Dzien Dobry! Welcome home. We are exploring the Moraniec, Łasecki, Rozmarynowska, Lipa, Biedron, Janora, Dych, Garbacik, Biskup, Grochowski ancestral families and their descendants. Most of our ancestors were peasant farmers or servants.
The family came around the turn of the century from Poland: the Moraniecs, Janoras, Wojtovicz, and Lipas from Bobrowa, Debica area in, what was then called Galicia, in southern Poland, which was the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the nineteenth century..
The ancestral village of the Grochowskis, Skora, Garbaciks, Biedrons is also in 19th century Austrian Galicia, though near Jaslo. It’s called Glinik Polski.
In the 19th century,Prussian area of Poland, the Łaseckis, Rozmarynowskas, Biscups, and Dychs all originated from several villages in the Wagrowiec area north of Poznan. Notably, Rybowo, Grlyewo Parish (Dych and Nowak), Lekno (Rozmarynowska), Legowo (Zamorska and Biskup).
Many emigrated to Detroit, Michigan, or Wisconsin, Massachusetts, though other known areas that were settled include Dunkirk, NY.
Please leave a comment. Meeting new/old family members and exchanging stories and photos is a most delightful highlight of this rewarding endeavor.
The header photo is of a typical house built in traditional wooden style that our ancestors would have lived in in the nineteenth century.
The photo above was chosen from the travel collection of Rebecca and Carolyn when they visited Poland in 2007. It was taken from the window of a train – somewhere – in Poland. The trees have been coppiced, which is a practice that extends back at least into the Medieval times when folks would cut off the tops for firewood and the trunks would re-sprout to replenish the wood supplies. Kinda like our ancestors who emigrated from their homeland to this new world and succeeding generations were cut-off from the motherland. Until NOW.The family tree re-sprouts and re-connects. It’s been a wonderful journey visiting the ancestral villages, finding and meeting new cousins, and discovering the stories of our rich past, which in turn inform and deepen our experiences today.
WHY CREATE A WEBSITE?
Several of us have been working a distance from each other; I thought this would be a good way to centralize our findings and communicate them to each other. If there is anything you are curious about that you’d like covered in a post, just drop us a line at OPAH. Since most of us can only research the genealogy in bits and pieces, working around the stuff in our lives, we will be able to have a standing record an repository of documents and information. We can also work on the family puzzles, such as the Mystery of the Ring or the Biedron Conundrum. You can post your questions, concerns, etc.
Finally, a big virtual hug and three-kiss hello, Polish-style, to all of my cousins. Do widzenia.
12 responses to “WELCOME HOME! Witaj w Domu!”
What a great detailed, interesting site! It makes me wish I was Polish and able to make a connection!
I do have Ukrainian Ancestors, that is as close as I can get. Muzyka and Zalepka are the only names I know of so far there.
Your site gave me some ideas, so thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed reading and exploring!
Hi Fran, Thanks. It’s great to ‘see’ you here. As you know, Ukraine and Galicia — not so far away from each other and lots of mixing. I was told that I would need to go to Lviv for further research into my Garbacik line. The church in Lezny was sometimes Roman Catholic and sometimes Orthodox, depending on who was Bishop, etc. Do you know where (town) your people are from?
I enjoyed your website. My ancestors, Nowicki family, also came from Czeszewo. One of the ancestors, Martin Nowicki married Anna Lasecki. They lived in Alpena, Michigan. I am planning a guided trip to Poland this year. I believe you used Luckasz, from the Poszan Project as your guide. I have made my initial contact with him. Could you email me and share how your services were with Luckasz? Thanks.
Bob Miks
Hi Carolyn:
Wonderful website!
My husband is the son of John Anthony Szudrowitz, grandson of Michael Szudrowicz/Szudrowitz and Josephine/Jozefa Dych, great-grandson of Antonnia Szoft and Yornab Dych.
I would be interested in sharing records/information for the Dych-Szudrowitz families. One difference between our records is Jozefa’s father & Antoninna’s husband’s name. Your site lists Antoninna’s spouse and Jozefa’s father as Tomasz b. 1828/20 Dec 1827, but the civil registry of Michael and Jozefa’s marriage lists her father as Yornab Dych. Her mother’s name is Antonina geboren Szoft.
When my brother-in-law passed away, I inherited numerous Catholic church records for this branch of the family which I have to digitize and translate.
My husband’s cousin has also done quite a bit of research on this line. I will forward your website link to him.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Lynn
Lynn, Fabulous hearing from you! I will send you an email and am excited to straighten out this info. and share more 🙂 Thanks again for leaving a comment!!!!
carolyn
Hello Carolyn,
I found your website while doing a general search on the Garbacik name. I am impressed with your research and amazed with how much it substatiates the research done by a sister of mine and myself. I have (so far) never been to Poland but hope to visit one day. My own dziadek (dziadzia in Americanized Polish) emigrated to America in 1910. His name was Jan Joseph Garbacik. Would you happen to have any information on him?
Edward (cousin!), So good to hear from you! Yes, I will search around my records and send you an email, with attachments, if I find stuff.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
carolyn
Hi Carolyn,
My dziadek’s middle name was originally Jósef (of course) He Americanized it to Joseph when he came here. Kept his first name though.
Hello,
I am a descendant of the Skowrons and Lipas from Bobrowa. My ggg-grandmother Anna Lipa married Maciej Skowron. Anna’s parents were Szymon Lipa and Regina Grzybowna. Maciej’s parents were Bartosz Lipa and Krystyna Wilc. They lived in house #16. Other names in the Skowron line are Zieba and Bielawa. The Bielawas are from Nagoszyn.
I visited Bobrowa and Nagoszyn this summer. The villages are very pleasant.
Thank you for sharing your blog.
Now that my comment is posted I see the error. Maciej’s parents were Bartosz Skowron and Krystyna Wilc. I have been a genealogist long enough to know to double check everything.
Gosia, Thanks so much for commenting. Do you have dates of births/deaths for these folks ( I already have Anna Lipa) that you wouldn’t mind sharing with me? You can email me at carolyngrady at gmail.com. Krystina Wilc would be a third wife of Bartosz Skowron, I believe. Bartosz was also married to Marianna Janora (my third great grandaunt). Before Marianna, he was married to Margarethe Pietrysek(sp?). Please correct me, if you have other info.
Maciej and Anna had 9 children? (on familysearch).
Has anyone o these lines been dna tested that you know of?
Glad you enjoyed reading.
Did your parents/grandparents live in Detroit? I agree about Bobrowa and Nagoszyn being quite lovely.
Thank you for this website. I have been researching the family history to understand where we came from. My great grandparents emigrated to the US at the turn of the century and settled in Hazleton, PA. My Grandfather, Stanley, left the family farms and established our branch in CT. My Grandfather always said we were descended from tanners and leatherworkers. Outside of the information on his draft card, the farthest we were able to trace was a departure in Austria in the late 1890’s. I would love to find out more. Thanks!