Magdalena Molach Nowacki
1838-1909
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.
Magdalena Molach was born on May 23, 1838 in Gortatowo(1), which is located about 14 miles ENE of Poznan, Poland in the church parish of Swarzedz under St. Martin Catholic Church. Her parents were Joannes Molach and Margaritha Woyciechowski. Numerous church records show that Magdalena was the youngest of six children. Two sisters and one brother died early before she was born. So Magdalena grew up only with two older brothers, Antoni(1832) and Laurentus(1834). The Molach family owned a farm, so her childhood was that of a rural farming community. As for education, nothing specific is known, but US census records state that she could read and write(2). Magdalena grew up barely knowing her father, since Joannes died on July 14, 1840, just after her second birthday. It is unknown how the family farm functioned during this time.
On May 9, 1858, Magdalena married Vincent Nowacki, a widower eight years older and a business merchant living in the village of Swarzedz(3). Vincent was previously married four years earlier, but all three conceived children died within days of birth. Complications of child birth of their last child also took his first wife, Constantia Wiza(4). Magdalena and Vincent had nine children, seven of whom lived to adulthood(5). Their children, born in known order were Antonina born April 28, 1859 and died May 25, 1859; my great grandmother, Felixa, born June 2, 1860; Valentina born February 14, 1862; Francis born April 3, 1864; Stanislaus born May 4, 1865; Anna born July 27, 1868; Felix born May 1871; Casimir born March 1874; and Stanaslawa born May 1879. The Nowacki family lived in Swarzeds for at least ten years. Sometime between 1869 and 1871, the Nowacki family moved to another town west of Poznan(6). The exact town is unknown at this present time. Magdalena's children left the family home one by one and immigrated to the US. The family stayed in Poland because it is believed that Vincent had to run the family business. He never made it to the US.
It is believed that Magdalena's husband Vincent died around 1893 or 1894. This prompted Magdalena to join her children already living in the US. Magdalena and her youngest daughter still living at home, Stanislawa, boarded the SS Hispania at Hamburg, Germany. They brought among them five pieces of luggage. They arrived at Ellis Island on December 28, 1894. They also carried with them two tickets to Chicago, Illinois, where they were met by family(7).
In 1900 Magdalena, now 67, was running her household and renting a house at 170 Illinois in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Two of her children were living with her. Magdalena was educated, being able to read and write, but did not speak English(8). She was also Roman Catholic and a member of St. Casimir Church, 1009 Washington Road.
By 1909, Magdalena and her youngest daughter had moved to 814 Elizabeth Street. With old age, Magdalena was suffering from a heart condition. She died at home June 15, 1909 from heart failure at the age of 71. She was buried at St. Casimir Cemetery in Kenosha(9)(10).
Magdalena Nowacki was my great great grandmother.
References used in the above biography are as follows:
To learn more about the Nowacki and Molach lines from Swarzedz and Gortatowo in Poland, just click below.
