The Enigmatic Gera Family

It has always been an ambition of mine to be involved in a well-researched work of historical non-fiction. From my earliest years, I have always been interested in what historians have put in print and the accounts of people from bygone eras. This interest has ranged from topics as diverse as medicinal practices to politics and from agricultural methods to war strategies. It was only natural that my interest in history would extend to my own family history. But family history research, (like history itself) is more than dates and names tied to events. History is, I think, an exercise in psychology. Understanding why people did things is as important as the action or decision itself. The framework for the actions of the people recorded is based on cultural norms, individual and group outlooks on the world, major events at the time, and the technological level of the subjects. Understanding this framework is the key to understanding your family history.

In addition to history I have always had a deep interest in mysteries. Using clues to solve a puzzle and understand why events occurred were also fostered since childhood[1]. Any family history research project I undertook had to be challenging; a mystery to be solved. No branch of the family has been as challenging to research as the Gera/Rudnicki line. Many barriers impeded the progress of researching this family line including linguistic, cultural/religious and a simple lack of knowledge of the history of Central Europe[2] This challenge intrigued me, coupled with the deep affection I felt for my great-grandmother Helen Conti. The desire of every historian is to keep people and events from being forgotten by the general public, and it was this same desire that motivated me in selecting this line for research. The other reason was the mystery of the writings by members and associates of this side of the family that had been passed down over the years. With each generation that passed, fluency in Polish declined until the present generation is as able to read Polish as they are able to read Greek or Chinese. Decades have passed, with no knowledge of what was written in these sources. It has been a labor of love having these writings translated and much credit must go to the translator, Peter Hays for this effort.

It is the purpose of this blog to bring present and future generations a better understanding of this branch of the family and to gain a better insight into their daily lives. It serves as a precursor to a larger written effort that will be forthcoming. It is dedicated to the subjects of the writings, Bertha Gera, Theodore Gera and Helen Gera and to the researchers and preservationists Joy Barlow, Bruce Barlow and Cynthia Gilbert that have made this ongoing effort possible.

Early twentieth century photograph of Bronislawa (Bertha) Rudnicka Gera.

Early twentieth century photograph of Theodore Gera.

Wedding photograph of Theodore Gera and Bronislawa Rudnicka.

Photograph of Theodore Gera, Bertha Gera, Helen Gera their daughter and Bertha's brother Julien Rudnicki.

Photograph of Helen Gertrude Gera, only surviving child of Teddy and Bertha Gera.

Photograph of Theodore and Bertha Gera and their only surviving grandchild Bruce Anthony Barlow.

Photograph of Bruce Anthony Barlow, last living descendant to have known Theodore Gera.

Photograph of Theodore and Bertha Gera after having lived in the United States for many years.

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[1] In my early adolescence I read detective stories from authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. I also played computer games that were popular in the 1990s that used point and click features and had puzzles to solve in order to advance in the game, most notably The Secret of Monkey Island and The Legend of Kyrandia.

[2] The subject of Central Europe’s history is sadly usually covered in American Academia with a paragraph and a footnote or two, or as it relates to any major events in Western European history.