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| Jennie (Saskowski) Fons making one of her recipes (from the Milwaukee Journal) |
Jennie (Saskowski) Fons (1890 - 1989)
Jennie (Joanna) Saskowski was born in Milwaukee around September, 1890. She was one of at least 13 children born to Valentine Saskowski and Josephine Peksa. Even while she was a young girl, her family showed a penchant for getting in the newspapers. One uncle, John Peksa, is mentioned in "Rumble at St. Vincent's." Another, Julius Peksa, is mentioned in "The Old Rug Swindle."
However, Jennie's path to the newspapers led through her cooking. Seriously, although she obtained only a fifth grade education, she did most of her studying in the kitchen. First, growing up, as a daughter in a large family with many siblings, then married to Stephen C. Fons (1888-1940), then as a mother of six children, she had plenty of practice to became an excellent cook of Polish cuisine. Even in her later years, she would host (and cook for) large family reunions.
Eventually, some of her old Polish family recipes were published in the Milwaukee Journal and became the favorites of readers. Her Polish sausage recipe was published in the Milwaukee Journal on December 23, 1962 in "Family Enjoys Breakfast Tradition". Years later, one of her grandsons was bragging about Jennie's Polish sausage to a friend in northern Wisconsin. His friend boasted that he had a better recipe. However, when produced, it proved to be none other than Jennie's recipe saved from that 1962 article. Here's that famous recipe. Jennie took the basic recipe from her grandmother, but reduced the fat, garlic and spice. When you read the proportions, remember that they didn't have any Kitchen-Aides back then, everything was hand-ground and stuffed. And many women in Milwaukee Polonia, my mother included, would make a batch of this sausage every Christmas and Easter, and usually several times in-between, for years and years.
Mild Polish Sausage
About 1/4 lbs. port casings
15 lbs. port (butt)
4 Tbsp. salt (1/4 cup)
4 Tbsp. mustard seed (1/4 cup)
3 tsp. crushed marjoram
2 tsp. ground pepper
3 small garlic buds
About 2 cups stock, lukewarm
Soak casings in cold water until soft and pliable. Wash them inside and out. Leave them in cold water until they are stuffed. Cut meat from bones and trim excess fat from meat if desired. Leave some fat on meat as this is necessary for the sausage. Coarsely grind the meat, then add remaining ingredients except casings, using just enough water to make the mixture soft enough to push easily into casings. Stuff meat into casings by hand or with a grinder. If using a grinder, use a plate with three bars across the opening rather than blades and a funnel attachment over the opening. Slip a wet casing over the funnel opening and grind or push sausage through into casing. Stuff firmly, but do not pack too tights. Divide each link in half by pushing sausage aside and twisting casing at the center point. Hang sausage on rod overnight to dry. [So in the original. I'm not sure this would conform modern sanitary practices, unless they were hanging in a refrigerated room.] Refrigerate until cooked. To cook, simmer in water to cover 45 to 60 minutes until well done.
Jennie's cooking could not have been too unhealthy. Even with all the hard work in her life, and bearing six children, she lived to be 98. Her obituary was published in the Milwaukee Journal on July 16, 1989, on page 13 of Google news.
Relation to Nearest Featured Profile (Louis Fons): Sister-in-law
Path From Nearest Featured Profile: Louis A. Fons > brother, Stephen C. Fons >wife, Jennie (Saskowski) Fons
Before leaving this family, there are two other individuals that need to be mentioned however, I don't think I can do Featured Profiles for them. In the first case, I don't think I have enough material for a Featured Profile. In second case, the individual is not of Polish descent and he is in the tree only through marriage. Therefore, I've developed a new category:
People of Note:
Conrad Saskowski - (I believe this was Jennie's younger brother, unless there were two Conrad Saskowskis in Milwaukee.) By profession, he was a guidance counselor and history teacher at South Division High School. However, by inclination, he was a composer and booster of fine arts in the Polish Community. He composed many pieces that were performed by Milwaukee orchestras, including the operetta, "Polonaise", the operetta "Yours to Command," the choral piece "Credo", the dance piece "Mazur" and the "Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa," He even penned the musical comedy "Blond Squaw" based upon an old Milwaukee legend. He was the founder and the long-standing president of the Polish Fine Arts Club. In recognition of his promotion of good will between the United States and Poland, he received the "Cross of Merit" from Poland in 1939. (At the same time that Michael Domachowski also received that award.)
Billy Sixty, Sr. - (the father of Jennie's son-in-law.) - He was employed by the Milwaukee Journal for sixty-one years starting as an office boy in 1912. He eventually became a sports writer, and for years he penned his own column, "Going Like Sixty." He was also an excellent athlete in his own right not only in golf and bowling at which he most excelled, but he also took honors in baseball, handball, bicycle and motorcycle racing, swimming, tennis, ice skating and roller skating. In 1970, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also voted into the American Bowling Congress, and the Greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin State golf honorary halls. For time, he also hosted a popular bowling television show in Milwaukee. (For more information, see "Journal's Sixty Ends Long Writing Career."
Before leaving this family, there are two other individuals that need to be mentioned however, I don't think I can do Featured Profiles for them. In the first case, I don't think I have enough material for a Featured Profile. In second case, the individual is not of Polish descent and he is in the tree only through marriage. Therefore, I've developed a new category:
People of Note:
Conrad Saskowski - (I believe this was Jennie's younger brother, unless there were two Conrad Saskowskis in Milwaukee.) By profession, he was a guidance counselor and history teacher at South Division High School. However, by inclination, he was a composer and booster of fine arts in the Polish Community. He composed many pieces that were performed by Milwaukee orchestras, including the operetta, "Polonaise", the operetta "Yours to Command," the choral piece "Credo", the dance piece "Mazur" and the "Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa," He even penned the musical comedy "Blond Squaw" based upon an old Milwaukee legend. He was the founder and the long-standing president of the Polish Fine Arts Club. In recognition of his promotion of good will between the United States and Poland, he received the "Cross of Merit" from Poland in 1939. (At the same time that Michael Domachowski also received that award.)
Billy Sixty, Sr. - (the father of Jennie's son-in-law.) - He was employed by the Milwaukee Journal for sixty-one years starting as an office boy in 1912. He eventually became a sports writer, and for years he penned his own column, "Going Like Sixty." He was also an excellent athlete in his own right not only in golf and bowling at which he most excelled, but he also took honors in baseball, handball, bicycle and motorcycle racing, swimming, tennis, ice skating and roller skating. In 1970, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also voted into the American Bowling Congress, and the Greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin State golf honorary halls. For time, he also hosted a popular bowling television show in Milwaukee. (For more information, see "Journal's Sixty Ends Long Writing Career."
