Agnes Golinski
1860-1934
The following biography is based upon numerous documents collected thru years of genealogical research. This biography is written with notations to the specific documents on which the statement can be assumed as factual. New documents may add to or alter this biography as known research is interpreted at this time.
Author's Note: Agnes' flight to the US within less than two weeks of the German Child Custody Decree from her first marriage to Simon Kruczkowski was a clear violation of the court order in which she would lose custody of her children(1). It is this author's belief that Agnes was very much concerned about this violation and did take measures to cover her tracks and hide her children from the German courts for the rest of her life. Her second marriage to Thomas Golinski only eight months after her arrival to the US may have prompted her in this decision. Also, two of her children, Josephine and Frances, took the last name of Golinski, but were not formally adopted by Thomas. They also in any US census always were recorded as being born in Illinois, not Germany, to hide their past(4). Agnes' middle daughter, Marianna, joined the convent in 1899, five years after Thomas Golinski's death. Records there show that she entered the convent under the name of Mary Kruczkowska and was born in Poland(13). Thus verifying this author's belief that Thomas never adopted Agnes' children. Marianna's name would automatically be hidden in church records from the German courts being then known as Sister Hipolyte. Finally, it is interesting that the only existing copy of Agnes' custody decree was discovered in Sister Hipolyte's personal religious order file. This was 103 years after it was originally placed there. No other copies of this document survived to be passed down thru the family.
Agnes Golinski was born Agnes Andrykowski in Bieszewo,Prussia, now part of Poland on January 16, 1859(11). This village is located in Swarzedz parish. She was one of six known children, having a brother named Antoni who also immigrated to the US.(14) There may also be the existence of another brother named Nicolas who lived to adulthood. Agnes' parents were Walenti Andrykowski and Sophie Spichalski(11).
The Andrykowski later moved to Kozlowo where Agnes, then age 19, married Simon Kruczkowski on November 27, 1879(1). With this first marriage Agnes had four children, of which Anna died early at age two.(4) Of the three children that lived thru adulthood, all were girls, and their names and birth dates are as follows(1):
Josepha(Josephine) born on September 21, 1880
Marianna(Mary) born on November 21, 1882
Feon(Frances) born on April 12, 1888
Before Feon was born, Agnes filed for divorce thru the German Kings Court on March 16, 1888. This divorce was finalized on October 21, 1889. During this time her husband died from diptheria on May 16, 1888. Through the divorce decree, Agnes gained possession of all mutual property and custody of her three girls. The decree also stipulated that Agnes must be the sole provider for her three children and not to move out of the court's jurisdiction. Otherwise, her children would become wards of the court(1).
In less than two weeks after Agnes' finalized divorce, she and her children boarded the passenger ship SS Werra at Bremen, Germany to immigrate to the US. They arrived in the port of New York City on November 5, 1889(2).
Agnes moved her family to Chicago, Illinois. Within only eight months, Agnes met and married Thomas Golinski at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church on July 14, 1890(3). Agnes and Thomas had two girls, Antonette, born on June 7, 1891(16) and Amila, born on June 1894(15). Agnes' second marriage ended with the death of her husband, Thomas, on August 23, 1894(5). Agnes never remarried again.
Agnes lived within the city of Chicago her entire life after immigrating to the US, living in at least four locations. In 1894, at the time of her husband's death, the family lived at 1026 Dudley(6). By 1896, Agnes moved her family to 636 Noble(7). The family had moved to 1929 Drake Avenue by 1899(8). Agnes's last move was to 1863 Kimball Avenue by 1903(9). This house became 3138 Kimball Avenue in 1910 when the city of Chicago revamped its street numbering system as it exists today(10). She remained at this address until her death in 1915(11). This house still stands today and it is documented that Agnes owned the property free and clear of any mortgage(4)(12).
It is not known if Agnes ever worked while she lived in Chicago. She could speak English, but could not read or write(4). Agnes was Roman Catholic and possibly a member of St. Hedwig Church in Chicago.
Agnes died at her home from stomach cancer on February 3, 1915. She was buried at St. Adalbert's Cemetery in Niles, Illinois on February 6, 1915 in the Golinski family plot(11).
Agnes Golinski was my great-grandmother
References used in the above biography are as follows:
