Szczepankiewicz

This family is connected by a marriage between Leo Szczepankiewicz to Janina (Jennie) Orbik, sister of my grandfather Hieronim “Harry” Orbik. Our Earliest Common Ancestor is my great-great grandfather Stanisław (Stanley) Orbik, born in Tajenko in Poland and immigrated to South Chicago in 1892. This branch of the Szczepankiewicz family changed their name to Siepan in the 1950s.

Leo Szczepankiewicz was born in South Chicago on 30 Dec 1904 to Stanisław Szczepankiewicz and Anna Kujawski. His Godparents were Tomasz Dlowichowski and Sophia Staszewski.

On 19 Jan 1903 Stanislaus Szczepankiewicz married Anna Kujawa in South Chicago. He was the son of Tomasz Szczepankiewicz and Catherine Karsenko. She was the daughter of Michal Kujawa and Franciszka Lasinska.

The only solid clue I had was from a 1900 ship manifest from 22 April 1900 on the SS Patricia from Hamburg to New York. On it arrived one Louis Szczepankiewicz, 18, from what looked like Pologami in the Plock province in what was then part of the Russian partitioned part of Poland. He listed his destination as to stay his brother Michael Szczepankiewicz who was living on 8311 Superior, in South Chicago.

I searched for decades trying to find this family. In January 2019, I found another clue while revisiting this case. On the site https://stevemorse.org/ellis2/ellisgold.html, I found a Władisława Szczcepankiewicz, arriving in New York aboard the Hannover from Bremen on 4 February 1905. She listed her village as Polaiewostare and her destination was her husband Władisław Szczepankiewicz living on 8303 Superior in Chicago. It appears that the original address she gave was 8303 Wielkanowo which would be a loose translation of Superior. I posted the destination of Polagami and Polaiewostare on a Facebook site named Polish Genealogy, and someone suggested that this might be Polejewo Stare. This was a bit confusing because today this village lies in the district of Kujawo-Pomorski. However, after some study, it turns out that this village was, in fact, part of the Plock gubernia in the late 1800s -early 1900s. This village was also where the parish was located so I began my search there.

There were several men named Tomasz Szczepankiewicz in this parish:

1. Tomasz Szczepankiewicz and Katarzyna Sobiera in Marianowo

2. Tomasz Szczepankiewicz and Petronella Snieżewska in Polejewo.

3. Tomasz Szczepankiewicz and Aniela Wiszniewski in Polejewo.

But none of the wives’ surnames matched that of Katarzyna Karasenko as listed on Stanisław Szczepankiewicz’s 1903 marriage record in Chicago. But there were Karasienko surnames in the parish of Polejewo. I recently found the 1935 death certificate of Stanisław Szczepankiewicz (which is indexed as Szczefankiewicz) in Chicago and it listed his mother’s name as Katarzyna Sobieraj and that both he and his parents were born in Polajewo, so this confirmed that Tomasz Szczepankiewicz and Katarzyna Sobiera in Marianowo are the correct ancestors.

Ancestors

Jan Szczepankiewicz and Mariana from Złotkowo.

The earliest Szczepankiewiczes from Polejewo parish records are the death records of the married couple Józef Szczepankiewicz and Klara from Złotkowo.

Death in 1831 of Józef Szepankiewicz, 60, shepherd in Połajewo, son of Jan and Marianna Szczepankiewicz. Born about 1771. He leaves his wife Marianna [sic] and children Franciszek, Antoni, and Tomasz. Death in 1836 of Klara Szczepankiewicz in Połajewo, 65, born in Złotkowo. She leaves children, Franciszek, Antoni, and Tomasz. She was born about 1771.

Checking the parish records of Złotkowo, I found the marriage record of these. On 10 Nov 1793, in Złotkowo, Joźef Szczepankiewicz married Klara Marianowa. Franciszek was born in 1794 and Antoni was born in 1799, both in Złotkowo. Tomasz must have been born in another parish. Other records on Tomasz state he was born in the parish of Siedlimowo but I could not find the record there. There was also a daughter Marianna born 1804 but she must have died young.

Jan Szeczepankiwicz was listed as a witness to an event in the parish of Złotkowo as late as 1818. His wife Marianna died in Złotkowo in 1814 at the age of “around” 80. On her death record, it mentions her husband Jan Szczepankiewicz, as antiqui scultheti, or an old village administrator. The death record of one of their children in 1841 states that Marianna died in Złotkowo and Jan died in Siedlimowo. I haven’t been able to find the death record of Jan in any of the surrounding parishes.

There are other Szczepankiewicz families from Złotkowo parish listed at the bottom, but I will follow the family to Polajewo because that is where the family connection is.

Children of Józef Szczepankiewicz and Klara Marianowa:

1. Franciszek Szczepankiewicz and Jadwiga Połaszewski. They were married in the parish of Ostrowąż on 22 Novemeber 1818. Franciszek Szczepankiewicz was a bachelor aged 26, from the parish of Siedlimowicz. Hedwig aka Jadwiga Połaszewska was a maiden, 21, living in the parish of Ostrowąż.

a. Birth about 1823 of Marcin Szczepankiewicz in the village of Buk in the parish of Dęby Szlacheckie. He married Ksawera Henelewska in the parish of Dęby Szlacheckie in 1853. He was listed as 30, the parish organist, she was listed as 19, maiden, daughter of Tomasz Henelewski and Marianna Lewandowska. He was literate as he signed his own name on the marriage record.

b. Birth in 1831 of Maryanna Szczepankiewicz in Połajewo.

c. Birth in 1835 of Tomasz Szczepankiewicz in Połajewo. He married Katarzyna Sobieraj in 1860 in the village of Kolebek in the parish of Wąsosze in 1860. Tomasz Szczepankiewicz was 25, a bachelor living in Polejewo, the son of Franciszek Szczepankiewicz and Jadwiga Połaszewski, inhabitants of Polejewo to Katarzyna Sobieraj, maiden, 18, living with her father in Kolebek, daughter of Kazimierz Sobieraj and Anna Wiśniewska, born in Izabelin.

i. Birth in 1863 of Józef Szczepankiewicz.

ii. Birth in 1873 of Franciszka Szczepankiewicz She married Jan Krzymianowski in 1900.

iii. Birth in 1875 of Wyncenty Szczepankiewicz He married Franciszka Ostrowski, daughter of Józef Ostrowski and Józefa Wesołowska in 1901. The immigrated to Chicago.

iv. Birth in 1877 of Władisław Szczepankiewicz. He married Władisława Stanisławska in Polajewo Nowy in1903. They moved to the South Chicago neighborhood of Chicago.

v. Birth 1881 of Stainisław Szczepankiewicz. He married Anna Kujawa in St. Michaels Parish in the South Chicago neighborhood of Chicago.

d. Birth about 1841 of Andrzej Szczepankiewicz. He married Kunegunda Karasinska married in the parish of Izbica Kujawska in 1866.

i. Birth in 1869 of Tomasz Szczepankiewicz.

ii. Birth in 1873 of Józef Szczepankiewicz. He died in 1874.

Andrzej’s wife Kunegunda died in 1877 and Andrzej married a second time in 1878 to Józefa Daręda in Marianowo in the parish of Połajewo.

iii. Birth in 1881 of Jan Szczepankiewicz

iv. Birth in 1883 of Stanisław Szczepankiewicz. He died in 1884.

v. Birth in 1885 of Joanna Szczepankiewicz.

vi. Birth in 1887 of Ignaty Szczepankiewicz. He married Teodora Gralinska in 1924.

Franciszek Szczczepankiewicz died in Marianowo in 1870. His wife Jadwiga died in 1872.

2. Antoni Szczepankiewicz and Marianna Michalik.

a. Birth about 1833 of Tomasz Szczepankiewicz. He married Petronella Snieżewska in 1856 in Połajewek. Tomasz, 23, was the son of the late Antoni Szczepankiewicz and living Marianna. Petronella, 17, was the daughter of Piotr Snieżewska and Barabara Kubiak.

i. Birth and death in 1858 of Michał Szczepankiewicz, 6 months old in Połajewek.

ii. Birth in 1860 of Andrzej Szczepankiewicz.

iii. Birth in 1863 of Franciszek Szczepankiewicz.

iv. Birth in 1866 of Józef Szczepankiewicz.

v. Birth and death in 1868 of Franciszek Szczepankiewicz

vi. Birth in 1871 of Marianna Szczepankiewicz.

vii. Birth in 1874 of Józef Szczepankiewicz.

viii. Birth in 1877 of Stanisława Szczepankiewicz.

ix. Birth and death in 1878 of Marianna.

b. Birth about 1836 and death in 1838 of Józefa Szczepankiewicz, 2 years old in Połajewek.

c. Birth about 1837 and death in 1840 of Franciszka, 3 years old, in Połajewek.

d. Birth around 1842 of Walenty Szczepankiewicz. In 1856, he married Eleanor Złotnicka, 16, born in Radzilów to Antoni Złotnicki and Józefa Balinski. At the time of this marriage, her parents were listed as innkeepers in Połajewo.

i. Birth in 1870 of Józefa Szczepankiewicz.

ii. Birth in 1872 of Andrzej Szczepankiewicz He married Salomea Liśecka in 1897.

iii. Birth in 1875 of Jan Szczepankiewicz.

iv. Birth in 1878 of Anastazja Szczepankiewicz. She married Wojciech Ettinger in 1898.

v. Birth in 1880 of Stanisław Szczepankiewicz. Died in 1884.

vi. Birth in 1882 of Antoni Szczepankiewicz. He died in 1883.

e. Jan Szczepankiewicz. In 1871, he married Barbara Augustyniak, daughter of Michał and Józefa, in Połajewo.

i. Death in 1880 of Marianna.

ii. Birth about 1881 of Stanisława. She married Pietrzak Piotrowski in Polejewo in 1901.

Antoni Szepankiewicz, gospodarz, 50, died in Połajwek in 1850. He left his wife Marianna, and children Tomasz, Walenty, Jan, and Marianna.

Jan Szczepankiewicz died in 1882. His wife Barabara remarried Antoni Piątek in Połewek in 1888.

Walenty Szczepankiewicz died in 1883.

3. Tomasz Szczepankiewicz and Ursula Pogodzinska. They were married 1830 in the parish of Skulsk:

a. Birth in 1843 of Marianna Szczepankiewicz in Połajewo.

b. Birth in 1849 of Rozalia Szczepankiewicz in Połajewo.

c. Birth about 1852 and death in 1858 of Franciszek Szczepankiewicz, 6 years old, in Połajewo.

Tomasz Szczepankiewicz and Aniela Wiśniewski in Polejewo. Married in 1857 in Polejewo. Tomasz Szczepankiewicz was 50, widower after Ursula Pogodzinska, born in Kopydlowka, son of the late Józef and Klara Szczepankiewicz. Emelia Wiśniewski was a maiden, 30, daughter of the late Józef and living Krystina Wiśniewski. One witness was Franciszek Szczepankiewicz, 60, brother of the groom. Tomasz Szczepankiewicz’s first marriage to Ursula Pogodzinska occurred in 1830 in the parish of Skulsk.

d. Birth in 1862 of Jakub Szczepankiewicz. He married Antoni Kapela, daughter of Walenty and Rozalia Izadorek.

Tomasz Szczepankiewicz died in 1862, aged 50 in Nowe Połajewo. One witness was Franciszek Szczepankiewicz. His wife Aniela died in 1866 in Nowe Połajewo. She left behind her children Józefa, Julianna, and Jakób.

Other Szczepankiewicz families from Polejowo Parish.

Wojciech Szczepankiewicz and Franciszka Krawczyk in Sokolo were married in 1863 in Ostrowo Gopłem. The record states that he was 28 and from Nowe Polajewo, yet no baptism record appears there 1830-1840.

1. Birth and death in 1874 of Marianna Szczepankiewicz in Nowe Połajewo.

2. Birth and death in 1874 of Michał Szczepankiewicz in Nowe Połajewo.

3. Birth in 1876 of Andrzej Szczepankiewicz.

4. Birth in 1882 of Marianna Szczepankiewicz.

Marriage in Nowawieś in 1895 of Szczepan Sznejder and Jadwiga Szczepankiewicz, daughter of Tomasz Szczepankiewicz and Marianna from Orzesinski.

Rozalia Szczepankiewicz in Polejowo.

1. Illegitimate birth in 1866 of Stanisław Szczepankiewicz.

Other Szczepankiewicz families from Złotkowo Parish.

This only includes data from the 1780s to the 1820s.

Florian Szczepankiewicz and Kunegunda married in 1789 in Złotkowo.

1. Birth in 1794 of twins Jan and Piotr Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

Adalbert aka Wojciech Szczepankiewicz and Petronella Kowalska married in 1790 in Złotkowo.

1. Birth 1797 of Michał Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

2. Birth in 1799 of Marianna Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

3. Birth in 1805 if Ignaty Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

4. Birth in 1811 of Jan Antoni Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

Andrzej Szczepankiewicz and Józefa Sapieac married in 1793 in Złotkowo.

1. Birth 1795 of Michał Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

2. Birth 1798 of Antoni Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

3. Birth in 1802 of Stanisław Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

4. Birth in 1808 of Bartłomiej Szczepankiewicz in Gorzelanie Złokowskie.

5. Birth in 1812 of Franciszek Łukasz in Gorzelanie Złotkowskie.

Stanisław Szczepankiewicz and Rozalia Pirog in Budy Złotkowski.

1. Birth 1804 of Andrzej Szczepankiewicz.

Filip Szczepankiewicz and Agneta in Złotkowo. Filip died in 1841, aged 80.

1. Birth in 1805 of Viktoria Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

2. Birth in 1808 of Ignati Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

3. Birth in 1810 of Szymon Tadeusz in Złotkowo.

4. Birth in 1813 of Piotr Błażej Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

5. Birth 1813 of Józef Kazimierz Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

Piotr Szczepankiewicz and Marianna Gołębiewska were married 1805 in Złotkowo.

1. Birth in 1806 of Jan August in Złotkowo.

2. Birth in 1809 of Franciszek Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

3. Birth 1811 of Antoni Jan Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

Antoni Szczepankiewicz and Zofia Szara were married in 1810 in Złotkowo. He was listed as 25, son of Jakób and Agnieszka.

1. Birth in 1813 of Katarzyna Szczepankiewicz in Złotkowo.

Michał Szczepenkiewicz and Katarzyna in Dankowo.

1. Birth in 1808 of Jakób Szczepankiewicz in Dankowo.

Jakób Szczepankiewicz, widower, 56 years old married widow Marianna Kowalczyk in 1801 in Złotkowo. Witnesses were Jan and Andrzej Szczepankiewicz.

There was a Jakób Szczepankiewicz who died in Złotkowo in 1810, aged “around 80”. He was listed as provisor antiqui eclesia or an old church administrator.