The Danenberg Family

Biruta Zeltīte Sirlaka

Biruta Zeltīte Sirlaka 1919–2002

Peter's great-aunt.

Also recorded as Biruta Balka; Rūta (memoir); Biruta Sirlaks (married name Balks).

Biruta Zeltīte Sirlaka was born on 3 Jun 1919 in Cēsis, Cēsis district, Vidzeme, Latvia2,3, the daughter of Mārtiņš Vilhelms Sirlaks and Emma Smukule19,20,21. She married Vitolds Balks between Mar 1945 and May 1945 in Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany22,23. She left Bremen-Grohn (IRO emigration camp), Germany on 22 Jan 195014. She arrived at New York City, New York, United States in 1950 (according to an online family tree)15. She died on 30 Jun 2002 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada16,17,18.

Family

Parents
Mārtiņš Vilhelms Sirlaks 1883–1942 and Emma Smukule 1886–1970 documented
Husband
Vitolds Balks 1921–1984 · married between Mar 1945 and May 1945 in Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany22,23
Children

Life events

EventDatePlace and details
Born3 Jun 1919Cēsis, Cēsis district, Vidzeme, Latvia2,3
Livedbet 1 Jan 1938 and 1944Rīga, Vidzeme, Latvia5
Lived1945Landkreis Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany6
Marriedbet Mar 1945 and May 1945with Vitolds Balks
Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany22,23
Livedbet 23 Jul 1945 and 9 Jan 1950Haunstetten DP camp, Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany7
Arrived1950New York City, New York, United States
According to an online family tree15
Left22 Jan 1950Bremen-Grohn (IRO emigration camp), Germany14
Livedbet Feb 1950 and Feb 1951Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States8
Livedbet 1959 and 1969Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan, United States9
LivedSep 1984Birmingham, Michigan, United States10,11
Died30 Jun 2002Toronto, Ontario, Canada16,17,18
OriginLatvia
According to the family's 2015 tree4
Workparents: Mārtiņš Sirlaks and Emma (the memoir lists her as Mārtiņš’s daughter, against the father "Pēteris" on her DP card; lead biruta-father-peteris). Veterinarian. Probably the "Cēsu Rūta" of p. 32.12
Work'Veterinarian', 'To the district veterinarian in Tukums' (DP-2). The memoir has her as a hospital lab technician in Hochfeld, Augsburg, during the camp years.2
WorkVetārste
According to an online family tree13

Possible records (not confirmed)

Records that may concern her, but don't settle it: an initial and a surname only, a family recollection, or a reading that needs a second look. Each links to the record.

  • Other: LEAD (W): Evidence against lead biruta-father-peteris: Aina names Rūta (Biruta) as Mārtiņš’s daughter.24 Would be settled by: Biruta’s baptism (c. 1920s, Cēsis).
  • Biruta's father was 'Pēteris Sirlaks', as her DP card says.25 Her own DP card names father Pēteris Sirlaks. Open question.

Photographs

Sirlaks sisters - Biruta, Mirdza, Elvira
Sirlaks sisters - Biruta, Mirdza, Elvira. MyHeritage family tree 'Dzimta' of Peter's third cousin (his family site), member GEDCOM export of 26 Oct 2026.
Biruta Zeltīte Sirlaka · Mirdza Augusta Sirlaka · Elvīra Antonija Sirlaka

Records

Scan of the record: AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Biruta, Reg. No. 902673063
AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Biruta, Reg. No. 902673063. .
Scan of the record: Kategorie III list, Landkreis Kelheim, 17 June 1947
Kategorie III list, Landkreis Kelheim, 17 June 1947. .
Scan of the record: Household of Arwids F Danenbergs, Liberty Township, Mercer, Ohio
Household of Arwids F Danenbergs, Liberty Township, Mercer, Ohio. US census, U.S. National Archives, image via FamilySearch, public domain.
The full page of the record, with the part cited outlined in red: Obituary of Vitolds Balks, "Mums zudušie" (Laiks, 1984, p. 7), by Sigurds Rudzītis
Obituary of Vitolds Balks, "Mums zudušie" (Laiks, 1984, p. 7), by Sigurds Rudzītis. . The page, large, and the untouched original.
Scan of the record: IRO nominal roll, USS General Howze, Bremen-Grohn, page 65
IRO nominal roll, USS General Howze, Bremen-Grohn, page 65. .
Scan of the record: Biruta Balks: Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Death Record
Biruta Balks: Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Death Record. .
Scan of the record: AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Vitolds, Reg. No. 902673011
AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Vitolds, Reg. No. 902673011. .
Scan of the record: AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Vitolds, Reg. No. 902673011
AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Vitolds, Reg. No. 902673011. .

Open questions

Sources

  1. MyHeritage family tree 'Dzimta' of Peter's third cousin (his family site), member GEDCOM export of 26 Oct 2026, I143 (person-6000143), GEDCOM lines 4177–4251.
    NAME Biruta /Sirlaks/ · _MARNM Balks
  2. AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Biruta, Reg. No. 902673063, DE ITS 3.1.1.1, folder DP0173 (03010101 02 065), DocID 66492229.
    Balks Biruta | F | Married | 3.VI.1919 Cēsis Vidzeme Latvia | luth. | Pēteris Sirlaks | Emma Smukulis | Rīga – Latvia | Veterinarian | To the district veterinarian in Tukums | 23.VII.4[5] | [reverse] CM1 No. 855706 Res. to USA on 17.1.50

    DP-2: '3.VI.1919 Cēsis'. Kelheim list (DocID 69964918): '6.9.19 Wenden'. Index entries give both 06/03/1919 and 09/06/1919.

  3. MyHeritage family tree 'Dzimta' of Peter's third cousin (his family site), member GEDCOM export of 26 Oct 2026, I143 (person-6000143), GEDCOM lines 4177–4251.
    BIRT · 3 JUN 1919 · Cēsis, Latviju

    His record match: ASV Sociālās Apdrošināšanas Miršanu Indekss (SSDI), https://www.myheritage.lv/research/collection-10002/asv-soci%C4%81l%C4%81s-apdro%C5%A1in%C4%81%C5%A1anas-mir%C5%A1anu-indekss-ssdi?itemId=40010129&action=showRecord: 'Biruta Balks | Dzimšana: 3. Jūn 1919 | Miršana: 30. Jūn 2002 | Pēdēja dzīves vieta: 48010, USA | SSN izsniegusī pavalsts: Ohio'. His record match: FamilySearch Family Tree, https://www.myheritage.lv/research/collection-40001/familysearch-family-tree?itemId=996934595&action=showRecord: 'Biruta Balks (dzimusi Sirlaks) | Dzimums: Sieviete | Dzimšana: 1915 - Cēsis, Cēsu Rajons, Latvia | Miršana: 1970 - Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan Municipality, Ontario, Canada | Vīrs: Vitolds Balks'. His record match: Ellis Island and Other New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, https://www.myheritage.lv/research/collection-10512/ellis-island-other-new-york-passenger-lists-1820-1957?itemId=29671034&action=showRecord: 'Biruta Balks | Dzimums: Sieviete | Dzimšana: Apmēram 1920 - Latvia | Ierašanās: 1950 - New York, New York, United States | Kuģis: General Howze | Vecums: 30 | Līnija: 8 | Avota infromācija: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957 (National Archives Microfilm Publication T715, roll 7789); Records of the Immigration and Naturalizati | on Service, Record Group 85.'.

  4. Peter's tree, danenberg.sql, 2007–2015, personae 20, provenance.
  5. AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Biruta, Reg. No. 902673063, DocID 66492229.
    (2) Balks Biruta | (13) LAST PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR RESIDENCE JANUARY 1, 1938: Riga – Latvia | (14) Veterinarian | (15) To the district veterinarian in Tukums

    Reported 'Riga – Latvia' as her residence on 1 January 1938 on her 23 July 1945 Haunstetten DP-2 registration card, where she studied veterinary medicine (and worked for the district veterinarian in Tukums) before fleeing to Germany in autumn 1944.

  6. Kategorie III list, Landkreis Kelheim, 17 June 1947, DE ITS 2.1.1.1 BY 069 LET ZM, DocID 69964918.
    Balks Wietold 16.6.21 Veekiebalga m unbekannt 1945 / Sirlaks Biruta 6.9.19 Wenden w unbekannt 1945

    Listed with Vitolds ('Balks Wietold') among foreigners present in 1945, no longer resident. The memoir puts their marriage in Regensburg, spring 1945.

  7. AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Biruta, Reg. No. 902673063, DocID 66492229.
    (1) 902672947 | Date: 23.VII.45 | Assembly Center No. Haunstetten

    Registered on 23 July 1945 at the Haunstetten DP camp near Augsburg, sharing a three-bedroom apartment with her husband Vitolds, their daughter Ilze (born 1945), her mother Emma, and the Danenberg family until transferring to the Bremen-Grohn resettlement center on 9 January 1950.

  8. Household of Arwids F Danenbergs, Liberty Township, Mercer, Ohio.
    Biruta Z Balks: Race = White; Residence 1949; Birth 1920 @ Latvia; Census 10 April 1950 @ Liberty Township, Mercer, Ohio, United States; RelationshipToHead=Sister-in-law; Age=30

    Lived with her husband Vitolds, daughter Ilze, mother Emma, and the Danenberg family in Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio (Rockford mailing address), enumerated there as 'Biruta Z Balks' (age 30) in the 10 April 1950 US Census and applying for her Ohio Social Security number in February 1951.

  9. S-fs-JRNP-MMG.
    Emma Sirlaks: Death Oct 1970 @ Southfield, Oakland, Michigan; Birth 06 Jan 1885; Age=85; ZipCodeOfLastResidence=48075

    Inferred to have lived with her husband Vitolds and daughter Ilze in the Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan area, where her mother Emma Sirlaka lived with the Balks family before moving to Toronto and where Emma's US Social Security Death Index record gives her last US residence at ZIP code 48075 in Southfield.

  10. Obituary of Vitolds Balks, "Mums zudušie" (Laiks, 1984, p. 7), by Sigurds Rudzītis, Laiks, Periodika issue 763633, p. 7, article DIVL390 (doc 53933326), column "Mums zudušie". Issue date 27 October 1984 read on the masthead (`Sestdien, 1984. g. 27. oktobrī`)..
    Ierodoties ASV Balku ģimene sākumā dzīvoja Ohaijo štatā, bet vēlāk pārcēlās uz Detroitu, kur nelaiķis nodibināja savu inženiera konsultācijas uzņēmumu … Aizgājējs atstāj dzīves biedri Rutu, meitu Ilzi ar ģimeni Detroitā un brāli okupētajā Latvijā.
    Translation: On arriving in the USA the Balks family at first lived in the state of Ohio, but later moved to Detroit, where the deceased founded his own engineering consulting firm … The deceased leaves his spouse Ruta, daughter Ilze with her family in Detroit and a brother in occupied Latvia.

    Named in the obituary of her husband Vitolds Balks only as "Rutu" (accusative of Ruta; "Aizgājējs atstāj dzīves biedri Rutu, meitu Ilzi ar ģimeni Detroitā…"); the surname and the name Biruta are not on the page, and Detroit is stated for the daughter's family ("meitu Ilzi ar ģimeni Detroitā"), not explicitly for the widow. Of the couple: "Ierodoties ASV Balku ģimene sākumā dzīvoja Ohaijo štatā, bet vēlāk pārcēlās uz Detroitu" (on arriving in the USA the Balks family at first lived in Ohio, later moved to Detroit). Identification as Elvīra's sister Biruta ("Rūta" in the memoir) rests on the tree and on Ohio/Detroit/daughter Ilze matching, not on the page.

  11. MyHeritage family tree 'Dzimta' of Peter's third cousin (his family site), member GEDCOM export of 26 Oct 2026, I143 (person-6000143), GEDCOM lines 4177–4251.
    RESI · 48010, USA

    His record match: ASV Sociālās Apdrošināšanas Miršanu Indekss (SSDI), https://www.myheritage.lv/research/collection-10002/asv-soci%C4%81l%C4%81s-apdro%C5%A1in%C4%81%C5%A1anas-mir%C5%A1anu-indekss-ssdi?itemId=40010129&action=showRecord: 'Biruta Balks | Dzimšana: 3. Jūn 1919 | Miršana: 30. Jūn 2002 | Pēdēja dzīves vieta: 48010, USA | SSN izsniegusī pavalsts: Ohio'.

  12. Ainas Sirlakas atmiņas ("Vīstuči"), Aina Jurciņa née Sirlaka, Priekuļi, 1998, p. 9, section "PAR PĒTERA UN MARIJAS CETURTO BĒRNU MĀRTIŅU".
    Rūta- vetārste. … Rūta gandrīz neskaista ar garu ģīmi, bet ļoti interesanta un gudra.
    Translation: Rūta, a veterinarian. … Rūta almost plain, with a long face, but very interesting and clever.

    parents: Mārtiņš Sirlaks and Emma (the memoir lists her as Mārtiņš’s daughter, against the father "Pēteris" on her DP card; lead biruta-father-peteris). Veterinarian. Probably the "Cēsu Rūta" of p. 32.

  13. MyHeritage family tree 'Dzimta' of Peter's third cousin (his family site), member GEDCOM export of 26 Oct 2026, I143 (person-6000143), GEDCOM lines 4177–4251.
    OCCU · Vetārste
  14. IRO nominal roll, USS General Howze, Bremen-Grohn, page 65, DE ITS 3.1.3.2, ref. 8302800, DocID 81666500.
    1095 119875 855706 Balks Vitolds C LAT Prot. Md Ma 28 LAT farm-worker J. Smalley (NLC) [address omitted], Rockford, Ohio / 1096 … Biruta … housewife / 1097 … Ilze … S F 4 GER child

    USS General Howze (IRO unit 8302800); roll nos. 1095–1097 with Vitolds and Ilze; case 119875, CM/1 855706; sponsor J. Smalley (NLC), [address omitted], Rockford, Ohio (the same town as the Danenbergs' destination). Left Haunstetten for the resettlement centre on 9 Jan 1950.

  15. MyHeritage family tree 'Dzimta' of Peter's third cousin (his family site), member GEDCOM export of 26 Oct 2026, I143 (person-6000143), GEDCOM lines 4177–4251.
    IMMI · 1950 · New York, New York, United States · AGE 30-31

    His record match: Ellis Island and Other New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, https://www.myheritage.lv/research/collection-10512/ellis-island-other-new-york-passenger-lists-1820-1957?itemId=29671034&action=showRecord: 'Biruta Balks | Dzimums: Sieviete | Dzimšana: Apmēram 1920 - Latvia | Ierašanās: 1950 - New York, New York, United States | Kuģis: General Howze | Vecums: 30 | Līnija: 8 | Avota infromācija: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957 (National Archives Microfilm Publication T715, roll 7789); Records of the Immigration and Naturalizati | on Service, Record Group 85.'.

  16. S-fs-6K3K-6CZC.
    Biruta Zeltite Sirlaks … Birth 3 Jun 1919 Cesis Vidzem* … Death 30 Jun 2002 … AKA Biruta Balks

    Born 3 Jun 1919, Cēsis. Middle name Zeltīte. Social Security application Feb 1951. Husband Witolds (Vitolds) Balks, born about 1921 Latvia (1950 census; Residence Database entry 'Vitolds Balks, b. Jun 1921', 6YH9-L4XP). Daughter Ilze (living) was born in Germany about 1945-46.

  17. Biruta Balks: Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Death Record.
    Name: Biruta Balks State of Issue: Ohio Date of Birth: Tuesday June 03, 1919 Date of Death: Sunday June 30, 2002 Est. Age at Death: 83 years, 27 days Confirmation: Verified

    Social Security Death Index record: Biruta Balks, born 3 June 1919, died Sunday, 30 June 2002 (age 83 years, 27 days, verified); SSN issued in Ohio (where she and husband Vitolds Balks first settled in Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio in February 1950).

  18. MyHeritage family tree 'Dzimta' of Peter's third cousin (his family site), member GEDCOM export of 26 Oct 2026, I143 (person-6000143), GEDCOM lines 4177–4251.
    DEAT · 30 JUN 2002 · Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan Municipality, Ontario, Canada · AGE 83

    His record match: ASV Sociālās Apdrošināšanas Miršanu Indekss (SSDI), https://www.myheritage.lv/research/collection-10002/asv-soci%C4%81l%C4%81s-apdro%C5%A1in%C4%81%C5%A1anas-mir%C5%A1anu-indekss-ssdi?itemId=40010129&action=showRecord: 'Biruta Balks | Dzimšana: 3. Jūn 1919 | Miršana: 30. Jūn 2002 | Pēdēja dzīves vieta: 48010, USA | SSN izsniegusī pavalsts: Ohio'. His record match: FamilySearch Family Tree, https://www.myheritage.lv/research/collection-40001/familysearch-family-tree?itemId=996934595&action=showRecord: 'Biruta Balks (dzimusi Sirlaks) | Dzimums: Sieviete | Dzimšana: 1915 - Cēsis, Cēsu Rajons, Latvia | Miršana: 1970 - Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan Municipality, Ontario, Canada | Vīrs: Vitolds Balks'.

  19. Peter's tree, danenberg.sql, 2007–2015, parentages 35.
  20. S-fs-6K3K-6CZC.
    Biruta Zeltite Sirlaks; AKA Biruta Balks; Birth 3 Jun 1919 Cesis Vidzem*; Death 30 Jun 2002; father Martins V Sirlaks; mother Emma Smukulis

    Biruta Zeltīte Sirlaka's Social Security application (Feb 1951) names her parents as "Martins V Sirlaks" and "Emma Smukulis". This is the first record evidence for Mārtiņš and for Emma's maiden name (here in the masculine/US form Smukulis, rather than Latvian feminine Smukule). Mārtiņš also has a middle initial, V. Emma was widowed by 1950.

  21. My Life and Times (1912–1949), ¶10.
    my sisters Biruta and Mirdza
  22. AEF DP Registration Record, Balks Vitolds, Reg. No. 902673011, DE ITS 3.1.1.1, folder DP0173, DocID 66492247.
    Balks Vitolds | M | Married | 1921 Vec-Piebalga Vidzeme Latvia | Luth. | Žanis Balks | Elza Brauns [?] | Riga Latvia | Office clerk | Food supplies department | 23.7.45

    Registered as married to Biruta at Haunstetten on 23.7.45, i.e. married by then. This is consistent with the memoir's spring 1945 wedding in Regensburg; Arolsen gives no wedding date or place.

  23. My Life and Times (1912–1949), ¶41.
    In the spring, we managed to borrow a horse and wagon from the farmer to go to Regensburg so that Vitolds and Rūta could get married.
  24. S-aina-memoir-ainas-sirlakas-atminas-vistuci-aina-jurcina.
  25. S-arolsen-66492229.

See in the family tree