William Henry THOMPSON was born sometime between 1810 and 1816 in either Ireland, England, or Scotland, depending on which record you look at. In the 1870 Census of Morrison, Brown Co., Wisconsin, he is listed as being born in 1810 in England. On his headstone, the listing of his daughter in the 1905 Wisconsin State Census, and the Wisconsin Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968 entry, he was born in 1813 in Ireland. In the 1880 and 1860 Morrison, Brown Co., Wisconsin census records, he was born in 1816 in Ireland. Finally, in the 1850 Census of Granville, Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin and listed as his birthplace in entries for his daughter, Pauline (THOMPSON) FIRMENICH, he was born in 1816 in Scotland. Adding to the fact that the name William THOMPSON covered about 15 billion people back then, he has been a tough one to find.

What I do know is that William married Claude-Françoise “Francesca” QUINET in about 1839. I have their marriage location listed as Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York, but not a lot of source information for it. Both the QUINET and THOMPSON families seemed to have been in the area before they traveled to Wisconsin. The family first settled in Granville, Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin which is now part of northwestern Milwaukee. I have William recorded in the 1842 Wisconsin State Census in this area and in the 1850 Census.

1850 Census - Granville, Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin

They must have moved up to the north to the town of Morrison in Brown Co., Wisconsin sometime between 1852 and 1857 as their daughter Margaret was born in Granville in 1854 and their daughter Catharine in 1857 in Brown County. They are first listed in Morrison in the 1860 Census.

1860 Census - Morrison, Brown Co., Wisconsin - Click to enlarge

As noted on the record, they are also living next to a John THOMPSON family, which from further research seems like a good candidate to be William’s brother. That may help in deeper research. William and his family lived in the Morrison area through the 1880 Census. Originally, I wasn’t sure when William passed away, but I did know when his wife Francis (QUINET) THOMPSON passed away. One summer, my wife and I traveled to the Wrightstown, Wisconsin area near to Morrison to search for her headstone. We not only found her headstone, but also William’s. On his headstone his is listed as having died on 22 Feb 1890.

Click for larger image

I’m not exactly sure where to start on finding more information on William since his name is so common and his information is so different in each record. Somewhere in my searching, possibly on an uploaded family tree, his mother’s name was listed as Isabella. I have no proof of this, but I have kept it in mind. Last year, using the new FamilySearch website, I found a Wisconsin Death record for a Wm THOMPSON with dates extremely close to my William’s dates. I have no proof at the moment that this is my William, but if so, it lists his parents as William & Fasmie (RUINNET) THOMPSON.

Have you ever needed to research a very common name? How did you go about doing it?

This entry is about Frank J ZALEWSKI, Sr. Frank is my great-great-grandfather and the oldest Zalewski entry in my family tree. As with most people, I’d like to dig deeper into my paternal (surname) line as far as I can. Unfortunately, this is probably the shortest line I have.

Frank Zalewski - 1909

Frank J ZALEWSKI, Sr was more than likely born 4 Sep 1858, though I also have February 1860 as listed in the 1900 Census and 1905 Wisconsin State Census records. All other records indicate 1858. Obviously, there are many different entries for birth place as that area of the world went through many changes. I’ve mainly seen Germany and Prussia listed, so it’s possible that it was in a more German area.

He married Ms. Anna LINDNER (b 27 Nov 1854) between 1883 and 1885 in what is listed as Poznan Province, South Prussia (Poland.) I have yet to cement this information as it was given to me by another Zalewski researcher a few years back, whom I think has now passed away. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any sources listed in the created booklet I was given. At least it gives me a general area to start my search.

In this booklet, these notes are listed:

There is some confusion, however, as  to the area of Poland in which Frank and Anna Zalewski resided prior to their emigration to the United States in 1890.  During a telephone interview with their granddaughter, Caroline (Walczak) Sullivan, conducted in January 1995, she indicated that Frank and Anna lived somewhere in the province of Poznan — an area of Poland then under German jurisdiction and known as South Prussia.  This would correspond with information supplied on the death certificate and in the newspaper obituary of Frank Zalewski, Sr in 1941.  Although neither source mentions Poznan as his place of birth, both list Germany as his country of orgin.  (Much of western Poland, including Poznan Province, became German territory after the three partitions of Poland at the end of the eighteenth century.)

There is, however, a conflicting story as to the area of Poland from which Frank and Anna originated.  During a 1993 telephone interview with another granddaughter, Irene (Zalewski) Lutzenberger, she indicated that her late father (Editor’s Note: my great-grandfather, Joseph Zalewski) had always said his parents came from eastern Poland — an area then under Russian rule.  Irene’s father also stated that when his parents entered the United States, their surname was spelled “Salefsky,” thereby reflecting the Russian influence.  Although no official documents can be found to verify this, it is interesting to note that in the 1934 obituary of another grandchild, Norbert Cybela, the maiden name of Norbert’s mother is spelled “Zalesky.”

It is hypothetically possible that Frank Zalewski, Sr is, indeed, born and raised in Russian Poland and, at some later point in his life, moved to the German section in which Poznan Province was located.  Although traveling across political borders was difficult in 19th-century Europe, to say the least, it was not impossible.  In Russian Poland, for example, all debts to the government, including military service in the czar’s army, had to be fulfilled before travel documents would be issued and borders would be crossed.  Two years of active military service followed by two years in the reserve forces was required of all males when they reached their twentieth birthday.  In Frank’s case, that would have accounted for the years 1878 through 1882.  We know he married Anna Lindner (a German) in January 1885, which means he probably relocated from Russian-held, eastern Poland to the German-held, western area sometime between 1882 and 1884. This, of course, is only speculation but would explain the Russian “sky” ending on the surname.

I’ve taken some of this into account when researching, but to no avail yet.

As noted above, Frank and Anna immigrated to the United States in about 1890. It’s listed that they arrived at the Port of Baltimore. I have found dates spanning from 1886-1892 in most of the census records, but I have yet to find a ship manifest or something similar. I even tried using the “Salefsky” spelling from above, since that’s how the name was pronounced in Europe. The notes I have list this about their immigration:

Frank Zalewski, Sr., his wife Anna, and their two oldest children – Martha and Angeline, emigrated to the US from the Baltic port of Danzig and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1890.  The couple’s third child, Mary, was born in Baltimore in March 1891.  The family then traveled west to Nebraska and east, from there, to the Polish community in Chicago.  By May, 1892, the family had settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

When researching their third child, Mary, I have her born in places from Poland, Baltimore, Ohio and Milwaukee, so I’m not sure yet. I’ve done a bit of researching into Nebraska and Chicago, but I haven’t found any helpful record collections yet, especially since the 1890 census is mostly missing.

I found them in the 1900 Census for the City of Milwaukee, Ward 13. They lived at 900 Fratney St (which is now 2448 N Fratney) with a few other families.

1900 Census (Partial) - Click for larger

They are also listed in the 1905 Wisconsin State Census, but I have to find them in the 1895 State census, though that one isn’t as detailed. This one has Mary born in Poland Germany. Agnes, the last child, who was born in 1902, is now listed in this one.

1905 WI State Census - Click for larger

In all of the census records it has Frank listed as “Laborer” for the City Park System. I had heard that he basically worked as a garbage man. Someone has to do it, right? I assume there wasn’t much to choose from being a fresh, and probably poor, immigrant. They are then listed again in the 1910 Census in Milwaukee, still living at 900 Fratney St.

1910 Census (Partial) - Click for larger

Most of Frank and Anna’s children had moved out throughout these years with only son Frank, Jr and Agnes still living with them in 1920. Though, daughters Frances, Helen and Mary were living at the same residence with their respective families. They were still at 900 Fratney St on the northeast side of Milwaukee.

1920 Census - Click for larger

In 1930, only Frank, Jr was still living with Frank and Anna. Agnes had moved out and married Mr. Chester WALCZAK. This is the last record (obviously, since the 1940 Census is still not released) that I have Frank and Anna listed in. They were not living at 1008 Buffum St, which is still in the northeastern part of Milwaukee. That address is now considered 2630 N Buffum St, which if Google Maps is to be believed, is now just a park. Agnes and Chester also live at this residence as seem in the excerpt below.

1930 Census - Click for larger

According to the 1930 Census, Frank was retired by then. I haven’t found many records beyond the census records for Frank yet, though he is mentioned in some letters I found written to my grandfather, Richard Zalewski, from his mother, Emily (TROKA) ZALEWSKI (Frank’s daugher-in-law) in April 1941.

I got to go over by Grandpa (Daddy’s.) I go there every Monday, Friday and Saturday.

Will answer the letter in full next because I got to take care of Dad’s father.

It sounds like there may be more, but unfortunately, there are no more letters. Sadly, Emily unexpectedly passed away only days after the last letter on 1 May 1941. It seems as though Frank was ill in 1941. Which matches up to the fact that Frank passed away later that year on 8 Aug 1941 at his home in Milwaukee.

I know I’ve read his obituary in the Milwaukee Journal via the microfilm copies at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. I don’t think I made copies. I will need to get back and do that some day, but I don’t remember any new information listed. You never know, though, right?

So, that’s Frank. Say “hi” to Frank. My Zalewski brick wall. The reason I started this website.