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.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Thanksgiving 2013

It is time to once again give a great big THANKS! to everyone who has shared information with the Project in the last year.  Your contributions are greatly appreciated even if I have not yet been able to add your information to the tree.

Lynn S. – for information on the descendants of Albert and Rose (Szpadzinski) Maternowski
  and help on researching the husband of Mary (Maternowski) Gorecki

Mary S. – for information on the Rybarczyk family and Borkowski family

Nancy G. – for information on the descendants of Joseph Gigowski and Barbara (Litwin) Gigowski and the photo of the Gigowski butcher shop in old Milwaukee

Pat K. - for many contributions from researching the original Polish baptismal records

Kathy J. – for allowing me access to the Ramsey/Rudzinski/Janicki family tree on Ancestry.com

Pat G. – for sending me the article on Gilda Gray and other help researching the Gorecki family

Chuck H. – for sending me the book on the history of Poland, The Polish Way

Paul W. – for updating information on the Stachowiak family that moved from Milwaukee to California

Charolette M. - for allowing me access to the Paul Grady Flemming family tree on Ancestry.com

Dave E. – for providing information on Jan Przybyla and Franciszka (Ksobiech) Przybyla

Dave K. – for providing information on the Matusiak and Zynuticz families

Paul W. – for providing information on the Wutt/Wutschikowski family

Don B. – for providing information on the Kowalkowski and Brej families

Mark P. – for providing information on the Polczynski family

John F. – for allowing me access to the Machulak family tree on Ancestry.com

Again, a big heartfelt thanks to all of you.  I'm just sorry that I can't devote enough time to the Project that would allow me to enter all this information in a more timely manner.

If I've left anyone off the list, I'm sorry.  Please send me another note to either remind me of the information that you sent, or to make sure that I actually received it.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  Please safe with your travels and enjoy your family.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Featured Profile #34 - Polish Pioneer - Franciszek Wabiszewski

Here is the second in our series on the Polish Pioneers.

Again, please note that the following translation was done with the aid of Google Translate. A copy of the actual article in Polish follows the translation.  If any one who speaks Polish notices an error in (or any improvements to) my translation, please let me know.


Franciszek Wabiszewski (1838 - 1924)


Franciszek Wabiszewski was born on the 12th of September, 1838 in Kwieciszewo, in the Great Duchy of Poznan. His father was Jacob  and his mother was Mary (née Kwiatkowska.) For three years, he went to school in Kwieciszewo.

As an older boy, he learned the trade of shoemaker. When he came of age, he joined the German army. He served in the army during the Austro-Prussia War and was employed in the Department of the Army making shoes for men. When the war ended, he remained in the military another year.

When in 1863 there was an uprising in Poland, he immediately rushed to the border to join the Polish army and fight against the Russians, but on the border [between the German and Russian Partitions], the authorities arrested him and returned him back home.

When he was 25 years old, he married Antonina Kalinowska. The wedding took place in a church in a Sławsko Wielkie located near the Kruświcy.

On March 18, 1886, he came to the United States and landed in the port of New York with his wife and daughter Władysława, (now the wife of Anthony Mikołajewski living at Eleventh Street and Forest Home.)

The eldest son, Sylvester Wabiszewski, a well-known [? - untranslated] contractor, came to Milwaukee two years before his father, when he was only nineteen. Mr. Sylvester Wabiszewski lives No. 880 Latyon Boulevard.

The second son is Mr. Michael Wabiszewski, who resides at No. 929 Windlake Ave. He is a cement  contractor. He came to America in 1885 when he was16 years old . Magdalena Wabiszewska, daughter of Mr. Francis Wabiszewski, died in the old country when she was six years old.

Mr. Francis Wabiszewski came directly to Milwaukee, because both his sons were here, and for many years he ran a shoe store with the late Walenty Czechorski on Mitchell Street.

In 1888, he celebrated with his wife, now deceased, the silver jubilee of their marriage.  The golden jubilee of the marriage fell in July 1913. Unfortunately, death took the wife of Mr Wabiszewski on May 4th of that year,  two months before the date of the anniversary.

After the death of his wife Mr. Francis Wabiszewski went to live with his son Michael.

Mr. F Wabiszewski has belonged to the National Society of General Henryk Dabrowski for more than ten years. He feels  at full strength, even though he is 79 years old.  He has a large group of close friends among older Polish settlers in Milwaukee.

Here is the original article which appeared in the Kuryer Polski on April 22, 1917.

 
Relation to Nearest Featured Profile: (Joseph Martynski, Featured Profile #25):  No near relationship.

Path From Nearest Featured Profile:  Joseph Martynski > daughter, Apolonia (Martynski) Polewczynski > son, Henry Polewczynski > second wife, Helen (Kornacki) Polewczynski > brother, Frank Kornacki, wife, Colette (Wabiszewski) Kornacki > father, Frank Wabiszewski (2) > father, Sylvester Wabiszewski > father Frank Wabiszewski (1)
Path From Alternate Featured Profile (Joseph Domachowski, Featured Profile #5):  Joseph Domachowski > daughter, Winifred (Domachowski) Polewczynski > husband, Henry Polewczynski > second wife, Helen (Kornacki) Polewczynski > brother, Frank Kornacki, wife, Colette (Wabiszewski) Kornacki > father, Frank Wabiszewski (2) > father, Sylvester Wabiszewski > father Frank Wabiszewski (1)

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Status Update - November, 2013

Family Names Added Since Last Update:

Bartkowiak
Bartkowski
Bzruszkiewicz
Cyra
Dobracki
Drozewski
Dymerski
Ferinel
Glyzewski
Jacubowski
Janowski
Juskowiak
Kapuszinski
Kryzinski
Melerowicz
Mila
Murach
Najdek
Nawrocik
Okunski
Osik
Otlewski
Petrykowski
Pilachowski
Pilarczyk
Pyszkowski
Remiszewskik
Schramka
Stormowski
Syk
Szalecki
Trojanowski
Weder
Wojtas

Profiles Added Since Last Update:  306

New Intra-Connections  (Lucht to Fons): 

197)  .... Eleanore (Ratajski) Jagodzinski > brother, Walter Ratajski > wife, Josephine (Trojanowski) Ratajski > brother, Nicolaus Trojanowski > wife, Helen (Schubert) Trojanowski > sister, Paulina (Schubert) Ryczek > husband, Joseph Ryczek....

198)  ....Henry [Harry] Mazurkiewicz > wife, Eleanore (Brefka) Mazurkiewicz > mother, Appolonia (Brefka) Gazinski > brother, Andrew Gazinski > wife, Frances (Olbinski) Gazinski > sister, Rose (Olbinski) Czechorski > son, Roman Czechorski > wife, Phyllis (Drozniakiewicz) Czechorski > mother, Cecelia (Komorowski) Drozniakewicz....

199)  ....Rose (Olbinski) Czechorski > husband, Joseph Czechorski > sister, Helen (Czechorski) Kryzinski > husband, Sigfried Kryzinski > brother, Theodore Kryzinski > wife Frances (Koceja) Kryzinski > brother, Sylvester Koceja > wife Mary (Pelat) Koceja > mother, Frances (Bochwitz) [Wenta] Pelat > second husband, Frank Wenta....

200)  ....wife Frances (Koceja) Kryzinski > brother, John Koceja > son, Louis Koceja > wife, Irene (Kobza) Koceja > brother, Eugene Kobza ...

201)  ....Joseph Koceja > sister, Antoinette (Koceja) Gospodarek > daugther, Agnes (Gospodearek) Grohall > husband, Edward Grohall > son Raymond Grohall > wife, Alice (Urbanski) Grohall > sister, Stella (Urbanski) Tutaj....

202)  ....Joseph Warren Piszczek > father, John Piszczek > sister, Maryanna (Piszczek) Fons > Louis A. Fons

203)  ....Hedwig (Jagodzinski ) Pryba > daughter, Helen (Pryba) Koronkowski > son, Private Koronkowski > wife, Private (Piszczek) Koronkowski > father, John Piszczek > father, Paul Piszczek > mother, Katherine (Maciejewski) Piszczek > brother, Lawrence Maciejewski > wife, Johanna (Sromalla) Maciejewski > brother, Joseph Sromalla.... 

204)  ....Joseph Latus > mother, Roszalia (Starszak) Latus > sister, Joanna (Starzak) Miller > son, Florian Miller > wife, Helen (Napientek) Miller > sister, Clara (Napientek) Gigowski....

205)  ....Michael Mazurkiewicz > brother, Valentine Mazurkiewicz > wife, Stella (Mochalski) Mazurkiewicz > sister, Sal (Mochalski) Fons > husband, August M. Fons.... 

 PCN:  3.89
(For an explanation of the PCN - "Project Completeness Number") see Status Update - February, 2012 and Status Update - March, 2012)

Historical Data:
November, 2013:  3.89
October, 2013:  2.14
September 2013:  2.9
August, 2013: 2.71          
July, 2013: 4.28
June, 2013:  3.01
May, 2013: 6.33
April, 2013: 3.33
March, 2013:  8.2
February, 2013: 2.1
January, 2013:  8.0
December, 2012: 3.29
November, 2012: 6.0
October, 2012:  12.25
September, 2012:  6.4
August, 2012: 3.89
July, 2012:  4.57
June, 2012:  7.75
May, 2012:  9.33
April, 2012:  16.67
March, 2012:  16
February, 2012:  12.8
January, 2012:  19
Newly-Discovered Changed Names

Kuczynski to Kay
Laskowski to Larkin

New Alternate Spellings:
 Bloch Block
Blochowitz Bochwitz Bukenwiz
Filips Filups
Gospodarek Gospodarch Gospodarck
Grymczynski Grecinski
Heller Keller
Klapa Klappa
Kuczynski Kuczinski Kuszinski
Laskowski Lackowski
Najdek Najdak
Nitza Nitzer Mitza Meca
Olbinski Albinski
Pelot Pilot Pital
Piszczek Piszcek Piszek
Ratajski Ratajaski
Schubert Szubert Shuburt
Slupecki Sugeski
Starszak Stasiak Staszak
Ulenberg Ullenberg Menberg

Corrected Spellings:

Mylnarek to Mlynarek
Oblinski to Olbinski