Family of Johann Pionke and Friderike Byzewska

This post is the fourth in a series examining the nine early Pionke, Pionk, Pionek, and Piontke family groups in Chicago, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.


Johann Pionk or Pionke was the son of Martin Pionke, a forester, and Franciska Klein. He was born on 23 October 1829 in Rzepecka and baptized in Strzepcz Catholic parish (St. Mary Magdalene). His siblings were born in the villages of Głodowo, Borek, Tępcz, and Zęblewo. By the late 1840's the family was settled in Miłoszewo Abbau. In this context, the term "Abbau" refers to a location outside the main village, which seems logical for a forester's family dwelling.

Friderike Byzewska (or Bisewska) was born in Pobłocie on 1 April 1836 and baptized in Strzepcz. She was the first child of laborer Joseph Byzewski and his wife Constantia Groth.

Johann Pionke married Friderike Byzewska on 19 November 1855 in Strzepcz. He was 26 and resided in Miłoszewo Abbau; she was 19 and lived in Pobłocie. After their wedding, the couple settled in Miłoszewo Abbau. Johann was a forester like his father.

Johann Pionk - Friedericke Bizewska marriage record, 1855, Strzepcz parish

This map shows the villages where the families of Martin Pionke and Joseph Byzewski lived and also their local parish in Strzepcz. Two locations are not named on the map: (1) "Unnamed Rd" is where Borek was located; (2) the location just north of Łebno is Głodowo. These villages are all located in the Pomerania region of Poland, but at that time the area was part of West Prussia.

Children of Johann Pionke and Friderike Byzewska

Johann and Friderike had five children. They were all born in Miłoszewo Abbau and baptized in Strzepcz.

• Paulina was born on 29 August 1856 and died in Stara Huta on 2 August 1872.
• August was born on 21 September 1858.
• Johann was born on 21 February 1861 and died in Miłoszewo on 23 June 1861.
• Franz Joseph was born on 15 June 1862.
• Rosalia was born on 6 January 1865.

Johann Pionke died on 28 March 1866 in Miłoszewo Abbau; cause of death was cerebral apoplexy. He was only 36 years old. Friderike was left with four children, all age 10 or younger.

Johann Pionk death record, 1866, Strzepcz parish

On 19 August 1866, widow Friderike (Byzewska) Pionke married her second husband, Joseph Klinkosch. They lived in Głazica and had seven children: Marianna, Joseph, Johann, Anastasia, Julius, Adolf Bernhard, and Jacob. Joseph Klinkosch died on 23 May 1884 in Głazica at age 48. I do not think Friderike remarried and I have not yet found her death record.

Johann and Friderike's son Franz Pionke married Cecilia Lackowska in Strzepcz in 1885. They had 10 children: Bertha, Cecilia, Bernhard, Joseph, Pelagia, August, Franz, Julius, Klara, and Paul. As of 1908, Franz and his family were still living in Poland (West Prussia).

I do not know what became of daughter Rosalia—I have not yet found her marriage or death record.

August Pionke in the new world

August Pionke, the eldest son of Johann and Friderike, immigrated to the U.S. in 1888 at age 29. I have not found any record of his siblings or half-siblings emigrating.

Like my Pionke relatives, August settled in Lake View, Illinois (now part of Chicago's north side) and belonged to the St. Josaphat Catholic parish. St. Josaphat's was founded Kashubian immigrants like the Pionkes who wanted their own parish. This August Pionke was closely associated with the family of my relative Anna (Pionke) Sychowski but I do not yet know exactly how they were related.

In 1891, August Pionke married Augustina Piefke (Piwka) at St. Josaphat's. Augustina was from Zęblewo; quite likely their families knew each other in the old country. August and Augustina had seven children together, six of whom lived to adulthood. A future post will cover their family in greater detail.

Pionke Friday: We will post more about the Pionkes next Friday. This is the fourth post in a series about the Pionke, Pionk, and Pionek families here in the U.S. and back in the home country. Next week: my 4th-great-grandparents, Paul Pionk and Anna Bazowa.

Related posts:

• Early Pionke and Pionek Families in Chicago and Wisconsin
• More Early Pionke and Related Families in Chicago, Wisconsin, and Michigan
• Będargowo - Part I: A different story of Adam and Eve
• Będargowo - Part II: What the Prussians tell us
• On the trails of our ancestors
• Pionke — The mystery of a name

© TreeQuest: An Unexpected Journey 2016

Acknowledgement:

Thanks to Michael Pionke for providing information about the term Abbau and its Polish equivalent pustkowie. He further clarified that such a location was settled in later than the main village. According to Google Translate, pustkowie means wilderness or even wasteland. So we could imagine that these terms referred to a small group of homes in an area that was still relatively rural or wild.

Reference:

• Family History Library Films: 162398, 544878, 850293 (Item 3), 529478 (Item 3), 544879. Katholische Kirche Strepsch (Kr. Neustadt).
• Family History Library Films: 72034. Kościół rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja Luzino (Wejherowo).
• FamilySearch.com: Illinois, Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925 [must login to view images]
• GenBaza.com: AP Gdansk, Urzedy Stanu Ciwilnego, Smażyno (2088). [account and login required]
• PTG Pomorskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne (Pomeranian Genealogical Association) - birth, marriage, death indexes.

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