Wilkes Barre 2nd visit

After a brutal winter, I finally ventured over to Wilkes Barre to see if I could find government documentation for the siblings I discovered at the Hazleton church. (See last post.) I went to the annex building of the Luzerne County Courthouse once again. It was a bitter cold day, despite the hints of spring we've had this week. After looking through the record books for two hours, I am sorry to say that I walked away empty handed. I had been hoping to walk away with some birth and death certificates:

1) Alexander Evans Kozub - I still need a birth certificate for him. Unfortunately, the Luzerne County records start in 1893. He was born Sept. 12, 1892.

2) Amelia (Emelia) Kozub. Again, no records before 1893. She was born Sept. 8, 1890. I looked again for a death record and again, found nothing. According to the Hazleton City Hall records, she died Dec. 31, 1896.

3) Irenea Cornelia Kozub. According to church records, she was born Dec. 24, 1894. But I found no government records. And I did not see any death record either. I don't know when she died, but she must have been very young.

4) Anna Kozub. According to church records, she died Sept. 13, 1897. But I found no government records. I looked for a birth record as well. I don't know when she was born. But again, I think she was very young when she died.

There may have been something there that I missed. It is hard to read the handwriting of those old record books. Also, they are organized in an interesting way. For the birth record books, You find the book with the right year range. Then you find the first letter of the last name. Then, it is the first names that are alphabetized. I tried different spellings (Amelia/Emelia). I looked at parent names to see if I could find Alexander and Irene (or Irenea or Rena).

Perhaps the only good thing that came out of the drive is that I was able to take a better picture of my great-grandfather's birth record. This picture more clearly shows how the writer could have mistakenly written the birth year wrong by using " instead of writing the year. Note that the date of record is a year later.

August Kozub is listed as Gustie Kocyoob, born March 20 in Hazleton. His parents were living at 222 Pine. He was born in 1897 but this record mistakenly writes " , indicating 1896.

August's parents are listed as Elexander and Arena. They are residing in Hazleton and he is a "W Teacher. The date of record is May 6, 1897.

Here is a review of what your experience is like at the Wilkes-Barre's Luzerne County Courthouse Annex Building:

Luzerne County Courthouse (Recorder of Deeds) Annex Building.

The Annex Building is across the street from the Luzerne County Courthouse.

These are some of the record books I searched through.

This is where I found August Kozub (Gustie Kocyzoob) listed.

This is the room that is open to the pubic.

My next stop: Back to Hazleton City Hall to see if I can find any more proof that Irenea Cornelia Kozub and Anna Kozub existed. Maybe I could also find a birth record for Amelia Kozub there? That is where I found her death record.


I am also going to mention that I found an Anthony Kozub. But the parents listed are Jos. and A. Kozab. He was born April 18, 1896. I don't think this is our guy. But I do think there may have been a Kozub sibling named Antony who lived from about 1900 to 1902. I have been keeping my eyes peeled for him too.