Donald Rozela

1922-2008 · Michigan

Born 1922, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Died 2008

Father: John Rozela

Mother: Mary Skrobat

Donald Rozela was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on 23 May 1922, the son of John Rozela and Mary Skrobat. Both his parents had come from Poland, and they had married in Grand Rapids in February 1916. Donald grew up in Grand Rapids with his older sister Helen, born in January 1918.

In 1930 the family lived in the city. John was 36, Mary 32, Helen 12 and Donald 7. Mary's younger brother Joseph Bobola, 19 and born in Michigan, lived with them. By 1940 Helen had left home, and Donald, 17, was the only child in the house with his parents in the first ward of Grand Rapids.

During the Second World War Donald served in the Army. When his father petitioned for citizenship in 1943, the petition gave Donald's place of residence as the Army.

Donald married Ella B. Kennedy, who was born in November 1922 at Rodney in Mecosta County. They were living in Grand Rapids by the summer of 1947. In April 1950 the census found them at house number 2163 in Kent County. Donald was 27 and had worked 48 hours the week before as a service man for a gas company. Ella, also 27, kept house. Their sons Donald W., aged two, and John N., born the autumn before, were with them.

Donald and Ella raised five sons: Donald W., John N., Jack Allen, Robert, and Richard Scott, the youngest, born on 3 April 1958. The boys grew up in the Forest Hills neighborhoods on the east side of Grand Rapids. Jack Allen, born in 1955, died in 1965 at nine or ten years old. He was buried in Section A of Cascade Cemetery in Cascade Township.

Donald's father John died in 1963. His mother Mary lived on as a widow until 5 February 1988, when she died at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids. Her obituary listed "Don and Ella Rozela" among her children, and their four sons Donald, John, Robert and Richard among her grandchildren.

Ella died in Grand Rapids on 10 September 1992. Donald outlived her by sixteen years and died in 2008. He was buried beside her and near their son Jack in Section A of Cascade Cemetery.

Parents

Mary Skrobat 1898-1988 John Rozela 1892-1963

Sources

1950 United States census, Michigan, Kent County, Grand Rapids Township, enumeration district 41-37, lines 19 to 22, enumerator Rhea M. Barnum; National Archives and Records Administration, image 43290879-Michigan-109296-0046

United States Census, 1940, Michigan, Kent County, Grand Rapids, Ward 1, enumeration district 86-20, sheet 8B, line 52; FamilySearch, ark:/61903/1:1:KH3S-91Z (John), 1:1:KH3S-918 (Mary), 1:1:KH3S-91D (Donald)

United States Census, 1930, Michigan, Kent County, Grand Rapids, sheet 20A, line 21; FamilySearch, ark:/61903/1:1:XQBF-X7W (John), 1:1:XQBF-X74 (Mary), 1:1:XQBF-X7H (Helen), 1:1:XQBF-X7C (Donald)

Find a Grave, memorial 101245173, Cascade Cemetery, Cascade Township, Kent County, Michigan, Section A; photograph added by Mike Cronk, 2 December 2015

Obituary of Richard Scott Rozela, Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, Van Strien Creston Chapel, Grand Rapids, Michigan, heritagelifestory.com/obituaries/richard-rozela.150687

United States, Social Security Death Index, entries for Ella B Rozela and Donald Rozela (FamilySearch); Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006, FamilySearch ark:/61903/1:1:Q2TS-NVJ4

United States census of 1950, Michigan, Kent County, enumeration district 41-37, sheet 71, lines 19 to 22; National Archives, 1950census.archives.gov, image 43290879-Michigan-109296-0046.

Obituary of Mary Rozela, Grand Rapids newspaper, February 1988; clipping photographed on Find a Grave memorial 75641077, added by KathyCook, 28 September 2019.

United States census of 1930, Michigan, Kent County, Grand Rapids, sheet 20A, line 21; NARA T626; FamilySearch 1:1:XQBF-X7W.

United States census of 1940, Michigan, Kent County, Grand Rapids City Ward 1, enumeration district 86-20, sheet 8B, line 52; NARA T627; FamilySearch 1:1:KH3S-91Z.

Obituary of Richard Scott Rozela, Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, Van Strien Creston Chapel, Grand Rapids, heritagelifestory.com/obituaries/richard-rozela.150687.

Cascade Cemetery, Cascade Township, Kent County, Michigan, Section A; photograph by Mike Cronk, 2 December 2015, Find a Grave memorial 101245173.

Michigan, Obituaries, 1820-2006, FamilySearch 1:1:Q2TS-1B6S.

1930 United States census, Grand Rapids (FamilySearch ark 1:1:XQBF-X7C); 1940 United States census, Grand Rapids (FamilySearch ark 1:1:KH3S-91D); 1950 United States census, Grand Rapids Township, ED 41-37, National Archives image 43290879-Michigan-109296-0046; United States Social Security Death Index; Michigan Obituaries 1820-2006 (FamilySearch ark 1:1:Q2TS-NVJ4); Western Michigan Genealogical Society index to the Grand Rapids Press (anniversary 12 February 1972; obituaries of Jack 16 April 1965 and Ella 13 September 1992); obituary of Richard Scott Rozela, Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, Van Strien Creston Chapel, Grand Rapids, November 2025; Find a Grave memorials 101535213, 101245167 and 101245173

Declaration of intention no. 2492, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, Southern Division, Grand Rapids, 21 August 1939, filed with Petitions for Naturalization, 1942 (NARA RG 21); FamilySearch, Michigan, Naturalization Records, 1837-1997, image 3:1:3Q9M-CS5K-HSMR-S.

Declaration of intention no. 3013, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, Southern Division, Grand Rapids, 14 December 1940, filed with Petitions for Naturalization, 1943 (NARA RG 21); FamilySearch, Michigan, Naturalization Records, 1837-1997, image 3:1:3Q9M-CS5K-HSZW-S.

Petition for naturalization no. 6172, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, Southern Division, Grand Rapids, 1943 (NARA RG 21); FamilySearch, Michigan, Naturalization Records, 1837-1997, image 3:1:3Q9M-CS5K-HSZW-C.

1930 census, Grand Rapids, sheet 20A, line 21 (FamilySearch 1:1:XQBF-X7C); 1940 census, Grand Rapids Ward 1, ED 86-20, sheet 8B (FamilySearch 1:1:KH3S-91D); 1950 census, Kent County, ED 41-37, sheet 71, lines 19 to 22 (National Archives 1950 census); obituary of Mary Rozela, Grand Rapids, February 1988; obituary of Richard Scott Rozela, Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, Van Strien Creston Chapel, 2025; Find a Grave memorials 101535213 (Donald), 101245167 (Ella), 101245173 (Jack Allen); declarations of intention of Mary Rozela, 1939, and John Rozela, 1940, and petition for naturalization of John Rozela, 1943 (FamilySearch images 3:1:3Q9M-CS5K-HSMR-S, 3:1:3Q9M-CS5K-HSZW-S, 3:1:3Q9M-CS5K-HSZW-C)

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Cite: Heirology, "Donald Rozela (1922-2008)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/donald-rozela-1922-2008-80301a.