Tag: Zalewski

CategoriesBig NewsZalewski

I’m on a Boat: Passenger List Found!

Posted on 21 July 2009by Brian Zalewski

One of those documents that I had my sights set on for the last 10 years of genealogy research is the passenger list containing the ZALEWSKI family when they left home and came to America. According to notes I had from a previous researcher, “…[Frank and Anna] left Poland from the Baltic port of Danzig and entered the United States through the port of Baltimore, Maryland…in 1890.” I’ve searched everything I could find online for this since I’ve been researching. I’ve tried every possible spelling of Frank’s name (Franz, Francizek, etc) and don’t even get me started on the different ways to spell ZALEWSKI (add in the many different ways to pronounce it.)

I decided to give it another try by locking down certain items using Ancestry.com’s search box. I tried locking in “Frank” and then locking in “1888-1892” then I tried locking down “Baltimore” and so on. I dare not lock in “Zalewski” since it never works. I then tried his wife, but nothing. Next I tried their first child “Martha” since her name is more than likely the same. Their next child Angeline has been written many different ways from Amelia to Angel. No hits on “Martha Zalewski.” Next, I thought I’d give “Salewski” a shot since I’m pretty sure ZALEWSKI and SALEWSKI don’t have the same soundex code. Guess what my first hit was? “Martha Zalewski, Baltimore, November 1889, age 3.” Dead on.

I’ve conditioned myself not to get too excited until I can strongly prove it’s the correct document. As soon as I saw the list of family members: Franz, Anna, Martha, Amela, I knew it was the right family. Everything matches up from ages to names. Plus, there was one more name: Elsa Salewski, aged 6 months. According to later census records, Anna is listed to have has 9 children with only 8 living. Also, looking at the order of children, there is a larger gap from Angeline in 1887 to Marianna in 1891. Frank and Anna seemed to be working off of the one child every two-years plan throughout their lives. Elsa must not have lived much longer since she is never listed with the family outside of this listing.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t get me much more information except much tougher evidence for their arrival and departure. The list just has them come from “Germany” and go to the “U.S.A.” and Germany could mean anything back then.

The ship was the “S.S. Weser” which departed from Bremen, Germany. This looks to be the ship here with a photo. Here is their snippet:

Zalewski Family - 23 Nov 1889
Zalewski Family - 23 Nov 1889

So, I guess the moral of this story is that it does pay to go back over everything you’ve searched. Try looking at it from another angle.

CategoriesTombstone Tuesday

Tombstone Tuesday: Zalewski 1959

Posted on 21 July 2009by Brian Zalewski

This is a headstone photo I found in my grandmother’s photo album. It’s the headstone from my great-grandmother, Emily (TROKA) ZALEWSKI in 1959 at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee. It’s unique because this current headstone no longer exists. My great-grandfather, Joseph ZALEWSKI, remarried later on and his new wife is now buried in that plot also. A new, flatter headstone is now in it’s place.

1959

CategoriesWeekly History

Weekly History: July 12th – 18th

Posted on 12 July 2009by Brian Zalewski

July 12th

1879 – Born – Minnie M (MUHM) VAN PRICE – Minnie is my great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born in Wisconsin. She married Peter VAN PRICE in about 1895 and had 6 children, including my great-grandmother, Mildred (VAN PRICE) DEBROUX. She died on 6 Jul 1959 at Port Washington, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin and is buried at Union Cemetery.

July 13th

1627 – Married – Guillaume TRAHAN & Francoise CHARBONNEAU – Guillaume and Francoise are my 10th-great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were married at St. Etienne, Chinon, France. They immigrated to Canada and passed away at Port Royal, Arcadia, Canada.

1720 – Born – Paulus VAN CRAYBECK – Paulus is my 7th-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born at Genk, Limburg, Belgium. In about 1748, he married my 7th-great-grandmother, Maria TRUIJEN. He died 23 Sep 1781 at Genk.

1876 – Died – William “Curly Bill” CORRIGAN – William is my 3rd-great-grandfather on my father’s side. He was born either in New York or on the trip from Ireland. I’ve seen both. On 14 Nov 1848, he married Mary MCCANN. He passed away in Mara Township, Brenchin, Ontario, Canada.

July 14th

1963 – Died – Augusta (LUEDTKE) LAST – Augusta is my great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born 3 Jul 1863 in Storkow, Pommerania, which located in the western part of today’s Poland. She married Carl LAST in 1883 and had 16 children. She died just 2 weeks after her 100th birthday in 1963.

July 15th

1610 – Born – Herman VAN CREIJBECK – Herman is my 10th-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born in Hasselt, Limburg, Belgium. In 1632, he married Joanna PANSARS at St. Lambertus, Herck, Belgium. He passed away on 13 Dec 1649 at St. Lambertus.

July 16th

1810 – Born – Ephraim Gadiou dit ST. LOUIS – Ephraim is my 4th-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born in Yamachiche, St. Maurice, Quebec, Canada. In 1831, he married Marie DesAnges MANSEAU. He later moved to Phlox, Langlade Co., Wisconsin where he passed away on 27 Mar 1892.

July 17th

1920 – Born – Irene (ZALEWSKI) LUTZENBERGER – Irene is my great aunt on my father’s side. She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Joseph ZALEWSKI and Emily TROKA. She passed away in June 1996 and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee.

July 18th

1965 – Died – Frances (ZALEWSKI) CYBELA – Frances is my great-great-aunt on my father’s side. She was born 15 Apr 1895 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Frank ZALEWSKI and Anna LINDNER. She married Edwin CYBELA in 1916. She passed away in Milwaukee at the age of 70.

CategoriesWeekly History

Weekly History: June 21st – 27th

Posted on 21 June 2009by Brian Zalewski

June 21

1891 – Married – Johann THIELKE & Wilomene C RATHKE – Johann and Minnie are my great-great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were married in Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin. Minnie was previously married, as I found out in the census and passenger lists, to man named Frank HOLZ. I think this was Johann’s first marriage. I’m  only aware of them having one child, my great-grandfather Arthur.

1931 – Born – Robert John ZALEWSKI – Robert is my great uncle on my father’s side. He was born in Milwaukee as my great-grandparent’s last child. I know I met him at some point in my life, but I don’t remember him too much. He lived in the Balitmore, MD area. He passed away a few months after my grandfather in 1999.

June 23

1809 – Born – Sophia Elizabeth STRASSMAN – Sophia is my 4th-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born in Wahmbeck, Hanover, Germany. She married Friedrich MUHM in 1844 in the state of New York. She passed away on 23 Nov 1869 at Germantown, Washington Co., Wisconsin and is buried nearby at Christ Evangelical Cemetery in the unincorporated Dhiensville, Washington Co., Wisconsin.

1873 – Born – Emma Jane FIRMENICH – Emma Jane is my great-great-grandmother on my father’s side. She was born at Wrightsown, Brown Co., Wisconsin to Mathias & Pauline FIRMENICH. She married Thomas CORRIGAN on 18 Apr 1892 and together they had 9 children. She passed away on 28 Apr 1941 in Ashland, Ashland Co., Wisconsin and is buried there at St. Agnes Cemetery.

June 24

1678 -Married – Leonard PAILLARD & Marie Louise VACHON – Leonard and Marie are my 9th-great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were more than likely married in Quebec, Canada because my notes indicate, “June 24, 1678, he signed his marriage contract in front of the Aubert notary. He married (Marie) Louise Vachon. From this union were born eleven children, six boys and five girls.”

 

June 26

1929 – Died – Wilomene C (RATHKE) THIELKE – Minnie is my great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born 1 Sep 1857 in Pommerania, Prussia. She married, her second, my great-great-grandfather on 21 Jun 1891. She passed away in Wisconsin and is buried near where I live at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Grafton, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin.

CategoriesWeekly History

Weekly History: June 7th – 13th

Posted on 7 June 2009by Brian Zalewski

June 7th

This is my mother’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom.

June 8th

This is my grandmother’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandma.

June 11th

1757 – Born – Anna Catherina CROX – Anna is my 6th-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born at Genk, Limburg, Belgium. In 1778, she married Wilhelmus Van CRAYBECK. She passed away on 8 Mar 1787 at Genk.

June 12th

This is my brother’s birthday. Happy Birthday!

June 13th

1877 – Born – Anna P FIRMENICH – Anna is my 3rd-great-aunt on my father’s side. She was born at Wrightstown, Brown Co., Wisconsin to Mathias FIRMENICH and Paulina THOMPSON. She passed away in 1885 along 3 other siblings due to what looks like a Diptheria outbreak.

CategoriesTell Me Thursday

Tell Me Thursday: 4th of July

Posted on 28 May 2009by Brian Zalewski

Wordless Wednesday

This is one of the latest photos that I scanned. It was a copy inside of a book I got from a fellow Zalewski researcher a few years back. For some reason, I never got to scanning the photos from it.

This photo is from July 4th, 1913. Back row is Frank Gierszewski and Edwin Cybela. Front row is Mary (Zalewski) Gierszewski and Frances (Zalewski) Cybela. Frances and Mary are my great-great-aunts. Frank and Mary later changed their surname to Giersch.

CategoriesCemeteriesMilitaryNon-GenealogyZalewski

Happy Memorial Day

Posted on 25 May 2009by Brian Zalewski

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! I’d like to thank all of my military ancestors and all of your military ancestors, too.

  • Johann W G LAST – Civil War- My 3rd-great-grandfather, server with Company K, 50th Infantry Regiment Wisconsin – 29 Mar 1865 to 14 Jun 1866
  • LeRoy THIELKE – World War II – My grandfather, served in World War II. It’s not a subject that has ever been talked about, but I commend him for fighting for our country.
  • Joseph Frank ZALEWSKI – World War I – My great-grandfather, started in the 86th Division, Company B, 331st Machine Gun Battalion. Later served in the US Army Infantry and fought with the Allied Expeditionary Forces in France during several major battles.
  • Richard Joseph ZALEWSKI – My late grandfather, served in the US Navy during World War II.

Continue for some select photos

Continue reading “Happy Memorial Day”
CategoriesWeekly History

Weekly History: May 24th-30th

Posted on 24 May 2009by Brian Zalewski

May 25th

1922 – Died – Ignatius SZULTA – Ignatius is my 3rd-great-grandfather on my father’s side. He was born 1 Feb 1849 in Poland and married his wife, Nepomuncema SYLDAKT in 1875. They immigrated to Milwaukee in the early 1880s. He passed away in Milwaukee and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery.

May 26th

1813 – Married – Jannis DEES & Janna VERMEULEN – Jannis and Janna are my 5th-great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were married in Biervlient, Zeeland, Netherlands and had 3 children, including my ancestor, Janneke DEES.

May 27th

1778 – Married – Wilhelmus VAN CRAYBECK & Anna Catherina CROX – Wilhelmus and Anna are my 6th-great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were married in Genk, Limburg, Belgium and had 4 children, including my ancestor, Leonardus CRAYBECK.

2006 – This is also the day of my wedding anniversary with my wife, Darcy. I didn’t know that we share an anniversary with my 6th-great-grandparents. Only 228 years earlier.

CategoriesZalewski

That Zalewski Family

Posted on 23 May 2009by Brian Zalewski
Click for larger image
Click for larger image

I was running through ideas in the shower today (who doesn’t?) and I tried to figure out what my fascination is with the family of Frank & Anna Zalewski. For some reason, this family really interests me. I enjoy finding out information about each of the children and their families. Maybe it’s because the photo of their family in 1907 was the first “old” family photo I saw. Maybe it’s because this was always the line that I’ve been stuck on.

It’s crossed my mind to put together a family reunion of sorts for the descendants of Frank & Anna Zalewski. We used to have one similar to that for my grandmother’s family, the descendants of Thomas Corrigan. I have no idea what kind of undertaking that would be, but I’m imagining a lot of work. Just contacting everyone seems like a massive job.

Every one of their children, except Frank Jr., married and had children of their own (though, I’m not sure if Angeline did.) I had most of their descendants listed, but not a lot of information about them. Maybe it will come to fruition some day, because I’d really like to see what information everyone else may have on their great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents. For now, I will try to collect as much informati0n as I can on this family to create their story. Who knows, maybe it’ll make a good book about a family that traveled from Europe and made it in America?