven't been able to verify his travel to anywhere but Scotland and Pennsylvania)
In later years, he moved to Elmhurst and rarely visited. They spoke Lithuanian mostly and I was the youngest so the communications suffered. I never got to visit him at Elmhurst because we had no car. He visited us several times - I can remember greeting him at the gate, but with the language barrier, I missed a lot in my young life not being able to converse with my grandparents — or parents, either, for a long time. We spoke a lot of Lithuanian as I was growing up and I knew all the basics but not enough to really learn a lot. Always wished I’d learned more from them!"
The memorial for his brother Jurgis is here
Andrew was born to Antonas Vaitkunas and his wife Magdalena Budrys (although Andrew's death certificate says his mother's name was Anna Krutula -- the form was filled out by a staff person, not a relative) in Lithunia.
He was living in the village Kampiskiai in Kaunas, Lithuania when he married Ona/Anna Keturakis in Garliava.
Supposedly a story that he worked the land and saved money and was on his way to buy his own property when he was attacked and all his money stolen. He went back home and saved again but his time he went to Garliava and bought estate there (this neatly explains how he went fro Guadelli to Garliava)
He left Lithuania and arrived in Scotland sometime before 1897. He was living in Holytown, Lanarkshire, Scotland with his wife when their youngest son, Joseph was born there. From 1904-1907 he was a coal miner in Scotland. On 20 Mar 1907, he left on the ship Astoria for the United States. His daughter, Agatha/Agnes was already in Scranton, Pa. His wife and son came to the US in 1908 on on the Furnessia; his daughters Veronica and Katrina and Katrina's children came over in 1909 on the Furnessia.
Some recollections of his granddaughter Catherine "Kitty" Cummings West:
"Grandpop wasn't much as a storekeeper in Lithuania (Gram was better at it). He was an overseer for a large estate for a time. Men only went to school. They were taught Russian under the Russian Government. Grand pop learned four or five languages and was considered "educated." He left his wife and his three brothers and two sisters behind and sailed for Canada, giving in to his wanderlust. Michigan was another stop. (Note: I haven't been able to verify his travel to anywhere but Scotland and Pennsylvania)
In later years, he moved to Elmhurst and rarely visited. They spoke Lithuanian mostly and I was the youngest so the communications suffered. I never got to visit him at Elmhurst because we had no car. He visited us several times - I can remember greeting him at the gate, but with the language barrier, I missed a lot in my young life not being able to converse with my grandparents — or parents, either, for a long time. We spoke a lot of Lithuanian as I was growing up and I knew all the basics but not enough to really learn a lot. Always wished I’d learned more from them!"
The memorial for his brother Jurgis is here
Gravesite Details
No headstone (according to granddaughter Kitty Cummings West)
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