Who Were Our Immigrant Ancestors?

August Kunkel naturalization

Since we celebrate our country's birth today, I decided to look at the beginnings of our U.S. family.

There are so many questions to ask about our immigrant ancestors: When did they arrive and where did they come from? How long was the journey? Why did they leave? How did they pay for the trip? Did they miss the old country? Did they ever return to visit?

Unfortunately I don't have answers to most of those questions. What I do have, however, are some interesting facts and documents.

Eight of our direct ancestors immigrated to the U.S. Every one of them came directly to Chicago from various ports on the east coast. Six of these became naturalized citizens - four in their own right and two by virtue of their husbands' naturalizations.

Our 8 Immigrant Ancestors

1. Joseph Pionke (great-great-grandfather)
2. Marianna (Freibis) Pionke (great-great-grandmother)
3. Paulina (Abraham) Freibis (3rd-great-grandmother)
4. August Kunkel (great-great-grandfather)
5. Helene (Klawikowska) Kunkel (great-great-grandmother)
6. Valentin Pionke (3rd-great-grandfather)
7. Grzegorz Walczyk (great-grandfather)
8. Zofia (Waclawik) Walczyk (great-grandmother)

Joseph Pionke, 1881 or 1882?

Joseph Pionke lived in Mały Donimierz before emigrating. He is the only ancestor whose immigration record I haven't found. He probably arrived in late 1881 or early 1882 with his younger brother John. On 19 September 1888, at the age of 32, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He registered to vote and voted in Chicago that same year.

excerpt - Joseph Pionke (spelled Ponke), 1888 Chicago voter rolls

Paulina and Marianna Freibis, 1881

Widow Paulina (Abraham) Freibis lived with her four children in Połchowo. In March 1881 Paulina (age 56), daughters Marianna (22) and Franciska (24), and son John (28) set sail from Bremen, Germany, on board the Hermann. They arrived in Baltimore on 1 April 1881. Paulina's youngest son, Joseph, had arrived the previous year.

 

excerpt - Freibis family, passenger list

August and Helene Kunkel, 1884

August and Helene (Klawikowska) Kunkel and their children lived in Kętrzyno. They departed from Bremen, Germany, on board the Nurnberg and arrived in Baltimore on 23 April 1884. Their three youngest children (Victor, Victoria, and seven-month-old Cecilia) traveled with them. August Kunkel was naturalized on 6 October 1896, at the age of 54 (see document at top of page).

excerpt - Kunkel family, passenger list

Valentin Pionke, 1889

Widower Valentin Pionke lived in Mały Donimierz. In March of 1889, at age 64, he emigrated with a group of 20 family members, departing from Bremen, Germany, on board the Main. This group included three of his children (Franz Pionke, Josephine Piefke, Mathilde Schpechta), his nephew (Teofil Paluch), his brother-in-law (August Stefanowski), and their spouses and children. They arrived in Baltimore on 4 April 1889. Valentin was never naturalized.

excerpts - Valentin Pionke & relatives, passenger list

Grzegorz Walczyk, 1912

Grzegorz Walczyk resided in Czermna, where his nearest relative was his mother, Anna Walczyk. On 1 March 1912, at age 22, he departed on board the Graf Waldersee from Hamburg, Germany. His future wife Zofia was on board the same ship.

Grzegorz arrived in Philadelphia on the 18th with $25 in his possession. He joined brother-in-law Franz Sychta in Chicago. His half-brother Frank Walczyk was also living in Chicago (since 1910). Grzegorz Walczyk became a naturalized U.S. citizen on 28 April 1926.

excerpts - Gregori Walczyk, passenger list (line #18)

Zofia Wacławik, 1912

Zofia Wacławik is our only ancestor to pass through Ellis Island. Before emigrating, she lived in Czermna, where her nearest relative was her father, Stansław Wacławik. Zofia traveled with her young cousin, Anton Rak. They departed from Hamburg, Germany, aboard the Graf Waldersee on 1 Mar 1912.

excerpt - Zofia Waclawik & Anton Rak, passenger list (lines 2-3)

Zofia arrived in New York on 21 March 1912, at the age of 19, with $15 in her possession. She joined her uncle and aunt, Jan and Ludwika Rak, in Chicago. Zofia is our only female ancestor to become a naturalized U.S. citizen in her own right. She was naturalized in Chicago on 14 November 1941.

Zofia Walczyk naturalization

© TreeQuest: An Unexpected Journey 2014.