Monday, March 6, 2017

Early Sychowski Families in Chicago

This post is an introduction to the Sychowski families who came to Chicago in the late 19th century.

Daughters of Frank and Anna (Pionke)
Sychowski, c. 1905 Chicago
Let me begin by saying that I am not a Sychowski descendant. However, my family tree connects to Sychowski families at least four different times—beginning with Albertina Stefanowska (sister of my 3rd-great-grandmother Josephine Pionke), who married Franz v. Sychowski in 1840.

As I began to add these Sychowski branches to my tree, I found many other Sychowskis in Chicago records. For example, there were four different Joseph Sychowskis born between 1854 and 1857 living in Chicago. There were three Johns and three Augusts in this age range. Which were related to me? How were they related to each other?

Eventually I discovered that there were five different Sychowski family groups who migrated from West Prussia to Chicago. Three of these families are closely related to each other. There is every chance that they are all related to one another but there are too many missing records to establish that as fact. Perhaps their male descendants will be able to prove it with yDNA testing.

Noble roots


Many people researching their family trees hope to find royal or noble ancestors. Well, if you descend from one of these Sychowski families, congratulations! You had noble ancestors. All of these families are called "v. Sychowski" (von Sychowski) in early records which, in that context, indicates a noble family. In many cases, the priest also wrote some form of "nobilis" in the record to indicate the family's status.

However, only one Sychowski kept the "von" in his name upon arriving in Chicago—and even he only used it sporadically. The surname von Sychowski only appears in an early city directory and on August's headstone at St. Joseph Cemetery.

August and Mathilda (Drogosch) von Sychowski
headstone, St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery


The five Sychowski family groups in Chicago are outlined below.




This map shows the parishes Luzino, Rozłazino, Góra, Strzepcz, and Kielno where the Chicago Sychowski families lived before emigrating.






1. Descendants of Johann v. Sychowski and Elisabeth or Catharina Kaszuba


Johann v. Sychowski was the son of Joseph v. Sychowski and Elisabeth Kryża. He was born in Bratka (a small settlement northeast of Łebno) and was baptized in Strzepcz Catholic parish. He was married in the early 1830's to Catharina or Elisabeth Kaszuba (Kaschuba), probably in Strzepcz. Johann and his wife settled in Szenkowana (further east of Łebno), in Kielno parish. They later moved to nearby Donimierz. Their six children were all baptized in Kielno.

Three of Johann's children emigrated. Michael and Franz traveled together in 1872, but for some reason Michael settled in Chicago and Franz in Albany, New York. Their sister Marianna immigrated to Chicago with her husband and children around 1879. Michael and Marianna both belonged to St. Stanislaus Kostka, Chicago's first Polish parish, when they arrived. Both families later joined St. Josaphat's, a Kashubian parish, when it opened in 1884.

  • Michael Sychowski married Julianna Zielinska - 7 children.
  • Franz Sychowski (Frank Zehoskie) married Albertina (Bertha) Sikora - 10 children.
  • Marianna (Mary) Sychowski married Johann (John) P. Pranschke - 7 children.

2. Descendants of Anton v. Sychowski and Anna Socha


Anton v. Sychowski was the son of Joseph v. Sychowski and Elisabeth Kryża, and the brother of Johann (above). He was also born in Bratka and baptized in Strzepcz. He married Anna Socha around 1843, probably in Strzepcz. Their eight children were all born in Zęblewo and baptized in Strzepcz.

Anton died in 1867. His widow and all but one of their living children immigrated to Chicago between 1882 and 1887. Anna (Socha) Sychowska and her children also settled in the neighborhood of St. Josaphat's parish. They all remained in that parish until their deaths.

My family is closely connected to this Sychowski family. Anton and Anna's son Frank married Anna Pionke, sister of my 2nd-great-grandfather Joseph. Frank and Anna's son Bernard married Victoria Kunkel, sister of my great-grandmother Anna. And Frank and Anna's grandson Joseph Sychowski married Helen Nagel, a cousin of my grandmother Helen Pionke.

  • Johann (John) Sychowski married Franciska (Frances) Baranowska - 15 children.
  • August Franz (Frank) Sychowski married Anna Pionke - 15 children.
  • Joseph Sychowski married Anna Patock - 12 children.
  • Augusta Emilia Sychowska married Johann (John) Zuchola - 8 children.
  • Mathilda Pauline Sychowska married Joseph Samp - 8 children.

3. Descendants of Franz v. Sychowski and Albertina Stefanowska


Franz v. Sychowski was the son of Joseph v. Sychowski and Elisabeth Kryża, and the brother of Johann and Anton (above). He married Albertina Stefanowska in Kielno in 1840. Their nine children were all baptized in that parish. This family also lived in Szenkowana.

Three of Franz and Albertina's children immigrated to Chicago between 1882 and 1888. In addition, the husband of their eldest daughter Anna, who had died in Poland, came to Chicago with their children in 1891. All of them settled in St. Josaphat's parish and lived in Chicago for the rest of their lives.

  • Anna Sychowska married Franz (Frank) Schefke or Szewka - 6 children.
  • Johann (John) Sychowski married Augustine Radiszewska - no children.
  • Joseph Sychowski married Ottilia Schroeder - 4 children.
  • Mathilda Sychwoska married Michael Samp - 11 children.

4. Descendants of Constantin v. Sychowski and Barbara Roraff


Constantin v. Sychowski was almost certainly the son of Anton v. Sychowski and Anna v. Szymerowska. He married Barbara Roraff around 1845, likely in Góra or Wejherowo Catholic parish. They lived in Zelewo (Seelau) and their children were baptized in Góra.

Constantin and his family were the first Sychowskis to come to Chicago, and among the earliest Kashubian families. He and Barbara immigrated in 1866 with their six living children. There was no Polish parish in Chicago at that time, so they belonged to the German parish St. Michael's. Constantin and Barbara's adult children moved to St. Stanislaus Kostka parish when it opened a few years later, and then to St. Josaphat's when it was founded in the mid 1880's. In fact, Constantin's son August was a member of St. Josaphat's founding committee.

  • Johann Sychowski (John Secoske) married Augusta Felstau or Wielestowska - 8 children.
  • Albertina Sychowska married Jacob Gierszewski or Jerszewski - 6 children.
  • August Sychowski (Sikowske) married Pauline Hintz - 10 children.
  • Joseph Sychowski (Sekowski) married Johanna Klebba - 11 children.
  • Rosalia (Rose) Sychowska married Adam Ficht - 3 children.

Constantin's sister Albertina (v. Sychowska) v. Bobrucki (or Bobrytzke) also immigrated to Chicago, as did children of their sisters Augustina (v. Sychowska) Liss and Theresa (v. Sychowska) Musa (or Muza).


5. Descendants of August v. Sychowski and Pauline v. Tuchlinska


August v. Sychowski was the son of Anton v. Sychowski and Anna v. Dąbrowska (Dombrowska). He was born in Strzebielino and was baptized in Luzino Catholic parish. He married Pauline v. Tuchlinska in Rozłazino parish in 1843. Their 10 children were all born in Kętrzyno and baptized in Rozłazino.

Four of August and Pauline's sons immigrated to Chicago between 1878 and 1884. All but one (Joseph) settled in Chicago's German St. Alphonsus parish. Joseph and his family lived in the nearby Kashubian St. Josaphat parish.

  • August Sychowski married Mathilde Drogosz - 12 children.
  • Franz (Frank) Sychowski married (1) Mary Thill - 3 children; (2) Lena (maiden name unknown) - 1 child.
  • Rudolph Sychowski married Anna Grzenkowicz - 4 children.
  • Joseph Sychowski married Pauline Rohde - 7 children.

We will post more about each of these Chicago area Sychowski families later this year.




Note: This post is part of a series about Sychowski families who came to Chicago in the late 19th century. Next up: family of Anton v. Sychowski and Anna Socha.

Related posts:




© TreeQuest: An Unexpected Journey 2017.



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