Thomas Jankowski and Marianna Frackowiak

Family Group Sheet

Marianna Frackowiak was the fourth child born to Chrysostomo and Marianna Frackowiak, on August 20, 1826 in Drzewce, Poland. She was the older sister of Barbara Frackowiak, who would become Constantin Jankowski's wife, and thus Lena's grandmother. Marianna married Thomas Jankowski, Constantin's cousin, on November 16, 1851 in Czarkowo, 11 months before Barbara and Constantin would marry. The young couple resided in Franciszkowo, a small hamlet up the road from Czarkowo.

Thomas and Marianna immediately began a family, Marianna giving birth to a daughter, Margarita, on July 8, 1852. She was followed by a son, Antonius, almost 2 years later. Then, in late summer 1857, tragedy struck the family. Marianna gave birth to twins, Bartholomew and Marianna, on August 24, 1857. Complications arose, and the mother Marianna died during childbirth. One can only imagine in those days, the chances of an infant surviving without a mother, much less twin infants. Bartholomew and Marianna both passed away on September 5th, 1857, just 12 days old, and just 12 days after the passing of their mother. A very sad story...imagine the grief and shock that had to have taken hold on Thomas. Here he was with 2 young children to raise, and just having lost his wife and 2 children.

Shortly thereafter, Thomas remarried to Francisca Zjerikatka. It was not common in those days for a father to raise children alone. Generally, when a mother died young, the father would re-marry quickly. A mother was a necessity for young children. Thomas and Francisca had at least 3 children themselves - Thomas in December 1859, Michael in September 1861, and Francisca in February 1866. Little is known of the family beyond this.