Mary Bereta Family History-Part 1

In November of 2009, Mary Bereta's great granddaughter, Gayle Glinka Weyland, pursued Polish Church records through the Family History Center of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Because Mary Bereta's birthplace was known, Gayle did a search in the Genealogy Library's catalog of the Mormon Church for Stary Wisnicz. The film was received in December of 2009 and Gayle researched the church record film. Because the film only dates back to 1873, the only records Gayle found were the birth records of Mary Bereta and her siblings. But birth records in the church of Stary Wisnicz were very extensive and not only were the names of Mary's parents found but also her parent's parents. Here is the information that was found:

Name: Marianna Bereta
Date of Birth: December 23, 1876
Date of Baptism: December 26, 1876
Father of Marianna: Martin Bereta
Paternal Grandfather of Marianna: Martin Bereta
Paternal Grandmother of Marianna: Anna Migrala

Mother of Marianna: Victoria Kamyczek
Maternal Grandfather of Marianna: Casimer Kamyczek
Maternal Grandmother of Marianna: Marianna Kokoszka

Godparents of Marianna: Joseph Bereta and Marianna Wojec-----
Occupation of father of Marianna: Serf

The other birth records that were found were of Marianna's sister:
Name: Anna Bereta
Date of Birth: June 15, 1878
Date of Baptism: June 17, 1878
See Marianna (sibling of Anna) for parents and grandparents.
Godparents of Marianna: Franciscus Kamyczek and Anna, wife of Joseph Bereta

And Marianna's brother:
Name: Jacobus Bereta
Date of Birth: June 6, 1882
Date of Baptism: June 9, 1882
See Marianna (sibling of Jacobus) for parents and grandparents.
Godparents of Jacobus: Jacobus Ca------ and Catherine Woje-----------

According to Fred Hoffman, a researcher of Polish surnames (who Gayle was able to hear from via another Polish genealogy researcher), the name Bereta shows up in Marianna's birth village, Stary Wisnicz. Stary Wisnicz is in the Bochnia county of Malopolskie province and the largest number of Bereta's are found in Bochnia county, 168 out of 558. There are also large numbers for the nearby county of municipal Krakow. Fred Hoffman found through Professor Rymut's book on Polish Surnames that the name BERETA comes from the obvious source - "beret-a kind of head covering." So this is a word that is borrowed from the French "beret". According to Hoffman, BERETA probably started out as a nickname for an ancestor who liked to wear a beret, or perhaps one who made or sold them.

Now, Marianna's maternal grandmother's maiden name, MIGRALA, comes from "migrowac" : to change one's place of residence. So according to Prof. Rymut, it means to "migrate". Most likely, the MIGRALA family were recent immigrants in Poland about the time surnames were becoming established.

In regard to Marianna's mother's maiden name, KAMYCZEK, Prof. Rymut says this name comes from the noun "kamyczek" which means "pebble,shingle.". He lists Marianna's maternal grandmother's maiden name, KOKOSZKA, coming from the noun "kokoszka" which means "young hen", and appears in Polish records as early as the year 1370. Both surnames, KAMYCZEK and KOKOSZKA show up most often in Bochnia county.

The next step in researching the Bereta family is the film that is ordered for church records of Stary Wisnicz that dates from 1668 to 1886 which includes not only birth records, but marriage and death records as well. The hope is to find records of Marianna's parents and grandparents. Updates on the Glinka family genealogy research will be posted as the information comes in.