Monday, July 29, 2013

TOO CONFUSING FOR ME!

Sometimes when I am researching in genealogy, my head just wants to spin!  For example, I am working on my family tree and I come across "Leonard S. Stachowiak".  Now my grandfather was named Leonard Stachowiak and was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Well, this other Leonard Stachowiak was born in Poland and was married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Personally, I don't think "Stachowiak" is a common name, but then again I didn't grow up in Milwaukee.

So, according to Ancestry.com, this other Leonard Stachowiak is the brother in law of  the brother in law of a 1st cousin 2 times removed.  What does that even mean?  When the phrase starts repeating the same words, I get a bit lost.

Of course, my hope is that if I research enough I will find that the two Stachowiak trees joined together and I can get rid of the "in law x 2" portion.   Well, time and a lot of research will tell.  Time to get back to the research ...

Monday, July 1, 2013

AMANUENSIS MONDAY

KONSTANCJA SZUKALSKI

FORMER WELL KNOWN RESIDENT DIES; MILWAUKEE
Mrs. Constancia Szukalski, for many years a resident of the town of Newton died at the home of a son in Milwaukee Sunday. Mrs. Szukalski was born in West Prussia 89 years ago and came with her husband to America and to Newton 45 years ago. For the past few years she has been with her son at Milwaukee. She is survived by two sons, Thomas and Marion, both prominent business men in the Mitchell street district and two daughters, Mrs. Stackowiak and Mrs. Kaminske, all of Milwaukee. Mrs. Szukalski was a woman of Christian graces and in her generation had a wide circle of (words missing) to Nordheim and the funeral will be held Thursday morning.

Manitowoc Herald News, Tuesday, January 21, 1919 Page 1

In a previous post, I wrote about Constance's husband Paul (my 2nd great grandfather) who was killed when his horses fell into a ravine on the way home from church in 1900.  My 2nd great grandmother Constance Budzbanowski Szukalski lived for 19 more years. 

Constance was the daughter of John and Catherine Budzbanowski.  She married Paul Szukalski on 16 Mar 1862 in Swiekatowo, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland.  She immigrated to the US in 1869.  Her obituary mentions that she has 2 surviving sons and 2 surviving daughters.  Constance had 3 additional sons and one daughter that preceded her in death.  One of her surviving daughters, Anna Szukalski Stachowiak, was my great grandmother.