Maybe a more apt title would be Chasing Urszula Lyskawa Kowalski Klijewska Hebel! I first came across this family quite by accident while searching Polish church records for my DH's Klijewski family. I came across a marriage for Leon Francis Klijewski and Urszula Kowalski, and birth records for three of their children. I was amazed because I didn't know that Leon had married again. You see he was my husband's great-great grandfather and he never came to America. His first wife was Appolonia Pilarska and she was the mother of DH's great-grandfather Maksymilian Klijewski. Maks did come to America where he married into the Siekierski family and their oldest daughter, Mary married into the Kruszka family.
But back to this Hebel line. Leon Klijewski married Urszula about 1875 in Poland, and he died in 1881. After that she sailed to America with several children in tow, none of whose name I recognize, but she does indeed end up in Detroit. And it is possible that one of the female children traveling with her is her daughter Leocadia. Her son, Leon comes later in 1904 via Baltimore and lists Fred Hibel as his step-father.
Family Search is a wonderful site. One of the reasons for its wonderfulness is the availability of birth, marriage and death records for the state of Michigan from 1867-1897. With images. I found the marriage record for Fred & Urszula with a date of September 7, 1896. His first wife was Mathilda Kuptz, and they were married in 1888. They had at least one child, August, born May of 1893. Mathilda died - according to Mt. Elliott Cemetery (I've blogged about their website in previous posts and see link at bottom) in March 23, 1896. Fred married Urszula 6 months later, probably for help raising his three-year-old son. In 1900, Fred & Urszula are nowhere to be found on the census but are still living in 1910 and 1920. Fred is buried in Mt. Elliott Cemetery, although no section or plot is listed for him. Urszula is buried with her daughter Leocadia's family, the Turowskis in Mount Olivet. DH doesn't realize I am keeping a list of grave sites to visit and photograph next trip into Michigan.
If you have Michigan and/or Detroit area relatives, visit these two sites: Mt. Elliott Cemetery Organization (there is a genealogy link at the bottom of the page) and Family Search. I was really surprised at the results I got searching at the cemetery site. My list just keeps getting longer and longer.
Copyright 2011, ACK for Gene Notes
We'll be going to Acacia Cemetery on Wednesday, I think. Jim's grandma passed away yesterday.
ReplyDeleteYou have really been busy! My son in law and his family are from Michigan, I haven't worked on his family yet, but I believe they are from the Detroit area. I will bookmark these sites and find out tonight for sure! Thank you for sharing this information!
ReplyDeleteHello, My great aunt, Victoria Susalla Klijewski married Urszula's son, Leon Klijewski. I am wondering why Ursuzla's name does not show up on MountElliot genealogy page. I have searched under all names including the polish feminine spelling of the last name. I am wondering why should would not be listed there? Thanks for any information that you can provide. I just had a Findagrave volunteer tell me that they were going to take a picture of her headstone but she was not listed on the website. Thank you, Noreen.
ReplyDeleteHi again, Upon researching a bit more, I found that since Fred Hebel married Urszula in 1896, he is buried in the Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit. MountElliot genealogy on line records indicate the Frederick Hebel buried in Mount Elliot cemetery died in 1880, therefore cannot be the correct Fred. I found this out after trying to add Fred to familysearch records. I did find Urszula under Hebel also so disregard previous post above.
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