Brzeziński Family History, Part I

The Brzeziński family was from Radawnica, Złotów county, Poland. This area was part of the historical Krajna ("borderland") region between Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) and Pomerania (Pomorze) and included the modern-day counties of Złotów and Sępólno. The region was annexed by Prussia during the First Partition of Poland in 1772 and became part of Westpreussen (Westpreußen).

Prussia, essentially northern and southwestern Poland, regained Poznań and parts of northern Germany in 1815. Otto Von Bismarch became Minister-President of Prussia (1862-1890) under King Wilhelm I of Prussia (1861-1888) and engineered the unification of Germany and gained parts of northern Germany during the Danish and Austrian wars (1865-1866). In 1867, Von Bismarch became chancellor of the North German Confederation. Later when the German Empire was formed in 1871 and Wilhelm I became emperor, Von Bismarck became its first chancellor.

In 1872 the German parliament ordered compulsory instruction of German in all schools and outlawed the speaking of Polish in public. In 1888, the Prussian parliament established a commission for the purpose of purchasing land from Poles in Wielkopolskie and leasing that land to German colonists. This accelerated the Polish emigration wave to America.

Jakub Brzeziński¹

1.Jakub Brzeziński¹ is the progenitor of our line. He married Rosalie Wenda¹ and reportedly had as many as nine children, possibly ten, most of whom, if not all, were born and baptized in Radawnitz, Flatow, West Prussia (modern-day Radawnica, Złotów, Poland).^{[Dth 1900]}

Their first three children were born under Prussian occupation in the Province of Westpreußen, but in 1829 the West and East provinces were merged to form the Province of Prussia, which lasted until 1878 when the recently formed German Empire reestablished the two provinces.

Possible son Aleksander emigrated to America in 1884 and settled in the town of Pike Lake, Marathon County, Wisconsin. This was followed by Julianna's children Szymon, who emigrated in 1886 or 1887, and Julianna, who emigrated in 1891; both settled in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Similarly, two of Jan's daughters emigrated in 1890 and settled in Marathon County, Wisconsin; and Zuzanna's children settled in Milwaukee between 1889 and 1893.

Jan Brzeziński^Δ (~1821-1900)

11.Jan Brzeziński^Δ was born about 1820 or 1821 in Radawnitz, Flatow, West Prussia (modern-day Radawnica, Złotów, Poland) and appears in Prussian records with the German spelling of Johann. He married Katarzyna Daas/Daus/Dausz/Dosz^{[Dth 1900]} by 1860 and had as many as nine children, one son and eight daughters:

Jan remained in Prussian-occupied Poland, but daughters Antonia (Brzezińska) Jagodzinski and Barbara (Brzezińska) Wojciechowski emigrated to America around 1890 and settled in Marathon County, Wisconsin. Antonia settled in Marathon City and Barbara settled about 10 miles west in the town of Rietbock. Jan's possible brother, Alexander, immigrated earlier in 1884 and also settled in Marathon County.

Andrzej Brzeziński^Δ (1823-1895)

12.Andrzej Brzeziński^Δ was born on November 25, 1823, and baptized on November 30 in Radawnitz, Flatow, West Prussia (modern-day Radawnica, Złotów, Poland). He reportedly married Nepomuzena Binkowska, a native of Kuszewo, Wągrowiec (then West Prussian Proberen), 100 kilometers south of the Brzeziński hometown of Radawnica. They had at least one daughter:

Daughter Franciszka was reportedly born in Kuszewo.

Julianna (Brzezińska) Gracz (1827->1869)²

13. Julianna Brzezińska² was born on February 12, 1827, in Radawnitz, Flatow, West Prussia (modern-day Radawnica, Złotów, Poland). She married Józef Gracz¹ in 1845 in Radawnica. Józef reportedly had been widowed earlier that year with two young children. Julianna and Józef remarried later in 1845 in Radawnica. They had as many as five children, two of whom emigrated from Poland to Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

“Joseph” and Julia were identified on the marriage record of son Szymon in 1888.^{[Mar 1888]}

Continue on to the Gracz Family

Joanna (Brzezińska) Slowinski

16 . Joanna Brzezińska was born on June 4, 1835, and baptized on 7 June in Radawnitz, Flatow, Prussia (modern-day Radawnica, Złotów, Poland). She reportedly married a Slowinski, but nothing further is known yet.

Joanna (Brzezińska) Slowinski reportedly died on May 4, 1893, in Radawnitz.

Zuzanna (Brzezińska) Wojtal^Δ (1837-1876)

17. Zuzanna Brzezińska^Δ was reportedly born about August 14, 1837, and baptized about August 17 in Radawnitz, Flatow, Prussia (modern-day Radawnica, Złotów, Poland). She married Paweł ("Paul") Wojtal (also anglecized as Woytal and Woythal) on November 23, 1857 in Radawnitz. They had as many as eight children, at least four of whom emigrated to the United States and settled in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin:

Zuzanna and Paweł wed two months after her father died at around the age of 70.

Son Felix was reportedly born in Blankwitt, Flatow, Prussia (modern-day Blękwit, Złotów, Poland), about 12 kilometers south of the Brzeziński hometown of Radawnica; son Baltazar in Flatow (Złotów); and son Aleksander in Gdańsk, Pomerania. Children Felix, Baltazar, Agnes, and Alexander all migrated to the United States and settled in Milwaukee; Baltazar and Agnes emigrated in 1889, Felix in 1890, and Alexander in 1892 or 1893.

Zuzanna (Brzezińska) Wojtal reportedly died on July 17, 1876, in Blankwitt, a year after her last child was born, at the young age of 38.

Aleksander Brzeziński^Δ (1848-1902)

19. Aleksander "Alexander" Brzeziński^Δ was reportedly born on February 17, 1848, in Prussian-occupied Poland. He married Julianna Cherek, reportedly a native of Klaniny, Starogard County, around 1876 or 1877. They had eleven children, the first three of whom were born in German-occupied Poland, and of whom only seven survived to 1900.^{[Cen 1900]}

Son Teodor reportedly died at the age of 21 months and was buried in Schliewitz, Tuchel, West Prussia (modern-day Śliwice, Tuchola County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship). Soon afterward the Brzeziński family emigrated to America in 1884 or 1885 and settled in Pike Lake, Marathon County, Wisconsin by the birth of son Peter in 1889. They farmed in Pike Lake and live near Julianna's brothers Jacob and Peter Cherek.^{[Cen 1900]}

Aleksander Brzeziński died on May 8, 1902, in Marathon County, at the age of 54. He was buried at Saint Ladislaus Cemetery in Bevent, Marathon County.^[Grave]

After Aleksander's death, Julianna remarried in 1905 or 1906 to Paweł "Paul" Kryshak, a widower with seven grown children and a veteran of three German Wars, including the Franco-Prussian War of 1871. By 1910 they lived with Julianna's son Joseph and his family in Pike Lake.^{[Cen 1910]}

Paul Kryshak died nine years later on October 4, 1919, in Wausau, Marathon County, at the age of about 84, and was buried at Saint Michael Cemetery in Wausau.^[Grave] Interestingly, his obituary did not mention Julianna.

After Paul's death, Julianna continued to live with son Joseph and his family in Bevent, Marathon County (which may refer to Pike Lake).^{[Cen 1920]}

Julianna (Cherek Brzeziński) Kryshak died on August 10, 1921, at the age of 61, and was buried with Aleksander at Saint Ladislaus Cemetery.