The Story of Apolonia (Gołębiowska) Raczkiewicz

Apolonia Gołębiowska (my 4x great grandmother was born around 1792 in Majdan Górny. Her parents, Franciszek Gołębiowski and Katarzyna Chmiel, were born in the 1750-60s and this was as far back on any of the branches I have been able to go. I have found only two siblings for her: Pawel and Michal, both peasant farmers. Both were married, with Michal married three or four times. ***** Apolonia’s husband Jan Raczkiewicz was a peasant farmer also from Majdan Górny. Together they had nine children: Michal, (my 3x great grandfather) about 1805, Piotr, about 1809, Wojciech, 1813, Katarzyna, 1815, Szymon, 1818, Marcin, 1821, Jakub, 1824, Marianna, 1828, and Agnieszka, 1831. ***** Their six sons all were peasant farmers in Majdan Gorny except Michal who later moved to Sabaudia. Together, hey had eleven wives, four of whom were widows, because of a high mortality rate. Two of them married women who are related to me from other branches of the family. Michal’s first wife was from Majdan Gorny. When he remarried at 67 years old, Michal married a 47 year old widow who was related to us another way (1rst cousin 5x removed) as a child of Lukasz Krawczyk and Marianna Bucior. (my 3x great grandparents.) Piotr was married twice also and his second wife was also a widow. Wojciech married a woman from Majdan Gorny. Szymon’s first wife was from Łaszczówka and his second wife was a widow from Majdan Gorny. Marcin’s first wife was a widow from Ruda Woloska, his second wife was from Majdan Gorny, and his third wife was from Wieprzowe Jezioro. Jakub’s wife Rozalia Grabek was also related to us another way as the child of : Łukasz Grabek and Katarzyna Krawczyk (my 3x great grandparents.) ***** Only one of their three daughters survived to adulthood. Katarzyna married Sebastian Jeruzal, a widower from Majdan Gorny. The two youngest girls, Marianna and Agnes, died young. ***** Apolonia’s husband Jan likely helped to report the deaths of both of her parents. Her father Franciszek died on February 13, 1813 at age 60 in house #20 in Majdan Górny. The declarants were his son Michał Gołembioski, 40 , peasant farmer residing in Gurnia and Jan Raszkiewicz, 38 , his neighbor. The record doesn’t say this but it was likely his son-in-law. Her mother Katarzyna (Chmiel) Gołębiowska died on February 20, 1820 at 6:00pm at age 80 in house #30. The declarants were Pawel Golebiowski, 24, her son and Jan Raszkiewicz, 36, her son-in-law (Apolonia’s husband.) ***** Apolonia and Jan lived in house #71 in Majdan Górny. Since their son Michal (my 3x great grandparent) was the oldest, he and his wife were having their first child when Apolonia, his mother was having her seventh. Michal and Anna lived in house #100 in Majdan Górny, the house of Tomasz Dominik, Anna's father. I think it is really cool to have house numbers from that long ago! They aren’t available in very many of the records. ***** Apolonia died on Monday, December 16, 1844 at 6:00 p.m. She left behind her husband Jan, age 66. On Wednesday, at 10am, her husband Jan and Andrzej Typek, 44, another peasant farmer, went the 4.5 miles to Tomaszów to report her death at 10 a.m.. ***** I will share something I recently learned. I thought her last name was Golebiowska. I think the -iowska and the male -iowski is added on in one of the many ways Polish words are changed--in this case to indicate male and female, maybe also indicate married. Her last name was likely Goleb or possibly Golab--I am finding and sorting records with both spellings. I have been told spelling wasn’t as big an issue back then. It can also be hard to tell a cursive “e” from a cursive “a.” Also, many names mean something--they may tell where the person came from or their occupation. ”Golab” means “pigeon.” I am not sure why the family had that name. *****