Hopefully everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is recovering from turkey and pie overload. While working on the photographs I had for Calvary Cemetery, I’ve found a stone that just makes no sense. I cannot for the life of me, using Ancestry, Family Search, looking through my own family data, scouring obituaries, etc. identify this person. Perhaps someone can identify. See photo below, the grave is located in Section 40, I believe in range/lot 18. I’m wondering whether the name is misspelled and should be Rochowiak? You can click the photo to enlarge.
Frances Rahowiak
Since the stone is clearly labeled “Mother,” I’m working with the assumption Frances was married. Unfortunately, I have no maiden name in which to use for a clue.
Within my family, there are two Frances Rochowiaks: one is my great-grandmother, Frances Rochowiak Przybylski. The other is the daughter of Martin Rochowiak and Catherine Switała, who by my calculations would be my first cousin, twice removed. Martin was a half-sibling of my great-grandmother. Martin’s daughter was born in Góra Kalwaria, Mazowieckie, Poland in 1880. She married Felix Tafelski and died in 1961. So there is no possible way this grave could be either my great-grandmother or this particular cousin.
If you have any clues, drop a line here or email me.
November 25, 2012 at 8:44 am
Hi Donna,
In my files I have a Frances Jagodzinski who married Florian Rochowiak. I have her DOB as 1857 (per 1900 census) but of course that is often inaccurate so 1854 is possible. Her husband Florian Rochowiak I have DOB 1848 (per census) and death date 5 Jan 1942 in Toledo. I have 12 children for this couple, most baptized at St. Hedwigs:
Frank born 9 March 1877
Theodore born 4 Nov 1878
Wladyslav born 3 Aug 1880
Leo born 1882 (per census)
John born 5 July 1884
Maryanna born 1 Feb 1886
Louis born 7 Aug 1889
Stanislaus born 30 April 1891
Rose born 30 Nov 1892
Vincent born 14 Aug 1894
Hieronymus/Harry born 24 May 1896
Balbina/Bertha born 25 March 1898
Not a direct relation of my husband’s, but some info. Hope this is helpful!
November 25, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Thank you! I will look more into this.
November 30, 2012 at 6:08 am
The Frnaces Jagodzinski who married Florian Rochowiak died on February 28, 1921.
Per Ohio Death Records on the LDS web site:
“Franciszka Rochowiak
gender: Female
burial date: 03 Mar 1921
burial place: Toledo, Lucas, Ohio
death date: 28 Feb 1921
death place: Toledo, Lucas, Ohio
age: 60
birth date: 1861
birthplace: Poland
occupation: Housewife
race: White
marital status: Married
spouse’s name: Floryan
father’s name: Antoni Jagodzinski
father’s birthplace: Poland
mother’s name: Agnieszka Powalska
mother’s birthplace: Poland”
NOTE: Per Frances’ husband Florian’s obit in 1942, it stated that Florain’s wife had died 20 years prior.
November 30, 2012 at 6:20 am
Apparently Frances’s gravestone does have a misspelling. This Frances(Nee Zbieranski) was the widow of Stephen Rochowiak who died prior to the 1900 census.
Per the Posnan Project, web site “http://poznan-project.psnc.pl/search.php” :
“Catholic parish in Juncewo, entry # 17 in 1874
Stephanus Rochowiak (24) father: Stanislaus, mother: Marianna [Stepahnus’ Birth Approx 1850]
Francisca Zbierańska (19) father: Joseph, mother: Marianna” [Francisca’s Birth Approx 1855]
Baptism records for their daughters Mary and Pauline can be found in St Hedwig’s baptism records.
Frances’ married a 2nd time,to Michael Brzyski. He died in 1903. After that, Frances was sometimes listed with either last name, Rochowiak or Brzyski.
November 30, 2012 at 6:28 am
Per Ohio Death Records on the LDS web site:
“Frances Bozyski
event: Death
event date: 20 Oct 1940
event place: Toledo, Lucas, Ohio
residence: street address: 327 E. Polk St., 4th Ward [Park Street]
gender: Female
death age: 84y
marital status: Widowed
race: W.
occupation: retired
birth date:
birthplace: Poland
estimated birth year: 1856
burial date: 23 Oct 1940
burial place: cemetery: Cal. Cem.
father: Stefan Zbieranski
father’s birthplace: Poland m
mother’s birthplace: Poland
spouse: Andrew Bozyski” [Really Michael Brzyski]
Death Notce in the Toledo Blade October 22, 1940:
“ROCHOWIAK – (BRZYSKI) FRANCES, Sunday, Oct. 20, at her daughter’s residence, 327 E. Park St.** Beloved mother of Michael, Mrs. Katherine Oberle, Mrs. Mary Goncz, Mrs. Julia Saunders, and Mrs. Pauline Sieja. Funeral Wednesday, Oct. 23 from F. L. Gasiorowski Funereal Home, 3302 Lagrange St., 8:30 a.m., at St. Adalbert’s Church, 9 a.m. Interment Calvary Cemetery.”
**NOTE: 327 Park Street was the adddres of Pauline and Frank Sieja and their family, as well as “M-I-L” “Frances Briski”, age 80, on the 1940 census. This all matches entry #40688 in Calvary Cemetery Records for Frances Brzyski (Rochowiak), page 196 on the LDS web site.
November 30, 2012 at 7:52 pm
Thanks. I’ll follow up!! With names misspelled like this, I’m surprised anyone was able to figure this out!