Wawrzyniec "Lawrence" Wisniewski

The John Wisniewski Family

The John Wisniewski family left Posen in Poland when Lawrence was in his teens. They were on a sailing vessel, were blown off course, journey lengthened and food provisions were short. They were not first class passengers so suffered many hardships. Their first location was in the area of Wayland, Mich., where relatives had proceeded them. They then moved on to Chicago, where they found jobs very scarce, lived some time in poverty and then joined a train load of prospective land buyers to the State of Arkansas. They found that land was very stony, unproductive and unfit for farming as they knew it, so the entire train load returned north and to Minnesota. The Wisniewski family and some others had heard favorably of Benton County. They found the Siegmund family and lived with them until they could establish a home of their own. Paulina Siegmund often told about her first sight of Lawrence and said 'That's the man for me" and would add, I got him and was never sorry." It showed rather good judgement for so young a girl - she was married to him at seventeen.

Lawrence Wisniewski purchased the NW 1/4 of Section 35, Township 38, Township of Alberta, a long mile from Gilman, Minn., from the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad for $480.00. It was a dense forest covered by large maples, oaks, elms, etc., with trunks too large to encircle in an adult's arms. He cleared the land as fast as he could with the aid of his small daughters at the end of the cross saw. He left the house before dawn with a sandwich in his pocket and returned after dark with the barn chores facing him. He was not strong or robust, but ambitious and determined. In his early years he served in various positions like Township clerk, on the School Board, County Commissioner from 1895 to 1908. He was elected County Treasurer in 1896 and held that position until 1908, after which he was connected with the State Bank of Foley when George Hanscom was president. In 1910 he was elected to the State House of Representatives and served but one term. The Salary was $1,000.00 for the term with little or no allowance for expenses and other benefits so prevalent these days and he felt the office was not worthwhile. At the time of his death, he was president of the State Bank of Foley and vice-president of the First State Bank of Gilman, Minn. All of the above was accomplished after his having had about two years of formal schooling, but he was an avid reader and received muck education from that source. He had two full sets of Histories of the World and also read any material that came into the home, even ladies magazines and light fiction. He had musical talent and played the organ, was church organist and also played the accordian.

The Siegmund family has preceeded the Wisniewskis' in arriving in the United States. Mother's mother when she was six or seven years old and while still in Poland her father married a widow, Susan Baron, mother of several children. The two families lived together in the same home and as she stated, in harmony and peace as they had kind, mild temperaments. They left Poland via Hamburg, Germany and came to North Prarie, which is northeast of Rice, Minn. and across the Mississippi. The area was not up to their needs so they went on to Benton County where they established a farm home in Section 24, about a mile north of what is now Gilman, Minn. The Siegmund (sometimes Sigmund) family were a kindly, gentle people, very content with their lot in life. Mother Pauline seldom nagged her children nor did much scolding but set a remarkable example in good morals, patience and charity in her quiet, easy manner kept good order in the home of the 12 children that she raised. She often commented that her life had been one of complete fullfillment and joy. A beautiful disposition. She had fourteen pregnancies, the first nine all delivered by an old midwife who lived across the road. The tenth child was delivered by Drs. Holden and Dunn but she passed away through the first night. We were all deeply saddened by the death of our little sister who was buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Cloud. What one old, uneducated midwife had previously accomplished couldn't be done by two trained medical doctors. Mrs. Bratke, the midwife, must have had a special gift from God. All her children were large and healthy but Frank was huge. The sisters weren't strong enough to lug him aroundso Father purchased an express wagon for them to tote him around in. Mother had a bad case of phlebitis after his birth and dis her household chores with her sore leg dragged along on a chair.

Lawrence and Paulina Wisniewski were good parents and set an impeccable example to the twelve children they brought up in peace and comparatively good living. Written by Frances Wisniewski Muschel (about 1980) (the daughter of Lawrence and grand-daughter of John and Katherine)

John Wisniewski left the port of Bremen, Germany and sailed to New York City with his wife Catherine and their three children Michael (17), Larence (13) and Mary (4). They sailed on the (Bark) Dorette under the helm of Captain L. Schulken and arrive in New York on May 15, 1868. The family eventually settled in Allegan County, Michigan where they purchased the west half (80 acres) of the southwest quarter of Section 21 in Dorr Township.