Trigger Warning: Family Violence, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, Mental Abuse, Childhood Abuse, Sexual Assault, Substance Use and Abuse. Please do not continue if any of the above topics trigger you.
Understanding the Impact of Generational Trauma through Genealogy.
Generational patterns of behavior are not fully understood. Why might one child who endured years of physical and mental abuse not commit further abusive acts while another becomes a killer? John Wayne Gacy, the Killer clown, is one of the most well-known American Serial Killers. By deep-diving into his family tree, we can attempt to see a pattern of behavior that may have led to his devasting crimes. Or, we may simply find no apparent risk factors from the child and young adult he was to the serial killer he became.
Brief Introduction to John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy was born in Chicago, Illinois, on 17 March 1942 to John Stanley Gacy, age 41, and Marion Elaine Robertson Gacy, age 33. He was the middle child with his older sister, Joanne Ruth Gacy, born in 1939, and his younger sister, Karen, born in 1945. He was raised in Chicago, Illinois. Gacy's moniker, "Killer Clown," is legendary, as are his acts of cruelty, torture, and murder.
John Wayne Gacy was convicted of murdering 33 young men and boys aged from 14 to 21 and was executed for his crimes [1]. While we will not spend time on the specific crimes of John Wayne Gacy, as several articles, films, and resources are available that detail his criminalities, we will focus on the family that came before Gacy and those that came after him.
Contradictions in Information
Genealogists sift through primary, secondary, and tertiary evidence to substantiate the most logical, evidence-driven conclusions the data can support. Much of what genealogists look at includes contradictions and what is referred to as "Negative Evidence." Names, dates, locations, and other data may not be consistent across all documents, a byproduct of linguistic barriers, changing political borders, human recall being fallible, and dictation errors on the administrative side, among other possibilities. Genealogists must recognize all evidence and determine whether it fits the current hypothesis.
John Wayne Gacy's paternal grandparents came from Prussian-ruled Poland, a land that would see its political borders shift several times throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. As a result, the origin names might fluctuate as past citizens of this area might report to be from Poland, Prussia, Prussian Poland, or Germany. This is where understanding the history of the geographical location a person is from is imperative to understanding the documents. Why might names change? In this instance, some name changes may result from linguistic differences between English and Polish. The chart below shows how the census takers identified Nicodem and Veronica Gaca. Since Nicodem died in 1905, census information is limited, but it does give insight into Veronica. Further records will be used to showcase such changes.
Expectations vs Reality
I began investigating Gacy's family tree, expecting to discover several genealogies completed with ample sources due to his notoriety. I began with Ancestry. After perusing ancestry trees, I found that only limited publicly accessible cited research existed. Based on this information, I started with his paternal line, generally the most accessible line due to patrilineal surnames.
Early Immigrant Roots
John Wayne Gacy will be referred to as Gacy throughout the document. His father, John Stanley Gacy, will be entirely written out to avoid confusion. Gacy's paternal grandparents will appear as Veronica Gaca and Nikodem Gaca unless referencing a specific document with an alternative spelling. Gacy's paternal grandparents hailed from what is now known as Poznan, Poland. At the time, this area was under Prussian control and had been since 1793. John Wayne Gacy Jr.'s paternal grandfather, Nikodem Gaca, was born in 1868 into a socially, politically, and culturally fragmented duchy. Gacy's paternal grandmother was born into such a world shortly thereafter, in 1872 [2]. Although the duchy had some Polish autonomy, Germanization was meleeing its way through the city. The German Protestant administration and nobility directly opposed traditional Polish Catholicism, which paved the way for a divided city with modern German principles in the west and traditional Polish principles in the east. Even as the Prussian Government ruled, Polish social and academic organizations were set up in opposition to Germanification [3]. Nationalism was well on the way to redefining borders.
Why did Nikodem and Veronica decide to immigrate to the United States? We may never know, but it was likely out of a desire to pave a better path for their respective lives. Nikodem arrived in the United States between 1885 [4], with his soon-to-be wife arriving between 1887 [5] and 1890 [6]. The information below comes from the 1900 U.S. Federal Census, where census takers captured residents' arrival years and years in the United States [7].
The census indicates that "Nicodem" reported being 30 years old, born in July 1870, and married for nine years. He also stated that he was naturalized. We see that Veronica is reportedly 28 years old, being born in February 1872. Both claimed to have been born in Poland. If Nikodem and Veronica had been married for nine years by 1900, they would have been married around 1891. I considered two major record groups based on previous knowledge of immigrant patterns during this period. I could look up local records for marriage records, but I also believed that church records might yield more information. Which Church, though?
I decided to try to find out if Nikodem and Veronica were married in Chicago. Based on the information from the 1900 census, it seemed likely that they immigrated in different years, making it less likely that they married in their home country. I knew this was not a surefire way to determine if somebody was married in the old country, as many spouses and children immigrated separately due to financial stressors, but it was a start. I went to Nikodem's ancestry profile and searched for a marriage record. His name was unique, so I was hopeful I would receive a record hit. I set the parameters to include Illinois and the years 1890 – 1895. Sure enough, I got a hit. "Nikodem Gatza and Veronika Jagodzinska" were married on 25 Jan 1893 [8]. While the 1900 census did indicate they would have been married in 1891, the collateral information was strong enough to support the potential validity of this vital record and continue to assess and reassess as further information becomes available. Another indexed record that gave more information was also available. This record mentions an FHL Number, so I was off to Family Search to see if I could find a digital copy of the originally indexed information [9]. The image was only available at a family search site, so I went to a local Family Search Affiliate site in my city and pulled up the image from which this indexed information was taken. See below.
If you look to the side of the FamilySearch results, it shows a similar record for a "Nicodemus Gatza" Or "Gaca" at a Chicago area Catholic Church. The unique names are close enough to garner a second look. This time, the image is available. Naturally, it is in Latin, as most Catholic records of this time were, but modern technology allows quick, albeit not nuanced, translation. I do not know Latin, but I have a passing familiarity with it in the context of a church record. I translated the information to the best of my ability through Google Translate and a subsequent search explaining the Baptismal records of the Catholic Church in the early 1900s [10].
Google Translate allows the user to upload an image, document, or copied item to translate to a selected language. In this case, I uploaded the "PrtSc." The following information was translated [11]:
While this translation may not be perfect, it indicates what this document tells us. For anything questionable, I looked up the meaning of the Latin in context. We learn that Joanneum (John) was baptized on 20 June 1900. His parents were Nicodemus Gatza and Veronica Jagodzinska. An additional tidbit of information further links this John (John Stanley Gacy) to John Wayne Gacy, which is the information under "To be observed." John Gacy Sr. marries Marion Robertson on 1 July 1952 at St. Francis Borgia Church. From previous knowledge, we already know that Marion Robertson is John Wayne Gacy Jr.'s mother. I now knew of two confirmed churches the Gacy's were a part of, St. Stanislaus Kostka and St. Francis Borgia Church.
Because I searched FamilySearch to find the original scanned document, the FamilySearch search algorithm led me to a church baptismal record that added more context to this immigrant family. The 1900 census had the family residing on Elston Ave in Chicago, Illinois. I did a quick search for this location on Google Maps and instantly questioned the current geographical representation. I decided to look for a historical map that more accurately plotted the past location of this street. My next step was to complete a Google search that might provide the needed information. I discovered an online Rand McNally & Co. Map of Chicago, 1886, within four years of the 1900 census. The map was divided into grids with corresponding letters and numbers. Elston Avenue was located in grid "I 4" [12].
Now that I had an idea where the family resided in Chicago, I could further my education in 1900 Chicago geography, both physically and culturally. While already on the Encyclopedia of Chicago website, I decided to begin research there. I knew I wanted to understand more about immigration patterns, specifically Polish. The site offered information about specific categories and organized them alphabetically. I clicked on "I" and searched for "immigration". Immigration led me to "demography," which was exactly what I was looking for. Duke Press offers a great definition of demography. [13].
Demography presents the highest-quality original research of scholars in a broad range of disciplines that includes anthropology, biology, economics, geography, history, psychology, public health, sociology, and statistics [13].
According to the article from the Encyclopedia of Chicago, Chicago was an immigrant city, with 50% of its inhabitants being foreign-born by 1860 and 79% being either foreign-born or born of immigrants by 1890. While Poland was not explicitly listed due to its occupation by Germany, a large conglomerate of Poles made their way to Chicago at this time [14]. Based upon the census and church records, it is understood that the "Gaca's" identified as Polish. My graduate studies led me to better understand immigrant migration patterns and unifying bonds like linguistics, religion, and culture that bound immigrants together. There is a reason there are multiple Roman Catholic churches on the same street in Chicago, as each was linguistically divided.
Searching for Baptismal Records for the children of Nikodem Gaca and Veronica Gaca
The records above show a constant in the lives of the Gacys at this time: the Catholic Church. We see that all children were baptized at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, and we even see a notation was later added indicating John Stanley Gacy married Marion Robertson at St. Francis Borgia Church, both located in Chicago. Sources are located in the source section under the headline, Baptisms.
Genealogy Tip: Make sure you look at the witnesses' names on records. In the case of Nicodem Gaca, I could identify a witness in his children's Baptism records and correlate it with a Naturalization record with the same name. While more evidence is still needed for a more definitive answer, the information assisted in linking Nicodem Gaca with this particular naturalization record.
Church History and Ideology
Religion and spirituality play an integral role in many people's lives. We see that Gacy's father, John Stanley Gacy, was born into a Polish-speaking Catholic household that would have likely identified with the Catholic teachings of the time. The two churches we see him associated with in the aforementioned records are the St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and later the St. Francis Borgia Church, both located in Chicago, Ill [15]. St. Stanislaus Kostka was the first Polish-speaking Catholic Church in Chicago. It was initially founded by the Society of St. Stanislaus Kostka, which began as an aid group to assist poor immigrants [16]. Ultimately, St. Stanislaus Kostaka grew from 400 families in 1874 to 8,000 families by 1897, with membership numbers reaching 40,000 [17].
St. Stanislaus Kostka was integral to Chicago's Catholic, Polish-speaking community and grew as more immigrants arrived in the United States. The Church was located in the center of a working-class community of immigrants who were quite poor. The Church was not only the spiritual foundation of the community but also played a central role in social welfare. The Church assisted banking. Congregants relied on the Church for low-interest loans, with many congregants securing their savings directly with the Church. Such transactions allowed the Church to have physical money on hand to use as needed and congregants to have loans that could be repaid. The Church also assisted in social welfare areas by creating an orphan asylum in 1889, a Home for the Aged and Crippled, and a publishing house that printed all educational materials amongst other charitable organizations. The article further articulates that Polish parents believed children under 14 needed an education. Polish-speaking children in the area would attend mass and parochial (Catholic) schools to receive their religious and secular education. The Church catered to a lower working-class demographic with limited funds but was able to found a grammar school in 1877, expanding into a commercial high school in 1914. By 1940, the school had converted into a full four-year curriculum high school [18].
The United States of America has found itself engaged in arguments about immigration, integration, and assimilation since day one. There have been nativist and anti-Catholic movements that persisted well into the 20th century and are arguably still active. Points of contention between early German Catholic immigrants and the recent arrivals paved the way for establishing many Catholic Churches, each identified by specific language and cultural group. German immigrants established German-speaking Catholic Parishes before the many Polish and Irish Catholics arrived, and they often looked down upon the new immigrants and parishes. By the late 19th and early 20th century, the Vatican began expressing fears about what it saw as "Americanism." For instance, the Pope did not like the separation between the Church and the state. Most public schooling at this time would have included primarily Protestant religious teachings and ideals. Parochial schools were created to combat the Protestant-centric teachings. The Church doubled down after 1875 when state constitutions began banning state funding for parochial schools after the Blaine amendments were narrowly defeated in the Senate [19].
John Stanley Gacy's parents would have likely abided by the Catholic Church's canon. Just like most immigrant groups, all Catholics did not agree. "Americanists" were more socially progressive and liberal compared to conservative Catholics who were traditionalists and pushed against what they saw as American "materialism" [20].
Gacy's Paternal Grandparents
How did Gacy's paternal grandparents fit into the diverse fabric of Chicago? As stated, Nicodem and Veronica Gaca arrived from Poland in the latter 1900s. Nicodem Gaca was listed with his occupation as a tanner in the 1897 and 1900 U.S. City Directories, 1822 - 1995. He described himself as what appears to be a "farmer" in the 1900 Census, though the writing is difficult to read. These occupations put him in the working class. Veronica did not hold a job until her husband passed away. We know the family ultimately had seven children, but only four appear on this census, as three were born after 1899. The youngest child was born in 1893, and the eldest in 1904. John Stanley Gacy, Gacy's father, would take a middle spot in the lineup, having been born in 1900 [21].
Nicodem passed away shortly thereafter in 1905 [22], leaving behind his wife and seven living children. According to the 1910 US Federal Census, Veronica found work as a washerwoman for a private family, likely due to her husband's death. She was a widow with children ages 17, 16, 14, 11, 9, 7, and 5. According to the census, her three eldest children were already working, while the younger children attended school. Rose, 17, was a laborer in a candy factory; Edward, 16, was an errand boy; Wladystawa, 14, was a laborer at a biscuit factory. It is not surprising that these teens were pulled out of school to work [23].
By 1920, many of the teens had reached adulthood. Edward, 24, stayed in the household with his mother and worked as a wood finisher for a phonograph. John Stanley Gacy, 20, was an assembler at a steam gauge company. Leon, 18, was a punch press operator in a machinist's shop, and Agnes, 16, was a switchboard operator at a telephone company. Their mother, Veronica, no longer held a job [24]. John and Agnes would continue to live with their mother as of the 1930 U.S. Federal Census. John was making tools for gauges, and Agnes was a hemstitcher in a novelty store [25]. The family would experience the first death of a son/sibling when Leon passed away in 1931 [26].
According to the 1940 census, Agnes, 35, continued to live with her and work as an operator for a dress manufacturer [27]. Veronica passed away on 22 July 1948 [28].
I completed newspaper searches on each of the children to see if any articles could account for Gacy-type behaviors. I found none. The only "criminal" complaint found in an article was regarding "Leo" Gacy allegedly trespassing. I did not vet other Leo Gacy's in the area, but the lack of evidence (newspaper articles) to support a pervasive criminal mindset within this sibling group is revealing.
Growing up in the Gacy household was difficult. Not only were they a working-class immigrant family, but the patriarch Nicodem Gaca's passing would have amplified the family's financial stressors. John Stanley Gacy was only five years old when his father passed. While they would have likely relied on support from the Church and fellow Polish-speaking immigrants, it could not have been easy being raised by a single mother with six other siblings.
Next, we will look at the lives of his maternal grandparents in Blog 14: Familial Patterns of Serial Killers, Maternal Grandparents of John Wayne Gacy.
Sources
[1] Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Records: The Vault, database with images (https://vault.fbi.gov/John%20Wayne%20Gacy/John%20Wayne%20Gacy%20Part%201%20of%201/view : accessed 19 June 2024) database entry for Federal Bureau of Investigation , File Number 62-5154, "Subject: John Wayne Gacy."
[2] "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1968", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7X2-12G : Sun Mar 10 2024), Entry for Nekodem Gatza and Veronika Jagodyenska, 1893.
[3] Vincent Hoyer, “A Divided City? The entertainment and pleasure culture in Posen around 1900,” at Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe, (https://www.copernico.eu/en/articles/divided-city-entertainment-and-pleasure-culture-posen-around-1900: published 31 March 2023, accessed 10 May 2024).
[4] 1900 United States Federal Census, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/: accessed 26 April 2024, entry for Nicodem Gaka, Chicago, Illinois.
[5] 1930 United States Federal Census, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/: accessed 26 April 2024, entry for Veronica Gaka, Chicago, Illinois.
[6] 1920 United States Federal Census, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/: accessed 26 April 2024, entry for Veronica Gacia, Chicago, Illinois.
[7] 1900 United States Federal Census, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/: accessed 26 April 2024, entry for Nicodem Gaka, Chicago, Illinois.
[8] Cook County Clerk Genealogy Records, "Cook County, Illinois, US Marriage Index, 1860 - 1920," database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/311569:60984?ssrc=pt&tid=197318855&pid=352584184531 : accessed 25 April 2024), entry for Nikodem Gatza and Veronika Jagodzinska,25 Jan 1893,Cook, Illinois.
[9] St. Stanislaus Kostka, Religious Marriage Records 1892 - 1893, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1P9-59L : accessed May 6, 2024), image 130 of 201; Catholic Church. St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois).
[10] St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois), “Registrum Baptizatorum in Ecclesia”[Church Baptism Records], original page 49, Entry for Joannem Gatza Or Gaca and Nicodemus Gatza or Gaca, 21 Jun 1900; imaged, "Illinois, Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2YM-XB26 : accessed 8 May 2024), image 54 of 159, FSL microfilm 1577899.
[11] St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois), “Registrum Baptizatorum in Ecclesia”[Church Baptism Records], original page 49, Entry for Joannem Gatza Or Gaca and Nicodemus Gatza or Gaca, 21 Jun 1900; imaged, "Illinois, Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2YM-XB26 : accessed 8 May 2024), image 54 of 159, FSL microfilm 1577899, Citing Original and LDS Church Archives altered and translated by Google Translate “Paste from clipboard.”
[12] Chicago Historical Society, Encyclopedia of Chicago, database with images, (https://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/10605.html : accessed 12 May 2024), Chicago Historical Society Identifier ICHi-31337, "Rand McNally & Co. Map of Chicago, 1886."
[13]Duke University Press, “About the Journal,” Demography, e-journal (https://read.dukeupress.edu/demography/pages/About : Accessed 13 May 2024), website introduction to the journal.
[14] Walter Nugent, The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago, (https://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/962.html: accessed 13 May 2024), "Demography: Chicago as a Modern World City."
[15] The Parish that Moved an Expressway - St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, (https://ststanschurch.org/history accessed May 18, 2024), “The History of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish.”
[16] Ardrea, M, “The Societies of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, Chicago,” Polish American Studies 9, no. 1/2 (1952): 27–37; digital image, JSTOR (http://www.jstor.org/stable/20147284 : accessed 17 June 2024).
[17] The Parish that Moved an Expressway - St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, (https://ststanschurch.org/history accessed May 18, 2024), “The History of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish.”
[18] Parish of the Poles, The Inter Ocean, Chicago, Ill, 11 June 1899, p. 28, columns 1-3; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-inter-ocean-1899-parish-of-the-poles/149519407/ : accessed 17 June 2024).
[19] Institute for Justice, (ij.org/issues/school-choice/blaine-amendments/: accessed 17 June 2024), “Blaine Amendments.”
[20] Julie Byrne, “Roman Catholics and Immigration in Nineteenth-Century America,” at Department of Religion, Duke University, Teacher Serve, National Humanities Center (https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/nromcath.htm : accessed 18 June 2024).
[21] 1900 United States Federal Census, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/: accessed 26 April 2024, entry for Nicodem Gaka, Chicago, Illinois.
[22] Find A Grave, database (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 19 June 2024), memorial page 242651399, Nikodem Gaca (1868–Jul 1905), created by Garrett; citing Saint Adalbert Catholic Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois, USA. No image posted.
[23] 1910 United States Federal Census, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7884/: accessed 26 April 2024, entry for Veronica Gaca, Chicago, Illinois.
[24] 1920 United States Federal Census, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/: accessed 26 April 2024, entry for Veronica Gacia, Chicago, Illinois.
[25] 1930 United States Federal Census, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/: accessed 26 April 2024, entry for Veronica Gaka, Chicago, Illinois.
[26] "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3C4-LZB : 9 Mar 2024), Entry for Leo Gacy, 5 March 1931.
[27] 1940 United States Federal Census, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2442/: accessed 26 April 2024, entry for Veronica Gaca, Chicago, Illinois.
[28] Polish Genealogical Society of America, “Death Records – Dziennik Chicagoski Death Notices 1930 – 1970,” indexed information for Weronika Gaca (d. 22 July 1948), (https://pgsa.org/people-death/30856/?surname=Gaca&first_name=&type=match-first&results-start=0 accessed 19 June 2024.)
[29] Another Gary Still Unearthed, The Lake County Times, Hammond, In, 9 Jun 1921 p. 11 column 2; imaged, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com/nbshare/AC01210325033932249981718827624 : accessed 19 June 2024).
Sources – Baptisms
"St. Stanislaus Kostka, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States Records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-675S-3QN : May 6, 2024), image 104 of 160; Entry for Rosalia Gacy, Catholic Church. St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois).
St. Stanislaus Kostka, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States Records, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DHQF-DM : May 18, 2024), image 63 of 196; Entry for Agnes Gacy, Catholic Church. St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois).
"St. Stanislaus Kostka, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States Records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-67J7-6Y4 : May 18, 2024), image 109 of 132; Entry for Edward Gacy, Catholic Church. St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois).
St. Stanislaus Kostka, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States Records, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-67J7-XT5 : May 18, 2024), image 113 of 132; Entry for Wladystawa Gacy, Catholic Church. St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois).
St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois), “Registrum Baptizatorum in Ecclesia”[Church Baptism Records], original page 49, Entry for Joannem Gatza Or Gaca and Nicodemus Gatza or Gaca, 21 Jun 1900; imaged, "Illinois, Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2YM-XB26 : accessed 8 May 2024), image 54 of 159, FSL microfilm 1577899.
"St. Stanislaus Kostka, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States Records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-675S-3QN : May 6, 2024), image 104 of 160; Leon Gacy, Catholic Church. St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois).
"St. Stanislaus Kostka, Baptism Records 1896 - 1898", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-67J7-KJQ : Accessed May 6, 2024), image 64 of 292; Entry for Apolloniam Gacy, Catholic Church. St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois).
St. Stanislaus Kostka (Chicago, Illinois), “Registrum Baptizatorum in Ecclesia”[Church Baptism Records], original page 49, Entry for Joannem Gatza Or Gaca and Nicodemus Gatza or Gaca, 21 Jun 1900; imaged, "Illinois, Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2YM-XB26 : accessed 8 May 2024), image 54 of 159, FSL microfilm 1577899.
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