Anthony & The Pool Hall

Are there any skeletons in your closet? There is one in my family that I know about. A family legend is that my Grandpa Anthony Raczkiewicz at some point had a “game room” and made $100 a day and was often raided. My mother remembers hearing these stories but it was “before her time.” She always assumed gambling was involved. It was kind of fun to try to confirm this story. After Anthony came to the U.S. from Poland in 1912, the first job I found listed him as a laborer (Polk Directory of 1914). He then got a job at Keifer Tanning Company on 260 Front St. SW and worked there a few years. In 1921, Anthony left the tannery and was a clerk at Charles (Powlski) Powlowski’s Billiards at 612 Bridge St. NW. This location had opened in 1916 as the Buddy Theater, opened by the Buddy Brothers. It seated 500 and was “handsomely decorated in old rose and white” when it was a movie theater. (The Moving Picture World, Vol. 27, p. 457.) Interestingly, at the time Anthony worked at the billiards room, Grand Rapids had been “dry” for several years, beginning at midnight, April 30, 1918 and the state soon followed with Prohibition voted in. It was not repealed until 1933. Alcohol usage during this period was illegal but definitely continued “underground.” Pool halls must have been a popular entertainment with 13 listed in the city the year that Anthony became a clerk. The owner, Charles Powlowski, was from the same part of Poland as Anthony and also immigrated to Grand Rapids and married his wife the same year my grandpa Anthony married Pauline. Powlowski also had a soft drink store at 511 Bridge St. NW. The year after Anthony began as a clerk in the billiards room in 1922, he (misspelled as: Radzkiewicz) was listed in the city directory as the owner of the one at 612 Bridge St. NW. At this point, the billiard rooms in the city had grown to 30. Anthony had five competitors on Bridge Street alone. In 1923, he was listed as co-owners with Mr. Czarnopis. This may have been Stanislaw Czarnopis who came to the US with Anthony’s brother Jan. The number had grown slightly to 33 pool halls in Grand Rapids. By 1924 the number grew to 34 but Anthony was no longer running one of them and there was no longer a listing in the city directory for this billiards room so it likely went out of business. It is unclear if gambling or alcohol contributed to the money made or the demise of his business. Apparently there was a pool hall later in this same location. A person posting on the Facebook Page “Grand Rapids History 1960 and Before” named Matthew Farage, posted that his grandfather Aman Farage owned it beginning in 1927. My sisters, mother and 1 have looked for the building but it is no longer on Bridge Street. Image: By MarkBuckawicki - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31443698

Clothes Made by Shirley Longwell

See some of the dresses made by my Mom that we talked about yesterday. My sisters have their own pictures so I could only share ones of me. Fashions in the late 50s into the 60s!

Anthony Raczkiewicz' Siblings

The first exciting information I learned when beginning to research my grandfather Anthony Raczkiewicz was the name of his parents. Anthony’s parents, born in Tomaszow, Lublin, Poland, were Katie (Katarzyna) Kaszucka (1871-1944) and John (or Jan) Raczkiewicz (abt. 1864- 1915) When my genealogy search began in November 2019, I knew that Anthony may have had other siblings, that remained in Poland or also emigrated, that had not yet been discovered. I have found that four siblings came to the U.S. The two I originally knew about were my grandfather, Antoni who was born March 13, 1893, and his brother Joseph who was born earlier in 1891. I quickly discovered their oldest brother Jan/John who was born in 1888 also came to Grand Rapids before Anthony and Joseph. Then I found his sister Marion who was born in 1899 and ended up in Muskegon, Michigan. My mother Shirley Longwell remembers visiting her house one time. Piotr is listed as a brother on Mary’s immigration papers so I started looking for the siblings that remained in Poland. I then discovered that besides Piotr (b. 1897) there was Stanislawa (b. 1895), Paulina (b. 1901), Franciszek (b. 1904), and Boleslaw (1906.) The siblings that came to the U.S. all claimed Poland as their birthplace on various documents. For example, when the three brothers in Grand Rapids registered for the WW I draft in June of 1917, they all listed where they were born as Lublin (state), Poland (country), and Russian (citizenship.) Anthony listed his city as Tomaszow. Tomaszow is a village in the district of Gmina Pulawy, within Pulawy County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately 7 kilometers southwest of Puławy and 51 km west of the regional capital Lublin. (Wikipedia )Here is a link to the current area: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Sabaudia/22-600+Tomasz%C3%B3w+Lubelski/@50.4513291,23.4332671,13z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x4724af60ea937279:0xa350c5b9c962ba7d!2m2!1d23.4341877!2d50.4714181!1m5!1m1!1s0x4724af11c7aacc15:0x268d7ac08cef58c!2m2!1d23.4163099!2d50.447024!3e0 John and Joseph listed Zabaldy which turned out to be Sabaudia. “Sabaudia is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Tomaszów Lubelski, within Tomaszów Lubelski County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabaudia,_Lublin_Voivodeship Photo: Piotr, Paulina, Jozefa Janina (Boleslaw's wife) and Boleslaw.

Jakub Raszkiewicz & Rozalia Grabek Marry October 29, 1843

From different branches of the family tree. . . Jakub Raszkiewicz, 19, and Rozalia Grabek, 17, married October 29 1843. Both of them lived in Majdan Gorny with their farming families. ***** Jakub’s parents were Jan Raczkiewicz and Apolonia Gołębiowska (my 4x great grandparents.) Jakub was the 7th of their 9 children. Their oldest son Michal Raczkiewicz is my 3x great grandparent and married Anna Dominik. Rozalia’s parents were Łukasz Grabek and Katarzyna Krawczyk (my 3x great grandparents.) Rozalia was the oldest of their 6 children. Their youngest daughter Marianna Grabek is my 2x great grandparent and she married Antoni Raczkiewicz. ***** The witnesses were Marcin Sidora, 31 and Piotr Raszkiewicz, 33, an older brother of Jakub.

Shirley: housewife & work

Shirley worked her first job at a parking garage in downtown Grand Rapids beginning in high school. Her boss was good to her and sometimes gave her a ride home so she didn’t have to take the bus in the dark. She trained to be an X-Ray Technician at St. Mary’s Hospital and worked there until she became pregnant in 1958. Shirley was a full time mother until daughter Paulette (me) was in high school in the early 1970s. . She stayed very busy caring for her family including sewing, cooking, house cleaning, laundry and care of their children. Shirley made many clothes for herself and all three of us girls--everything from prom dresses, coats and other things. She would buy or borrow a Simplicity or McCall Pattern and lay out the material on the dining room table. Her sister Lorriane and her often worked on projects together. For instance, they each made a felt Christmas tablecloth that had ornate ornaments festooned with rickrack, beads and other decorations. I think Lorriane helped with the smocking in the three red dresses pictured above. As the oldest, I wore these the least amount of time. Once outgrown by one of the sisters, the dress was passed down from Paulette to LInda to Lori. Lori must have worn this dress for many years. A gift of a better sewing machine from Roy was treasured. Making meals was a time consuming process. There were very few conveniences. Burning feathers off raw chicken, using a gas burner on the stove was part of the process of making dinner. Everything was pretty much homemade. Breakfast would include milk which was delivered to the back porch into a silver milk box for many years. School and work lunches were packed while everyone ate and got ready for school or work. A full dinner was served every night after Roy got home from work with all of the family at a small table in the kitchen. A special meal would be served on Sunday in the dining room and often family visitors came over for dinner or visited on Sunday afternoon after church. There were very few conveniences. City chicken from Levandowski’s Meat Market, on Stocking Avenue, would be a special treat. Meat from the meat market and Polish rye bread from American Bakery, on Bridge Street, were always a part of every holiday meal. On Sundays, because we had a big dinner after church, our supper in the evening would be something smaller. Homemade hot fudge sauce to pour over vanilla ice cream was a favorite for these casual Sunday night suppers. She still makes this sauce, using a candy thermometer to ensure it isn’t soupy or rock hard. Another Sunday night favorite was hotdogs wrapped in crescent rolls with a piece of cheese and baked in the oven. It was the only meal of the week eaten in the living room while watching some favorite TV programs together. While all her baked goods were (and still are) very good, she is really known for her pies and her pie crusts. She knows every trick to rolling out a perfect crust. She can tell you why egg whites might not rise when whipped and she scolds you when you keep nibbling on the raw cookie batter. House cleaning and laundry also took a lot of time. Even though they had a clothes dryer, Shirley carried heavy laundry out to the backyard clotheslines where it was hung with wooden clothespins. Clothes that needed to be ironed like St. Adalbert’s uniform blouses for three girls and Roy’s work shirts, were sprayed with water and rolled up until it was time to iron. The ironing board was set up in the basement near the washer, dryer and wash tub. Neighborhood friend’s June Bowman and Tutti Kutchin would share a recipe or a bit of gossip in the yard or come in for coffee. She went back to work in the early 70s as an X-Ray Technician at Alpine Medical Center. Her return to work in the early 1970’s was a surprise to everyone. She had not been looking for a job or interviewing. A former co-worker who had remained a friend, recommended her for the x-ray technician job at Alpine Medical Center when he was moving on to another position. Her job necessitated a second car for the family. Daughter Paulette (me) was in high school so the three girls were old enough to stay alone. She worked until eventually the medical practice contracted out their radiology. She remains friends with many of the co-workers from this job and attends their regular luncheon get-togethers. Shirley worked for a few years after that at Michigan Bulb until she retired.

Shirley Longwell--houses she lived in

“The home is the center and circumference, the start and the finish, of most of our lives.” (Charlotte Perkins Gilman) ***** When Shirley and Roy (my parents) were married they lived in “the little house” which was behind her parents’ house on Milwaukee St. It was very small but a great place for the young family to start their married life together. Shirley remembers walking from the little house to nearby St. James instead of St. Adalbert Church since it was closer and sitting on the hard, wooden pews while Roy was home taking care of their daughter (me.) Roy and Shirley lived in “the little house” for a few years. When her brother Ronnie was getting married, it was time to move out and let them have their turn. ***** The Longwells then moved a few miles away with their daughter Paulette. Because of construction of a new highway, “the little house” and the house her parents lived in were demolished a short time later. The destruction of many neighborhoods resulted in changing the Westside forever. The Longwells continued in the same house, eventually adding LInda and Lori to the family. They liked to live there with great neighbors and brought their children back to the old neighborhood to attend school at St. Adalbert. ***** 59 years later, Shirley moved to a condominium which she really likes. She still likes to do some flower gardening but no longer has to worry about so much upkeep.

Jennifer Erichsen's birthday is October 25

Happy birthday to Jennifer (my 1rst cousin 1x removed.)

Shirley Raczkiewicz & Roy Longwell married October 26, 1957

Happy anniversary today to my parents, Roy Longwell and Shirley (Raczkiewicz) Longwell! In 1957, Roy Longwell (my father) and his friend Paul Plasman (later owner with his friend Bill Pearson of Bill and Paul’s Sporthaus”) were living on their sailboat Kismet at Bay Haven in Holland, Michigan as they restored it. Shirley often visited the marina because her older sister Lorraine and her husband, John Dykstra had a boat. Later, the Dykstras enjoyed their boat and slip and membership at Singapore Yacht Club in Saugatuck, Michigan with an active social life. ***** Paul was dating Shirley Raczkiewicz, who worked at St. Mary’s Hospital. Paul was in a serious car accident so when Paul was in the hospital, Roy was happy to bring Shirley to the hospital to visit him. With Paul’s blessing, Roy and Shirley eventually began to date. Paul was his best man when they were soon married at St. Adalbert’s Church, October 26, 1957. Paul recovered and went on to marry and start Bill and Paul’s Sporthaus with his friend Bill Pearson in 1961. ***** Since Roy wasn’t a Catholic, Shirley and Roy needed to promise to raise their children as Catholics. Shirley didn’t know that Roy was taking classes to be a Catholic as a surprise to her and she would have waited to get married if she had known. Shirley signed an “Ante Nuptial Agreement, Non Catholic Party” on September 19, 1957 which indicated that if she were given permission to marry a non-Catholic, that the couple would raise their children as Catholic. ***** Like her sister Lorraine, Shirley was part of the first generation of the children of Polish immigrants to marry outside of Polish Catholicism, though her husband Roy did later convert to Catholicism and embraced many of the social customs of the westside Polish people. Later Roy was confirmed when his daughter Paulette (me!) was confirmed. ***** From the newspaper: “Shirley married Roy Howard Longwell October 26, 1957 in Michigan. when she was 21 years old at St. Adalbert Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Parents of the bride were Anthony and Paulina Raczkiewicz from Grand Rapids, Michigan and parents of the groom were Leo and Naomi Longwell from Lake Odessa, Michigan. Maid of honor was Miss Dorothy Karas and best man was Mr. Paul Plasman. Bridesmaids were Miss Rosemary Host, Mrs. John Dykstra, Miss Sandra Dykstra, Miss Patricia Wysocki. Ushers were Ronald Raczkiewicz, Mr. John Dykstra, Jr., Mr. Anthony Raczkiewicz, Jr. Ring bearer was. Michael Lyon and miniature bride was Yvonne Denise Raczkiewicz. A breakfast was held at St. Hyacinth’s Hall with a reception in the evening. The couple resided at 115 Madison Avenue, Grand Rapids, Michigan after their honeymoon in North Dakota.”

Poznań

Here are some ideas of things to do in Poznań. The city has over 500,000 people and the metropolitan area has over 1 million. It is the second most prosperous city in Poland (after Warsaw.) I am looking forward to exploring its cultural and historic features. https://kidsinthecity.pl/things-to-do-in-poznan-poland/?fbclid=IwAR2iR32mFo3e-Kr9gyBMMwyyTSZM7cv97fW21sGsGMU5644eTb9uvXhyAdw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozna%C5%84

Paulina (Kurkiewicz) Kaszucka Died October 24, 1905

Paulina (Kurkiewicz) Kaszucka (my 2x great grandmother) died at 5pm in the afternoon on October 24, 1905 in Sabaudia at age 77. Paulina was a widow since her husband Jozef (Stefan Jozef) Kaszucka had already died but I don’t know the date. Paulina was Józef’s second wife. Jozef’s first wife Katarzyna Sokalewicz and their two (or possibly three) children had previously died. Jozef was a furrier of the Greek Uniate faith and Paulina was from a family of shoemakers and was of the Roman Catholic faith. ***** Her parents were Józef Kurkiewicz and Ewa nee Wisniewska (previous married name Rachanska.) She had 5 siblings, including Ignacy Kurkiewicz (Mike and his sibling’s great grandfather) who married Antonina Czarnopys. ***** There were two witnesses who reported Paulina’s death. The first one was Jan Raczkiewicz (my great grandfather) who was 40 years old. He was Paulina’s son-in-law. He was married to Katarzyna, Paulina and her husband’s daughter. Katarzyna was their 5th child and the only one who made it into adulthood. Her husband Jan was the only living child in his family. All of their children (except for Boleslaw -- the youngest) would have known their babcia Paulina. The other witness was Maciej Bender who was 42 years old. Both Jan and Maciej were peasants, residing in the village of Sabaudia. They traveled into the town of Tomaszow two days after Paulina’s death to provide the eye-witness confirmation of her death. -------------------- Took place in the town Tomaszów on October 13th/26th,1905 at 10 o’clock in the morning. Appeared Jan Raczkiewicz,age 40,and Maciej Bender, age 42, both peasants, residing in the village Sabaudia, and stated that on October 11th/24th of current year at 5 o’clock in the afternoon passed away in the village Sabaudia Paulina Kaszucka,widow, peasant,77 years old,daughter of Józef and Ewa, nee Wiśniewska, the lawful spouses Kurkiewicz. After eye-witness confirmation of the death of Paulina Kaszucka this act was read aloud to the illiterate declarants and signed only by Us. .

Tomaszów Lubelski

Tomaszów Lubelski is the city in Poland where a lot of action happens for the maternal and paternal families of Anthony Raczkiewicz (my grandfather.) He lived there until 1912 and had family continue to live there after he left. Some of his relatives moved from other places to live here or lived outside the city in small villages such as Sabaudia, Rogozno and Majdan Gorny. Their births, marriages and deaths were entered into records by the Roman Catholic priest even though a small number of them are actually Greek Catholic. ***** The city was founded by Jan Zamoyski, a Polish noble, in the 16th century. Originally known as Jelitkowo, Zamoyski renamed it after his son, Tomasz. In 1939, Tomaszów Lubelski was bombed and occupied by the Germans. It currently is the capital of the county and has under 20,000 residents. ***** Information from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomasz%C3%B3w_Lubelski ***** Video shared with me by Stasia Woj. ***** By Photo: Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44068044

Lorraine (Raczkiewicz) Dykstra Died October 23, 1969

What small household item holds special memories for you or your family because of a close relationship you had with the owner or an experience you had with the object? A modest set of pudding cups is a family “treasure” in our family. They were often used to serve pudding or tapioca. My mother received the pudding cups on the day that her sister Lorraine died. Lorraine (Raczkiewicz) Dykstra (my aunt) died at the young age of 47 on October 23, 1969, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Daughter of Anthony and Pauline Raczkiewicz, she grew up as their oldest of four children. When Lorraine and John were married in 1941, Shirley was only five years old at the time. Shirley enjoyed staying over with her big sister since they had a close relationship and also their family’s house on Milwaukee Street was small and crowded. “Uncle Joe '' always lived there and there were often boarders upstairs and in the little house behind the main house. Lorraine enjoyed Shirley’s visits also because Lorraine’s husband John was a truck driver who was gone for long periods of time and Lorraine didn’t like to stay alone. Their house was on a country road in Walker, with the houses far apart and fields and woods behind--very different from the city neighborhoods they grew up in. Shirley remembers doing many fun activities together such as sewing and cooking and outings such as going ice fishing and cross country skiing on Whitefish and Big Star Lakes. On the day of her death, Lorraine and her daughter Sandy drove separately and met at Shirley’s house to ride together to a large department store. While they were shopping, Shirley hung wet clothes up on the clothesline outside. It must have been a nice Fall day, not a cold and rainy one. Lorraine and Sandy returned, carrying their bags of purchases to show to Shirley. Their purchases included a big doll and pudding cups. One set of pudding cups had brown trim and the other set had black trim. Lorraine offered Shirley her choice and she picked the pudding cups with black trim. Before they left, Shirley invited them to stay for supper but Lorraine was feeling very unwell. Lorraine mentioned that she had meatloaf at home but was only going to have toast. Previously, Shirley had taken her sister a few times to the doctor but they determined it was just indigestion. Lorraine left and Shirley started taking clothes down from the clothes line. She was worried so she called their house and John was distraught. Shirley’s next door neighbor June Bowman drove her out to their house. When she got there,the ambulance was just leaving. Shirley believes it was a heart attack, based on where the pain was and said, “Back then they didn’t think women had heart attacks.” Losing her sister had a big impact on her younger sister, Shirley (Raczkiewicz) Longwell (my mother.) Shirely was 33 years old when her sister died. Because the pudding cups were so connected to Lorriane, and I was the oldest daughter and had the most memories of Lorraine, my Mother said, “that’s why you should get the pudding cups.” OBITUARY: Lorraine was 48 years old when she passed away unexpectedly at St. Mary’s Hospital on a Thursday night. Survived by her husband and daughter, two grandchildren, her parents, her grandmother Mrs. Anna Skrobat of OIl City, PA, two brothers (Anthony Jr. and Ronald R.) and sister Mrs. Roy (Shirley) Longwell. She was a member of the Women’s City Club of Saugatuck and the Singapore Yacht Club of Saugatuck. Funeral Mass at Holy Spirit Church, reposed at Alt Mortuary.

Leokadia Dubiel & Stansilaw Tryndoch

Stasia Woj and her sister Edyta (my newfound 2nd cousins) parents were Leokadia nee Dubiel and Stanislaw Tryndoch. Her grandparents, Jan Dubiel and Paulina (nee Raczkiewicz) (my great aunt) had 6 children in Rogozno, Poland: four girls and two boys. Leokadia (Lodzia) Tryndoch was the oldest child of Jan Dubiel and Paulina nee Raczkiewicz (my great aunt.) The family lived in Rogozno, Poland. ***** Leokadia (Lodzia) married Stanisław (Stasio) Tryndoch. He was born in 1913. Stasio was an uhlan, cavalryman in the inter-war period in Hrubieszów. The Uhlan date from the Middle Ages when they went in advance of the armored knights. By the time of the inter-war period, they were no longer using them to break through an enemy line. They retained the ability to move around quickly on horseback but then dismounted before fighting. ***** In the picture, he is seated on a horse outside of a brick stable with open wooden doors. His uniform includes a full length dark, heavy wool coat. The coat has a wide, pointed collar, large buttons down the middle and on the cuffs, and a dark leather belt cinched at the waist with a metal buckle. His rimmed cap has a metal badge in the center. His boots are dark leather with a metal buckle.

Stasia Woj

Guess who called me today? Stanisława Wójtowicz! She goes by the name Stasia Wój. Stasia is my (newly found) 2nd cousin and friend. I could not remember any of my meager Polish! I found my notebook from class and tried to say a few things. Understanding was much harder -- I could pick out some words -- family, grandmother, year, some greetings -- but that was about it. Her grandmother Paulina was my grandfather Anthony’s younger sister.

Rogozno is the village that Paulina Raczkiewicz Dubiel's descendants are from.

Stasia

Besides working backwards (i.e. how many 5th great grandparents do I know?) I am working on the cousins of my mother and my second cousins. There are 65 second cousins and 44 of them were born in Poland. As I learn of them I try to introduce them on their birthday if I know it or otherwise. Join me in saying “cześć” to Stasia Wój! (my newfound 2nd cousin.) She recently shared a picture that included her grandmother (and her sister) as children. I have just recently heard from Stasia Wój on Facebook Messenger. I hope I have the honor of meeting her!

Jobs in Grand Rapids MI for the Polish Immigrants

While Anthony and others he knew likely came to Grand Rapids for the economic opportunities, most of the jobs available to immigrants without a lot of education were in the factories on the Westside of Grand Rapids, within walking distance of where they lived. Immigrants were more likely to work in the brickyards, gypsum mines and furniture and other factories than native-born Americans of British descent. The Dutch also worked in the factories but they had arrived much earlier so were making better wages and getting better jobs. (Information from “The Poles, the Dutch and the Furniture Strike of 1911”, Mary Patrice Erdmans, Polish American Studies, Vol. 62, No. 2 (Autumn, 2005), pp. 5-22) ***** It is evident when doing family genealogy that Anthony was one of many immigrants who made their way from Tomaszow Lubelski Poland (and other parts of Poland) to the opportunities available in Grand Rapids. Polish people increasingly came to Grand Rapids, Michigan from the Russian and Austrian Partitions. In the 1920 census, there were 4,269 foreign-born Poles counted in Grand Rapids. The Dutch greatly outnumbered the Polish except on the Westside where they lived and many factories were located. ***** Polish Catholics In the U.S. were more likely to vote against prohibition, regulations on theaters and other entertainment and more likely to vote for an eight hour work day. (Information from “The Poles, the Dutch and the Furniture Strike of 1911”, Mary Patrice Erdmans, Polish American Studies, Vol. 62, No. 2 (Autumn, 2005), pp. 5-22) ***** Most of the jobs that Anthony and his brothers had were part of or in support of the furniture industry which was a major industry in Grand Rapids. Mr. Foote, who worked for a Grand Rapids manufacturer, testified in 1910 about the proposed increase of freight rates and the effect it would have on Grand Rapids as a market. When asked about the relative importance of Grand Rapids as “a center of furniture manufacture and sale” he said, “Grand Rapids is undoubtedly the greatest furniture market in the United States.” Besides 45 local factories, 275 manufacturers came to Grand Rapids twice a year with buyers and salesmen. He described the furniture factories and associated businesses, including “manufacturers of varnish, glue, veneers, lumber, and all the products used in the Grand Rapids Furniture business.” “The centering of the furniture factories at Grand Rapids has had a tendency to build up a great many other industries there. We have factories for manufacturing brass ornaments for furniture, factories for trucks, veneers, hand screws, clamps, dry-kiln equipment, tanners of hides, and various things like that; finishing material and so on. Besides these, we have the largest refrigerator factory in the world, one of the largest casket factories, a factory for making piano cases, interior-finish factories, factories for the manufacture of office furniture and office fixtures, and office equipment of various kinds . . . “ He also talked about the cheap lumber and cheap labor available south of the Mason Dixon line and the less expensive furniture lines that they couldn’t compete with and which would eventually contribute to the demise of the Grand Rapids market. ***** https://images.app.goo.gl/4px8m59qRgENKoqo6

Polish Family History is One Year old on October 11, 2021

Polish Family History is one year old! In celebration , I revised the introduction for this page, answered Eugeniusz Raczkiewicz’ question about how or why I got into genealogy and I want to say a few things about some of my thoughts when I am picking what to put on the page or writing something to share. ***** I use the goal of the Page in what I select or write. I want family members and friends to learn more about each other and our ancestors to develop mutual respect. ***** Anything that I find out of the ordinary or strikes my fancy or I want to know more about, I think are fun things to share but I mostly tell you about the births, marriages and deaths. ***** Anything on Facebook or easily found in a Google search I figure is not “private” so I may share those things. I do try to show sensitivity if there might be a need so I will then ask permission first. I don’t post pictures of children under 18 unless their parents gave me the picture and said it is okay. ***** “Anthony Raczkiewicz moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan from Tomaszow Lubelski, Poland. This page is for relatives and friends to talk politely about our Polish ancestors.

An attempt is made to connect past relatives to events in history and there is acknowledgement of the current events we face, but other Pages are more appropriate places for discussion of personal, political values. The goal of Polish Family History is to get to know more about past and current relatives and develop respect for each other’s lives.”

Happy Birthday Theresa Parkanzky on October 9

Obituary for Diane M. Murphy

"Diane M. Murphy, age 61, passed away on October 8, 2020 at home. She was born on February 20, 1959 to Albert and Irene (Kufta) Mastee in Muskegon. She was a member of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church. Diane worked as a school aid and track coach for Mona Shores Middle School for many years. Diane enjoyed the kids she was able to work with at Mona Shores Middle School, watching movies, being with her grandchildren and trips to the casino. SURVIVORS include 3 children, Mary (Thomas) Kitchen, Justin (Kari) Murphy and Abbey (Kyle Wierda) Murphy; 2 grandchildren, Kinley and Hadlee Kitchen; brother, David (Mary) Mastee and former husband, Thomas Murphy. She was preceded in death by her parents. A MEMORIAL SERVICE will be held 11:00 AM, Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral and Cremation Service, 6291 S. Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI 49444 with Rev. Charles D. Hall. VISITATION with the family will be 5pm to 7pm Monday at The Lee Chapel. MEMORIALS can be directed to the American Cancer Society. Burial will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Share memories with the family at www.sytsemafh.com."

Wanda Kufta Married Joseph Kozicki October 7, 1950

“She needs no books, nor worms, nor hooks; There’s bait enough in her bright eyes.” Wanda Kufta’s Muskegon Heights High School senior yearbook had this line next to her name when she graduated in 1946. Apparently, the “bait” worked and Wanda, (my 1rst cousin 1x removed) age 23, married Joseph Kozicki on October 7, 1950. Her parents were Frank Kufta and Mary nee Raczkiewicz. The wedding took place at St. Michael’s Church in Muskegon, Michigan. This picture is a school picture because I do not have a wedding picture. They had three children: Michael, John and Ann Marie (deceased). Wanda and Joseph were married 59 years before he died in 2009. Wanda died in 2020.

Bronislawa & Leokadia Dubiel

Bronislawa and Leokadia Dubiel are my 1rst cousins, 1 time removed. I am related to them through my grandfather's sister Paulina. Their parents were Paulina nee Raczkiewicz and Jan Dubiel. Bronislawa was born in 1923 and I am not sure about Leokadia . The picture is from around 1925 or 1926. The girls are pictured with Stanislaw Witkowski, son of Jan Dubiel’s sister Anastazaja. Thanks to Andrzej Dubiel for sharing the picture!

Anthony & Joseph Arrive in Detroit Michigan October 4, 1912

I found out that Anthony Raczkiewicz (my Grandfather) arrived in the United States at Detroit, Michigan, on October 4, 1912, by train, as a passenger, entering as a permanent resident. This information was on the Alien Registration form of the United States Department of Justice, Immigration & Naturalization Service through the National Archives which I obtained to learn more about my family. From this form, I learned that he arrived by train in Detroit from Canada, rather than through the port at New York like I thought. When he submitted the form, he had been in the US for 27 years so it was submitted in 1939. He was working as a Tacker at Kiefer Tannery doing leatherwork. He belonged to St. Hedwig's Polish Aid Society (I later knew this as Ninth Street Hall) and Falcon’s Insurance Society. He received his first citizenship papers on October 7, 1921. On this form, he was registering as an Alien. I do not think he ever became a U.S. citizen. I do believe that his older brother Jan and younger sister Mary did become citizens.

OCCUPATIONS of Anthony & His Brothers

While Anthony and others he knew likely came to Grand Rapids for the economic opportunities, most of the jobs available to immigrants without a lot of education were in the factories on the Westside of Grand Rapids, within walking distance of where they lived. Immigrants were more likely to work in the brickyards, gypsum mines and furniture and other factories than native-born Americans of British descent. The Dutch also worked in the factories but they had arrived much earlier so were making better wages and getting better jobs. (Information from “The Poles, the Dutch and the Furniture Strike of 1911”, Mary Patrice Erdmans, Polish American Studies, Vol. 62, No. 2 (Autumn, 2005), pp. 5-22) ***** It is evident when doing family genealogy that Anthony was one of many immigrants who made their way from Tomaszow Lubelski Poland (and other parts of Poland) to the opportunities available in Grand Rapids. Polish people increasingly came to Grand Rapids, Michigan from the Russian and Austrian Partitions. In the 1920 census, there were 4,269 foreign-born Poles counted. The Dutch greatly outnumbered the Polish except on the Westside where they lived and many factories were located. Polish Catholics were more likely to vote against prohibition, regulations on theaters and other entertainment and more likely to vote for an eight hour work day. (Information from “The Poles, the Dutch and the Furniture Strike of 1911”, Mary Patrice Erdmans, Polish American Studies, Vol. 62, No. 2 (Autumn, 2005), pp. 5-22) ***** Most of the jobs that Anthony and his brothers had were part of or in support of the furniture industry which was a major industry in Grand Rapids. Mr. Foote, who worked for a Grand Rapids manufacturer, testified in 1910 about the proposed increase of freight rates and the effect it would have on Grand Rapids as a market. When asked about the relative importance of Grand Rapids as “a center of furniture manufacture and sale” he said, “Grand Rapids is undoubtedly the greatest furniture market in the United States.” Besides 45 local factories, 275 manufacturers came to Grand Rapids twice a year with buyers and salesmen. He described the furniture factories and associated businesses, including “manufacturers of varnish, glue, veneers, lumber, and all the products used in the Grand Rapids Furniture business.” “The centering of the furniture factories at Grand Rapids has had a tendency to build up a great many other industries there. We have factories for manufacturing brass ornaments for furniture, factories for trucks, veneers, hand screws, clamps, dry-kiln equipment, tanners of hides, and various things like that; finishing material and so on. Besides these, we have the largest refrigerator factory in the world, one of the largest casket factories, a factory for making piano cases, interior-finish factories, factories for the manufacture of office furniture and office fixtures, and office equipment of various kinds . . . “ He also talked about the cheap lumber and cheap labor available south of the Mason Dixon line and the less expensive furniture lines that they couldn’t compete with and which would eventually contribute to the demise of the Grand Rapids market. ***** When they came to the United States in 1912, Anthony and Joseph said they were farm laborers. In the earliest Polk Directory I could find that listed him (1914), Anthony is a laborer, John is a cabinetmaker at Phoenix Furniture Company which in 1988 was razed by Grand Valley State University for part of their downtown campus. A large section of the 1873 building was salvaged by the Grand Rapids Public Museum. http://www.furniturecityhistory.org/company/3773/phoenix-furniture-co Joseph was a tacker at Keifer Tanning Company (260 Front St. SW,owner Irving Orr, 915 Cambridge Dr SE leather works.) In 1915, Anthony was a polisher and John was a shoemaker at Adolph Montrim (shoe repairer.) https://www.periodpaper.com/products/1920-ad-robert-w-irwin-co-phoenix-furniture-factory-grand-rapids-michigan-gf5-222755-gf5-231 John worked here in 1914--Phoenix ***** Picture on right: Johnson Furniture Company where John worked in 1917. http://www.furniturecityhistory.org/company/3645/johnson-furniture-co In January, 1916 when John (26) got married, he was still a shoemaker and his fiance, Frances (25), was a dishwasher. Later that year in June when Anthony got married, he was a laborer/polisher and his fiance, Clementena, was a factory hand. When they registered for the WWI draft the following June,1917, Anthony (22) was a Tanner at the tannery. Joseph no longer was at the tannery and was a cabinet maker at Grand Rapids Piano Case Company. Jan was no longer a shoemaker and was a cabinet maker at Johnson Furniture Company. ***** In 1921, John and Joseph were still cabinet makers. Anthony left the tannery and was a clerk at Charles (Powlski) Powlowski’s Billiards at 612 Bridge St. NW. This location had opened in 1916 as the Buddy Theater, opened by the Buddy Brothers. It seated 500 and was “handsomely decorated in old rose and white.” **Pool halls must have been a popular entertainment with 13 listed in the city that year. Charles Powlowski was from the same part of Poland, immigrated to Grand Rapids and married his wife the same year Anthony married Pauline. He also had a soft drink store at 511 Bridge St. NW. By 1922, the city had 30 billiard halls and Anthony (Radzkiewicz) was listed in the city directory as the owner. He had five competitors on Bridge Street alone. In 1923, he was co-owners with Mr. Czarnopis and there were 33 pool halls in Grand Rapids. This was likely Stanislaw Czarnopis who came to the US with Anthony’s brother Jan.. The family legend is that he made $100 a day and was often raided. Shirley remembers hearing these stories but it was “before her time.” Interestingly, Grand Rapids had gone dry, at midnight, April 30, 1918 and the state soon followed with Prohibition voted in until it was repealed in 1933. It is unclear if gambling or alcohol contributed to the money made or the demise of his business. By 1924 the number grew to 34 but sadly, Anthony was no longer running one of them and there was no longer a listing in the city directory. ***** By 1925, Anthony was listed as a laborer. In 1928 Anthony was still a laborer, Joseph a cabinetmaker and John is no longer listed. By 1929 Anthony was a worker ***** By 1930, Joseph was listed as a veteran. Anthony worked at Keifer Tannery as a tacker and made $6500. “The early 1930's, of course, were the years of the Great Depression. With its onslaught in 1929 and its relentless persistence, the community of St. Adalbert's suffered many setbacks, beginning with the closing of the Polish-American Bank, located at the intersection of Bridge, Lexington, and Stocking. As a result of its closing, many parishioners lost a large share of their life's savings. The setbacks continued with the folding of small businesses and the slowdown of larger industries, resulting in layoffs and, at least, cutbacks in working hours.” http://www.mipolonia.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/St.-Adalbert_1881-1981_Grand-Rapids_MI.pdf ***** Anthony worked 40 weeks in 1940 for $1,000 continuing his work as a Lacquer at a tannery. He continued as a tanneyr worker and lacquer through 1959, the latest city directory I can find. Daughter Shirley remembers him bringing home castoff pieces of leather and her sister Lorraine had some of them in her home. If he worked in Grand Rapids from 1914 to 1959, he worked for at least 45 years until age 64. According to daughter Shirley, this was about the time he must have had to retire. She remembers that I (Paulette) was supposed to have eye surgery as a toddler and it got canceled due to a family emergency of her father having a ruptured esophagus and having surgery for it. She said it was uncommon to recover from this. ***** In 1942, when he registered for the WWII draft, Anthony still worked at Keifer Tannery at 240 Front St. NW which was owned by Irving Orr who lived at 915 Cambridge Dr. SE., a 3,000 square foot home built newly built in the affluent city of East Grand Rapids. ***** Occupation information is available only through 1928 for Joseph. While he originally lived with John, may have lived on his own, by 1940 Joe was living with Anthony and Pauline and their family. According to the census that year, Joe was receiving some income other than wages. It is believed that his sister-in-law Pauline had helped him to apply for some sort of support. ***** When she arrived in October of 1923, Marion, Anthony’s sister, had been a farm laborer. When she got married in 1924, she was a factory worker in Grand Rapids and her fiance Frank was a core xx maker in Muskegon. *****

Paula (Raczkiewicz) Kelly was born October 2

Thinking of Paula (Raczkiewicz) Kelly (my cousin) today. She was born on today's date in 1963. She was one of three children of Ron and Pam Raczkiewicz. She passed away in 2013.

Happy Birthday Keith Erichsen & Tomasz Raczkiewicz

Last October, I wrote a letter that started out: “I am writing to you because I think we are related to each other. I hope you are happy to hear from me. I want to learn more about my relatives and where they are from. That is the reason I am reaching out to you.” The letter was to Tomasz Raczkiewicz, who was the first living family member in Poland I learned about. I got his name from Curt Wolf (my 4th cousin) who I have never met but who had a family tree with some of my relatives in it.

Happy 50th Anniversary Aurelia Raczkiewicz and Eugeniusz Raczkiewicz

Congratulations to Aurelia Raczkiewicz and Eugeniusz Raczkiewicz (my mother's cousin in Poland) who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. (Thanks for sharing the pictures, Monika Raczkiewicz)

Mini Reunion

Eileen Erichsen, Marissa Peterson, Lori Peterson, Sandy Spruit, Shirley Longwell, Pam Raczkiewicz, Paulette Longwell, Jerry Laisure, Mark Erichsen