MICHALINA (DYCH) LASECKI

Michalina was the 54 girl born  in the village of Danaborz in Grylewo parish, in Wielpolska, Poland, or PRUSSIA as it was then under German jurisdiction.  She came into this world on 17 Oct 1872 at noon. Her parents were Jan Dych, a farmer and Catherine Biscup. Her godparents were Joseph Slabosiewski and Francisca Wotta.

There were two children born before Michalina, both of whom died shortly after birth, Joannes, and Marianna. Imagine Jan and Catharina’s joy as Michalina lived and thrived!

She did have two sisters named Agnes and Augusta, both of whom died in their forties. In addition to these sisters, we have found  in Danaborz, Konstancia born 1875, Jozefa born 1876, and Stanislaus born 1891. Only Constancia, Agnes and Michalina seem to have survived into adulthood.

On 26 April 1881 she arrived at the port of New York, on THE WESER that sailed out of Bremen, Germany. Michalina was 8 years old; her sister Constancia was 4; John, listed as a workman, was 30 and Catherine  38.

Michalina became a US citizen in 1890 in Detroit.

When 17 years old, she married Anthony Lasecki who was 24, on 7 July 1891 in Sweetest Heart of Mary Church on the Eastside of Detroit. She had been working as a “factory girl.” The wedding photo as well as the beautiful large portrait came to us through the generosity of cousin Marge MacDougall.

The Laseckis first home was on 119 Superior Street in Detroit’s Third Ward. The 1900 US census lists Michalina as 27, married for 10 years. She’d given birth to 5 children, 3 still alive. They were: Mary, Walter, and Paul. Francis, Anthony’s mother is living with the young family. She was a widow, 75 years old. Antoni was working as a stove moulder. They owned their own home with a mortgage.

Also listed at the same address (prolly a duplex) were the seven members of the Gnosnoki family.

On 19 Nov 1912, Michalina had had enough of Anthony’s bad behavior. She filed for divorce on the grounds of non-support and cruelty. The divorce was granted on 4 Jan 1913. It was absolute and non-contested.

By 1920, Michalina, 46 yrs., is listed as Divorced and she’d moved to 35 Calumet. Living at home are Leon (19, an engraver for a newspaper), Angela (16, a telephone operator fro the telegraph company), Anthony (12), and Rosaline (9). Sharing the house (another duplex perhaps?) are Elmer and Alma Anderson and a lodger.

(They live at 35 Palmer Street in Detroit’s 4^th Ward.???)

In 1930, Michalina (56, now listed as widowed) is living in the 17^th Ward on 5913 Seminole Avenue, Detroit with Angela M.(27 ~ a clerk in the Telephone Company), Anthony J (22 a bricklayer for a building contractor), and RoseMary (19 a stenographer at the Edwin ~sp? Company). There was a lodger, Raymond Wroblewski (21). Michalina is a Naturalized citizen at his point. She is not working outside of the home.

Michalina had 7 children that lived: Mary, Walter, Paul, Leo, Angeline, Anthony, and Rose.

 Michalina was a beloved Gramma to 10 grandchildren.

As so many of the grandchildren,  cousin, Marge Pokriefka was very fond of Michalina. She related, Not a whole lot that I know about my mom’s  youth other than it was very tough.  Grandma Michalina cleaned and ironed for some family and my mom as a child went with her.  My mom graduated from St. Catherine of Siena High School as did I and my two sisters.  When I was young we would go to early Mass at St.Catherine’s and very often Grandma and I would go to Sweetest Heart of Mary Church for Polish Mass at 10 A.M.

Some notes on SWM: One of the oldest Polish parishes in Detroit. It is presently (2010) in a terrible neighborhood, and you can only see the beautiful church if you attend 10:30 AM Mass on Sundays. Otherwise, the doors are locked for safety.

Michalina died at 82, on 2 Oct 1955 of chronic myocarditis. She was buried by Wujek Funeral Home and laid to rest at Sweetest Heart of Mary Cemetery in Detroit. Would love a photo of her grave, if anyone is able to find it. Though we were able to locate Jan Dych’s grave, we never did find Michalina Dych Lasecki’s burial spot on our foray in 2010 to the cemetery.