I am writing this historical supplement about Joseph Winogrocki and Ewa Winogrodzki-Szuilowska aka “Baka” for two important reasons. One is to fulfill my promise that I would complete this task before I died! Another, more genealogical in nature, is to set the historical record as clearly as possible so future generations may understand and possess accurate data on origins, spellings, dates, pathways and cemeteries belonging to our families.
  

The Brother and Sister WINOGRODZKI

Ewa was born December 24, 1888 to M/M Wladyslaw Winogrodzki. Her brother, Jozef was born earlier that year on February 22nd - they lived in the old woj. of Tarnobrezg in SE Poland, the former part of Poland called “Galicia.” This was Partitioned under Austrian rule until the end of WW I.

Ewa and Jozef’s biological mother was a lady named Sophia Gre~da.  She died within 3-4 years after the birth of Joseph and Ewa. Wladyslaw Winogrodzki sought a new wife-stepmother for his two children and chose a widow with two children of her own. She apparently favored her own kids over the two Winogrokzki children. We get a feel of this behavior from the story told by Jozef many years later to his daughter Adeline. She recounted to Bernard Sadowski - one day Wladyslaw came home from work and saw the four children eating “kasza” cereal - however, her kids were using whole milk whereas Ewa and Jozef had theirs in diluted form. The father was upset of course.

I sent letters to all of the Polish names of relatives that I could get from my mother, Emily Sadowski (Urbanik).  A reply came back from Ewa Rzekec, Zdziary, Poland. Here are some excerpts from that first mail:

“Bernard, I want to tell you that your grandmother Ewa Urbanik was my mother’s cousin and they grew up together in the same house and liked each other very much. Please give our love to your mother, brother and all of your mother’s sisters and brothers.” { PS. In 2001 we clarified this matter further - Ewa was not a blood relative, but rather, a very close childhood playmate}.

And later, from her second letter: “ Bernard I report to you that your grandmother Eva (my aunt) lived in one home with my mom. Your grandmother’s mother died, but she had a stepmother that was hurting her, so my grandmother took her to her house. All that was told by my mother when she was alive.” This information begins to clarify Ewa’s home life prior to departing Poland. And, furthermore, it sheds lumens upon the mystery of why the brother and sister carried different surnames.

By 1896 Ewa and Jozef were without their biological dad - Wladyslaw died when the two children were about eight years old.  The widowed mother-Winogrodzki now had four kids to support all by herself. That was unbearable and apparently a financial difficulty, so Jozef was allowed to drift among his other relatives and friends, living as a guest for years until he was able to emigrate to America. Ewa on the other hand somehow was allowed to chose to live with her grandmother, namely, Marianna Szulimowska-Gre~da. But even that relationship must have changed because we know from the letters and my personal conversations with the Rzekec family in Zdziary.

Thus, the eight-year old Ewa Winogrodzki girl moves in with grandparents and furthermore she elects to change her surname to grandma’s maiden name - Szulimowska. This is a conjecture on my part.

We have to surmise that because Ewa strikes out to America nine years later, in 1906,  and her name on the ship Manifest of her ship the “Karlsruhe” is Ewa “Szulimowska.” The spelling of this surname gets massaged a few times as we shall see -Ewa ends up with the version: Sielmowska.
  

The Two Marriages of Ludwik Urbanik - Poland

Picture in your mind that while that Winogrodzki Family is growing up in Zdziary between 1888-1906, across the road the Ludwik Urbanik Family is really growing. Ludwik and Marianna Maziarz marry and have eight children. Two of these children play a huge part in our family saga: Walenty and Pawel Urbanik.

Specifically, it is Pawel (Paul) who’ll grow up and start dating Ewa Winogrodzki-Szulimowska. Just when that love sprouted is anyone’s guess, however, this much must be true: Ewa and Pawel had to have been promised to each other by the spring of 1904. They had to be because Pawel left Poland to join his brother Walenty in Detroit, MI in 1904. We know that Ewa immigrated to America in April 1906 and married Pawel Urbanik two months later in June, 1906 at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, Detroit, MI. Ewa stretched the truth on her Marriage Application - it says she is 18, but really Ewa was 17 1/2 at the time of the wedding.

Ewa, thus,  was 15 years old, living in Zdziary with her grandmother and engaged to marry Pawel Urbanik aged about 20. Her playmate in those years was Ewa Rzekec, another neighborhood girl from down the road in Zdziary. Ewa Rzekec reportedly told her daughter corroborating stories about life in old Winogrodzki home after Wladyslaw and Sophia passed away. Her version matches the Wladyslaw rendition. Furthermore, both versions match Ewa’s version as she will tell it to her children years later.
  

Brother Jozef’s Whereabouts

Where was Ewa’s brother, Jozef, during all this time? Jozef married his bride in Detroit in 1915 so we know he left Poland prior to 1915. One Ellis Island Manifest shows a person matching Jozef in every way except for age. But all researchers know that ages were commonly misused for any number of reasons. This fellow arrives in New York in August 1906 - only four months after Ewa. It all makes sense to me - when you examine the Marriage Certificate of Ewa and Pawel Urbanik, the witnesses are the people whom owned the home the Urbaniks lived in - not her brother Joseph Winogrodzki - because he had not yet arrived in America.
  

Why Did Weronika Urbanik Join Ewa?

Ewa was afraid to travel alone, this we learn from Weronika years later of course,  so she asks Weronika Urbanik to come with her. Weronika is the first born child of the second marriage of Ludwik Urbanik.

Ewa and Paul were lawfully married by the Reverend P. Topolski in the presence of Martinus Wozny and Maria Rosalik on June 25, 1906 in St. Hedwig’s Church in Detroit. On the Marriage License Paul and Eva list Austria as their birthplace. Paul’s age is 23 years and Eva is 18 . Baka notes that her mother’s maiden name was “ Sophia” and her father’s name was “Walter.”  Paul identifies his parents as Ludwig and Mary. Baka bore eleven children - two were stillborn. Bernice died at age four of typhoid fever.

The affectionate Polish shorthand for grandmother, “Baka” gets assigned to Ewa by the USA family and it sticks till death. Buscia is a common term of endearment for a Polish  grandmother. Buscia derives from babcia in the diminutive form.

The Social Security Administration’s records of Baka’s application for benefits shows that Ewa applied on 02/09/1966 and listed her birthday as 12/24/1888. She put down “Walter Wingrocki” as her father and “Sophia Grenda” as her mother. This gold nugget of data gave us the first hard evidence of Baka’s parentage.

Baka signs her name “Eva” on her Certificate of Naturalization dated April 15, 1942. She stated that she has gray eye color, medium complexion, brown hair, stands five feet tall .

When Ludwig remarried he raised another ten children. One of those daughters, Weronika, was the young 14 year-old companion of Ewa Sielmowska on that fantastic voyage to America almost a hundred years ago.

Weronika Urbanik grew up in Detroit, married and had ten children, one who is Helena T. Suchara, Professor Emeritus, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI. Dr. Suchara was my mentor on the famous Trip to Poland in June 2001. 

Thus, this is how we’ve come to have many, many other relatives living in Poland and elsewhere. Blame it on Ludwik Urbanik - eight children with his first wife and ten with the second wife. The total number progeny of all descendants is awesome! The published book is 150 pages! We are a full family and we have some brave ancestors to always remember in our prayers.
  

Other Interesting Connections

This brother of Baka’s married Agniszka Zawacka and had three children, Walter, Adeline and Stella.  I contacted Adeline Zalesny  who wrote me this information and who still resides in Detroit. This most recent piece of genealogical information put most of Ewa Sielmouska’s (Baka) history in order.

Adeline Zalesny (Winogrocki)  and Weronika Suchara (Urbanik) made the trip from Detroit to Flint in August 1960 to attend the wedding of me and Rita. At the time I was most likely oblivious to all this wonderful family history. But I know I danced with them.
  

Closing Comments

Eva Sielmouska used a different surname name than her brother Joseph because she was brought up by the only people she knew as a child, i.e., her grandparents. Joseph Winogrocki ( the family in America used this spelling) died at age 88 in 1976 as told to me by his daughter Adeline.

Paul Urbanik and his brother Valentine Urbanik died in 1944. Baka continued living with daughter Virginia and her family until her death in June of 1968.

Weronika and her family remained in Detroit, MI and maintained intermittent contacts with the Flint, MI clan via mail and at times actual motor car and Greyhound Bus travel.

Walenty Urbanik’s family is widespread - some in Flint, Detroit and Texas.

As of 2003, several descendant families continue to live and work in the Zdziary, PL region. Three of the great-grandchildren now live and work in France.
  

Polish Names and  Explanations

1.  WINOGRODZKI is the correct Polish spelling of this surname.

2.  WINOGROCKI is the way Joseph spelled his name in America.

3.  SZUILOWSKA is the way Ewa and Joseph’s maternal grandmother  spelled her name.

3a. SIELMOWSKA is the way Ewa aka Baka spelled her name in America.

4.  GRE~DA  is the correct Polish spelling of Ewa and Joseph’s mother’s name. It would sound like ‘Grenda” in English.

5.  All descendants of Ewa and Paul URBANIK are directly related to Walenty Urbanik’s descendants as well as Joseph WINOGROCKI’S descendants. And, as half-cousins to all descendants of Weronika & Frank SUCHORA.

6.  ZDZIARY, PL is the ancestral village for these names.

*Ewa and Joseph circa 1939 Tilden Street, Flint, MI. Emily Urbanik behind tree.
  

FAMILIAL INFORMATION & CONJECTURE ABOUT EWA AND JOSEPH WINOGRODZKI OF POLAND
by: Bernard Stanley Sadowski, Ph.D.
sadowskib@aol.com

A Plausible Account of  How and Why this Brother and Sister had Different Surnames

Contributing editors:

Dr. Helen Theresa Suchara
Ms. Adeline Zalesny nee Winogrocki
Ms. Virginia Dillon nee Urbanik

For Genealogical and Family Research  all rights reserved

sadowskib@aol.com

Copyright 2001 Geneabios
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