The Search for John Peksa - An Exampe

I've been busy this week. I started out doing research on the Sobczak family name. There appear to be a fair number of Sobczaks in Milwaukee, but I only had one that was connected to the tree: Valentine Sobczak.  He was on the tree because he had married Cecylia Fons, a member of the extensive Milwaukee Fons family.   I hoped that by doing more research on Valentine Sobczak, who was connected to the tree, I might be able to attach other members of the Sobczak family. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far. When I looked into it, I found that Valentine Sobczak had been born in Illinois and the two siblings listed in his death notice still resided there at the time of his death. Therefore, it did not appear there would be any close connection to other Milwaukee Sobczak families. Nevertheless: I added the following family names to the tree: Korczynski, Malkowicz

Next, I wanted to do further research on the names listed in the “Rumble at St. Vincent's” news article I posted last weekend. I already knew about my Kitzke relations that were listed in the article. I also knew a little bit about the Philipp (sometimes Phillipp or Filip) family because of my research into my second great uncle Frank Kitzke whose second wife, Mary Klinkosz Kitzke, had been previously married to August (Filip) Philipp. I suspected that the Frank Philipp mentioned in the article was probably related to August Filip. The easiest way to check that connection was to find a family tree on the internet, and when I checked the family trees at RootsWeb World Connect I found just what I was searching for: a family tree that showed the connection between Frank Phillipp and August Filip. I added some if the related families that I found on that family tree: Bejrowski, Binkowski, Litzau, Perschewski, Plichta.

Of the other names listed in the "Rumble" article, “Peksa” seemed the most-promising because it looked familiar, so that's the one I picked to research. Now, to me, the most important piece of information is the date of death. (My research on John Peksa will show why.) I have found that the most consistent place to find a date of death is the on-line records of the Milwaukee Catholic Cemeteries. Doing that search, I found the burial records for a John Peksa including his date of death. Armed with that knowledge, I was able to find his death notice by searching the Milwaukee Journal back-editions which are available on Google News. That turned out to be the key because I discovered that John Peksa had a sister named Josephine Saskowski. I knew that there was a Jennie Saskowski already connected to the tree. She was the wife of Stephen Fons. (If the “Fons” name seems familiar to you, it is because I mentioned it just a couple of paragraphs ago. Jennie Saskowski Fons was in the same family tree that had the Sobczak that I searched above. Theses are the types of the unexpected connections that I run into all the time and what makes this work so interesting to me.)

Anyway, my goal was in sight: if I could connect Jennie Saskowski Fons with Josephine Peksa Saskowski, I would then have the link I needed to make John Peksa part of the tree. So, I repeated for Josephine Peksa Saskowski, the procedure I had just used for John Peksa. I returned to Milwaukee Catholic Cemeteries On-line, got a date-of-death, and then searched the appropriate editions of the Milwaukee Journal to find a death notice. Doing this, I discovered that Jennie Saskowski Fons was actually the daughter of Josephine Peksa Saskowski. Viola! Connection made. I confirmed the connection by searching the on-line records of Family Search.  Finding the marriage records of both John Peksa and Josephine Peksa Saskowski allowed me to confirm that they were brother and sister and also gave me the names of their parents.  I then did further research to flesh out that family more.

Names added: Hahnke, Krzysko, Lawniczak, Osinska, Polachek, Sachala, Shully, Szulakiewicz, Wojtecka

In the future, my status up-dates won't be nearly this extensive. However, I thought for this first time, it might be helpful to other Milwaukee researchers to show some of my tricks.

Rumble at St. Vincent's

I spend a lot of time looking at old newspapers.  Sometimes I get there because I have googled a name, sometimes I go directly to an old edition and just peruse for the fun of it.  Occasionally, these expeditions turn up some news item that is just too delicious not to share, especially when I can link them to people that are part of the Milwaukee Polonia Project.  Such is the case of the following gem which appeared on page 3 (page 2 on Google News) of the April 4, 1894 edition of the Milwaukee Journal:

 
The people mentioned in this article that are already profiled in the Milwaukee Polonia Project are:

Frank Kitzki, a.k.a. Frank Kitzke
his brother Stanislaus Kitzki, a.k.a. Stanley Kitzki
his brother, Constantine Kitzki, a.k.a. Gustaf Kitzke
John Kitzki, probably his brother Walter Kitzke, a.k.a. Ladislaus Kicki
John Pecksa, probably John Peksa
Frank Phillips, probably Frank Filip or Phillipp

I should say in partial defense of my Kitzke relations, that this account appears to be not very informed.  An  article about this altercation in the Chicago Tribune explains that the Kitzkes were not just drunk and disorderly.  They purposely broke up the meeting because they felt it was a political rally that should not have been held on the church grounds.  But still, knives and a hatchet?  It is a blessing that no one was more seriously injured.

By the way, it appears that Frank Kitzke and Frank Phillips were on opposite sides of this fight.  I hope they got over it because in 1899, Frank Kitzke would marry Mary Klinkolz the sister-in-law of Frank Phillips.  (She was the widow of Frank Phillips' younger brother August Filip.

Names yet to be connected:

Stanislaus Kolsinski, Martin Franzkowiak, Matthew Kopczejinski, And. (Andrew?) Kieliszewski, Stephan (Szczepan) Wawalski (or Wawolski), Albert Jerschak,

List of Names

The following is a list of the family names that are connected and part of the Milwaukee Polonia Project as of the date of this post.  Names that are added in the future will be noted in future posts and will be added to the running, comprehensive list of Connected Families.

It may be the case that not all the names on the list are Polish and it could be that some families that were ethnically Polish and are part of the tree are not on the list.  It is sometimes difficult to distinguish ethnicity solely from a last name.  Some families, like some Erdmans, have German-looking names, but appear to have been ethnically Polish.  Many Polish names were shortened and altered to more English-looking versions.  So the following list is our best guess, based on the information we have to date.  Finally, not all the families lived in Milwaukee.  Many Milwaukee families had relations in other Polish communities such as Chicago, Stevens Point, and, of course, Poland.

A: Agacki, Alexsiewicz, Andraszczyk, Andress,
B: Banaszek, Baranowski, Barczynski, Barg, Bartz, Biedrzych, Bielawski, Bielincka, Bielinski, Biersack, Blachowski, Blochowicz, Bochwitz, Boknevitz, Bombolewicz, Boncel, Bonk, Bonzell, Boris, Borkowski, Borucki, Boschke, Botbyl, Bothe, Boucher, Brezinski, Brodaczynki, Brodzik, Broskowski, Broslowicz, Brosowsky, Brostoniz, Brozynski, Brzezinski, Brzozowski, Brzycki, Bubnich, Buczak, Budziak, Budzisz, Bugiel, Buguska, Bukowiecki, Bukowski, Burzynski, Buss, Byzewski
C:  Canapa, Celichowski, Cerniglia, Cesarczyk, Cesarz, Ceterski, Ceza, Chmeilewska, Chmielinski, Chojnacki, Chrzanowski, Chyrek, Cichantck, Cielesinski, Ciepluch, Cieptuch, Ciesielski, Cieslak, Ciezki, Cybulski, Czajkowski, Czapla, Czechorski, Czerniak, Czerwinski,

D:  Dambruch, Danbrea, Danelski, Danielski, Dargacz, Darvaras, Dawidziak, Dembinski, Demeomagalski, Demski, Denzin, Docta, Dolny, Domachowski, Domagalski, Dombrowski, Donalski, Drenzek, Drewicz, Drozniakiewicz, Dudek, Dudzik,

E:  Eliszewski, Erdman, Erdmann, Ermo, Ertman,
F:  Felske, Felski, Filip, Folts, Foltz, Fons, Foot, Frankiewicz, Frankowiak, Fridel, Frizzelle, Frost,
G: Gadjosz, Galante, Galas, Galuba, Gapinski, Gardeski, Gasper, Gawronkiewicz, Gayeski, Gbur, Gibas, Gigowski, Glisezinski, Glowacki, Gniot, Gniotczynski, Gora, Gorna, Gorski, Gostomski, Grabelski, Grabowski, Graczyk, Gradkowski, Gralak, Gramza, Grapczynski, Gritz, Grochowski, Grontkowski, Grosz, Grotkiewicz, Grydryszek, Grzeslo, Gybas,

H:  Halvas, Hausz, Hawrysz, Holweck, Haydock, Hejak,  Helstowski, Hensiak, Hentowski, Hesiak, Hibner, Hintzke,  Holevas, Horbinski, Hribar
I:  Inda, Iwinski,
J:  Jacowski, Jagodzinski, Jakubicz, Jakubowski, Jalek, Janchan, Jankowski, Janusz, Januszewski, Janyski, Jarecki, Jarosz, Jaskolski, Jasniewski, Javenkowski, Jazwina, Jedrzejewski, Jedrzeyczak, Jeske, Jetke,  Jonak, Jozwiak, Jutrzenka, Jwanska,

K: Kachelski, Kadow, Kallas, Kalszewski, Kaluzny, Kamgszek, Kaminski, Kaneski, Kaniewski, Kanzora, Kapczynski, Kapp, Karshen, Karuk, Kasinski, Kasprzak, Kempinski, Keobiccha, Kicki, Kitowski, Kitzke, Kitzki, Kitzman, Klafka, Klas, Kleba, Kleczka, Klemik, Klimasz, Klimek, Klinkiewicz, Klinkosz, Klockow, Klonowski, Klos, Klubertanz, Kluck, Kobza, Koceja, Kochanski, Kolakowski, Kolata, Komorowski, Konieczka, Konkel, Konsala, Kopac, Kornacki, Korol, Korpolewski, Kosharek, Koslowski, Koss, Kossiski, Kotecki, Kowalkowski, Kowalski, Kozlowski, Krawczyk, Kreiger, Kret, Krueger, Kruger, Kryscio, Krysiak, Krzak, Krzewina, Krzyan, Kubacki, Kubiaczyk, Kuchta, Kuczaj, Kudriko, Kuhr, Kukiela, Kulpa, Kulwicki, Kupsik, Kurchaski, Kurkowski, Kurzynski, Kusmitch, Kusudo, Kutka, Kuzba, 
L:  Lakrzewski, Lalko, Landowski, Laszczak, Latawiec, Latus, Lawecka, Leca, Lepak, Lesniewski, Leszczynski, Lewandowski, Lewek, Lezala, Lieske, Lind, Linski, Lipinski, Lisiecki, Lizewski, Lodzinski, Losiniecki, Lucht, Ludyen, Luetzow, Lukas, Lukaszewski, Lukomski, Lumski,

M:  Machaiewski, Machnik, Machnikowski, Maciejewski, Maczka, Magoch, Majer, Makarewicz, Makowski, Malczewski,  Malecki, Maliski, Malison, Malvitz, Malzahn, Mandick, Mannigel, Marchlewski, Marciniak, Marcinski, Marciszewski, Markowski, Marlewski, Martinich, Mateja, Maternowski, Mathea, Mathias, Mattila, Mawlwicz, Mazdzienski, Mazurek, Mazurkiewicz, Megna, Meleski, Mentecki, Mermal, Michalek, Michalski, Mikula, Milecki, Milewski, Minta, Mir, Misko, Mitschke, Moczynski, Moderski, Modlinski, Mokwa, Mucha, Muraszewski, Murawski, Muza, Myszkowski,

N:  Napientek, Napp, Narloch, Neirynck, Neumann, Nevens, Niewiadomski, Nizolek, Norgel, Novak, Nowak, Nowakowski, Nowicki

O:  Okonski, Olszewski, Olszowy, Olszyk, Oprzendek, Orlikowski, Orlowski, Orting, Ortiz, Orzechowski, Ostaszewski, Osterman, Ostrenga, Ostrowski, Ott,

P:  Paliwada, Paluch, Palus, Panfil, Pankratz, Paprocki, Paprota, Paruch, Paszkowski, Pawlak, Pawlowski, Peksa, Pelat, Penoske, Perlaczynski, Perlberg, Peters,  Petroviak, Petrovich, Phillips, Piechowiak, Piechowski, Piertrowski, Pierucka, Pietraszewski, Pietruszka, Pietrzak, Pionkowski, Piotrowski, Piszczek, Pitlewski, Piwonski, Placzkowski, Plewa, Pluskocianka, Pluta, Pokora, Polakiewicz, Polczynski, Poliwoda, Poluch, Ponik, Popa, Posanski, Primakow, Pritzlaff, Prohanski, Prominski, Prylka, Przedwiecki, Przybyl, Przybyla, Pszybylski, Pucilowski, Pyne,
R: Rabay, Rachwal, Raczkowski, Radomski, Rajewicz, Rakowski, Ramczykowski, Ratajski, Ratkowski, Rawski, Rekowski, Rewolinski, Rick, Romanski, Rosewicz, Rosinski, Rosploch, Roszak, Rozak, Rozga, Rupnick, Rupslauk, Ruskiewicz, Ruswick, Ruszkiewicz, Rutkoski, Rutkowski, Rutzinski, Rybarczyk, Rybik, Ryczek, Rydlewski, Ryk, Rynka, Rzepka,

S:  Samolinski, Saskowski, Sawicki, Scasny, Scharmach, Scrima, Serocki, Sikora, Skibinski, Skolowoski, Skomski, Skoney, Skonieczny, Skowera, Skowronski, Skwierawski, Slawny, Slosarski, Smidzinski, Smogula, Smukowski, Sniegowski, Sobczak, Sobolewski, Soderstrom, Sonnenberg, Sovitzky, Soyk, Sroka, Sromala, Sromalla, Stanchick, Stanczyk, Stefanowski, Steinman, Stelmaszewski, Stepke, Stocki, Straslewski, Strychalski, Strzelecki, Stucyznski, Studer, Studzinski,  Styzer, Surdyk, Swieciak, Swinka, Synowicz, Syzmanski, Szatkowski, Szczech, Szczepanski, Szpadzinaska, Szperka, Szpot, Szuiczewski, Szutkowna, Szweda, Szymanski, Szymborski, Szymek

T:  Tabaka, Tabolski, Tadych, Talaska, Tarkowski, Tilicka, Tilitzke, Tobolski, Toetz, Tomas, Tomaszewski, Tomcheck, Tomczyk, Trochowski, Trock, Troka, Trzecinski, Tubeazewski, Tuchacz, Turczyn, Turkowitz, Tutaj, Tyda, Tyloch,

U:  Urban, Urbaniak, Urbanski, Urbas,

W:  Wachowiak, Walczak, Walkowiak, Walloch, Warkowski, Wasniawski, Waszak, Wejer, Wenta, Wicinski, Wielebski, Wielgosch, Wierzbinski, Wikarski, Wilesewski, Wisniewski, Wiza, Woblewski, Wojciechowski, Wojcik, Wojewoda, Wojnowski, Wojtysiak, Woloszyk, Wolski, Wosinski, Woythal, Wozniak, Wuepjerski, Wutt, Wydryski, Wydryuska, Wyrich, Wyrowski,

Y:  Yach,

Z:  Zabinski, Zager, Zagorski, Zambinski, Zawalich, Zelewski, Zembozycki, Zielinski, Zintek, Zolinski, Zoltak, Zubella, Zuber, Zwadziszczanka, Zwadziszek, Zweber,