Felixa Nowacki Ryckowski Swarzedz Poland St. Stanislaus Kostka Church Chicago Saint Casimir Cemetery Kenosha

Felixa Molach Nowacki

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.

     Felixa Nowacki was born on June 2, 1860 in the town of Swarzedz, Poland(15).  Swarzedz is located six miles due east of Poznan.  Her parents were Vincent Nowacki and Magdalena Molach.  She was the second born of nine children, having at least three sisters and two brothers that lived to adulthood.(8).  The first born, Antonina, died less than a month after birth.  So Felixa was considered the eldest of the Nowacki children.  Her early life was most likely pretty good living in a town and in the family of what is believed to be a successful business merchant.  Felixa appears to have been well educated and able to read and write two languages, German and Polish.  She was not able to speak English until around 1920(4).

     In 1885, at the age of 23, Felixa immigrated to the US and moved to Chicago, Illinois(2).  It was there that she met and married Stephan Ryckowski at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church on October 20, 1886(1).  With Stephan, Felixa had eight children.  Two of them died young. Their names were Maria Martha, born 1891(14), and Joan Ann, born 1893(14).  The six children, who lived to adulthood,  are listed in the order of their birth:  Edna(1887)(14), John(1889)(14), Stella(1895)(14), Edward(1897)(14), Stanley(1900)(14), and Stephen(1904)(14). 

  By late 1892, the Ryckowski family was living at 126 Cleaver Street(11).  The Ryckowski family was Roman Catholic and belonged to the parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka, only a few blocks from the Ryckowski house.  St. Stanislaus still stands at its current address of 1300 N. Noble.

     By 1900, the Ryckowski family had purchased a house and moved to 134 Cleaver Street, just a few doors down(2).  In 1907(10), the Ryckowski family sold their first house and purchased their second house at 469 Howland Avenue in Kenosha, Wisconsin(3).  Howland Avenue is currently known as 22nd Avenue.  In 1926 the City of Kenosha revamped and organized its street numbering system.  The family belonged to St. Casimir Church at 1009 Washington Road.  Felixa was active in and a leader in St. Casimir Church affairs.  She was also active in local Kenosha Polish organizations(8).

     Felixa remained living at 469 Howland Avenue until around 1928 or 1929, even after the passing of her husband, Stephan, in 1909.  At this time, she sold the family home and moved into rental property at 6116 22nd Avenue(5)(7).  Felixa lived at this address until her death at home on March 24, 1934.  She died at the age of  72 of acute interstitial nephritis (nephritis is inflammation of the kidney) from deteriorating health problems for several months(14).  Felixa was buried at St. Casimir Cemetery , Kenosha on March 27, 1934(8)(9).

Felixa Nowacki was my great-grandmother

References used in the above biography are as follows:

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