Philadelphia Latvian Baptist Youth Society
Frederick Lukewitz
Frederick (Fritz) Lukewitz was born Feb. 21, 1888, most likely in Telšiai, Lithuania.1 Lukewitz arrived in the United States aboard the S.S. Celtic on April 4, 1909, sailing from Hamburg, Germany, to New York. In 1916, he became a U.S. citizen2 and also got married3 to Catherine Grundman. The following year, the couple lived at 756 Preston St. in Philadelphia, according to his draft registration4. Lukewitz worked as carpenter and in 1917 reported that he was employed by Christopher Iberg.
By 1930, according to the U.S. census, the Lukewitz couple lived in Camden County, New Jersey, with their two sons, Elmer and Robert. In 1942, Lukewitz lived with his wife at 4127 Ogden St. in Philadelphia and worked at Marlyn Construction in Upper Darby, Delaware, according to his World War II draft registration5. He died in 1958 in Pinellas, Florida6.
Notes
1. Lukewitz's 1942 draft registration listed his birth date as Feb. 8, 1888. However, on his citizenship Declaration of Intention he also listed Feb. 21 as the birth date. The birthplace listed on both his 1917 and 1942 draft registrations was "Telshi," which could be a reference to Telšiai, Lithuania. On his Declaration of Intention, the birthplace was reported as "Telschi." However, Lukewitz's 1942 draft registration noted Latvia as the country of birth.
2. National Archives; Washington, D.C.; ARC Title: Naturalization Petitions for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1795-1930; NAI Number: 128; Record Group Title: M1522
3. "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Indexes, 1885-1951," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJ2D-G22 : 7 December 2014), Lukewitz and Catherina Grundman, 1916; citing license number 346079, Clerk of the Orphan's Court. City Hall.
4. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6K7-NSM : 12 December 2014), Frederick Lukewitz, 1917-1918; citing Philadelphia City no 19, Pennsylvania, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,907,639.
5. "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQF1-HL3 : 7 April 2016), Frederick Lukewitz, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
6. Ancestry.com. Florida Death Index, 1877-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.