Family of Joseph Pionke and Susanna Mrozewska

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

Today's post is our first look at the descendants of Johann Pionk and Marianna Małoszycka of Będargowo. Three of their children—Marianna, Franz, and Joseph—were parents of Pionke and Pionek immigrants in Chicago and Wisconsin. I will begin with the family of their son Joseph Pionke and his wife Susanna Mrozewska.

Joseph Pionk or Pionke was the fourth of six children born to Johann and Marianna. He was born on 28 February 1819 in Będargowo and baptized in Strzepcz Catholic parish (St. Mary Magdalene). His siblings were born in the same village, and his parents remained there until his father's death.

Joseph Pionk, 1819 baptism record, Strzepcz parish

Susanna Magdalena Mrozewska was the daughter of Adam Mrozewski and Marianna Belgrowa or Belgraf. She was born in 1825 and baptized in Sierakowice Catholic parish (St. Martin). By the time Susanna got married, her family had moved from Sierakowice parish to Strzepcz parish. After Susanna's father died, her mother married Johann Cyman (Ziemann), which is why Susanna's surname is recorded as Cyman in some records.

Joseph Pionke married Susanna Mrozewska on 26 January 1846 in Strzepcz parish. He was a day laborer, age 26, and she was 21. Both were residents of Będargowo. Their first four children were all born in this village.

Joseph Pionk - Susanna Mrozewska
1846 marriage record, Strzepcz parish (item #5)

Children of Joseph Pionke and Susanna Mrozewska

Joseph and Susanna had seven children in 20 years. All but Antonina were baptized in Strzepcz; she was baptized in Sianowo. Son Albert's baptism was recorded in both Strzepcz and Sianowo parish books. By the time their youngest children were born, Joseph and Susanna had moved from Będargowo to nearby Łebno.

• Marianna was born on 23 March 1847 in Będargowo.
• Martianna was born on 12 October 1849 in Będargowo.
• Johann (John Pionek) was born on 1 November 1852 in Będargowo.
• Adalbert (Albert Pionek) was born on 20 December 1855 in Będargowo.
• Franz was born on 27 February 1860 in Łebno.
• Antonina (Antonia) was born on 18 October 1863. (I have not yet seen her baptism record and thus do not know her birthplace.)
• Rosalia (Rose) was born on 28 September 1866 in Łebno.

Susanna (Mrozewska) Pionke died on 19 March 1870 in Łebno of an apoplexy or stroke. She was only 45 years old. Joseph was left with seven children, three of whom were under age 10.

Joseph Pionke married second wife Julianna Leik on 1 October 1871. According to the marriage record, Julianna was about 40 years old and unmarried. Joseph and Juianna had one child:

• Ignatz Joseph Pionke was born on 8 February 1878 in Gowino. He died on 5 March 1878 in that same village.

By the late 1870s, Joseph and his family had moved from Łebno to Gowino, in the Luzino parish. Between 1882 and 1892, Johann, Albert, Antonina, and Rosalia all immigrated to the U.S. Marianna and Franz both remained in Poland. I do not know what became of their sister Martianna; thus far I have not found her marriage or death record.

Joseph Pionke died on 28 August 1893 in Gowino at age 74. His wife Julianna died on 19 March 1906 in Gowino at about age 75.

This map shows the location of the parishes of Sierakowice, Strzepcz, Luzino, and Wejherowo; and the villages Będargowo, Łebno, Gowino, Rekowo, and Lisewo.

The family remaining in West Prussia

Joseph and Susanna's eldest daughter Marianna married Jacob Bigus in Zukowo parish in 1871. I do not know why she was in this parish rather than Strzepcz. Jacob and Marianna had two children, Martha and Johann (born in Wysoka). Jacob died before 1885 and Marianna married second husband Hermann Heinrich Elias Blaar in Luzino that year. They had one son, Johann Aloysius, born in Wejherowo. Unfortunately, Hermann died in 1887. Marianna married her third husband, Michael Radyszewski, in Luzino in 1899. She died in Lisewo later that year.

Franz Pionke married Emilia Papke in Luzino parish in 1886. They had 12 children: Mathilde, Agnes, Anna, Joseph, Helene, Johanna, Franz, Martha, August, Paul, Ottilie, and Anton. The family lived first in Gowino and later in Rekowo (near Reda). They were still living in Poland in 1907.

I have not found any record of either of these families emigrating.

Immigration and the Pionke siblings in Chicago

Four of Joseph and Susanna's children—John, Albert, Antonia, and Rose— migrated to Chicago and settled in the St. Josaphat parish in Lake View (now Chicago's north side). St. Josaphat's was founded in 1884 by Kashubians like the Pionkes and most of the parishioners were Kashubian. The siblings all lived very close to one another. Interestingly, they also lived very near to two sons of Jacob Pionke and Franciska Leik.

The map below shows their addresses in Chicago, converted to modern street names and numbering. Antonia Potrykus lived at 2648 N Wayne Ave; Rose Ranachowski lived across the street at 2649 N Wayne Ave. John and Albert Pionke or Pionek lived at 1318 W Schubert Ave. Note how close they were to Albert Pionke (son of Jacob) at 1308 W Schubert and his brother Valentine Pionke or Pionek at 2638 N Wayne.



It seems that Albert Pionke (later Pionek) was the first of his family to immigrate to the U.S. According to his Chicago voting record, he arrived about 1883. He may have traveled with his youngest sister Rosalia, but I have not found their immigration records. Albert never married. He lived in the same household as elder brother John in Chicago.

John Pionke (later Pionek) married Anna Tessmer before they emigrated (in Luzino parish, 1877). Their first three children were born in Gowino. The family arrived in the U.S. in 1885 and at first settled in Chicago, where four more children were born.

According to census records, Rose Pionke arrived in the U.S. between 1881 and 1884. She married Joseph Bystrom at St. Josaphat's in 1886. Sadly, he died less than a year later. In 1889, she married second husband Joseph Ranachowski, also at St. Josaphat's. Joseph and Rose remained in Chicago until their deaths.

Antonia Pionke arrived in 1892 with one-year-old daughter Martha. Later that year, she married widower Frank Potrykus at St. Josaphat's. Like her sister Rose, Antonia and her husband remained in Chicago for the rest of their lives.

John and Albert Pionek in Wisconsin

In about 1891 or 1892, John and Anna (Tessmer) moved to Carson, Portage County, Wisconsin, where their last three children were born. Albert likely moved with his brother. John and Albert were both farmers and owned their own land. John and Anna lived in nearby Stevens Point in their later years.

Like Valentine Pionek (son of Jacob Pionk and Franciska Leik), John and Albert both used the surname "Pionek" after they moved to Wisconsin. It is worth noting that in Chicago, like the old country, their names were recorded as "Pionk" in church records and "Pionke" in civil records.


Joseph Pionke and Susanna Mrozewska had seven children and at least 44 grandchildren. They had at least 66 great-grandchildren in the U.S. Future post will cover the lives of their children in greater detail.

Pionke Friday: We will post more about the Pionkes next Friday. This is the sixth post in a series about the Pionke, Pionk, and Pionek families here in the U.S. and back in the home country. Next: Family of Franz Pionk and Josephine Perszon.

Related posts:

• The Family of Franz Pionk and Josephine Perschon
(Franz was the brother of Joseph)
• 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.

Reference:

• Family History Library Films: 162398, 544878, 850293 (Item 3), 529478 (Item 3), 544879. Katholische Kirche Strepsch (Kr. Neustadt).
• Family History Library Films: 528006. 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, Wejherowo (2114); Wejherowo Zamek (2115). [account and login required]
• PTG Pomorskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne (Pomeranian Genealogical Association) - birth, marriage, death indexes.

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