09.18.2011: Please see the comments for this post. Information contained here is inaccurate. Judy Ellis provided information that she shared concerning Lawrence Rochowiak.
One of my great-grandmothers was Frances Rochowiak Przybylski. The Rochowiaks seem to have arrived early to the US. While research the name, I located a Lawrence Rochowiak. Per the 1920 census, Lawrence and his wife, Anna, arrived in the US in 1872 and each has a naturalization date of 1880. Per this census, Lawrence and Anna were living 1434 Nebraska with four children:
- Anthony, age 33
- Anna, age 27
- Clara, age 21
- Joe, age 17
Using Anthony’s age of 33 and Anna’s age of 53, it seems as if Anna and Lawrence immigrated just after marriage. I would suspect too that Lawrence was previously married and widowed while still in Poznan given that there is a 20 year age gap between him and Anna. A quick query to the Poznan database didn’t lead me to any quick clues; and it’s more than possible that Lawerence’s name had been changed upon immigration to the US, although I queried under the usual suspects of Polish and Latin names such as Lorenz, Laurentius, and Wawrzyn. It’s likely that his birthdate year of 1845 is just a guesstimate and it’s also possible that the name was recorded under a different form. I’ve seen Rochowiak referred to as Grochowiak and Prochowiak on the database. So more research is needed to determine if and how Lawrence and Anna are connected to Frances Rochowiak.
I do have a grave photo for Anna and Lawerence.
Anna and Lawerence Rochowiak grave Calvary Cemetery
I do have Lawrences’s date of death–June 4, 1930. I haven’t located his death certificate but have found an index of Ohio deaths dated June 1930 that lists Lawrence. Additionally, there is a death notice for Lawrence published in the Toledo News-Bee dated June 5, 1930. The death notice is transcribed below:
ROCHOWIAK, LAWRENCE–Beloved husband of Anna, Wednesday, June 4, at 10:30 a.m. Age 84 years. Funeral Saturday, June 7 from his residence, 1434 Nebraska Ave., at 8:30 and St. Anthony’s church at 9 a.m. Burial Calvary. Czolgosz mortuary.
The Calvary Cemetery burial register provides the record for Lawerence’s burial as well as the location of the grave. (I do not have any death or burial information yet for Anna.) The burial record is transcribed below:
No.: 31413
Name: Lawrence Rochowiak
Residence: 1434 Nebraska
Age: 84
Cause of Death: Accidental fall
Date of Interment: June 7
Grave: S 1/2 of E 1/2
Range or Lot: 32
Section: 19
Undertaker: J. G. Czolgosz
Remarks:
I have no links to this Lawrence Rochowiak to my great-grandmother. It would be interesting to learn if Frances was related to this Rochowiak family–it seems as if many from the region of Chomętowo, Poznan, Poland were related and many had contacts in or had lived in Toledo or northwest Ohio. If you have any information, please leave a message here or send me an email and I’ll follow up.
September 18, 2011 at 9:07 am
Hi Donna,
Wawrzn “Laurence” Rochowiak’s first wife was Rosalia Skolmowski (died 15 July 1895 per St. Anthony’s records). They were married in 1875 at St. Peter & Paul in Toledo, before St. Hedwig’s opened. Children: Joseph b. 1876, Agnes b 1878, Frank b 1879, Vincent b 1881, Mary b 1883, Anthony b 1886, Constantia b 1889, Eva b 1891, and Anna b 1892. Laurence remarried Anna Ziemkiewicz on 7 June 1897 at St. Anthony’s and they had two children: Clara b 1898 and Joseph Wladyslav b 1901.
No links to my husband’s family that I have found yet. I am researching Czarnecki, Gomolski, Anielak, and Kujawa mostly.
Judy Ellis Czarnecki
September 18, 2011 at 10:54 am
Thank you Judy. That was definitely more information that I’d had. Frances is somewhat frustrating me. It seems to me she had some relatives in the area but I can’t make any links to her. I think she and Andrew emigrated fairly early–probably before 1880. As I find more about Frances or Andrew, I’ll most certainly keep an eye out for the names you provided.
March 24, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Perhaps this will help link Francis and Laurentius Rochowiak. Per St Anthony Baptism records for Larentius Rochowiak and Marianna Skolmowska’s daughter Anna, born July 24, 1892 and baptised July 31, 1892, the entry for parents reads:
“Rochowiak Laurentus fil Adalberti et Mariannas
Skolmowska Rosalia fil Adalberti et Marianna n. Grabowska”
Thus, Laurentius’ parents match Francis’ parents per this record.
Also, you may have this already, but per St Anthony Baptism records for Andrew and Francis (Rochowiak) Przybylski’s son Stanislaus, Stanislaus’ Godfather was Laurentius Rochowiak.
March 24, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Thank you. I will follow up eventually. I do believe I have Stanislaus’ baptismal record but don’t believe I’ve seen the one for Anna. This is wonderful…thank you, thank you, thank you!
March 31, 2012 at 10:46 am
It appears that a brother Martinus Rochowiak can also be linked to Frances and Laurentius. Per the baptism record for a son of Martinus named Joseph, born on February 8, 1890 and baptised in St Anthony Church on February 12, 1890, his parents are listed as Martinus Rochowiak, son of Adalberti and Mariannae, and Catherina Switorlesky (not sure of spelling, but other baptism records show her name as Surtala), daughter of “Mather’ Mariannae”. Joseph’s Godparents were Andreas Przybylski, husband of Frances, and Rosalia Rochowiak, who was Laurentius’ wife at that time.
Lawrence Rochowiak was also listed as the Godfather to Martinus and Catharina’s daughter Rosalia who was baptised in St Anthony’s on January 7, 1893.
March 31, 2012 at 11:18 am
Thank you Jan. I think you and Judy are a step or two ahead of me. I’ve been going through the church records the past few days and I think I’m slow on the uptake. I really need to catch up–been receiving so many wonderful hints and help from a number of people lately on this issue! Thank you again!!