tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89821201831992022472024-03-13T05:06:52.314-07:00My Polish RootsCjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-29475320311864069372020-04-03T13:57:00.000-07:002020-04-30T13:40:30.837-07:00A POLISH DINNER<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">MIZERIA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our first
course was<b> Mizeria, </b>which is basically cucumbers salad (cucumbers in
sour cream).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mizeria means misery, but
the salad was very tasty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thinly sliced
cucumbers are mixed with sour cream, and other ingredients such as onions,
pepper, lemon juice, sugar, dill, chives, mint or parsley can also be added.<b>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Her mizeria was cucumbers and green onions
with vinegar and dill. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">MAIN
COURSES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For our main
course, several dishes of food were placed on the table for us to try. They
included Kapustra, Golabki, Kielbasa and a variety of different flavors of
Pierogi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kapustra </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">is stewed sauerkraut/cabbage with
bacon, mushroom and onion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sauerkraut
is typically milder than the German version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our hostess made her kapustra with sauerkraut and Polish sausage rather
than bacon.<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Golabki is
</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">a cabbage roll made
from boiled cabbage wrapped around some meat filling – pork or beef with
chopped onions and rice. Never been a fan of cabbage rolls, so I skipped this dish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our hostess made her Golabki with hamburger
meat, onions, and rice and rolled them in a boiled cabbage leaf. She then
cooked the cabbage rolls in a tomato sauce. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Also, there
was a tray of cooked <b>Kielbasa</b>, which is any type of meat sausage from
Poland. I read that Kielbasa is one of the most traditional foods served at
Polish weddings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of course,
my favorite of the dishes was <b>Pierogi</b>. Pierogi are filled dumplings with
either a sweet or savory filling. They are boiled and then can be fried in
butter [that’s how ours were served at this dinner]. The first time I had eaten
a Pierogi was probably fifteen years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why didn’t we have these as children? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We had our
choice of three different kinds of Pierogi – sauerkraut and potato, potato and
cheese and blueberry. I didn’t try the sauerkraut and potato ones, but I did
eat some of the potato and cheese Pierogi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These are the ones I usually eat at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I tried the blueberry ones – those were
my new favorite!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How had I not heard of
blueberry Pierogi before?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-29772273545139144302020-03-11T22:54:00.000-07:002020-03-11T22:54:06.801-07:00THE TRADITION OF OPLATEK<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>On
Saturday night, my husband and I attended a dinner at one of his fellow doctor’s home. Since both the doctor and her husband are of Polish descent,
they decided to host a Polish food dinner.
My mother was 100% Polish and even though my Polish grandparents lived
in our town, I don’t remember her cooking Polish food. She cooked a lot but not specifically Polish
food. So, I was very excited for this
dinner, to taste some of my Polish ancestry!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Before we
started eating the dinner, our hostess introduced to the tradition of the
Christmas wafer or “oplatek”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before
eating the Christmas Eve meal, the family would gather around the dinner table.
The father would hold the large unleavened wafer (similar in composition to the
Eucharist served at the Roman Catholic Mass).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The wafers can be embossed with Christmas related images.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Christmas wafer is symbolic of the unity
of the family. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>At our
dinner, the hostess broke the “oplatek” and passed it on to the two people on
either side of her, while also giving them wishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They in turn did the same to the person next
to them. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Growing
up I had never heard of this tradition, so I am very grateful that I was
introduced to it at this special dinner</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-60564159203258445162017-11-03T13:50:00.000-07:002017-11-03T13:50:02.007-07:00HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE GRANNIE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today would have been Little Grannie's (also known as Lillian Braciszewski Stachowiak) 114th Birthday. Lillian is the one in the middle in the above photo. I am guessing the other two ladies were her friends.<br />
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I thought about her a lot recently. She was a big Los Angeles Dodgers fan and would have loved to watch them in the World Series. Obviously, she would have loved to see them win it! She had a little transistor radio that she would take to bed and listen to the games. <br />
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I inherited a bunch of photos of Lillian after my Mom's death this past May. I am still trying to figure out who some of the people are in the photos. I really wish my ancestors would have written names on the back of photos. <br />
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I think Lillian's brother Stanley and his wife Frances are the unknown couple in this photo. <br />
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4'9" and weighing only 70 pounds -- she really was our Little Grannie! <br />
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Happy 114th Birthday, Grannie!!Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-48284884935634750892017-07-31T14:43:00.001-07:002017-07-31T14:43:52.118-07:0050 YEARS AGO TODAY -- REMEMBERING GRANDPA LEONARD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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July 31, 1967 -- It was a Monday night in the hot San Fernando Valley and my siblings and I were watching one of our favorite shows "The Monkees" when my Mom received a phone call. I think the call came from law enforcement but I can't say for sure. The person was telling my Mother that her father Leonard Stachowiak had died at the age of 61. We all knew that Grandpa had emphysema due to his many years of smoking, but as kids you think people are invincible. <br />
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Our Mother was devastated! How could she not be? She idolized her Father.<br />
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Leonard Stachowiak was born on March 10, 1906 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His parents were Charles Stachowiak and Anna Szukalski. He was the 6th child (a sister died at 3 months of age in 1904) of 9 children. Leonard and his family attended Mass at the Polish Catholic Church of St. Cyril and Methody in Milwaukee.<br />
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His father Charles Stachowiak was the first Polish tinner to own his own business in Milwaukee. Even though, he his business was doing well, after taking a vacation to Southern California, he decided that is where and he and his family should live. Packing two railroad cars full of their personal belongings and business machinery and supplies, Charles and Anna moved with their children to Van Nuys, California in 1926.<br />
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Now, when Leonard actually moved to Van Nuys or if he moved and just visited Milwaukee on occasion is up for debate. Leonard is not listed as living with his parents and siblings in Van Nuys in the 1930 US Census. Whether he was still in Milwaukee, somewhere else in Southern California, in transit or his name was just spelled so incorrectly that it is hard to find him, is still a mystery and hopefully one day will be discovered.<br />
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What I do know is that Leonard married Lillian Helena Braciszewski on October 5, 1931 at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Van Nuys, California. (Lillian was widowed and living with her sister's family in Milwaukee in 1930). Their daughter Joan was born in July of 1933.<br />
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Leonard worked as a sheet metal worker for most of his adult life. He worked with his father and brothers in the family owned business after moving to California. Their shop was located behind Charles and Anna's home. In 1949, he started working at Lockheed where he continued to work for 12 years until his death.<br />
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Grandpa Leonard loved to bowl! He bowled a perfect game -- 3 times in his life. He also loved golfing. At least once a week, after work he would go golfing. On July 31, 1967, Leonard went to the golf course at Griffith Park for his weekly game of golf. While waiting to start at the first hole, he had a massive heart attack. A physician was nearby and tried to revive him with CPR but nothing could be done to save him. He had died immediately.<br />
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July 31, 2017 -- Today we remember the 50th anniversary of Grandpa Leonard's death. We remember while he was a fairly quiet man, how he liked to tell jokes. We remember how we felt cheated that he was taken from us way too soon! We wonder how our lives have would have been different if he had been a part of it for even 10 years more. We are very grateful for even the short time we had with this very special man.<br />
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<br />Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-83023317664347836282017-07-27T16:22:00.000-07:002017-07-27T16:22:26.328-07:00A TRIBUTE TO OUR MOTHER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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TRIBUTE TO OUR MOTHER<br />
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Joan Stachowiak was born on 27 July 1933 at her family home in Van Nuys, California to her parents Leonard Stachowiak and Lillian Braciszewski Stachowiak. Joan attended St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Elementary School. She then attended Van Nuys High School (where she played field hockey) and graduated from that school in January of 1951. A few months later, while working in an office in Sherman Oaks, Joan met the local mail man, Donald Sherlock, and they started dating, with their 1st date being a trip to the movies.<br />
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Joan and Donald got married on 8 October 1951 at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Van Nuys. They took a honeymoon to Ensenada (Baja California) and Lake Wohlford (in San Diego County). Don’s older brother Chuck joined them on the “fishing trip” part of the honeymoon.<br />
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Within a month of being married, Don was drafted into the US Army. He did basic training in Fort Ord and was stationed there for a year. Most of that time Joan (who was pregnant) lived in Van Nuys but did move up to Fort Ord for a month in 1952 before he was deployed to Korea. Joan gave birth to her 1st child in August of 1952. Donald served with the US Army as a medic in Korea for a year – Oct 1952-Oct 1953.<br />
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In the summer of 1958, being the mother of 4 children and the oldest one ready to begin 1st grade, Joan finally learned to drive a car. She was always a hesitant driver, never driving on the freeway and avoiding left turns as much as possible (even if it required driving blocks out of her way). At the age of 50, she decided she had done enough driving and gave it up permanently. Of course, her mother had never learned to drive!<br />
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Being the mother of 6 children kept Joan very busy during their childhoods, although she did manage to volunteer as a librarian at St. Genevieve’s Elementary School. Joan loved the beach, playing the piano and See’s candy!<br />
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After divorcing Donald in 1975, Joan married Edward Pybas on 31 Oct 1976 in Las Vegas. Joan and Edward lived in Tujunga for many years, where for a brief period of time Joan owned a pet shop. Joan loved pets and for years had 2 beautiful large parrots, in an addition to caring for Don’s dog Mackenzie after Don’s death.<br />
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Joan suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for the past 9 years. She finally found peace on 9 May 2017 when she died in Sun Valley, California. Her 6 children said their final goodbyes to her at a funeral Mass at the Mortuary at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills and internment at the same cemetery.<br />
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Joan was preceded in death by both of her husbands – Don and Ed – and great granddaughter Harmony. She is survived by her brother Ralph Roberts, her 6 children (Danny, Colleen, Michael, Kathleen, Maureen and Patrick) and their spouses, 20 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and 11 nephews and nieces.<br />
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Happy 84th Birthday, Mom! We love you and miss you!!<br />
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<br />Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-32834768432985486982014-11-03T14:43:00.000-08:002014-11-03T14:43:01.200-08:00FINDING COUSINS ON FACEBOOK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My mother's entire ancestry is Polish, yet it is also the side of my family that I know the least about. My mother only has one brother but her mother was one of 10 children and her father was one of 9 children. You would think that would give me some contacts.<br />
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Of course, I was thinking of none of this when I received a friend's request on Facebook at the end of July. I did my typical thought process -- Does the last name sound familiar? Did I go to high school with this person? Is she a fellow UCLA Bruin fan? Well, all those answers came up "no". I am happy to report that she was persistent and the next day I learned that we were relatives. How come there are so many relatives that I don't know about?<br />
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It seems that Sally and I share great grandparents -- Charles Stachowiak and Anna Szukalski. Yes, that is them in the above photo. Thank you, Sally, for that photo! My maternal grandfather Leonard Stachowiak was the younger brother of her paternal grandfather Eugene Stachowiak. An added bonus, was that I got to meet her sister Chris online. Okay, that has never happened before and I can tell you meeting 2 cousins at once is even better than only meeting one!<br />
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So, now are not only Sally, Chris and I friends on Facebook but we have also shared photos and stories. I don't think I had ever seen a photo of my great grandparents until Sally and Chris shared several with me. <br />
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I have done a ton of genealogical research these past 15 years but the highlights have definitely been finding or more typical in my case "being found" by new cousins, either through Facebook or one of my blogs. Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-16265295505253734792014-03-06T21:31:00.000-08:002014-03-06T21:31:34.665-08:00FINDING KINGA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My great uncle Eugene Stachowiak was married to a woman named Kinga. This was Eugene's second marriage. I really don't remember Eugene at all since he died when I was just 6 years old. Now, I do remember Kinga a little and especially remember her funeral in 1971.<br />
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Kinga's funeral was held at Our Lady of the Bright Mount Polish Catholic Church in Los Angeles. (I devoted a post on my blog to this church in April of 2013). Since this is a Polish parish, the funeral Mass was recited in Polish.<br />
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Well, while I was researching, I decided that I wanted to learn more about Kinga. I found her listed in the California Death Index. Her birth date was 6 Jun 1906 and her death date was 9 Mar 1971. Of course, I also have a funeral card which lists her middle name as Jeanine. How do I find out more about her without having her maiden name?<br />
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On a hunch, I decided to look for her in the Wisconsin Births and Christenings Index with just her first name and birth date. After all, how many Kinga's could there be born in Wisconsin on that date? Well, I hit the jackpot -- I found her -- Kinga J. Czerwinski, as well as, the names of her parents -- Albert Czerwinski and Wanda Wozmskiewicz.Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-6741099223563434472014-03-01T20:54:00.000-08:002014-03-01T20:54:13.863-08:00INTERNET RESEARCH WITH A GROUPI love taking genealogy classes, especially in a classroom setting. It allows me to not only learn more about a subject that is important to me but also gives me the opportunity to exchange ideas with others interested in genealogy. So I was delighted to see that the Poway Adult School was offering a class on Internet Research for Family History. Too many times, in the past, however, their genealogy classes would be cancelled due to low enrollment.<br />
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Imagine my surprise and delight when I walked into the class (okay, a few minutes late) to find twelve other eager students already present. Twelve might not seem like a lot to you, however, typically there are 6 students in these classes. As we went around the class introducing ourselves, not only were there students of various ages -- 30's to mid to late 70's, but a majority of them had done a little research but desired some training on how to do it properly. <br />
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I am looking forward to learning more about research methods and to discussing tips and findings with my fellow classmates.Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-48432727480525707102014-02-14T21:23:00.000-08:002014-02-14T21:23:41.832-08:00MY POLISH VALENTINES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My 2nd great grandfather was Walenty or Valentine Stachowiak. Until I started researching my family tree, I never knew that any of my ancestors had "Valentine" for their first name. According to a Polish dictionary, the Polish word for "valentine" is walentynka. Since I know no Polish words at all, I will have to take their word for it. I am currently learning German and perhaps some day can also learn to speak some Polish words.<br />
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Walenty Stachowiak was born on 4 Feb 1833 (fairly close to February 14th) in Poland and died on 11 April 1904 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Walenty was married to Josephine Kowalczyk and they had nine children together -- Mary Anne, Petronella, Lawrence, Albert, Agnes, Joseph, Charles, Casimir and Stanislaus. Charles Stachowiak was my great grandfather.<br />
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There was also another Polish "Valentine" in my ancestry -- Valentin Reszel, who was my 2nd cousin once removed. Valentin Reszel was born on 10 Feb 1915 in Wisconsin and died on 26 Jan 1995 in Milwaukee. Valentin was the son of Walter and Magdaln Reszel. He was from the Braciszewski branch of my family tree. <br />
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Officially, there is one more Polish "Valentine" in my family tree. Joseph William Stachowiak and Martha Ulezelski had a son named Valentine William Stachowiak, who lived from 1907 to 1969. However, according to records it seems like for most of his adult life he went by the name William instead of Valentine. Since today is Valentine's Day, we will count him as one of my Polish Valentine -- well, at least for today!Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-35529804927662171482013-09-23T16:38:00.001-07:002013-09-23T16:38:53.295-07:00AMANUENSIS MONDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I found this lovely tidbit in the Van Nuys News archives. It was printed in the September 5, 1949 edition of the newspaper. Clara Stachowiak Christy was one of my maternal great aunts. Clara married Ivan Wohlk Christy (Christiansen) in 1934. Ivan was born in Frederikshavn, Nordjylland, Denmark. Ivan died in May of 1949 in Burbank. <br />
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A month after his death, Clara went to visit her husband's relative. It doesn't say in this story whether or not she stayed the entire time in Denmark. It does say that she did stay with her brother-in-law in Denmark. The part of this story that I love (besides having a 3 month trip to Europe) is that her brother-in-law owns an oleomargarine factory. Do they even make oleomargarine anymore? I am thinking this must have been some sort of status symbol. I am guessing with all those Danish pastries, one should also have some "margarine". <br />
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It was very nice of her brother-in-law to host Clara during her grief after her husband's death. I wonder if this was Clara's first trip to her husband's homeland. The more information I find, the more questions I have ...Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-62744724798439608962013-09-19T20:12:00.001-07:002013-09-19T20:12:50.975-07:00THOSE PLACES THURSDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Continuing on with my "Genealogical Bucket List", my #2 place is Srebrna Gora in Dolnoslaskie, Poland. My third great grandfather Joannes Gruszka married his wife (my 3rd great grandmother) Marianna Pubylowska in this town in 1824. Joannes was 40 years old when he got married while Marianna was 28. I don't know whose hometown this was -- whether it was Marianna's, or Joannes' or possibly they both lived here.<br />
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My knowledge of Poland is very limited but I do know that Srebrna Gora is located in the south west corner of Poland. It is just north of the Czech Republic border. It is just east of a town named Nowa Ruda. <br />
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When my Grandmother Lillian's parents and older brothers immigrated to the US from Poland before Lillian's birth, they listed Ruda as their last residence. I wonder if this is the same Ruda. I better get back to my research ....<br />
<br />Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-2572677330482025332013-09-12T18:36:00.000-07:002013-09-12T18:36:56.573-07:00THOSE PLACES THURSDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the past two weeks, I have been writing about my Genealogical Bucket List -- places that I would like to travel to experience my ancestors' history -- on my other blog <a href="http://www.homeofsherlocks.blogspot.com/">HomeofSherlocks.blogspot.com</a>. Since today I will be writing about Poland (and sorry for the delay in my regular posting) it had to be posted on this blog. So, to start off my Polish Genealogical Bucket List is Wielkopolskie, Poland. <br />
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My 2nd great grandfather Valentin Stachowiak (on my maternal grandfather side) was married to my 2nd great grandmother Josephine Kowalczyk in Grodziszczko, Wielkopolskie, Poland in 1853. Grodziszczko is located in Western Germany and is known for its beer and mineral water. This town is located west of Poznan on A2 (I'm assuming this is some sort of freeway). The above photo shows a downtown street in Grodziszczko. <br />
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My 2nd great grandfather Jacob Gruszka (on my maternal grandmother side) was married to my 2nd great grandmother Antonina Zuchowska in Lechlin, Wielkopolskie, Poland in 1847. Antonina's parents Thomas Zuchowska and Marianna Koslakowiczowna were married in the same town in 1820.<br />
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I would love to visit this area of Poland. I know very little about it and since the only information that I have about my 2nd great grandparents is either from my Family Bible or the Poznan Project, I probably would do some research in this area. I would love to find information on their births and deaths, siblings, occupations, etc. I guess I need to do a lot more research on my Polish ancestry!Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-26294341485729552552013-07-29T20:17:00.001-07:002013-07-29T20:17:24.698-07:00TOO 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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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 ...Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-3120275568321128032013-07-01T13:32:00.000-07:002013-07-01T13:32:04.767-07:00AMANUENSIS MONDAY<span style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">KONSTANCJA SZUKALSKI</span><br style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">FORMER WELL KNOWN RESIDENT DIES; MILWAUKEE</span><br style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">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 </span><span style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">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.</span><br style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Manitowoc Herald News, Tuesday, January 21, 1919 Page 1</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #dcd0cf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-40812570112064177882013-06-24T09:59:00.000-07:002013-06-24T09:59:07.045-07:00AMANUENSIS MONDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How often these days do we read in the newspaper about someone hosting a bridge party at their house? Now, maybe they still do in some small town newspapers. It got me thinking about how times have changed and not just about playing bridge. Today, Rose would have posted her status on Facebook -- "bridge party at my house", probably included a photo or two and then "tagged" her guests. Rose probably would also be on Twitter and would send out a tweet with #Stachowiak Sisters. <br />
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Will our descendants be researching the archives of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google +) to see what we were doing, to collect photos and dates of our activities and to find the relationships between relatives? What will they find and how accurate of a portrayal will it be? <br />
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I probably met Great Aunt Rose one time during my childhood (most likely at a family funeral) but from her newspaper articles, it seems like she was very talented, knew how to grow a great party and how to enjoy life.Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-29007056989928466452013-05-29T11:26:00.000-07:002013-05-29T11:26:14.962-07:00STACHOWIAK SISTERS GIVE PYJAMA BREAKFAST<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My great aunts (Rose, Teresa, Clementine, Helen and Clara) moved to Van Nuys in the late 1920's and immediately made a name for themselves. In this article found in the Van Nuys News June 6, 1931 edition, they were busy hosting a pyjama breakfast. Ordinarily, I don't think pjyama parties are big news but this obviously was no typical pyjama breakfast. The garden pajama breakfast was hosted by these ladies and their mother at the family house on Van Nuys Boulevard. <br />
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Besides eating a "delightful" breakfast at tables on their spacious lawns, they played croquet and other outdoor games and also got to tour the immense bird aviary. Of course, since it was hosted by the Stachowiak Sisters, musical entertainment was also provided. Helen's son Harry Schultz, who according to this article was a child prodigy of the Hollywood Conservatory, recited readings. <br />
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I am thinking that my great aunts sure knew how to throw a party and were very creative and entertaining when they did!Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-37657489262892910182013-05-22T14:08:00.000-07:002013-05-22T14:08:29.579-07:00A FATAL FALL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My 2nd great grandfather Pawel "Paul" Szukalski died at the age of 63 after suffering a fall over an embankment on 11 Mar 1900. Paul and his wife Constance (Budzbanowski) were on their way home from church at St. Casimer's and were on a bridge that goes over Pine Creek. They were in a cutter (which is I guess some sort of sleigh) that was pulled by horses. There was no snow on the ground which understandably made it harder for the horses to pull the cutter with the Szukalski s The bridge had no rails and for some reason the horses went over the embankment into the 20 feet ravine. <br />
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Paul Szukalski broke his neck as a result of the fall. Constance was unhurt in the accident, as were the horses. Paul was taken to a neighboring farm house and a doctor was summoned. According to the Manitowoc Daily Herald (March 12, 1900 edition), "A doctor ... did all in his power to alleviate the sufferings of the patient; but the spark of life soon left the body and the uncertainty of human existence had again been sadly and forcibly illustrated". <br />
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The newspaper also said that Paul Szukalski was "one of the most prosperous farmers of the community and enjoyed a wide acquaintance in the county. He had many friends in the city to whom the news of his death will come as a shock." I am sure that it was heartbreaking for his wife Constance and their 7 children.Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-8239255006221106312013-05-20T09:10:00.000-07:002013-05-20T09:10:20.948-07:00AMANUENSIS MONDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Stachowiak Sisters (Rose, Helen and Clementine) had only been in Van Nuys (Los Angeles City) for a few months and they were already in demand for their entertainment talent at meetings, banquets and other gatherings. On this occasion, they were performing readings and songs for the Van Nuys Realty Board banquet.<br />
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This article was posted in the Van Nuys News -- 25 January 1928 edition.Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-71594726377697800162013-05-12T21:49:00.000-07:002013-05-12T21:49:49.382-07:00AMANUENSIS MONDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's amazing what you can find! So, I am researching on Findmypast.ie yesterday and after awhile I get bored with the "historical records" section so I decide to research the "newspaper" section. After finding some leads on my Sherlock side (yes, I am getting to how this relates to my Polish roots), I think perhaps that I can find some information on my Polish "Stachowiak" line even though this is an Irish site.<br />
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Lo and behold, I find a lot of news articles on Stachowiaks. Who knew it was such a popular name? My Stachowiaks are from Milwaukee so I did save the articles on Stachowiaks from Racine and Stevens Point, Wisconsin although I haven't yet figured out if they are truly related to my Stachowiaks and where the link is. Another project for another day!<br />
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But I did find some information on my Grandpa Leonard's sisters. That is the great thing about newspaper articles -- yes, sometimes it will give you exact dates of events (like birth and death) but often times they talk about the person's hobbies, passions or every day events. I just love those types of details.<br />
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I never knew exactly when my Great Grandparents (Charles Stachowiak and Anna Szukalski Stachowiak) moved to Los Angeles (Van Nuys to be exact) from Milwaukee, but knew it was after 1920 and before 1930. Thanks to the above article and another article I found, I think that they probably moved in the year 1927. <br />
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I was curious when I read that the Stachowiak ladies "came from Milwaukee with their mother". What about their father? I know that he moved to Van Nuys too, but perhaps he had to stay behind to sell his tin business before moving out west. The article does mention that the Stachowiak misses "are talented in dramatics and have appeared in a good many productions". Who knew we had dramatic talent on both sides of my family tree? There will be more about those Stachowiak sisters in future posts ...<br />
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** Article is from the Van Nuys News, August 24, 1928 editionCjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-82229831366418895442013-05-08T13:10:00.002-07:002013-05-08T13:10:49.372-07:00WORDLESS WEDNESDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-75112056794321404412013-05-05T14:10:00.000-07:002013-05-05T14:10:35.460-07:00PAWEL AND CONSTANTIA SZUKALSKI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My second great grandfather Pawel "Paul" Szukalski was born 2 Feb 1837 in Swiekatowo Kuyawsko-Pomorskie, Poland (a village in north central Poland). His parents were Michael Szukalski and Elizabeth Kielpikowska. According to the Poznan Project documents, his father Michael was 70 at the time of his birth while his mother Elizabeth was 35. I definitely need to send for their marriage certificate to check this out!<br />
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Pawel married Constantia Budzbanowski on 16 Mar 1862 in the same town as Pawel's birth. Pawel and Constantia had 3 children -- John, Theophilus and Thomas (in 1863, 1864 and 1868) and then immigrated to the US in 1869. They brought Constantia's widowed father John Budzbanowski with them to the US. They settled in Newton, Manitowoc, Wisconsin. In the 1870 census, Pawel's occupation was listed as "laborer" and then in the 1880 census, it was listed as "farmer". <br />
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Constantia had 4 more children in the US -- Damazy, my great grandmother Anna and her twin sister Katherine and the baby of the family Marian.Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-20127076677542146092013-04-29T17:46:00.001-07:002013-04-29T17:46:48.576-07:00AMANUENSIS MONDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In researching my ancestors, I just don't want to find out their birth date and death date, but I want to find out about the dash (the life they lived between their birth and death). While knowing their occupation is nice, I really want to know what were their hobbies, their interests and their passions. Yes, I know this might be a pipe dream (what exactly does that mean?) but I won't give up trying.<br />
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Sometimes it may be easier than you think. If you have an ancestor who was newspaper "friendly", you may be in luck. As I peruse the Van Nuys News, the same names pop up from time to time. Now, I don't know if this means they know the editor or they are someone that the newspaper deems "newsworthy" but when it is one of your relatives, who really cares why?<br />
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Chester Stachowiak, referred to in this article (16 Jul 1943 of the Van Nuys News) and others as "Chet", was my grandpa Leonard Stachowiak's baby brother. So besides his birth and death date, what do I know about him? All I can recall is that he never married and lived for a long time with his parents' home on Van Nuys Boulevard. But as I am reading the Van Nuys News from 1943, I learn that he is a talented singer, whether or not that was his occupation. Chet singing is mentioned in various Van Nuys News articles.<br />
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In another article from 1943, I learned that his sister Theresa Stachowiak Schultz was a former opera singer. Wow, we have the singing gene in our family! I don't ever remember hearing my Grandpa Leonard, their brother, singing, although his wife, Little Grannie (Lillian Braciszewski) did love to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Park".Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-26640295995460162142013-04-21T19:39:00.000-07:002013-04-21T19:39:20.272-07:00OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was in the 8th grade, we were given an assignment to write a report about one of the countries of our ancestry. It seemed to me that Ireland or Germany would be popular choices and rather easy, so I chose Poland. I wrote off to some place in the US (can't remember where 40 some years later) but they sent me three booklets. I wrote a 50 page report (yes, in those days there were no computers and in fact I hand wrote the report) and was very proud to receive an "A" for my efforts. For some reason (maybe it was that budding genealogist in me), I kept those 3 booklets and still have them to this day. <br />
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One of the booklets was about Our Lady of Czestochowa. I was always fascinated by this picture and the story behind it. According to the legend, the picture of Our Blessed Mother was painted by St. Luke on a piece of wood that a part of a table used by the Holy Family. This picture was lost in 72 AD but then found by the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine in 326. The mother, St. Helen, gave it to her son (Constantine) and he put it in a church in Constantinople, where it stayed for almost 500 years. <br />
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In 803 it was given to a Greek princess who carried it to Kiev, where it remained for 500 some years. In 1382 it was transported to Silesia for safety purposes, however, the horses carrying the painting stopped near the town of Czestochowa and refused to go any further. The Prince transporting the photo took this as a sign that the painting belonged in Czestochowa, so he built a monastery on a hill to house it.<br />
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The hill gleamed in the sunlight and so the Prince named it "Jasna Gora" or "Mount of Light". In 1430, Czech Hussites tried to steal the painting and take it away, but again "the horses wouldn't move". Outraged, they decided to burn the painting but the painting just remained a "charred version of itself". One of the soldiers struck the painting with its sword, causing two slash marks on the cheek of Our Lady. On the soldier's third try of slashing the painting, the soldier died.<br />
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To read a more in-depth history of Our Lady of Czestochowa, visit www.catholictradition.org/Mary/czesto. htm.Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-17129938486467351912013-04-19T11:14:00.000-07:002013-04-19T11:14:55.613-07:00REVEREND JOHN SZUKALSKI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my last post, I talked about my 2nd great grandparents' parish of St. Casimir's in Newton,<br />
Wisconsin. Today I will talk about their eldest son, John Szukalski. John was born to Paul Szukalski and Constance Budzbanowski Szukalski on 8 Mar 1863 in Swiekatowo, West Prussia (which would later become Poland). When John was only a few years old, he immigrated to the US with his parents and brother Theophilus. They settled on a farm in Newton, Wisconsin.<br />
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As I mentioned in my last post, St. Casimir's had a parochial school and so it is very likely that John attended that parish school for at least a part of his education. According to his obituary (in the Milwaukee Journal on Wednesday, April 7, 1915, page 2), he attended St. Francis seminary and was ordained as a priest by Archbishop Katzer on 24 Jun 1888. It was very fitting that Fr. John should say his first Mass at his hometown parish of St. Casimir's. Fr. Szukalski was then assigned to St. Michael's Church in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin as his first parish assignment. He stayed there for 5 years.<br />
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Reverend John Szukalski's next assignment was to oversee the building of the new parish of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church in Milwaukee. He was pastor there for over twenty years until his death at the age of 53 on 7 April 1915. Reverend Szukalski was buried at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee on 13 Apr 1915.Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982120183199202247.post-846073078795487792013-04-15T15:00:00.000-07:002013-04-15T15:00:15.026-07:00ST.CASIMIR'S CATHOLIC CHURCH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My 2nd great grandparents Pawel "Paul" Szukalski and Constance Budzbanowski Szukalski were parishioners of St. Casimir's Catholic Church in Newton, Wisconsin. I like to research the churches of my ancestors. I find that not only does it give me a place to potentially find records but also helps me to "picture" their lives -- to see how their lives entwined with the history of that local church. I was very happy to find a lot of information on the history of St. Casimir's Church on the 2manitowoc.com website. The exact address for the information is www.2manitowoc.com/casimir.html. The 28 page history tells not only of the history of the buildings but also the various pastors of that church.<br />
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According to its history, St. Casimir's is the 4th oldest Catholic church in the state of Wisconsin. The congregation was formed in 1868. My 2nd great grandfather Paul Szukalski was listed as a charter member of the parish. Okay. how exciting is that? On 21 July 1880, the church was destroyed by fire. That must have been devastating to the congregation. Masses were then held in the parish school house. However, the congregation was determined to build a new church. According to the history, the majority of the families of the parish donated either $50 or $100 (which was a lot of money in those days) to build a new church. The new church was completed in July of 1881.<br />
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I thought this was very interesting. "In about the year 1895, there were forty-eight families on the Church Records, thirty-eight of whom were Polish and the rest German. This incident also explains why priests, attending this parish, had to know these two languages sufficiently in order to accommodate all the people." Supposedly the parish (between the years of 1875 and 1890) actually consisted of double the amount of families as those in 1895, but more of the settlers sold their farms and moved to larger cities.<br />
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The parish also converted an old priest' house into a parish school house which educated children from 1876 to 1900. I wonder if my great grandmother Anna Szukalski and her siblings attended school there? There were 8 grades and both boys and girls were educated at the school.<br />
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The history of the parish lists all the pastors from the inaugural pastor to when the history was written in 1943. After the listing of the pastors, it named one prominent priest who was raised in that parish. Yes, it was my great grand uncle Reverend John Szukalski. I will talk about him in my next post.Cjsalzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16163840002925580934noreply@blogger.com0