Family History

Home ] Up ] Grandparents ] [ Family History ] Jean Wilson ] Uncles & Aunts ] Mike & Adeline ] Edwin and Rita ] Panosh and Franckowiaks ] Millie Walczak ] Family 1938 ]

By Jean Lorraine McKee, 1984

John Franckowiak an Lucia (Bonasiak) Franckowiak lived and died somewhere in the area of Posen or Poznan, Poland, which was a part of Prussia at that time. Perhaps around the area of Shrem-Srem or Jarocin, which is about 40 miles south of Poznan. Also, this is where (maternal) great-grandparents Stephen and Mary (Lipinski) Dulak migrated from. There is no mention that (paternal) great-grandparents John and Lucia (Bonasiak) Franckowiak immigrated to American, and so I believe are buried in that area.

            From the note I received from second cousin Father Thaddeus Koszarek (of the Dulak side), he had visited Poland some years ago to locate his family name. He did locate one cemetery in Srem-Shrem, where he came across the family name and, also, many other familiar names of families in the Antigo, Wisconsin area. So, he knew from what area many of the early settlers in Antigo migrated from.

            Casimir Franckowiak immigrated to the United States about April 1889; the port of entry was Staten Island, New York. But this has not yet been confirmed. He came to America aboard the same ship as Antionette Wizniack or ‘granny Walczak’, as she had been referred to - - mother of Albert Walczak. Casimir may have served in the Kaiser’s army for two years.

            Casimir came west to Chicago, Illinois, where he settled for a period of time, married and started to raise a family. He may have been employed by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, either coach cleaning or working in the cinder pits.

            Casimir married Hedwig Grylewicz who, according to records, was six years older than Casimir. Her maiden name was Sztorumski and she immigrated to America around 1877. Hedwig first married _________ Grylewicz and from this union had eight children, according to record. Apparently, Mr. Grylewicz died and she then married Casimir.

            From the union of Casimir Franckowiak and Hedwig Grylewicz, there were three children, two of whom lived. The third child may have been stillborn, as Hedwig died of puerperal fever one week later. There is no birth record of the third child. The two children who lived were Agnes Franckowiak and Stanley Franckowiak

            The address in Chicago where Casimir and Hedwig lived was 3154 Musprat Street, sixth ward. Could it be that Musprat Street was later changed to Morgan?

            After Hedwig died, Casimir moved with this two small children, Agnes and Stanley, to Antigo, Wisconsin. He met and married Frances (Dulak) Wons, seven months later. This would be the second marriage for both of them. Frances had two small children of her own, Anna and Theresa (Aunt Tess), from her previous married to Thomas Wons, Sr., plus three step-children, Susan, Mary (?) Martha and Thomas Wons, Jr., by his previous marriage to Mary Ann Suika.

            Great-grandfather Stephen Dulak and great-grandmother Mary Lipinski were born in Poland or Prussia, as it was known then, around the area previously mentioned, Shrem-Srem Poznan. They immigrated to America around 1868; this from census records. But I wonder about the date, as Frances (their first born) was born in 1867 Polonia, Wisconsin, unless the enumerator transposed 1869 to 1867. Frances’ birth record was destroyed in a church fire. It might be that Stephen and Mary (Lipinski) Dulak immigrated in the year 1863. Here again a number may have been transposed.

            Stephen and Mary (Lipinski) Dulak would settle down in Portage County, farming. They would raise a family of nine children; a tenth died at the age of two weeks old.

            The story has been told that Albert Walczak was born aboard the ship that brought his mother to America in 1889. “Granny Welnetz’ and Albert had to stay on Staten Island for a month before a birth certificate could be issued for Albert.

            It seems that, that ‘Granny Welnetz’ worked in Chicago for a number of years and married a Wozniak or Vozniak. At sometime or another she married Frank Welnetz, Sr.

            Nothing more until she lived at King, Wisconsin Veterans Home for 46 years. She died at the age of 104 years. Her date of death is unknown. Her first name was given as Antionette.

            Casimir Franckowiak (Grandpa Francis) was said to have come to America on the same ship as “Granny Welnetz’ in 1889; this would give his age about 26 years.

            This is pure speculation . . . but if Granny Welnetz came to America in 1889, I would guess her age somewhere in her 20s. This would give the year of her birth about the 1860s, perhaps 1869. If she lived to be 104 years old, it would give the year of her death in the 1960s, perhaps 1965.

            Albert Walczak had a brother Frank; believed he lived in Chicago, Illinois. Whether older or younger, I do not know.

            Theresa and Albert Walczak raised three children, Angeline Florence, Ernest L. and Peter Paul (Angie, Ernie and Paul). The family home for at least the last fifty years has been at 126 Deleglise Street, Antigo, WI.

            The family operated the lunch room at the C&NW railroad depot from 1932 until 1949. Albert was employed by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad as a car inspector.

            Today, due to more people driving, there are far less train passengers. The railroad began to cut back on coaches until now there are none. Even freight has stopped going to and through Antigo so the railroad has taken up the tracks.

            Thomas Wons, Sr. died, leaving Frances with three step-children, Susan, Mary/Martha and Thomas Wons, Jr., together with the two children of the union between her and Thomas: Anna Wons and Theresa Wons (Aunt Tess). Shortly after Thomas’ death, Frances met and married Casimir.

            Casimir and Frances raised ten children of their own: Joseph, Frank, John, Mary, Paul, twins Sigmund and Sophie, Christine (Jean Lorraine’s mother), Regina and Sally Mae. There may have been an eleventh child somewhere by the name of Raymond. In a record, grandma Frances had eleven children. There is a group picture of some of the children and Raymond appears to be the youngest. Have never heard Raymond being mentioned.

            Sometime after Casimir and Frances were married, the three step-children, Susan, Mary/Martha and Thomas Wons, Jr. left home as soon as they could and struck out on their own.

            Susan married and died in Madison, WI. Mary/Martha became a nun and lived in Washington. No other information. Thomas Wons, Jr. lived in Chicago, IL; possibly still living there in the late 1940s or early 1950s. They were gone from the Franckowiak household by the 1900 census.

            Anna and Theresa Wons were listed in that census in the Franckowiak house. I don’t know when Anna left, but she married and lived in Madison, WI. She died at a very young age, so the story goes. Married name unknown.

            Casimir and Frances bought a farm in Neva Township, Antigo, Wisconsin and started a family of their own. It has been told that he bought and sold/traded farms and that these farms were quite dilapidated which is why he never had very much. In later years, he only rented. There is only one farm that I remember - - it may have been the old Decker farm on County Road D. I remember turning off the main highway (45?). An old filling station stood on the corner; it’s now a tavern.

            My husband, Jack, and I tried this past summer of 1983 to find the only farm I knew of, but to no avail. Nothing looked familiar. I only remembered that the two story farm house set back up a long lane from the dirt road. I have a few pictures of it. I recall as a little girl that grandpa Francis made his own ‘home brew’ but only remember seeing the way he bottled and capped it.

            Casimir (Grandpa Francis) retired from farming in 1935 but, somewhere in between farms, he and his son, Frank, worked for years in the cinder-pits of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad in the Antigo yards. But, when Frank when to Chicago, grandpa Francis (Casimir) went into cleaning coaches.

            After grandma Frances passed away, there are some blank years as to what happened to Casimir. Only in the early 1960s, did I find out from Aunt Sally that grandpa Francis had been in and out of different nursing homes and none seemed to please him. According to his death certificate, Casimir had been in nursing homes over 24 years. He died at the age of 98.

            Casimir and Frances Franckowiak are buried side by side in the Queen of Peace Cemetery, Antigo, WI.

 

Top

Home

Email: Jerry Franckowiak
574-933-3656