Albert Brodzinski became the first child born to Nicholas and Marga Klonowska Brodzinski on April 13, 1859 in Zatorowizna, Poland, a small farming community about 4 miles from the Parish town of Skrwilno in Plock, Poland. His birth name was Wojciech, which in Polish translates to Albert. Albert was baptized in the Parish Church in Skrwilno. In time, Nicholas and Marga would bear 9 other children. Among Albert's siblings was a sister Margaretta, better known as Sophie, born when Albert was 11 years old. Sophie would eventually marry Frank Peter Zielinski and give birth to Anton "Lawrence" Zielinski. This would make Albert the uncle of Lawrence Zielinski, who married Lena Jankowski, the subject of thelenaweb.

In 1885, Albert became the first in his family to leave Poland and immigrate to the United States. On June 3rd of that year, at the age of 26, he boarded the S.S. Rhaetia in Hamburg, Germany. After 2 weeks at sea, the Rhaetia docked at Castle Garden, New York, on the southern tip of Manhattan. Castle Garden had been an abandoned military fort and a luxurious theater before becoming an immigration processing station. Here, Albert and others like him would have been subject to an inspection of their mental, physical, and financial well-being before being allowed to enter the country.

From New York, Albert made his way to Menominee, Michigan. It is not known if he went directly there or if he made his way there over time. What is known is that, once in Menominee, Albert spent the remainder of his life there. Menominee was on the verge of becoming a booming lumber town. The city had only been chartered in 1883, but by 1900, the population had swelled to 16,000 residents. In its heyday, Menominee produced more lumber than any other city in the United States. As such, demand for laborers would have been high and jobs all but guaranteed for hard-working immigrants.

The first official record of Albert's presence in Menominee is his marriage record. On April 23, 1890, almost 5 years after entering the United States, Albert married Katherine "Kate" Szukelski in a Roman Catholic service in Menominee. Albert was 31. Kate was 18, and had been born in Wisconsin. Over the next 20 years, Kate gave birth to 8 children: Lena, August, Emil, Victoria, Sylvester, John, Andrew, and Michael. The family resided at 1216 Spies Avenue (now 15th Avenue) from at least 1897 until the late 1940's.

Albert passed away at his home early on the morning of January 15, 1923. He had been suffering from stomach cancer. Kate continued to reside at the house on Spies Avenue for another 25 years or so. By 1949, she was living with her daughter Lena and son-in-law Charles Becker at 901 Lakeview Avenue (now 26th Avenue) in Menominee. Kate died around the 28th of August, 1953, and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Menominee.