Eva Daukšaitė (1883-1971)

Eva Daukšaitė (1883-1971), a.k.a. Eva Douse (married name Eva Račienė, a.k.a. Eva Rice) was a Lithuanian immigrant to the United States, and the mother of seven children, five of which survived to maturity.

Birth in 1883
Eva was born October 31, 1883 in Lithuania. Her father, Jonas Daukša, came to America with Eva when she was a child, and her descendants do not recall any mention of her mother's name. Eva's mother likely died in Lithuania, possibly in childbirth. In America, Eva's father adopted the name John for himself, and the surname Douse for his family, (although a more direct transliteration of Dauksha was also used in early family records). Note that Eva's Lithuanian surname Daukšaitė is the feminine version of Daukša.

Life in Lithuania
Almost nothing is known regarding Eva's early childhood in Lithuania. It is suspected that her mother died in childbirth, or at some other time prior to Eva's arrival to the United States.

Immigration in 1889
Eva and her father (along with Eva's only full-sibling Marijona) are believed to have arrived in the United States from Lithuania in 1889, when Eva was 5 or 6 years old. They entered through Ellis Island in New York. John took his two daughters to Centralia, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, where he joined his younger brother Michael who had already come to America and found employment in the coal mines of Pennsylvania around seven or eight years prior. In 1889, Eva's uncle Michael Dauksha resided in Centralia with his wife Helen and their first son Joseph James Douse (then 1 year old) and their newborn daughter Anna Douse. Eva's uncle Michael and aunt Helen would eventually have approximately 11 more children over the coming years.

Arrival of Eva's uncle Peter in 1891
Peter, another brother of Eva's father John, arrived in Pennsylvania from Lithuania in 1891. Peter had a wife named Anne prior to 1900, although it is unknown whether or not Peter married in Lithuania or Pennsylvania. Peter and Anne are not believed to have had any children.

Second Marriage of Eva's father around 1895
Around 1895, Eva's father allegedly married for a second time in Pennsylvania. Like his first wife, his second wife's name is presently unknown, and there is some speculation that this second marriage did not occur, dispite John's fathering of two sons by some unknown woman in the late 1890s.

Birth of Eva's two half-brothers between 1896 and 1898
Eva's father had the first of his two sons by his second wife in 1896. The first boy's name was Joseph Douse. A second son was born to John in 1897 or 1898, who he named Charles Douse.

Marriage of Eva's sister Maryanna in 1898
On January 3, 1898, Eva's only full sibling, her older sister Marijona, a.k.a. Maryanna, married a man by the name of Jonas Szates in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. At the age of 14, Eva became the oldest unmarried member of the Douse family in America.

Turn of the Century
The year 1900 was a turning point in the life of Eva Douse. In 1900, she had a near death experience, she got married, and she moved away from the Pennsylvania coal-mines to New Jersey with her new husband.

Eva
Eva resided in the household of Simon Bernetas in Girardsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the 1900 census. She was a domestic servant. As her father John was busy attempting to start a new family in America, he had left Eva to care for herself.

John
Meanwhile, Eva's father John was residing with his two sons in the household of Mary (Wilkowska) Rice in nearby Conyngham Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Mary took boarders to supplement her husband Joseph Rice's meager coal-mining income (or in lieu of Joseph's income when he was not providing for the family). Interestingly, in the 1900 census, neither Mary Rice's husband Joseph, nor John Douse's alleged second wife resided in this household. In fact, Joseph Rice appears to have lived apart from his wife from some time between 1893 and 1900, until the time of Mary's death in 1915. The unknown mother of the Douse children probably died around the same time that Joseph Rice had deserted his wife Mary and their children to reportedly work on a riverboat along the Mississippi River. While Joseph Rice eventually returned to civilization, the 1900 census is among the last historical records which document the existence of Eva's father John Douse, as he deserted the Douse family later that year, never to return. After John's disappearance, Eva's childless uncle Peter Douse took in Eva's two young half-brothers prior to 1910.

Scarlett fever
During the early part of 1900, Eva nearly died from scarlett fever. She was sick for a prolonged period of time, and yet unmarried, she was left to care for herself. According to her grand-daughter Kathleen (Szczesny) Borland, Eva lost her hair from the fever (although it did, of course, grow back).

Marriage to Peter Rice
On August 14, 1900 in Mount Carmel, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Eva married Peter Rice, a son of the above mentioned Joseph Rice and Mary (Wilkowska) Rice. The marriage was arranged by Peter's mother Mary and Eva's father John. John Douse told Eva she had to get married as soon as possible, as he was about to leave the family, and he wasn't taking her with him. Eva was under-age, so John authorized the mariage to occur. Eva did not love Peter, but she married him anyway. Their marriage license was obtained on July 28th, 1900, and the marriage ceremony took place at Holy Cross Church. Eva's uncle Michael Dauksha was listed as a witness on the certificate of marriage provided by the church.

Holy Cross church was constructed in 1892 in Mount Carmel as a Roman Catholic church for the Lithuanian and other immigrants who had come to the area to work in the coal mines.

Move to Jersey City
In late 1900, or possibly early 1901, Peter and Eva moved away from the coal mines of Pennsylvania to Jersey City, in Hudson County, New Jersey. During this time period, the portion of downtown Jersey City near the Hudson River waterfront, was home to a large community of eastern European immigrants such as Eva. Most of these immigrants were Polish. Peter Rice's mother Mary appears to have made the move to Jersey City around the same time, or shortly after Peter and Eva.

Debate as to the identity of Eva's step-mother
It has been suggested that perhaps Mary Rice was in fact Eva's stepmother. However, Mary Rice already had a son named Joseph M. Rice, so it seems unlikely that she would have named another child Joseph Douse (especially considering the fact that her husband, named Joseph, had just deserted her). Further research needs to be done to determine the identity of Eva's step-mother, such as finding the death certificate of one of the Douse boys in West Virginia, where they resided in later years.

Child-Bearing Years (1901-1924)
Throughout the first twenty-five years following their marriage, Eva would come to bear Peter the following seven children, all of which were born in Jersey City, New Jersey:


 * Elizabeth Tresa Rice (1901-1985)
 * Eva Rice (1903-aft1971)
 * John Rice (c1908-bef1915)
 * Peter Rice II (1908-1962)
 * Katherine Rice (1914-1987)
 * Edward Rice (1916-1920)
 * Margaret Rice (1924-2007)

The gaps between the birth years of the children suggest that there may have been additional children who died prior to reaching maturity, who were not reported in any census. During these years, Eva's sister Maryanna moved west to Illinois in the early 1900s and then further west to Detroit, Michigan, just prior to 1920. Maryanna's married name was transformed from Szates to Shotis somewhere along the way as well. Eva's two half-brothers Joseph and Charles moved west to Raleigh County, West Virginia, with Eva's uncle Peter and worked in the coal mines there. Eva's uncle Michael remained in Pennsylvania, where by 1910, he became the proprietor of a saloon in Centralia. The whereabouts of Eva's father John after the year 1900 remain a family mystery.

1910 Federal Census
In 1910, Eva resided in the household of her husband Peter on Wayne Street in Jersey City, New Jersey. The household in 1910 consisted of Peter and wife Eva, as well as well as their four young children Elizabeth, Peter II, Eva and John. Peter's mother Mary also lived nearby on Wayne Street.

1915 New Jersey Census and the death of Eva's son John
By 1915, the family resided at 197 Washington Street in Jersey City. This residence was an apartment building located either at or next to where the Lighthorse Tavern restaurant presently stands. The household in 1915 consisted of Peter and wife Eva, as well as children Elizabeth, Peter II, Eva and a new daughter Katherine. By 1915, Peter's father Joseph Rice also resided with the family. Peter's occupation was listed as saloon keeper. Peter's mother Mary had already died, and apparently so had Peter and Eva's son John Rice.

Marriage of Eva's daughter Elizabeth in 1818
On September 13, 1818, Eva's daughter Elizabeth Tresa Rice, known by family as Lizzie, was the first of the children to marry. Lizzie married a Portuguese immigrant by the name of Anthony De Falcon. The couple remained in Jersey City, and on June 19, 1919, Eva's first grandson, Anthony De Falcon, Jr., was born.

1920 Federal Census
In 1920, the family resided at 133 Morgan Street in Jersey City. This address is approximately 1 block west of their previous home on Washington Street. The household in 1930 consisted of Peter and wife Eva, as well as children Eva, Peter II, Katherine and a new son Edward. Peter's father Joseph also still resided with the family. Peter's occupation was listed as cook.

Death of Eva's son Edward in 1920
Eva's son Edward Rice died sometime in 1920, after the census enumeration. Edward was only about 4 years old.

Marriage of Eva's daughter Eva (II) in 1922
On December 30, 1922, another of Eva's daughters, Eva Rice (II) left the home to marry. Her husband was John J. Siney, a truck driver. Like Lizzy, Eva remained in Jersey City, and nine months later, on August 28, 1923, a second grandchild was born, Elizabeth Dorothy Siney. Unfortunately, this grand-daughter died at the age of 2 years in 1925. The Sineys would later open a cleaning business together.

Birth of Eva's last daughter Margaret
At around the age of 41, Eva had her last child Margaret Rice on June 16, 1924. At birth, Margaret was already an aunt to her sisters Lizzie and Eva's first-born children.

Peter and Eva's Last Two Decades Together (1925-1944)
As the census records subsequent to 1930 are yet unavailable to the public, much of the information in this section and the next has been provided by Eva's daughter Margaret, the only daughter which lived in the Peter Rice - Eva Douse household throughout the entire period of 1925 through 1944, or by Margaret's daughter Kathleen, to whom Margaret relayed many of the events from this time period. Some of the information also comes from historical records, and from funeral mass cards found in Margaret Rice's home after her death in 2007.

The Great Depression
When the stock market crashed in 1929, living conditions for the already financially struggling Rice family worsened. Peter and Eva waited on lines for government food, and they took their youngest children with them to ensure the receipt of adequate amount of rations to feed the family. Eva's daughter Margaret reported that during the time period, the Peter drank heavily and constantly asked Eva to give him all of the family's money. Peter gambled as well, and at different points of time he had both won and lost the title to a saloon in Jersey City at card games. Eva would often hide with Margaret in movie theaters in the day time so that Peter couldn't ask for more money. Peter would be missing for periods of time, and he would be drunk at nights, making Eva feed him, and subsequently complaining that he hadn't been fed.

1930 Census
In 1930, the family resided on 10th Street in Jersey City. The household in 1930 consisted of Peter and wife Eva, as well as children Peter II, Katherine and Margaret. As discussed in the previous secion, Eva's daughters Elizabeth and Eva were already married by 1930, and sons John and Edward had died.

Life events of Eva's children
The following is a list of the major life events of Eva's children which occurred between the mid 1920s and the mid 1940s:

Marriage of Eva's daughter Katherine in 1931
Eva's daughter Katherine married and left home in 1931. Katherine's first husband was Paul Olson, and they married in Port Jefferson, Suffolk County, New York on December 26, 1931.

Marriage of Eva's daughter Peter in 1936
Eva's son Peter II married and left home in 1936. Peter's wife was Sally Checkman, and they were married in Harrison, Westchester, New York on July 18, 1936.

Death of Eva's son-in-law Anthony DeFalcon
In 1937, Eva's daughter Lizzie was widowed, as her husband Anthony DeFalcon died after falling down the stairs to his employer's apartment on November 7, 1937. Anthony was believed to have been drinking, and his fall was not noticed until approximately an hour after he had already died. Lizzie remained a widow until the mid 1940s.

Second marriage of Eva's daughter Katherine
Around 1940, Eva's daughter Katherine took Robert F. Walsh as her second husband, after Katherine was either widowed by, or divorced from, her first husband Paul Olson. Robert owned a bar called Walsh's Tavern in Hoboken.

Death of Eva's husband Peter in 1944
Eva's husband Peter died November 30, 1944 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Peter's funeral was held at Saint Mary's church, on Second Street in Jersey City. As of Peter's death, Eva's oldest daughter Lizzie and youngest daughter Margaret were both without husband. Although Lizzie would soon remarry, and Margaret would soon take her husband, the mother Eva did not remarry. Instead, she assumed the role of the family grandmother on her own.

Eva's Final Years as a Widow and Grandmother (1945-1970)
Eva spent the final years of her life as a widow, and largely focused her energy on being a grandmother to the children of her son and daughters' families (perhaps compensating for the fact that she herself grew up without even a mother, let alone a grandmother).

Second marriage of Eva's daughter Lizzie in 1945
Lizzie took as her second husband Edward "Alaska" Zdrojewski. They were married February 11, 1945 in Jersey City.

Marriage of Eva's daughter Margaret in 1948
On May 29, 1948, Eva's youngest daughter Margaret became the last to leave home, marrying Joseph John Szczesny in Hoboken, New Jersey. Joseph was employed as a crane operator on the Jersey City docks after returning from active duty in France during World War II. Eva resided with the Szczesny family for some time in the late 1940s, after Margaret's marriage to Joseph.

Death of Eva's son Peter II in 1962
On March 6, 1962, Eva's son Peter died of complications to a heart defect in Union City, New Jersey. Peter was said to have had a hole in his heart.

Memories of Eva's grandchildren

 * Kathleen (Szczesny) Borland recalls that by the mid 1950s, Eva had extreme difficulty walking, and she bandaged her legs which would swell due to a bad heart.
 * Kathleen (Szczesny) Borland recalls that Eva spent the final years of her life in Jersey City, residing in a portion of her daughter Katherine's home.
 * Barbara (Szczesny) Czorniewy recalls that Eva's final residence was on her daughter Katherine's property, behind her house on 4th Street.
 * Feel free to add your contributions to this list, and add your name as a contributor below.

Eva's Death in 1971
Eva died January 15, 1971 in New Jersey. She was survived by daughters Lizzie, Eva, Katherine and Margaret, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Contributors

 * Kevin Borland (article author, provided research on the Douse family in Pennsylvania)
 * Margaret (Rice) Szczesny (provided photographs, marriage documents and family recollections)
 * Bill Mitchell (provided information regarding the Rice family, obituaries and the 1915 New Jersey census)
 * Kathleen (Szczesny) Borland (provided family recollections)
 * Barbara (Szczesny) Czorniewy (provided final residence of Eva and information regarding the Siney family)