The Joseph and Rosalia Gainowski Family

The Joseph and Rosalia Gainowski Family

By Dave Jordan
October 21, 2005
Joseph Gainowski was born in March 1846 in Germany. Very little is known about his years in Germany as neither his father's or mother's name are known. Joseph married Rosalina Wogervodka about 1867-68, possibly 7 July 1867 in Gnojau, West Prussia, Germany. Rosalina was born 2 February 1847 in Germany. Her father's name was Joseph and her mother's name was Rosa. Rosalia Gainowski's maiden name of Wogervodka, possibly Wagervodka was found on her daughter Anna Gainowski's 1893 entry in the St. Augustine Marriage Register to John Pajewski. Other variants found were: 1) Wogerwood, from her daughter Julia Gainowski's 1898 entry in the St. Augustine Marriage Register to Michael Pastwa, 2) Weierwood, from her son John Gainowski's 1902 entry in the St. Augustine Marriage Register to Rosa Karaschefski, 3)Waywood, from Rosalia Gainowski's 1933 Death Certificate, and 4) Wiwot, from Anna Pajesksi's 1950 Death Certificate. Joseph and Rosalia's known children are Anna born 3 December 1871, John born November 1875, Rose born April 1879, Mary born June 1884, Jacob born October 1886, Helena (Lillian) born April 1888, James and Julia. All except Lillian were born in Germany. According to the 1900 Census, the Gainowski family arrived in the USA in late 1886. Their daughter Anna who was born December 3, 1871 said she came over when she was 15 so this matches pretty well with a late-1886 or an early 1887 arrival. Family recollections suggest the reasons they left Germany were a potato famine and a job reference in Chicago by Joseph's uncle or great-uncle. It was also recalled that they first came to Boston, stayed in a poor section, didn't like it and then moved to Chicago. In 1886, Joseph was 40 and Rosa 39. In Chicago, they initially settled on the near north side probably in St. Boniface parish, which was located at the corner of Cornell and Noble. The first clear Chicago Directory listing for Joseph is 1889 at 526 Elston. This is thought to be the same neighborhood as the Pajewski, Abend, and Pastwa families. It was in this neighborhood that their daughter Anna met her husband John Pajewski. By 1893 Joseph and Rosa and the children had moved to the south side of Chicago to a new home at 1540 W. 49th Place. This was in the St. Augustine parish, which was located at 50th and Laflin. It was also the same neighborhood that the Pajewski families and others were moving to. It was an area called "Back of the Yards" and the area provided plenty of job opportunities because of the Chicago Stockyards. In April 1893, Joseph and Rosa's daughter married John Pajewski. John then moved into his in-laws home at 1540 W. 49th Place. John and Anna stayed at this location for thirteen years until 1906, although they probably were on a different floor, or at least I hope they were given the number of children in both families. Joseph and Rosa continued to stay after John and Anna moved out 1906. Joseph Gainowski died on 8 January 1909 in the trimming room of the Mince Meat Department of Morris and Company. He was 62. He was buried at St. Mary Cemetery. It is not known whether Rose stayed on at their home of 16 years or moved in with one of her children. The next trace of her is in 1928 at 5038 S. Marshfield. Rose died 22 April 1933 at 5130 S. Bishop in Chicago at age 86. She is buried in St. Mary Cemetery. Both she and Joseph have a beautiful granite marker. See the Gainowski Picture Collection. The Children: Joseph and Rosa Gainowski's Children were: Anna: Anna married John Pajewski. Their story is told in The John and Anna Pajewski Story. John: John was employed as a Truck Wheeler in 1900. He married Rosa Karaschefski 29 January 1902 at St. Augustine at age 26. Rose: Rose was employed as a can wrapper in 1900, probably at the stockyards. Rose married Frederick Hegerich. No other information known. Mary: Mary was employed as a can wrapper in 1900, probably at the stockyards. Mary married a Lynch. She died in September 1938 at age 54. She is buried at St. Mary Cemetery. Jacob: Jacob married Amelia. Helena: Also known as Lillian, she married August Rose. She had 8 children. They were Wilbur, Rita, Edward, Anthony, Ralph, Russell, Lorraine, and Lersey. She died in December 1970 at age 82. James: James married Elizabeth. Julia: Julia married Michael Pastwa on 20 September 1898 at St. Augustine. Michael Pastwa died on 18 March 1911 at age 38. She then married a Goedert and they lived on a farm in Wheatstone Indiana. There are some pictures in the Page/Gainowski Picture Collection. Initial Web Publication Date: 07/06/03 Intermediate Additions: 05/30/03, 10/21/05 Last Web Upload: 10/21/05

Joseph Gainowski was born in March 1846 in Germany. Very little is known about his years in Germany as neither his father's or mother's name are known. Joseph married Rosalina Wogervodka about 1867-68, possibly 7 July 1867 in Gnojau, West Prussia, Germany. Rosalina was born 2 February 1847 in Germany. Her father's name was Joseph and her mother's name was Rosa.

Rosalia Gainowski's maiden name of Wogervodka, possibly Wagervodka was found on her daughter Anna Gainowski's 1893 entry in the St. Augustine Marriage Register to John Pajewski. Other variants found were: 1) Wogerwood, from her daughter Julia Gainowski's 1898 entry in the St. Augustine Marriage Register to Michael Pastwa, 2) Weierwood, from her son John Gainowski's 1902 entry in the St. Augustine Marriage Register to Rosa Karaschefski, 3)Waywood, from Rosalia Gainowski's 1933 Death Certificate, and 4) Wiwot, from Anna Pajesksi's 1950 Death Certificate.

Joseph and Rosalia's known children are Anna born 3 December 1871, John born November 1875, Rose born April 1879, Mary born June 1884, Jacob born October 1886, Helena (Lillian) born April 1888, James and Julia. All except Lillian were born in Germany.

According to the 1900 Census, the Gainowski family arrived in the USA in late 1886. Their daughter Anna who was born December 3, 1871 said she came over when she was 15 so this matches pretty well with a late-1886 or an early 1887 arrival.

Family recollections suggest the reasons they left Germany were a potato famine and a job reference in Chicago by Joseph's uncle or great-uncle. It was also recalled that they first came to Boston, stayed in a poor section, didn't like it and then moved to Chicago. In 1886, Joseph was 40 and Rosa 39.

In Chicago, they initially settled on the near north side probably in St. Boniface parish, which was located at the corner of Cornell and Noble. The first clear Chicago Directory listing for Joseph is 1889 at 526 Elston. This is thought to be the same neighborhood as the Pajewski, Abend, and Pastwa families. It was in this neighborhood that their daughter Anna met her husband John Pajewski.

By 1893 Joseph and Rosa and the children had moved to the south side of Chicago to a new home at 1540 W. 49th Place. This was in the St. Augustine parish, which was located at 50th and Laflin. It was also the same neighborhood that the Pajewski families and others were moving to. It was an area called "Back of the Yards" and the area provided plenty of job opportunities because of the Chicago Stockyards.

In April 1893, Joseph and Rosa's daughter married John Pajewski. John then moved into his in-laws home at 1540 W. 49th Place. John and Anna stayed at this location for thirteen years until 1906, although they probably were on a different floor, or at least I hope they were given the number of children in both families. Joseph and Rosa continued to stay after John and Anna moved out 1906.

Joseph Gainowski died on 8 January 1909 in the trimming room of the Mince Meat Department of Morris and Company. He was 62. He was buried at St. Mary Cemetery.

It is not known whether Rose stayed on at their home of 16 years or moved in with one of her children. The next trace of her is in 1928 at 5038 S. Marshfield. Rose died 22 April 1933 at 5130 S. Bishop in Chicago at age 86. She is buried in St. Mary Cemetery. Both she and Joseph have a beautiful granite marker. See the Gainowski Picture Collection.

The Children:
Joseph and Rosa Gainowski's Children were:

Initial Web Publication Date: 07/06/03
Intermediate Additions: 05/30/03, 10/21/05
Last Web Upload: 10/21/05