Of all the early Pionke families in Wisconsin and Chicago, only this one came from Posen, not West Prussia. This family lived Wilanowiec (Wilhelmshöhe) in the parish of Ujście (formerly Usch, kreis Kolmar, Posen, Prussia).
Johann Pionke (Piontke, Piontek), son of Martin, married Anna Marianna Janke (Yonke), daughter of Gottlieb, in Ujście Catholic parish in 1856. According to the marriage record, he was 26 and she was 21. Johann's birth year is not certain, however; the birth date recorded on his tombstone is 21 April 1826.
The map below shows the villages Wilanowiec and Ujście.
Johann Pionke and Anna Marianna Janke had three children who later immigrated to Wisconsin. There were probably other children, but I have not seen the Ujście parish records.
- Martin Francis Pionke was born about 1860.
- Julianna (Julia) Pionke was born about 1864.
- Joseph Ernest Pionke was born in Ujście on 29 November 1869.
Johann's son Martin Pionke was married in Ujście before the family emigrated. He married Cecelia Brocka (Brotski), daughter of Anton Brocki and Marianna Goitsmacher, on 29 May 1883. Their first two sons, Franz and Martin, were both baptized in Ujście.
Anna Marianna (Janke) Pionke did not emigrate with her family. Most likely she died in or before 1885.
Emigration
Martin Pionke and his sister Julia emigrated first. They departed from Hamburg on 12 April 1885 on the Lessing and arrived in New York on 25 April. According to the passenger list, their last residence was Wilhelmshöhe, Posen, now Wilanowiec (see map above). Martin's wife was pregnant with their second child when her husband left for the new world.
 |
| Siblings Martin and Julianna Pionke of Wilhelmshöhe, Posen, Hamburg passenger list, 12 April 1885 ship - Lessing |
A few months later, Martin and Julia were joined by their father and brother, along with Martin's wife and infant son. Johann, Joseph, Cecelia (Brotski), and baby Martin Pionke left Hamburg on 12 August 1885 aboard the Frisia and arrived in New York on 27 August. This passenger list confirms that the family resided in Wilanowiec.
 |
| Johann Pionke of Wilhelmshöhe, Posen, and family, Hamburg passenger list, 12 August 1885, ship - Frisia |
Although there are some errors in this record—surname seemingly spelled "Pirnke" and baby Martin's name recorded as Josef—this is clearly the same family. Indeed, Joseph Pionke's obiturary confirms that he came to the U.S. at age 15 with his father and sister-in-law.
Life in Wisconsin
Unlike the other Pionke families in this series, there is no evidence that this family lived in Chicago prior to settling in Wisconsin. Johann Pionke and his sons were no doubt drawn to Wisconsin by the prospect of owning and farming their own land. There they joined a thriving Polish-American community in Portage County, many of whom came from West Prussia and Posen.
Because Johann Pionke died before the 1900 census, there is little record of his life in Wisconsin. He resided in Almond, Portage County, where presumably he was a farmer. Johann died on 7 January 1900 in Almond.
