Gumption, Frugality, Family Feeling, and Fabulous Neckwear

We kick off the season of Thanksgiving with recipe study and a particular family photo.

"Grandpa Ludwig," Ludwig Zdrojewski, is pictured here with "Grandma Victoria," Victoria Zdrojewska, and their sixth son, Stanley, who was named after Ludwig's own uncle.

The elder Stanley Zdrojewski came to America in 1893, worked, saved, and paid the passage for Ludwig and Victoria and their first son, John Peter, in 1897. Thank you, Great-great-Grandfather Stanley.

Update: John Zdrojewski notes that "their second son, Francis, also made the nautical journey from Hamburg with them."

Thank you, John.

"Eugeniusz," 1917, Somewhere

"Who, in 1917?"

Paul Zadner (PAZ) sent this photo and supplied the caption.  Paul, how did you get the "1917"?  And do you have any other information about this?

Europe or America?  We have a brick house, a new lawn or something in the back, which might indicate that the house has just been built.  Or, it's a 500-year-old potato field!  We have a lilac bush;  or maybe it's a European chestnut tree with the flower heads waving in the breeze there.

We have "Eugeniusz."

Could the gentleman be Uncle Stanley the Elder, he who came to America in 1893?  If he came over at age 26 in 1893, he would be 50 years old in 1917.  That looks right.  If so, "Eugeniusz" was first cousin to Ludwig, and we have collateral descendants of this couple who are our relatives, elsewhere in the US. (That is, if the boy lived. If he died, no one would have talked about him and we would never know.  Right?)   And Ludwig and Victoria's grandson was given the same name.

Alternatively, could this family be relatives left behind in Poland?  Did they survive?

JZ