Six Generations

I can now trace my Matulis lineage back 6 generations, including myself.

I was able to do this using a small clue on my great-great-grandfather Mykolas Matulis's death record. The record gives Mykolas's name as Михаил Кароловъ Матулисъ. His middle name "Karolov", is actually a patronymic - it is formed of his father's first name. My 3x-great-grandfather was Karolis Matulis! That's six generations.

With some searching, I was able to find Karolis's death record. He lived to 88 and died just six months before Mykolas, who died at just 55.

Karolis Matulis
(death 1917, age 88)

Column 1: Тысяча девятьсотъ семнадцатого дня ? года Іюля двадцать девятаго дня въ Жагуняхъ скончался Кароль Матолисъ отъ старости. Пріоб. Св. Таинъ. / One thousand nine hundred and seventeenth year, on the twenty-ninth day of July. Karol Matolis died in Жагуняхъ from old age. There was a communion of holy sacrament.
Column 2: Крестьянинъ Кракиновской волости имевшій отъ роду 88 лѣтъ оставилъ жену изъ Петкевичей, детей Іоанна, Михаила, Константина, Іосифа и Кароля, здешний прихожанин. / The peasant of Krekenava district, 88 years old, [died and] left his wife, of Petkevičai [family], and children Jonas, Mikhail, Konstantin, Josif, and Karolya. Parishioner here.
Column 3: Тѣло его по истеченію сутокъ на Пацунельском кладбище похоронилъ Кс. А. Купчисъ. / Ks. A. Kupčis buried his body after a day in Pociunelai cemetery.

The record provides lots of information to start building the family tree beyond my direct lineage. First, his wife, my 3x-great-grandmother, had the maiden name Petkevičiute. It doesn't give her first name, but I will still probably be able to locate her in the records. Karolis's children were Іоанн (probably Jonas), Михаил (Mykolas of course), Константин (Konstantinas), Іосиф ("Josif" or probably Juozas), and Кароля (Karolya).

Partial Matulis Family Tree

The tree above is partial. It leaves off most of the descendants beyond my direct lineage (Karolis >> Mykolas >> Silvestras >> Vacys >> John >> me), including those stemming from my grandfather's generation that I already know and have contact with.

Sadly, the record of Karolis's death doesn't give his patronymic, or else I'd be well on my way to identifying the seventh generation. Instead, I will need to search for Karolis's birth record, way back in 1829. Those records, however, are in Polish! They're in Polish because hiss birth preceeded the first rebellion against the Tsar in 1831, the November Uprising. He was just two years old when that happened. It seems my ancestors have a habit of being born into tumultuos times.