During the research into my own ancestry, I ran across a few other Zalewski lines in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. As one does in genealogy research, I wondered if they were related to me. It turns out that at least one of those lines was related to mine, but the others have not yet been connected. Recently, I spent some time digging into those other lines a little bit and they are now somewhat better organized.
This also helped me start the Zalewski Name Study page over at WikiTree which will hopefully help Zalewski families connect to each other either through paper genealogy or DNA.
Here are the main Zalewski lines I have since found (usually merged into their main immigrant ancestor) from the Milwaukee area. In no particular order:
1. Martinus Zalewski & Marianna Sobotka
This would be my Zalewski line. For the longest time, I only ever had Frank Zalewski listed here, an immigrant from German Poland. Over the last 20 years, I’ve slowly broken down his brick wall. First I found another Zalewski line that lived very closely and also overlapped a bit in relation to baptismal sponsors, etc. It turns out that this line, Jacob Zalewski, was Frank’s brother. After that, I hit the jackpot when I found Frank’s baptism record in Poland and from there I’ve worked as far back as I can for now to Martin Zalewski and Marianna Sobotka in Krottoschin, Löbau, Westpreussen, Germany which is now Krotoszyny, Biskupiec, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Poland in the slightly northern central part of Poland.
- Martin Zalewski – 27 Oct 1797 in Lonkorsz, Löbau, Westpreussen, Germany – 5 Dec 1860 in Krottoschin, Löbau, Westpreussen, Germany
- Marianna Sobotka – 23 Feb 1799 in Krottoschin, Löbau, Westpreussen, Germany – 27 Apr 1853 in Krottoschin
Through their son Michael, two of his sons, Frank & Jacob, traveled to the US and settled in Milwaukee.
Other surnames in this branch are: Muszkowski, Strelka, Pierzchalski, Cybela, Stroinski, Wondkowski, Paplaczyk, Troka, Gierszewski/Giersch, Walczak, Ziarniak, Herkowski, Kub, Bombien
2. August Zalewski & Julianna Wyttbrut
I have not traced this line back to a specific location in Poland, though their oldest son, Michael, is said to have been born in Danzig/Gdansk, Poland, which is the north central part.
- August Zalewski – About 1851 in German Poland to 2 Mar 1914 in Milwaukee
- Julianna Wyttbrut – About 1856 in German Poland to 25 Oct 1930 in Milwaukee
So far, I have found 9 children of August and Julianna and most were all born and stayed in the Milwaukee area.
Other surnames in this branch are: Majchrzak, Papinski, Dombrowski
Andreas Zalewski & Hedvigis Balcerzak
This line actually came from a person I had met through a coworker that happened to be a Zalewski, so I was able to ask them about their Zalewski line and went from there. They have been traced to Jaksice Parish, Inowroclaw, Poland (Jakschitz).
I have no data of this couple specifically as they were only mentioned as parents on their son, Andreas, marriage record in 1839. So, technically, the couple with vital data would be:
- Andreas Zalewski – About 1815 in German Poland
- Michalina Smichowicz – About 1814 in German Poland
There are a good number of descendants traced in the Milwaukee area.
Other surnames in this branch are: Kujawa, Gorski, Ulbing, Lewandowski, Cetnarowski, Garczynski, Eisfeldt
Peter Zalewski & Julia Blasyewicz
Again, these are two names that were only found in marriage records, so there is no more information on them besides their names. I also have yet to narrow down a origin location for them besides German Poland, but there are a few branches in the Milwaukee area:
- Severin Zalewski – 7 Jan 1870 in German Poland to 19 Apr 1950 in Milwaukee
- Married Augusta Batachewski (Sep 1874 in German Poland to 9 Sep 1927 in Milwaukee)
- Frank K Zalewski – 3 Dec 1873 in German Poland to 9 Jun 1945 in Milwaukee
- Married Catherine A Mueller (30 Apr 1872 in Milwaukee to 2 Oct 1932 in Milwaukee)
- Charles F Zalewski – 25 Dec 1875 in German Poland to 11 Feb 1945 in Milwaukee
- Married Helen K Muller (About 1884 in Milwaukee to 13 Jan 1947 in Milwaukee)
- Lottie Zalewski (? – ?)
- Married a Pozorski
Other surnames in this branch are: Brukwitzki, Krutza, Gosslin, Hutchinsen, Jensen, McGinnis, Brissett, Placek, Oszewski
Michael Zalewski & Magdalena Szymanska
Another couple just by name via their son Adalbert “Albert” Zalewski. Also, just known as German Poland.
- Adalbert “Albert” Zalewski – 15 Mar 1858 in German Poland to 7 Aug 1910 in Milwaukee
- Apolonia “Paulina” Gorska – Jan 1866 in German Poland to ?
Other surnames in this branch are: Janik, Dzielinski, Parzych, Osypowski, Kaczmarek, Bender, Venus, Plewa, Zale, Jagodzinski, Borzinski, Kozlowski
Zygmund “Ziggy” Zalewski & Wladyslawa “Lottie” M Kroll
I found this one more recently so it’s not too deep, yet.
- Sigmund “Ziggy” Zalewski – 18 Nov 1888 in Poland to 30 Jun 1969 in Milwaukee
- Wladyslawa “Lottie” Kroll – About 1894 in Wisconsin to 23 Apr 1987 in Wisconsin
Other surnames in the branch are: Sucharski, Doering, Kolb, Drydyk, Kubiak, Calederon, Thoen, Mikicinski
John Zalewski & Marianna Unknown
This one isn’t technically Milwaukee, but it is Wisconsin. A bit more north in Stevens Point, Wisconsin which was also a hot spot for Polish immigrants, mainly from the Kashubian area. It does intersect into Milwaukee lines. This Zalewski line was from what is today Suwalki, Suwalki County, Podlaski Voivodeship, Poland.
- John Zalewski – About 1933 in Suwalki to 5 May 1921 in Guenther, Marathon, Wisconsin
- Marianna Unknown – Feb 1935 in Russian Poland to About 1918 in Wisconsin
Other surnames in this branch are: Babiak, Kurzynski, Gollon, Lewandowski, Feltz, Kielpinski, Waldoch, Zagrzebski, Ceplina, Ostrowski, Bretl, Borski, Skrzypkowski, Cieslak, Kotowicz, Fisher, Bombien, Donowicz, Byhniewicz
