My great-grandfather, Andrew, was the son of Valentine Przybylski and Josepha Kuczma. He was born on 29 October 1841 in Damasławek Kujawasko-Pomorskie Poland and was baptized in the parish in Juncewo.
I was able to locate five siblings for Andrew: Franciszek, Ignacy. Michael, Franciszka, and Marianna. As far as I can tell, none of his siblings came to the US, and I did locate a death record for Marianna in Poland. Michael’s son, John, did emigrate to the US. He married the daughter of Margaretha Plenzler and Michael Mruk.
Andrew married Franciszka (Frances) Rochowiak on 12 October 1873 in Chomętowo, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland. The marriage record does not contain much detail but does provide Andrew’s parents’ names.
It seems as if Frances’ family could have been a motivator for Andrew and Frances to come to the US in 1880. Frances had an older brother, Lawrence, who had settled in Toledo, Ohio in about 1874 or 1875. Frances was orphaned as the age of 14 and it’s likely that she and another half-brother were living with Lawrence until he had left Poland in 1875. Another brother, Martin, arrived later, in 1888.
Andrew arrived ahead of Frances in the US. In October 1880, Andrew submitted his Intention to Become a Citizen and stated he arrived here in May 1880. By 1880, Frances had borne three children (Marianna, Frank, and John). Daughter Rose, the fourth child, was born in June of 1880 in Dobrylewo, Kujawasko-Pomorskie. The 1900 US census states that both Frances and Rose arrived in 1881. Andrew and Frances had four children total born in Poland: Marianna, Frank, John, and Rose.
I have a scan of a photo that is in poor shape of the family not long after arrival in the US. I had estimated this photo to have been taken sometime in early- to mid- 1883. The photo has Andrew, Frances, and five children. These would have been the five eldest children, and that fact gave me a date range for the photo. Fifth child, Victoria, was born in December of 1882. The photo shows Frances holding an infant of maybe 4-6 months old.
Andrew and Frances would go on to have a total of 11 children, nine survived to adulthood, four born in Poland, and seven born in the US. One of these children, Anastasia, would be my grandmother.
Andrew would not have a long life in the US. He died 26 January 1894 of jaundice or a liver disease. Andrew and Frances’ youngest child, Eva, was not yet year old. Per Ohio County Death Records for Lucas County, 1889 – 1897, he was employed as a railroader. He is not buried with his wife (both are at Calvary Cemetery). His grave is in Section 30. The stone itself is very worn and fragile. It reads:
Andrzej Przybylskiego (Here lies or here is Andrzej Przybylski)
UR 26 Styczeń 1894 (Date of death 26 January 1894)
Ojciec (Father)
