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GRACZ Family History, Part I

The Gracz family was reportedly from Wiśniewka in modern-day Sępólno county, Poland. The 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 William I of Prussia. Von Bismarch engineered the unification of Germany and gained parts of northern Germany during the Danish and Austrian wars (1865-1866). In 1867 he became chancellor of the North German Confederation. Later when the German Empire was formed in 1871 and William 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. Symon Gracz emigrated in 1886 or 1887 and the following year, 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. Szymon's younger sister Ludwika² and her husband Jan Wargin² followed in 1890.

Three of Szymon's sons who left Milwaukee and moved west changed the spelling of the family name to Grace.

Józef GRACZ¹

1. Józef Gracz¹ and his wife Julianna Brzezińska¹ had at least two children, perhaps more, who emigrated from Poland to Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

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

Julius GRACZ^Δ

X.Julius Gracz^Δ is only known from one source so far. The descendants of his daughter Antonia have sizable DNA matches with the descendants of Józef Gracz¹ that suggest Julius and Józef could be brothers. Julius is known to have at least one daughter:

Daughter Antonia immigrated in 1886 or 1887^{[Cen 1910, 1920]} and married Joseph Stanley Pyszora (1862-1939) a year later on April 24, 1888, at St. Peter & Paul's Catholic Church in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.^{[Mar 1888]}. They took up residence at 819 South 19th Street in Saint Joseph by 1900 and raised three daughters.^{[Cen 1900-1920]}

Szymon "Simon" GRACZ^Δ (1859-1918)

11.Szymon "Simon" Gracz was born in October 1859 in West Prussia.^{[Cen 1920]} He emigrated to America 1886^{[Cen 1910]} or 1887^{[Cen 1900]} and married Maryanna "Mary" Sztych on January 17, 1888, in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.^{[Mar 1888]} They had ten children:

11A.	Franciszka "Frances" W. GraczΔ	9 Mar 1889	14 May 1989	(100)
11B.	Anton "Tony" Gracz/Grace	10 Jun 1890	8 Jan 1996	(105)
11C.	Maryann Gracz•	20 Aug 1891	12 Feb 1960	(68)
11D.	Stanisław "Stanley" Gracz	6 May 1893	10 Mar 1928	(34)
11E.	Praxeda "Sadie" GraczΔ	31 Oct 1894	19 Jun 1970	(75)
11F.	Roman Gracz	21 Jul 1897	27 Feb 1974	(76)
11G.	Szymon "Simon" P. Gracz/Grace	1 Oct 1899	12 Jun 1973	(73)
11H.	Jan "John" Gracz/Grace	27 Mar 1902	20 Nov 1970	(68)
11I.	Franciszek "Frank" Casimer Gracz	15 Feb 1905	6 Oct 1991	(86)
11J.	Raymond "Jerry" Michael Gracz	31 Aug 1910	22 Dec 1944	(34)

Milwaukee Streets, Ward 14

The Gracz family lived at 1062 Midland Avenue (unlocated, between 4th and 5th Avenues) in Milwaukee^{[Cen 1900]}; in Lake Township, south of Milwaukee^{[Cen 1910]}; and at 1299 4th Avenue (unlocated, between two segments of Midland Avenue) in Milwaukee.^{[Cen 1920]} All of which were part of the 14th Ward.

The Gracz family lived at 1062 Midland Avenue by 1900 where Simon worked as a foundry laborer. Eldest daughter Franciszka, age 11, was the only one who attended school that year.^{[Cen 1900]}

The family was living at 1171 Windlake Avenue where son John was born in 1902.^{[Birth 1902]}

In 1905 Simon worked as a day laborer and children Frances and Anton worked as factory laborers.^{[Cen 1905]}

In 1910 the Gracz family lived at 1286 4th Avenue in Lake Township, South Milwaukee, where Simon worked as a chipper at a steel foundry; Stanislaw worked as a craneman at a foundry; and daughters Frances, Mary, and "Cecilia" (Praxeda) all worked as machine operators at a knitting works.

Szymon "Simon" Gracz died on August 23, 1918, and was buried in Saint Adalberts Cemetery in Milwaukee. He was 58 years old.^[Grave]

Son Roman registered for the draft the day after his father died and revealed that they lived at 1299 4th Avenue (near Midland Avenue).^{[Draft 1917]} In 1920, Mary's four sons and her married daughter Frances and her family lived with them. Roman worked as a machinist at a machine shop (International Harvester Company^{[Draft 1917]}); son-in-law John Nowak worked as a foreman at a machine shop; Simon worked as a packer at a tannery; Frances worked as an inspector at a knitting factory; and Frank worked as a packer at a knitting factory.^{[Cen 1920]}

Maryanna (Sztych) Gracz died four years later on June 10, 1923, and was buried with Simon in Saint Adalberts Cemetery. She was 54 years old.^[Grave]

Ludwika "Louise" (GRACZ) WARGIN² (1869-1943)

12. Ludwika "Louise" Gracz² was born on August 23, 1869, in Wiśniewka, Western Prussia (modern-day Złotów county, Poland). She married Jan P(iotr) Wargin² on February 5, 1888, in Wiśniewka^{[Mar 1888, Cen 1900]} and both immigrated by way of Ellis Island, New York, in 1890^{[Cen 1900, 1910]} and were naturalized in 1903^{[Cen 1920]}. They settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and had 12 children:

11A.	Melania "Millie" Wargin	Dec 1888	10 May 1965	(76)
11B.	Helena Wargin	31 Dec 1890	1 Aug 1941	(50)
11C.	Anastazja "Nettie" Wargin	25 Dec 1892	10 Aug 1935	(42)
11D.	Stanislaus Wargin	8 May 1895	1896	(Infancy)
11E.	Mary "Marie" Wargin	10 Jun 1897	16 Aug 1971	(74)
11F.	Roman Aloysius Wargin	4 Aug 1899	11 Dec 1929	(30)
11G.	Bernard A. Wargin	13 Aug 1901	25 Nov 1973	(72)
11H.	Hipolita Wargin	13 Aug 1901	--	--
11I.	Sylvester Thomas Wargin	29 Dec 1903	2 Jul 1966	(62)
11J.	Antonia Wargin	14 Jan 1906	14 Jan 1906	(Infancy)
11K.	Casimer Stanley Wargin3	21 Jul 1907	8 Jan 1984	(76)
11L.	Jadwiga "Hedwig" Wargin	1911	1926	(15)

After immigrating, John Wargin settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and opened a tailor shop. By 1900, the Wargins were living at 819 First Avenue in Milwaukee and had been naturalized as a U.S. citizen^{[Cen 1900]}. For the next three decades the family was enumerated at 911 First Avenue^{[Cen 1910-1930]} (now renumbered and renamed as 2201 South 6th Steet). John ran a small tailor shop in an outbuilding behind their home.

Most, if not all, of the Wisconsin-born children were baptized in the Basilica of St. Josaphat, a Polish Roman Catholic church about half a block away from their childhood home and John's tailor shop.

Jan "John" Wargin died in Milwaukee at his residence at 2201 South 6th Street on March 1, 1931. He died of cerebral apoplexy (stroke) after falling ill to hypostatic pneumonia a week prior. He was 66 years old and worked 45 years as a tailor, right up until he developed pneumonia. He was buried at Saint Adalberts Cemetery in Milwaukee.^{[Dth 1931]} John and Louise had been married about 43 years.

After John's death, Ludwika lived with daughter Mary in a "Polish bungalow" off West Lincoln Avenue at 2228 South 18th Street.^{[Cen 1940]}

Ludwika "Louise" (Gracz) Wargin died 12 years later of a cerebral hemorrhage caused by hypertension on May 27, 1943 in Milwaukee at the home of her daughter, Mary, at 711 West Lincoln Avenue. She was also buried at Saint Adalberts Cemetery in Milwaukee. She was 73 years old.^{[Dth 1943]}

Continue on to Part II