For over 150 years, Milwaukee has been home to a large community of people of Polish descent. The Milwaukee Polonia Project hopes to show the interweaving, intertwining family trees that resulted in this community. It is hoped that, eventually, all the families can be connected to one another. The Milwaukee Polonia Project is also a means to explore our common history and celebrate our shared heritage.

THE ACTUAL DATABASE OF THE TREE IS NOW LOCATED AT THE MILWAUKEE POLONIA PROJECT TREE at Tribal Pages. (We still have much work to do, so don't assume that families are shown completely.) YOU DO NOT NEED A PASSWORD TO ACCESS INFORMATION ON DECEASED INDIVIDUALS.

Featured Profiles

Index to Featured Profiles

Baranowski, Hattie - first female deputy sheriff in Milwaukee County.  Featured Profile #12 added March 25, 2012.

Boncel, Andrzej (Andrew) - Leader in organized labor, Wisconsin Asemblyman - Featured Profile #2 added June 19, 2011.

Boncel, Frank - controversial Milwaukee City alderman and sponsor of "Boncel Ordinance" - Featured Profile #1 added June 7, 2011 

Brimmer, Darlene (Lucht) - model and movie actress - Featured Profile #6 added November 13, 2011.

Celichowski, Walter - prominent South side merchant and Savings and Loan officer. - Featured Profile #13 added May 21, 2012.

Czaskos, Edmund T. - World War I war hero, County Register of Deeds, and local merchant - Featured Profile #14 added May 28, 2012.

Czerwinski, Arthur - an early practitioner of the fine arts in the Milwaukee Polish Community.  He had an opportunity to sing in the New York Metropolitan Grand Opera Company, but turned it down to remain in Milwaukee.  Featured Profile #11 added March 18, 2012.

Czerwinski, Roman - the first in a long line of Milwaukee "Polish Mayors" (i.e., the nickname given to the office of City Comptroller.) - Featured Profile #10 added March 11, 2012.

Dams, Edward J. - Pulitzer Prize winning news photographer - Featured Profile #27 added May 27, 2013.

Domachowski, Joseph civic leader - long time director of Milwaukee welfare office and president of Polish Association of America - Featured Profile #5 added October 15, 2011.

Domachowski, Michael - long-time pastor of St. Vincent de Paul parish and ardent Polish nationalist - Featured Profile #3 added July 31, 2011.

Drozniakiewicz, Frank L.E. - prominent early pharmacist - Featured Profile #38 added March 22, 2014. 

Fons, Jennie (Saskowski) - Polish mother known mainly for contributing her recipes of Polish cuisine to the Milwaukee Journal.   - Featured Profile #9 added February 26, 2012.

Fons, Louis A. - real estate developer, builder and banker. Featured Profile #7 added November 27, 2011.  He and his brothers were responsible for the development of many of the south side subdivisions and his name (in the form of the "Fons Bungalow" has been linked to the architectural style of many of the houses that grace those subdivisions. He was also the driving force behind the Koscisko Reds minor league baseball team.

Gorecki, Martin early Socialist organizer and State Assemblyman - Featured Profile #31 added August 22, 2013.

Gray, Gilda (a.k.a. Maryanna Michalski) - nationally popular dancer and movie actress whose star is on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - Featured Profile #32 added September 17, 2013.
 
Just, Joe - major league catcher, minor league player, coach and manager.  Featured Profile #28 added June 13, 2013.

Kaminski, John G. - one of the earliest (and youngest) licensed aviators in the world - Featured Profile #45 added July 9, 2015.

Kaminski, Stanley W. - well-known and successful baker in the early community - Featured Profile #46 added September 12, 2015. 

Kleczka, John C. - Congressman and long-term Circuit Court Judge in Milwaukee- Featured Profile #8 added February 12, 2012.

Komorowski, Anton - "Polish Pioneer" - an early Polish settler who was also the first employee of Kosciuszko Park - Featured Profile #37 added February 26, 2014.

Kotecki, Albert - early Polish settler who owned a tailoring shop and who was influential in the community - Featured Profile #49 added March 26, 2016.

Kotecki, Louis M.- Milwaukee City Comptroller from 1912 until his suicide in 1933 - Featured Profile #47 added December 20, 2015.

Kulwicki, Alan - Champion NASCAR driver and owner - Featured Profile #18 - added September 11, 2012.

Kwasniewski, Roman B. J. - photographer of Milwaukee Polish community - Featured Profile #21 added December 13, 2012.  

Litza, Jacob J., Sr. - "Father of Milwaukee's Largest Family" - owner and operator of local hot spot on Milwaukee's South Side - Featured Profile #40 added June 15, 2014.

Litza, Jacob J., Jr. - politician and owner and operator of popular tavern/buffet frequented by Polish politicians - Featured Profile #41 added July 21, 2014.

Martynski, Joseph - "Polish Pioneer" - early Milwaukee Polish settler - saddler - Featured Profile #25 added April 21, 2013.

Maternowski, Stanley early Polish general contractor - Featured Profile #30 added July 16, 2013.

Moore, Nina Polcyn - Pioneer in Catholic Worker movement and leader in Catholic Intellectual revival - Featured Profile #29 added June 25, 2013.

Paradowski, Gerard - holder of numerous public service positions, including lobbyist for Milwaukee County and Acting Corporation Counsel.  He was widely known for his wisdom, eloquence and humor - Featured Profile #42 added August 26, 2014.

Paradowski, Roman - early popular dentist - Featured Profile #39 added April 23, 2014.

Pliszka, John - "Polish Pioneer" - worked in, or owned, numerous and various business during his life in Milwaukee - Featured Profile #44 added March 22, 2015. 

Piszczek, Frank - first Milwaukee Police Officer killed in the line of duty - Featured Profile #33 added October 28, 2013.

Polcyn, John W. - Milwaukee Chief of Police - Featured Profile #26 added May 20, 2013

Pozorski, Stephen J. - early real estate developer and influential member of the community - Featured Profile #48 added January 24, 2016.

Stachowiak, Charles - an early and prominent hardware retailer - Featured Profile #22 added January 21, 2013.

Szukalski, Marion - an early, and long-standing hardware and electronics merchant - Featured Profile #24 added March 10, 2013.

Szukalski, Teofil - an early and prominent general contractor - Featured Profile #23 added February 24, 2013.

Tylicki, Nicholas - senior member of large and prosperous wholesale and retail grocery business - Featured Profile #43 added December 16, 1914.

Wabiszewski, Franciszek - "Polish Pioneer" - early shoemaker and purveyor of leather goods - Featured Profile #34 added November 13, 2013.

Wabiszewski, Michael - early and prominent cement contractor - Featured Profile #35 added December 15, 2013.

Wabiszewski, Sylvester - early and prominent general contractor who became a leading Wisconsin industrialist - Featured Profile #36 added January 22, 2014.

Wasielewski, Eugene W. - aeronautical engineer and researcher, Assistant Director of Goddard Space Flight Center - Featured Profile #17 added August 15, 2012.

Wasielewski, Francis (Frank) S. - prominent doctor in early Polish community - Featured Profile #15 added June 24, 2012.

Wasielewski, Thaddeus F. - prominent attorney and U.S. Congressman - Featured Profile #16 added July 31, 2012.

Wenta, Michael
- beloved parish priest - Pastor at St. Hedwig's Parish for 25 years and then Pastor at St. Stanislaus - Featured Profile #4 added September 11, 2011.

Wozinski, Leone (Jankowski) - volunteer in many of Milwaukee Polonia's organizations, she was the first woman voted as the Polish American of the Year - Featured Profile #20 added November 22, 2012

Zablocki, Clement J.  - long-time and nationally-known Congressman representing the South side.  Featured Profiled #19 added October 17, 2012.