VOLUME 20 SUMMER 2012 No. 2 DROBNE ECHA In this issue: Page Installment #22 Drobne Echa Dateline: Winona, MN............... 1 Dateline: Winona President’s Letter............................................... 2 From Kuryer Polski, 1906 Bulletin Board ................................................... 3 By Greg Kishel Yellow Pages..................................................... 5 <[email protected]> The Kashubian Strawberry................................ 9 http:// ............................................................... 10 Our coverage of Minnesota’s past in the Polish- Twin Cities Polish Festival ............................. 14 language press finally turns to Winona, one of our Are You a Good Ancestor? ............................. 14 state’s oldest Polish-American communities and one Analyzing Matrimonial Records ..................... 15 of the largest places of Kaszubian immigrant Surname Indexing Project ............................... 21 settlement in the United States. I have not previ- Missing Branches ............................................ 28 ously presented a translation of any Polish-language journalism from Winona, largely because I had not were almost always titled Echa z Zachodu, “Echoes found even one letter or report that had any good from the West.” narrative on the earliest Polonian settlement there, or I’ve retrieved most of these dispatches published the growth of its first Polish-ethnic institutions. in 1905-1909 and will prepare them for a future (That is my first-priority goal for the material I installment. One from 1906 caught my eye, translate and present in print; the second is name- because it seemed to feature things SŁAWSKI was heavy content that would help PGS-MN members to told about the very earliest Polish immigrant settle- retrieve information about their ancestors and their ment in the upper Mississippi River valley, at lives in their new American homeland.) Winona and just downriver at LaCrosse, Wisconsin. However, while reviewing century-old issues of On translation, its content challenged the standard Milwaukee’s Kuryer Polski, I uncovered something perception of the origins of Winona’s Polish-Ameri- for Winona that was closer to my desired content. can community. Its author, Wincenty SŁAWSKI, worked for over a Winona Article …continued on page 7 decade as a travelling subscription agent for Kuryer Polski across the Upper Midwest and sometimes further afield. From time to time during the first decade of the 20th century, SŁAWSKI sent a dispatch to his paper while he was on the hustings to drum up readership. Most of these were colla- tions of short news-bits from towns in the same area, likely gleaned from conversations with prospective subscribers. (One can see how this helped to grow circulation; seeing one’s name in print right away would be quick gratification for those newly- enlisted readers in isolated rural Polish communi- ties.) Those assembled during SŁAWSKI’s travels within Minnesota (and the Dakotas or Nebraska) Page 2 Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota Summer 2012 Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota A Branch of the Minnesota Genealogical Society 1185 No. Concord St. So. St. Paul MN 55075-1150 <http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnpolgs/pgs-mn.html> Officers/Board of Directors: President.................Jerome Biedny (952-944-5905) .......................................... <[email protected]> Vice President.... Richard Theissen (651-739-1490) ..................................... <[email protected]> Secretary ......Dana Halberg-Ridley (952-393-3516) ........................................ <[email protected]> Treasurer .............Michael Eckman (952-944-4008) ........................................ <[email protected]> President’s Letter Past President................ Terry Kita (612-927-0719) ...................................... <[email protected]> Dear Members, Director ..................Jeremy Biedny (952-944-5905) ............................... <[email protected]> I am getting ready to realize a lifelong dream. Later this Director ..............Jason Waldowski (763-323-0639) month I will be taking my children to Poland for a general .............................................. <[email protected]> tour and then stops in my family's ancestral villages. After Director ................... Janet Mitchell (651-454-8211) thirty years of research, I can finally stand in the places that ........................................<[email protected]> Director .................Dori Marszalek (763-535-2296) my immigrant ancestors left behind four generations ago. ..........................................<[email protected]> Together we will enjoy the foods of my youth and see the national historic places. Not everyone can get to Poland. Committee Chairs/Co-Chairs But, I learned so much about it getting ready for the trip, I Library .............................................Jeremy Biedny Membership .................................... Dori Marszalek would like to challenge you to pick up a good short history Newsletter ..........................................Peggy Larson of Poland, or a guidebook and read about its places and Program/Publicity .....Rick Theissen, Janet Mitchell people. I have been using the Eyewitness Travel and Rick Research...............................Greg Kishel, John Rys Steves' book series. It really helps your "collection of dead Web Site.......................................Jason Waldowski relatives" (as my sister calls this hobby) come alive. It Polish Genealogical Society makes fine summer reading at the beach or lake. of Minnesota Newsletter We would love to see you at the Polish Festival in Editorial Contact [email protected] Associate Editors .............. Paul Kulas, Greg Kishel Minneapolis on August 11/12. The weather is usually great- Mailing Labels ................................ Dori Marszalek as are the music and food. Look for our two tents and come Surname indexing ......... Kay Freund, Mary Kowles out of the sun for some water. Also, bring your questions to The Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota our Panel of Experts (OK- just the Board Members and Newsletter is published quarterly in Spring, Summer, volunteers). We can help point you in the right direction on Fall, and Winter. Subscription to the Newsletter is your next genealogical step. included with membership. Dues are $20.00 per year or $50 for three years. Our member meetings start up again in September at the Please use application form on insert page. library. In October, we will not have a meeting, but we Items submitted for publication are welcomed and encourage you all to attend the MN Genealogical Society's encouraged. We require that feature-length articles be Fall Conference at the Colonial Church of Edina (see their submitted exclusively to PGS-MN. Articles, letters, book reviews, news items, queries, etc. should be sent to: website for full details). Then we are back at the Library for Editor, PGS-MN Newsletter, 557 98th Lane NW, Coon a combination meeting with the Pomeran Group in Novem- Rapids, MN 55433 or: <[email protected]>. ber. Pencil in 19 January 2013 on your calendar for the next Address/e-mail changes or membership questions? annual meeting. We will be celebrating our 20th Anniver- Contact: Dori Marszalek, Membership Chair sary that afternoon and encourage past members and board 3901 - 61st Ave. N., Brooklyn Center MN 55429-2403 members to attend and share stories of the early days of this or e-mail: <[email protected]> organization. © 2012 Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota Until we meet at one of these events- Sto Lat! Jerome Biedny [email protected] Summer 2012 Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota Page 3 Veronica & her brother Fedelis are a good resource for steps to take when deteriorating/weathered grave stones of family members, require repair. This past year Veronica diligently researched the most affordable and durable techniques/companies to use to repair our great-grandparents deteriorating grave stones. The grave site is located at the Cemetery in Correspondence - Komunikacja Opole, MN. Fedelis chose the print & design for the repair. Fedelis is a good resource to recommend In Memoriam the various computer program, design & format to use. Veronica & Fedelis have done a beautiful I'd like to thank the Polish Genealogical Society of work of art repairing the grave stone. The materials Minnesota for the 'In Memoriam' for my mother, used will weather the storms and severe temperature Lucy Kruchowski, that appeared in the Spring 2012 changes of Minnesota. edition of the PGS-MN newsletter. She loved researching her family ancestry (particularly when it I certainly have been enjoying your Newsletter. involved travel!) and made many good friends through the Society. Sincerely yours. Grace Kramer Can you please let me know if the PGS has any Vernon, B.C., Canada back copies available of the issues of the PGS-MN newsletter in which my mother's three articles were Editor's reply: Thank you, Grace, for your gift published? We have mom's own set of newsletters, membership and for the information on grave stone which she collected, but I would like to purchase an repair. We are happy to say that your cousin, additional copy of any of those issues that may still Veronica, is already a member of PGS-MN. We be available. will extend her membership for one additional year. Thanks & regards, Members: A membership to PGS-MN is always a Jeanne Kruchowski [daughter] good idea when looking