John (Jan) Freilach - Eastland Disaster Baseball Connection
Baseball Player: John (Jan) Froelich/Freilach Research Notes
Abt. 1890 - July 24, 1915
I began researching each baseball player who either died on or survived The Eastland Disaster in the Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections
Entered “John Froelich” into the search box. No results. Don’t give up when that happens!
Hint: When there are a number of names for one person, make sure to keep a running tally of the variations. You will be very grateful to yourself for doing this (speaking from experience!).
Continued entering other variations of his name. Genealogists are used to name variations and the more you work with this, the better you get.
I also narrowed my search to publications from July 1915.
In this case “Jan Frelich” was the key.
Dziennik Chicagoski, 27 July 1915. Jan Frelich and other baseball players deaths announced
What Language Is that? And What do I do now?
Right out the gate with John/Jan, we had a challenge with the language. So, get ready for a wild ride in the world of translation, where Google Translate and ChatGPT are your trusty sidekicks! My Polish roots run deep, but my Polish Language? Not so much. So, here’s the secret recipe I cooked up:
Snag that Text! I used Snagit to capture the text like a pro (but hey, any screen-grabbing tool is your friend here).
Double Trouble Translation: I tossed the text into both Google Translate and ChatGPT. It’s like having two quirky chefs taste-testing your soup. Spoiler: they came pretty close to the real flavor!
P.S. I've also got a couple of ace genealogists in Warsaw up my sleeve. They're my go-to for the real-deal translation. Because sometimes, you just need that local spice to get it just right. Keep a list of docs for these wizards – nothing beats having an in-country translator to nail those nuances!"
Translation of Polish Text from DZEINNIK CHICAGOSKI, 27 July 1915
Here’s the combined Google Translate and Chat GPT translations:
"S. P. JAN FRELICH. Semi-professional football clubs lost three of their best players in that terrible "Eastland" ship disaster. Among the names of the unfortunate is also the popular Polish player Jan Frelich, known by the nicknames “Farmer” and “Hoosier”. He consistently played as a midfielder for the “Murleys” club, and in the same position with players from the factory he worked for, which organized that fateful picnic - “Western Electrics.”
Along with Jan Frelich, his wife Jadwiga and her sister Zimma also drowned.
Also perished in that disaster were players whose names are listed below: Schuette, from the state third league club of Pinkie Grejezyk called “Ideals.” KENNEDY, from the throwing club "Topaz." Being late for the ship saved the lives of players from the "Western Electrics" club, namely: Joseph “Chuck Heason, Józef Rehler, Hennesy Savings, and Hicks.
The joint funeral of the late Jan Frelich, his wife Jadwiga, and his sister-in-law will take place on Friday, July 30-31, from the mourning house at 2453 Thomas Street (near Campbell), to the St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, and from there to St. Adalbert Cemetery.
Their two-year-old child is now under the care of his grandmother and mother-in-law of the late Jan - Mrs. Zimna.
To the family of the deceased in the prime of life - heartfelt condolences from the Sports Editor."
Next Steps
I made a family tree for Jan and Yadwiga on Ancestry.com to see if their search engine could provide additional hints. Ancestry has a vast database of historical records, including census data, birth, marriage, and death certificates, military records, immigration records, and more. When you add information to your tree, Ancestry’s algorithms begin searching these records for matches.
At the same time, I went to Family Search. Since I now knew that the family were part of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, I decided to search for church records.
To do this I had to go to the unindexed images and look through St. Stanislaus Kostka records one at a time until I found the records for the family. FamilySearch.org has a vast number of records that have yet to be indexed. But they are fairly well organized and if you know where to look and have a lot of patience you can find them. Unindexed records are digital images of historical documents that have not yet been transcribed. They are essentially pictures or scans of original records. Image group number: 004284431
https://www.familysearch.org/records/images/search-results?imageGroupNumbers=004284431
Burial Records from Saint Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church (located in the Pulaski neighborhood at 1351 West Evergreen Avenue, Chicago)
Where to go from here?
Now, let's plunge into the deep end of our genealogical pool. The juicy bits we've translated about Jan and Jadwiga have laid out a breadcrumb trail for us. It's time to put on our detective hats and piece together the mosaic of their lives. And guess what? This isn't just about them. We've got a whole lineup of baseball players to apply this research playbook to!
Remember, genealogy isn't a sprint; it's more like a marathon with hidden treasures along the way. And while the paths we're about to suggest are just a few lanes in this vast historical track, they're sure to kick-start our journey into what comes next in our ancestry adventure
Employment Records at Western Electrics: Given that Jan Frelich worked at Western Electric, employment records or company archives might provide more information about his role and time there. This could include details about his involvement in the company's sports activities.
Sports Club Records: Exploring the archives of the “Murleys” club and the state third league club “Ideals” could reveal more about his sports career, including team rosters, game records, and possibly photographs or newspaper mentions.
Census and Residential Records: Investigate census records for the address 2453 Thomas Street (near Campbell), as these could provide information about the Frelich family's living conditions, neighbors, and possibly even personal details like occupation and nationality.
Church Records: St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and St. Adalbert Cemetery may hold records of the funeral and burial, which can sometimes include biographical details not found elsewhere.
Probate and Estate Records: These records might exist given the tragic circumstances. They could provide insights into Jan Frelich’s personal affairs, including guardianship details of their child.
Newspaper Archives: Further newspaper searches may reveal obituaries, sports articles, or other mentions of Jan Frelich and his family, providing a richer context to their lives.
Ship Manifests and Disaster Records: Since they perished in the Eastland disaster, looking up ship manifests and disaster records could give more details about the incident and possibly about Jan Frelich’s family.
Contacting Descendants or Relatives: The article mentions a two-year-old child and a Mrs. Zimna. Researching descendants or living relatives might yield personal stories or family documents.
Local Historical Societies: They might have more information about the local Polish community, the semi-professional football scene of that era, and the Eastland disaster.
Jan Freilich, Yadwiga “Hattie” Freilich and Yadwiga’s sister, Josefa Zimma are buried at St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery in Niles, IL. Their links on Find a Grave.
Jan and Yadwiga’s daughter, Eleanor, became Sister Virgil. You can read more about Eleanor/Sister Virgil here:
The Eastland Disaster Historical Society has a beautiful photo of baby Eleanor
100 years later, renewed interest in worst disaster on the Great Lakes
School Sisters of St. Francis (Eleanor joined this order and became Sister Virgil)
Podcast Link
Curveballs and Calamities: Eastland Disaster Baseball Connection
Other Links
· Psychology Of a Fan with Rich Luker Ph.D.
· Encyclopedia of Chicago: Baseball
· 100 years later, renewed interest in worst disaster on the Great Lakes
· Eastland Disaster Victims - A Virtual Cemetery
· Online Lesson Plans - Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center
