The Family Opus follows four principal branches of Francine’s family history. Each branch combines family-held artifacts, public records, newspapers, church material, and ongoing genealogy research.
Family branches
Four family names organize this side of the story: Samuel, Wistuba, Rudy and Okulewicz. Robert Frank Samuel’s published obituary names his parents as Frank and Viola Wistuba Samuel. Carol A. Rudy Samuel’s obituary names Joseph and Frances Okulewicz Rudy as her parents. These family connections are reported in the obituaries. The linked family pages examine the earlier generations. [1] [2]
Samuel
Frank/Franciszek Samuel, Theofilia “Sophie” Samuel, their Sayreville family, and the continuing search for their exact European origins.
Wistuba
Viola Wistuba Samuel, William and Mary Wistuba, and the effort to document the Wistuba and Turbak lines farther back.
Rudy
Joseph S. Rudy, Frances Okulewicz Rudy, their children, and the search for the earlier Rudy family and ancestral homeland.
Okulewicz
Charles and Anna Okulewicz, their large Sayreville family, and continuing research into their Polish origins.
[1] “Robert Samuels,” King-Lynk Funeral Home & Crematory, January 6, 2018, obituary hosted by Legacy.com. The notice’s title uses Samuels; its parentage statement uses Samuel.
[2] “Carol Samuel,” Daily Democrat, September 15–16, 2023, obituary hosted by Legacy.com.
People, photographs, and documents
The family accounts link people to the census entries, citizenship papers and marriage indexes behind their stories. Photos and family papers will have captions, any known dates and source notes. We’ll clearly mark any uncertain identifications.
Bob Samuel
Bob and Carol’s wedding
Related photographs: Rudy family photographs.
Sources and confidence
Documented means the cited evidence supports the stated event or relationship. Probable means the evidence points toward a connection that still needs proof. Family recollection identifies a remembered story. Unresolved marks a question that remains open.
Read how sources, conflicting records and family memories are handled.
Open research questions
Research findings can be added to the branch they belong to, with the records that support them and any remaining questions. A surname match alone will not be treated as proof of a relationship.
Four questions remain open: which reported birth date belongs to the younger Frank Samuel; whether Viola Wistuba Samuel was born in February or March 1921; who Joseph S. Rudy’s parents were; and what Anna Okulewicz’s maiden surname was. The linked accounts explain the evidence and what still needs to be checked.
Sharing family material
A future contribution option is planned for photographs and documents. An online submission form is not available yet. Submitted material would be reviewed before publication, including identifications, permission to share, and the privacy of living relatives.