Born Domicella Petronella Bakutis in a village near Kaunas, Lithuania. Her parents, Joseph and Anne Petkeviciute Bakutis, were peasant farmers. Her father died six years later.
Domicella’s childhood was typical of that time and place. She had chores to do everyday. At age five she tended a flock of geece. When she was older she worked in the fields – flax, barley, rye, wheat, hay, plus vegetable gardens closer to the house. Long winter days indoors Domicella kept busy making cloth from flax. She wove cloth on a loom, making fine linens.
Russia occupied Lithuania and had strict laws to keep the peasant farmers uneducated. Domecilla’s mother defied this law and would teach village children to read the few books she had from the Catholic church. Domicella was look-out for these classes but luckily never saw Russian soldiers.
When she reached teen age, Domicella worked as a live in maid for a rich Polish family. All her life in Lithuania, Domicella was happy except for hunger. She couldn’t remember ever going to sleep at night without having humger pangs. Food had to be divided between at least six adults in her family and the men were served first.
She loved the country – good fresh air, beautiful forrests, fragrant fir trees, rich loom with no stones, and no insects to deal with in planting crops.
When Domicella fell in love she decided to leave her beloved country and family. It wasn’t too long before Domicella said goodbye to her mother and promised to return for visits. This never happened. She joined a group led by a guide who escorted them to the border. Then he told them to run as fast as they could across a clearing before the Russian guards returned. If they were caught they were warned to say nothing about the man who helped them.
Eventually she arrived at the Bermen seaport in Germany. Arrangements had been made to stay at a private home until the ship for America arrived several weeks later. When the ship finally docked there was another tearful goodbye with these wonderful people as she boarded this huge ship. The place assigned to her was in the lowest floor. Hundreds of people from many countries crowded into this space. The next two weeks seemed endless. During a storm at sea the ship was tossed up thirty foot waves over and over. Everyone became seasick and the stench from so many people crowded together was so repulsive she thought she would die.
On August 9, 1915, Domicella P Bakutis, age twenty two, and Joseph J Babonis, age thirty, were married in St Casimir’s Church Worcester, MA.
July 29, 1916 twin boys were born. One twin died soon after birth. Joseph Casimir Babonis survived.
January 13, 1918 Anthony Albert Babonis was born in Worcester, MA.
July 28, 1920, their first daughter, Anne Adele Babonis, was born in Worcester, MA.
1922 – The family moved to Wawkeegan, IL and then to Kenosha, WI.
May 13, 1923 twins, a boy who died soon after birth, and a girl, Helen Babonis, were born in Kenosha, WI.
They returned to Worcester, MA and in 1925 Albert Babonis was born. When he was six months old he developed pneumonia and died.
April 17, 1928, Frances Ruth Babonis was born.
Summer of 1928, they purchased a house on 20 Pinedale Road Shrewsbury, MA and they lived there until 1972.
March 2, 1930, Alphonse Peter Babonis was born.
July 19, 1974 Domicella P Bakutis-Babonis died at St Vincent Hospital Worcester, Mass of cardiac faliure due to bronchopneumonia at age eighty one years.
Domicella’s childhood was typical of that time and place. She had chores to do everyday. At age five she tended a flock of geece. When she was older she worked in the fields – flax, barley, rye, wheat, hay, plus vegetable gardens closer to the house. Long winter days indoors Domicella kept busy making cloth from flax. She wove cloth on a loom, making fine linens.
Russia occupied Lithuania and had strict laws to keep the peasant farmers uneducated. Domecilla’s mother defied this law and would teach village children to read the few books she had from the Catholic church. Domicella was look-out for these classes but luckily never saw Russian soldiers.
When she reached teen age, Domicella worked as a live in maid for a rich Polish family. All her life in Lithuania, Domicella was happy except for hunger. She couldn’t remember ever going to sleep at night without having humger pangs. Food had to be divided between at least six adults in her family and the men were served first.
She loved the country – good fresh air, beautiful forrests, fragrant fir trees, rich loom with no stones, and no insects to deal with in planting crops.
When Domicella fell in love she decided to leave her beloved country and family. It wasn’t too long before Domicella said goodbye to her mother and promised to return for visits. This never happened. She joined a group led by a guide who escorted them to the border. Then he told them to run as fast as they could across a clearing before the Russian guards returned. If they were caught they were warned to say nothing about the man who helped them.
Eventually she arrived at the Bermen seaport in Germany. Arrangements had been made to stay at a private home until the ship for America arrived several weeks later. When the ship finally docked there was another tearful goodbye with these wonderful people as she boarded this huge ship. The place assigned to her was in the lowest floor. Hundreds of people from many countries crowded into this space. The next two weeks seemed endless. During a storm at sea the ship was tossed up thirty foot waves over and over. Everyone became seasick and the stench from so many people crowded together was so repulsive she thought she would die.
On August 9, 1915, Domicella P Bakutis, age twenty two, and Joseph J Babonis, age thirty, were married in St Casimir’s Church Worcester, MA.
July 29, 1916 twin boys were born. One twin died soon after birth. Joseph Casimir Babonis survived.
January 13, 1918 Anthony Albert Babonis was born in Worcester, MA.
July 28, 1920, their first daughter, Anne Adele Babonis, was born in Worcester, MA.
1922 – The family moved to Wawkeegan, IL and then to Kenosha, WI.
May 13, 1923 twins, a boy who died soon after birth, and a girl, Helen Babonis, were born in Kenosha, WI.
They returned to Worcester, MA and in 1925 Albert Babonis was born. When he was six months old he developed pneumonia and died.
April 17, 1928, Frances Ruth Babonis was born.
Summer of 1928, they purchased a house on 20 Pinedale Road Shrewsbury, MA and they lived there until 1972.
March 2, 1930, Alphonse Peter Babonis was born.
July 19, 1974 Domicella P Bakutis-Babonis died at St Vincent Hospital Worcester, Mass of cardiac faliure due to bronchopneumonia at age eighty one years.
Born Domicella Petronella Bakutis in a village near Kaunas, Lithuania. Her parents, Joseph and Anne Petkeviciute Bakutis, were peasant farmers. Her father died six years later.
Domicella’s childhood was typical of that time and place. She had chores to do everyday. At age five she tended a flock of geece. When she was older she worked in the fields – flax, barley, rye, wheat, hay, plus vegetable gardens closer to the house. Long winter days indoors Domicella kept busy making cloth from flax. She wove cloth on a loom, making fine linens.
Russia occupied Lithuania and had strict laws to keep the peasant farmers uneducated. Domecilla’s mother defied this law and would teach village children to read the few books she had from the Catholic church. Domicella was look-out for these classes but luckily never saw Russian soldiers.
When she reached teen age, Domicella worked as a live in maid for a rich Polish family. All her life in Lithuania, Domicella was happy except for hunger. She couldn’t remember ever going to sleep at night without having humger pangs. Food had to be divided between at least six adults in her family and the men were served first.
She loved the country – good fresh air, beautiful forrests, fragrant fir trees, rich loom with no stones, and no insects to deal with in planting crops.
When Domicella fell in love she decided to leave her beloved country and family. It wasn’t too long before Domicella said goodbye to her mother and promised to return for visits. This never happened. She joined a group led by a guide who escorted them to the border. Then he told them to run as fast as they could across a clearing before the Russian guards returned. If they were caught they were warned to say nothing about the man who helped them.
Eventually she arrived at the Bermen seaport in Germany. Arrangements had been made to stay at a private home until the ship for America arrived several weeks later. When the ship finally docked there was another tearful goodbye with these wonderful people as she boarded this huge ship. The place assigned to her was in the lowest floor. Hundreds of people from many countries crowded into this space. The next two weeks seemed endless. During a storm at sea the ship was tossed up thirty foot waves over and over. Everyone became seasick and the stench from so many people crowded together was so repulsive she thought she would die.
On August 9, 1915, Domicella P Bakutis, age twenty two, and Joseph J Babonis, age thirty, were married in St Casimir’s Church Worcester, MA.
July 29, 1916 twin boys were born. One twin died soon after birth. Joseph Casimir Babonis survived.
January 13, 1918 Anthony Albert Babonis was born in Worcester, MA.
July 28, 1920, their first daughter, Anne Adele Babonis, was born in Worcester, MA.
1922 – The family moved to Wawkeegan, IL and then to Kenosha, WI.
May 13, 1923 twins, a boy who died soon after birth, and a girl, Helen Babonis, were born in Kenosha, WI.
They returned to Worcester, MA and in 1925 Albert Babonis was born. When he was six months old he developed pneumonia and died.
April 17, 1928, Frances Ruth Babonis was born.
Summer of 1928, they purchased a house on 20 Pinedale Road Shrewsbury, MA and they lived there until 1972.
March 2, 1930, Alphonse Peter Babonis was born.
July 19, 1974 Domicella P Bakutis-Babonis died at St Vincent Hospital Worcester, Mass of cardiac faliure due to bronchopneumonia at age eighty one years.
Domicella’s childhood was typical of that time and place. She had chores to do everyday. At age five she tended a flock of geece. When she was older she worked in the fields – flax, barley, rye, wheat, hay, plus vegetable gardens closer to the house. Long winter days indoors Domicella kept busy making cloth from flax. She wove cloth on a loom, making fine linens.
Russia occupied Lithuania and had strict laws to keep the peasant farmers uneducated. Domecilla’s mother defied this law and would teach village children to read the few books she had from the Catholic church. Domicella was look-out for these classes but luckily never saw Russian soldiers.
When she reached teen age, Domicella worked as a live in maid for a rich Polish family. All her life in Lithuania, Domicella was happy except for hunger. She couldn’t remember ever going to sleep at night without having humger pangs. Food had to be divided between at least six adults in her family and the men were served first.
She loved the country – good fresh air, beautiful forrests, fragrant fir trees, rich loom with no stones, and no insects to deal with in planting crops.
When Domicella fell in love she decided to leave her beloved country and family. It wasn’t too long before Domicella said goodbye to her mother and promised to return for visits. This never happened. She joined a group led by a guide who escorted them to the border. Then he told them to run as fast as they could across a clearing before the Russian guards returned. If they were caught they were warned to say nothing about the man who helped them.
Eventually she arrived at the Bermen seaport in Germany. Arrangements had been made to stay at a private home until the ship for America arrived several weeks later. When the ship finally docked there was another tearful goodbye with these wonderful people as she boarded this huge ship. The place assigned to her was in the lowest floor. Hundreds of people from many countries crowded into this space. The next two weeks seemed endless. During a storm at sea the ship was tossed up thirty foot waves over and over. Everyone became seasick and the stench from so many people crowded together was so repulsive she thought she would die.
On August 9, 1915, Domicella P Bakutis, age twenty two, and Joseph J Babonis, age thirty, were married in St Casimir’s Church Worcester, MA.
July 29, 1916 twin boys were born. One twin died soon after birth. Joseph Casimir Babonis survived.
January 13, 1918 Anthony Albert Babonis was born in Worcester, MA.
July 28, 1920, their first daughter, Anne Adele Babonis, was born in Worcester, MA.
1922 – The family moved to Wawkeegan, IL and then to Kenosha, WI.
May 13, 1923 twins, a boy who died soon after birth, and a girl, Helen Babonis, were born in Kenosha, WI.
They returned to Worcester, MA and in 1925 Albert Babonis was born. When he was six months old he developed pneumonia and died.
April 17, 1928, Frances Ruth Babonis was born.
Summer of 1928, they purchased a house on 20 Pinedale Road Shrewsbury, MA and they lived there until 1972.
March 2, 1930, Alphonse Peter Babonis was born.
July 19, 1974 Domicella P Bakutis-Babonis died at St Vincent Hospital Worcester, Mass of cardiac faliure due to bronchopneumonia at age eighty one years.
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