Family Group Sheet
| parents of John | parents of Elizabeth |
|
John Zielinski b: June 7, 1839 in Tillendorf, Poland immigrated: June 17, 1885 SS Rhaetia Hamburg-New York d: March 23, 1916 in Menasha, Wisconsin |
Elizabeth Witkowski b: February 24,1842 in Poland immigrated: June 17, 1885 d: April 17, 1917 in Menasha, Wisconsin |
| married: May 12, 1863 in Schonweise, Poland (both resided in Ellerbruch) | |
| Antonia Zielinski b: March 25, 1864 in Ellerbruch, Poland immigrated: June 17, 1885 aboard the S.S. Rhaetia from Hamburg to New York at age 21 m: March 4, 1886, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Menasha, WI at age 21 to John Debrinski d: unknown |
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| Julianna Zielinski b: March 9, 1866 in Ellerbruch, Poland immigrated: June 17, 1885 aboard the S.S. Rhaetia from Hamburg to New York at age 19 m: November 9, 1886, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Menasha, WI at age 20 to John Pozalinski d: unknown |
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| Joseph Zielinski b: March 1, 1868 in Ellerbruch, Poland immigrated: unknown m: unknown d: unknown, possibly before June 17, 1885 (immigration)? |
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| Marianna Zielinski b: June 30, 1869 in Ellerbruch, Poland immigrated: June 17, 1885 aboard the S.S. Rhaetia from Hamburg to New York at age 15 m: June 7, 1890 in Menasha, WI at age 20 to Peter Schreiber d: unknown |
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| Frank Peter Zielinski b: November 3, 1872 in Poland immigrated: June 17, 1885 aboard the S.S. Rhaetia from Hamburg to New York at age 12 m: October 31, 1893 in Menasha, WI at age 20 to Margaretta "Sofie" Brodzinski d: May 28, 1937 in Menasha, WI and is buried at St. John's Cemetery on Valley Road |
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| John F. Zielinski b: November 2, 1881 in Gross Waplitz, Poland immigrated: June 17, 1885 aboard the S.S. Rhaetia from Hamburg to New York at age 3 m: June 27, 1905 in Menasha, Wisconsin at age 23 to Catherine A. Zielinski d: between September 1918 and 1920 in Menasha, WI |
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| Johanna Zielinski b: May 8, 1884 in Gross Waplitz, Poland immigrated: unknown, but assumed June 17, 1885 m: June 22, 1903 in Menasha, WI at age 19 to Anton Bednarowski d: unknown |
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| Reclia Zielinski b: 1897 in Wisconsin d: unknown |
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John Zielinski was born June 7, 1839 in Tillendorf, Poland and was baptized in the Catholic Church in Altmark (Stary Targ). Elizabeth Witkowski was born on February 24, 1842 according to her headstone. Obviously, she was born in Poland, but her birth record has not been found. It is believed that she was born in the same area as John. Regardless, on May 12, 1863, John and Elizabeth were married in the Parish church at Altmark, Poland. John was 23 years old and Elizabeth was 21.
After marriage, the couple settled in Ellerbruch, Poland in the parish of Schonweiss, where at least 4 children were born: Antonia in 1864, Julianna in 1866, Joseph in 1868, and Marianna in 1869. The baptism record of their fifth child, Frank Peter, who would become the father of Lawrence Zielinski - our beloved Grandpa Z - has not yet been found. Frank's WWI draft registration gives a birth date of November 3, 1872, but does not give a location. John and Elizabeth's next two children, John in 1881 and Johanna in 1884, were born in Gross Waplitz. So, sometime between June 1869 and November 1881, the family moved from Ellerbruch to Gross Waplitz. It was during this time that Frank was born, and it is possible there were others who have not yet been found. Perhaps, the family moved to another, as yet undetermined, location during this time frame. According to the 1910 U.S. census, John and Elizabeth also had a child after settling in Wisconsin, named Reclia, but this has not been substantiated anywhere else.
On June 3, 1885, the family stepped onto a crowded steamship in Hamburg, Germany, and left the Old World behind. John was the 1,257th person to board - out of a total of 1,287! Imagine what that must have been like! I don't believe they had reserved compartments, so being one of the last to board, the accommodations must have been horrendous. Nevertheless, they endured and immigrated to America, arriving in New York City on the 17th. From there, it would have been 3 days or so of train travel, before reaching and finally settling in Menasha. The reasons for relocating there are not entirely known. However, it could be suggested that they were encouraged to follow other family members (namely Frank and Mary Lingnowski) from the old country. At this time in history, Menasha's paper, pulp, and wooden mills were thriving, so perhaps the promise of steady work and a healthy income were all the encouragement they needed. At any rate, for whatever reason, we are so happy and so fortunate that they came!
The 1900 census shows them living on 4th Street in Menasha. Per the 1910 census, they resided at 761 London Street. Reclia is included on this census as a daughter, but in all likelihood, she was not. She may have been adopted, or she may have been a visiting relative, or there may be another explanation that was perhaps lost in the translation.
John died on March 23, 1916, and is buried in St. John's Cemetery on Valley Road. Elizabeth died in Menasha on April 17, 1917 at the age of 75. She had a stroke while residing at the home of son John. She is buried in the same plot in St. John's Cemetery.
An interesting note... on many documents up to the 1910 census, the last name is spelled "Schlenski" or "Schelinski". On the 1910 census, it's spelled "Zelinski". But yet, all of the children spell the name "Zielinski" in all documentation that I've found.
