Above is a cropped map of Prussia from 1873 showing the area our Zielinski ancestors came from. Click on the map for a full-size 1886 version and to get a better idea of the location relative to the rest of Poland. Or click here for a more-detailed map of the area.

Ironically enough, the Zielinski branch of our family is the branch that I've had the least success researching in Poland. I guess mostly because they originated in a very small community, many records are not available online or have not been indexed. This makes it infinitely more difficult and time-consuming! Suffice it to say, I continue to work on it. Below is what I do know about the Zielinski line.

Like the Lewandowski's, the Zielinski's came from the area of Poland known as West Prussia, an area who's borders and owners have changed many, many times over the decades. More specifically, they came from the very eastern part of West Prussia - not to be confused with East Prussia!. Although at one time, it was actually known as East Prussia! Nevertheless, for centuries it has been historically known in one form or another as Prussia and home to the Prussians. I find it all rather confusing! For more detailed historical information, go to West Prussia History or Poland History pages.

Joseph Zielinski and Anna Kryniewska
(Lawrence's paternal great-grandparents)
The origins of the Zielinski line of our family (at least, as much as I know of it) trace back to the town of Tillendorf, (now known as Tulice) in the powiat (county) of Stuhm. It was here where Joseph Zielinski and Anna Kryniewska settled down and raised their family. The first official document I've been able to find is their marriage record. They were married on October 21, 1832 in Altmark (today known as Stary Targ), a larger town approximately 5 miles from Tillendorf. So, did Joseph and/or Anna come from Altmark? Or, since there was no Catholic church in Tillendorf, did they marry in Altmark because that is the parish they chose to worship at? Either is possible, but neither is proven. There is actually a closer Catholic parish in Schonwiese, only about a mile and a half from Tillendorf. Why would they choose Altmark instead? Yet, most records found for this family are from the parish at Altmark.

Joseph and Anna resided in Tillendorf from at least 1832 until 1842. During that span, Anna gave birth to 4 children: Julianna in 1833, Joseph in 1835, John in 1839 (Lawrence's paternal grandfather), and Michael in 1842. No additional records have been found for this family unit in Tillendorf. That could indicate that no other children were born to the couple, or the couple moved to a different area and the records for that area have not been found, or that one or the other of the parents died after Michael was born in 1842, thereby ending the line.

It is known that Joseph and John eventually immigrated to the United States. It is not known whatever became of Julianna and Michael, nor whether or not Joseph and Anna themselves ever immigrated. Much more research is needed on this family.

John Zielinski and Elizabeth Witkowski
(Lawrence's paternal grandparents)
Joseph and Anna's 3rd child and 2nd son, John was born in Tillendorf on June 7, 1839. He was baptized one week later on the 14th of June in the Catholic Church parish in Altmark. On May 12, 1863 at the age of 23 he married 19-year old Elizabeth Witkowski. Both resided in Ellerbruch, an even smaller community just a short distance from Tillendorf. Elizabeth was the daughter of Adalbert Witkowski and Constantia Marcinski. John and Elizabeth produced 7 known children while in Poland. Antonia, born in 1864, Julianna in 1866, Joseph in 1868, and Maria in 1869 were all born in Ellerbruch. Baptisms of these 4 children all took place in the parish church at Schonwiese.

This area of Poland was also home to many of our Lewandowski ancestors who also attended the Catholic parish in Schonwiese around the same time as the Zielinski family. I think it is highly likely, though certainly not proven, that at least some of the Lewandowski's were familiar with some of the Zielinski's while still in Poland. We will most likely never know. It would be quite ironic for the families to originate from, and immigrate to, the same geographic areas around the same time frame and NOT know each other. But that's all food for thought.

Some time after Maria's birth, the family moved 3 miles away to the town of Gross Waplitz (today known as Waplewo Wielkie). Son Frank (Lawrence's father) was born around 1871. His birth record has not been found, so it is unknown if he was born while the family resided in Ellerbruch or Gross Waplitz. Once in Gross Waplitz, birth records have been found for son John in 1881 and daughter Johanna in 1884. No records have been found for any children born between Maria in 1869 and John in 1881, though most likely there were some. On the 1910 US census Elizabeth reported giving birth to 9 children, 4 of whom were still living at that time. If that is so, 2 birth records are still missing.

On June 3rd, 1885, the family boarded a ship in Hamburg, Germany and immigrated to the United States. Seven family members were listed on the S.S. Rhaetia from Hamburg to New York. Joseph was not listed among them and may have died young. Johanna is listed, but John is not. However, Johanna's age is listed as 3 years old, which would have corresponded to John's age, not Johanna's! Nevertheless, both John and Johanna DID immigrate to the United States. Johanna would have only been a month old at the time. Perhaps, because of that, she was not on the manifest??

I have not done any research on Elizabeth Witkowski's family, so it is not known if her family also emigrated from Poland or not. However, there are many Witkowski's showing up in early documents in Menasha.

Joseph Zielinski and Catherina Faltinowski
(John's brother and Lawrence's great uncle)
Joseph Zielinski, John's older brother was born on November 1, 1835 in Tillendorf and baptized in the parish church in Altmark on November 3rd. On October 12, 1858 Joseph married Catherina Faltinowski, also from Tillendorf. The wedding ceremony took place in Altmark. The couple never had any children. They did, however, immigrate to the United States. According to Joseph's US Declaration of Intent for Naturalization, filed on March 28, 1884 in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, the couple immigrated in May of 1881 through the port of Baltimore. I have been unable to locate the Passenger List providing documented proof of this. Nevertheless, they did arrive in the United States prior to 1884. This, as far as I know, makes them the first Zielinski's in our line to reach the USA.

For more information and maps on this area of Poland, go to West Prussia, Stuhm, Altmark, Gross Waplitz, Schonwiese, Tillendorf, or Ellerbruch