John Kulas, I

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=118447446 Edited Sept 28, 2017. Jan (John ) Kulas (born Apr.-24-1839 at Bak, Poland & died Nov.-7-1920 at Warsaw, N.Dak.) He and Marya Derdowski (wife) (born on Dec.-7-1849 at Wiele, Poland and died July 29 1904 at Warsaw, N.Dak. from a ruptured appendix, [witnessed by grand child Helen Maszk]), came to America from Poland after the Civil War. They arrived in America May 4th 1872 one month before the birth of their oldest child Anthony (rumored to be born in Chicago). They departed from Stettin, Germany on the ship "Franklin". He got a job on the railroad, worked his way to Chicago, hurt his back, was laid up for a year while Marya worked as a scrub-women to keep the family going. From there they moved to Winona, Minn. where it is believed their 2nd child, Mary was born and died in 1873. Than they moved to Warsaw, N. Dak.in 1776, homesteaded a mile north of Warsaw. He was the 1st person to file for a homestead claim in Walsh Cty after Dakota Territory opened up as reported by Father William Sherman (who did extensive research on early N. Dak. immigrants.) He sent for his brother, Theodor & Theodor' s family, giving him a tree claim north of Warsaw in exchange for the crop that year. The crop failed, Jan sold his north farm and moved to a farm 5 miles due east of Warsaw on the Red River in Pulaski Township where he lived until his death in 1920. Jan and Marya had 14 children: Anton F.(1872), Mary, Teofil, John, Frank, Stella, Gusta, Leon, Stanley, Antonina (Anna), Edward, Minnie, Bazil and Ludwik (1892). Marianne may be another spelling for Marya. Marya was a midwife, and died of a ruptured appendix. (Walsh Heritage - vol.1. Jan's parents were Jakub Kulas and Josephina Zabrocka. Somewhere it got spread that Jakub was married to Josephina Kiedrowski, but Church Birth & Marriage records state her last name was Zabrocka. In the Walsh Heritage book it is erroneously listed as Kiedrowski under Theodor [Jan's Brother] Kulas's section). His youngest son Ludwik who was born June 23, 1892, started farming at age 16 and took over the farm. He had 9 children, five by his first wife, Emma Tandeski, born Nov. 26, 1894, died May 12, 1934. (Eryka, Engelbert, Ernest, Ludvik and Alfred) Three (James Francis, Dennis Dale and Roger William), & one stepchild - Dorothy Jeannette Schiller with his second wife, Clara Kryzsko Schiller, born Jan. 15 1905 Greenbush, Minn. died Oct 30 2002 at Escanoba, Mich. Ludwig served as Pulaski Township supervisor for 16 years, treasurer of his school district for 14 years, chairman of his community AAA committee for five years, served on the Warsaw Hall Community Board for eight years, county commissioner from his district from 1938 to 1948, and served on a committee to help ban bootleg stills during the prohibition years. He has also been an active member of the Polish National Alliance Lodge 3034 since 1946.

 MINTO JOURNAL NOVEMBER 11, 1920

   Another Pioneer Called

   John Kulas, Early Settler of Pulaski Township Died on Thursday.

   Another of the pioneer settlers of this locality has passed over the dark river. John Kulas died early Sunday evening at the farm home of his son Ludwig in Pulaski Township at the ripe age of 81 years.

   Mr. Kulas had been ailing for some months, his trouble being a gradual breaking up of his vital forces incident upon old age. For several months the steady decline had been noticeable. The end came not unexpectedly, it was known to be a matter of but a short time.

   John Kulas was a native of Poland and fought in the Austria-German war of 1871 coming to this country shortly thereafter. He came to this locality forty years ago and was the first settlers to file on land in Pulaski township, and for more than thirty years he operated his farm and was one of the active and influential men of his community. Having acquired a competency and being advanced in years, he turned his farms over to his sons some few years ago and retired from active farming, and during the latter years he made his home alternately with his married sons and daughters.

   He is survived by eight sons and four daughters besides two who are deceased. They are: Anton, who is located at Williston, John of Roseau County, Minn., Bazile of Stephen, Minn., Frank of Fork, Minn., and Leon Edward and Ludwig of this locality, Mrs. Stella Maszk of Alexander, Minn., Mrs. Anthony Dexter of Illinois, Mrs. Joseph Gerszweski and Mrs. Vincent Grabanski of this locality.

   The funeral took place from St. Stanislaus Church, Warsaw, on Tuesday, Rev. Kupla, the Pastor officiating and the remains buried in the church cemetery.