|
Johann Pajewski
Johann Pajewski was born in 1865 in Melencz, West Prussia, Germany. Melencz was just a few miles to the west of Marianburg. He did not know the exact month and day but he picked January 1st. His mother was Elizabeth Drosdowski and his father was Paul Pajewski. Very little is known about his childhood in Germany. His mother married Paul shortly after her first husband died in the early 1850s. Paul had a younger half-sister Faronica born in 1849 and later two brothers Franz (1862) and Johann (1865). There was also a Pajewski sister and possibly a brother Andrew.
Johann's mother and father both died about 1872 when young Johann was about age 7. The family recalls him saying he was in an orphanage. While he may have been in an orphanage, he must have stayed in touch with his brothers and sisters since they all reunited in the United States.
Johann left Germany for the United States in 1885 when he was about 20 years old. He arrived in New York on 9 May 1885 on the Belgenland from Antwerp, presumably arriving in Antwerp by taking the train from the Marienburg area of West Prussia or possibly by ship from Bremen. This was three years after his brother Michael, two years after his half-sister Veronica and her husband Martin, and a year after his brother Franz. My dad, recalls his grandfather telling him that he landed in New York and someone put a bunch of pencils in his hand and told him to sell them to make a little money. According to the Belgenland manifest he was headed for Chicago. This may have been for only a short time as the family also recalls that John went to Michigan to work as a lumberjack. This was thought to be in either in Bay City or Saginaw.
John moved to Chicago by 1887 as the Chicago Directory shows John Pajewski, shoemaker, at 155 W. Division in 1887. John is shown at this address and profession for every year until 1893, except for 1890 when he is listed at 354 N. Carpenter and his occupation is laborer. It is believed that 155 W. Division was his place of work and 354 N. Carpenter was where he resided in 1890. The neighborhood he lived on the north side of Chicago was the St. Boniface Parish, and until 1888 his brothers lived nearby, but in that year they moved to St. Augustine Parish, a newer expanding German parish near the Chicago Stockyards where there was plenty of work opportunities and probably cheaper land.
It appears that John stayed on the north side until about June of 1892 at which time he moved in with his brother Frank at 4854 Laflin. It is postulated that he stayed up north four more years because he had a job there and also because it is thought that is where the Gainowski family he would marry into lived. It also appears the Gainowski family also moved to the St. Augustine parish about 1892.
Shortly after John moved to the south side of Chicago in 1892, he and his brother Frank completed their citizenship requirements. Frank became a citizen on 23 September 1892 and John became a citizen the following day on 24 September 1892. They both registered to vote on 18 October 1892 and they both voted in the November 1892 election, which was won by Grover Cleveland.
On 7 February 1893, John Pajewski and his fiancé Anna Gainowski were the marriage witnesses at St. Augustine for Matthew Abend and Maria Schneidoroski. Matthew Abend was the brother of Augustine Abend who had married John's brother Michael in 1888.
Shortly thereafter, on 29 April 1893, John, age 28 married Anna Gainowski, age 21 at St. Augustine Church. John then moved in with his in-laws at 1540 W. 49th Place.
Anna Gainowski
Anna Gainowski was born 3 December 1871 in Muntau, West Prussia, Germany. Muntau was just a few miles to the west of Marianburg.. She was the daughter of Joseph and Rosalina Gainowski. Very little is known about her childhood in Germany. Her father was born in March 1846 and her mother Rosalina Wogervodka was born 7 February 1847. Joseph and Rosa were married about 1868 in Germany. There were 8 children: Anna (1871), John (1875), Rose (1879), Mary (1884), Jacob (1886), Helena (Lillian) (1888), James and Julia. The Gainowski family came to America in 1886/1887, first settling in a poor area in Boston. They did not like it there so they moved to Chicago. It is believed they first settled on the near north side of Chicago in St. Boniface Parish at the corner of Cornell and Noble. Later they also moved with the Pajewski, Pastwa, and Abend families to the St. Augustine Parish on the south side of Chicago. Anna married John Pajewski on 29 April 1893. He was 28 and she was 21. Most likely they had known each other from the old neighborhood and St. Boniface parish church in which they had both lived for about 5 years. In our photo collection, there is a copy of their engagement and wedding photograph.
Their Married Life:
John and Anna had 8 children. They were George Michael born 11 July 1894, Elizabeth Marie born 8 December 1895, Wilhelm Martin born 5 February 1897, Anna Rosalia born 28 July 1900, Edward Joseph born 3 March 1902, Frederick Joseph born 20 March 1904, Anna born 16 August 1905, and John Jr. born 11 January 1907.
John and Anna lived at 1540 W. 49th Place, the same address as her parents, from the time of their marriage in 1893 until 1906 when they moved to 6037 Hermitage. In 1899 though, John and Anna lived at 1329 W. 49th Street, which was the long time home of John's brother Michael. Michael was not shown at this address for either 1898 or 1899. This was somewhat of a mystery until the 1900 Census for Michael and Helen revealed that their son Frank was born in Michigan. Thus it appears that Michael and Helen may have lent their home to John and Anna about 1898/1899 while they went to Michigan, possibly for an extended stay with their Michigan sister and/or brother. John and Anna have not been found in the 1900 Census so possibly they took a turn and went to Michigan also. They did however return to Chicago by mid-year 1900 as their daughter Anna Rosalia was born in 28 July 1900 in Chicago.
Shortly after his marriage, John gave up his job as a shoemaker. This was probably a result of his moving to the south side of Chicago near the stockyards where there was a rapidly growing community. Both his brothers, Michael and Frank were carpenters and they probably brought their younger brother into the trade. John's first entry as a carpenter was 1895 and except for a few odd years he essentially continued with this profession for the rest of his life. One unusual entry in the 1900 Directory entry for John showed him back at 157 W. Division as a shoemaker. All I can suggest is that for some reason, carpenter jobs were unavailable and he went back to his old job for a while.
I am sure John and Anna were very happy in 1906 when they finally got their own home at 6037 Hermitage. Thirteen years living in the same building as the in-laws is a long time. John was then 41 and Anna 34 and they had 7 children. On 11 January 1907 their 8th child, John Jr. was born. There must have been a problem since he was baptized the same day with only one sponsor, Veronica Nicolai. John Jr. lived 14 months and died on 5 April 1908 of obstruction of the bowels.
John and Anna lived at 6037 Hermitage from 1906 through 1912. They then moved to 5950 Laflin. They stayed there through 1920, possibly 1924. By 1924 they had moved to 6204 Fairfield and lived there through at least 1930, possibly through 1938. Throughout these years, John continued to work as a carpenter.
On 26 December 1926, John Pajewski had his name formally changed to Page. This was done in the Superior Court of Cook County in Chicago. It appears that he and his family had informally used Page for years but had finally decided to make it official. The names were changed for John, his wife and the adult children who were still living at home. These were sons George, William and Edward and daughter Anna. No reason was given but they may have wished to blend in with an easier name to say and spell and may have tired of the constant confusion of saying Payevskee and spelling it as Pajewski and explaining they were German and not Polish.
Anna Page died on 12 April 1950 at Little Company of Mary Hospital, Chicago, Illinois at age 78. Her final place of residence was 2542 W. 79th Place in Chicago. Her cause of death was cardiac failure and contributory causes were a 30 years old thyroid disease, and 4 days of bronchopneumonia.
John Page died the next year on 4 February 1951 at Little Company of Mary Hospital, Chicago, Illinois at age 86. His place of residence was also 2542 W. 79th Place in Chicago. His cause of death was uremia but he had chronic nephritis for 10 years and arteriosclerosis. They are both buried at St. Mary Cemetery. A picture of the gravestone is shown in The Page Picture Collection.
Both John and Anna had their funeral masses at St. Thomas Moore and both stayed with their son, Eddie, at 2542 W. 79th Place in their last years. My dad said John attended my baptism and he regretted not taking a picture of me with my great-grandfather.
The Children:
John and Anna Page's Children were:
- George: George was born 11 July 1894 at 1540 W. 49th Street, Chicago. George was a carpenter and probably worked with his dad. He married Maria Murphy 5 September 1936 at the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Chicago. He was 42 years old. He retired to Lakeland, Florida, possibly to a home for retired carpenters. There are no descendants.
- Elizabeth: Elizabeth was born 8 December 1895 at 1540 W. 49th Street, Chicago, Illinois. Elizabeth married Herbert Arthur Jordan on 21 August 1918 at St. Raphael in Chicago. Their story is told in The Herbert and Elizabeth Jordan Family Story. John Page brought Herbert into his construction business and at one time it was called the J/P Construction Business. They put basements under already existing houses. John taught Herbert carpentry skills and later in life Herb started his own home contractor business. Elizabeth and Herbert had 3 children. Elizabeth died 9 July 1987 in California at age 91. The living descendants number over twenty.
- William: William was born 5 February 1897 at 1540 W. 49th Street, Chicago, Illinois. William was a carpenter and probably worked with his dad. It is believed that he never married. He retired to Lincoln, Illinois, possibly to a home for retired carpenters. There are no descendants.
- Anna Rosa: Anna Rosa, later known as Rose was born 28 July 1900 at 1540 W. 49th Street, Chicago, Illinois. She married Charles Grotske on 6 November 1923 at St. Raphael in Chicago. She was 23. They had 4 children. She died about May 1972 in Chicago at about age 72.
- Edward: Edward was born 3 March 1902 at 1540 W. 49th Street, Chicago, Illinois. He was also a carpenter. He married Dorothy D' Elia on 10 May 1956 at St. Mary of Carmel in Chicago at age 54. He died 24 September 1962 in Chicago at age 60 and is buried at St. Mary. There are no descendants.
- Frederick: Fred was born 20 March 1904 at 1540 W. 49th Street, Chicago, Illinois. He was a young man of 20 when he fell off a building on 10 September 1924. He was working with his father when the accident happened.
- Anna: Anna was born 6 August 1905 at 1540 W. 49th Street, Chicago, Illinois. She married Harry Ulrich 28 April 1928 at St. Rita in Chicago. They had two children. She died 20 June 1985 at age 79.
- John: John was born 11 January 1907 at 6037 South Hermitage Street, Chicago, Illinois. He died 5 April 1908 in Chicago at age 14 months.
Initial Web Publication Date: 07/06/03
Intermediate Additions: 05/30/03, 10/21/05
Last Web Upload: 10/25/07
|