The Kania Immigration
 
Waclaw (Walter) Kania) was born in or about 1889, in the province of Warsaw Poland. His home town was listed as Opalanka, a very small town in Russian occupied Poland near the German border, west of the Vistula river in Kujawy province, in the parish of Koneck,

The Poland that he had spent the first twenty years of his life in, under Russian occupation, could not have been very pleasant for him. The Russians had little respect for the ethnic Poles, offering them only menial jobs for low pay and filling the better positions with Russians.  Russian was the official language of the government and the native Polish language was banned from the schools. It’s no wonder he chose to seek a better life in America.


Ellis Island records show that on September 20, 1909 Waclaw Kania boarded a ship in Cherbourg France. The Grosser Kurfurst was bound for America and would arrive there eight days later.

He was processed through Ellis Island on September 28 and the passenger manifest notes that he was a farm laborer, single, 5’6″ tall with blond hair and brown eyes. His home town was listed as Opalonka , a very small town in Warshau Province, in Russian occupied Poland. He had $25 in his pocket and had a final destination of 2629 Landgrinkia (Lagrange) Street Toledo, Ohio which was listed as the residence of Jan Wisniewski his cousin. His father Jozef was listed as his nearest living relative in his native country.

Stanislaw Kania, his brother, was the next to immigrate aboard the S.S. Pennsylvania out of Hamburg Germany. He was processed through Ellis Island May 5, 1910, 23 years old, single, 5’10” with brown hair and brown eyes. Farm laborer was listed as his occupation. Opalonka Russia was his native home and his father, Jozef Kania, was his nearest relative there. His destination was 2629 Lagrange and Cousin Jan Wisniewki, the same as Walter. He also had $25 in his pocket and may have been traveling with Wisniewski family members from Boguszyec Russia which appears to be quite near Opalonka. Jan, 32, Wladyslawa, 27, and Josef, 33 were traveling to Chicago, Illinois and were listed directly after Stanislaw in the manifest.

Josef Kania his brother sailed aboard The Prinz Freidrich Wilhelm out of Bremen Germany,arriving at Ellis Island January 21, 1913. He was a farm laborer single, 20 years old, 5’7″, with blond hair and brown eyes.He also carried $25. His destination was 37 Streicher Toledo Ohio the residence of his brother Waclaw. He listed his origin as Opalenki Russia and Jozef Kania as his nearest relative in his native country. His travelling companion may have been Stanislaw Wisniewski, 30 from Alexandrov Warchau Russia who listed 241 Hudson Street, Toledo and his brother Jan as his final destination.

There is a strong possibility that Jozef senior’s wife may have been a Wisniewski since the Kanias’ and Wisniewskis’ were so often traveling companions and immigration sponsors in America. I have not yet been able to verify this.

Stella Ratajczak was born in America the oldest of seven children born to John Ratajczak and Catherine Mihalik Ratajczak. Her siblings were Rose Ratajczak Florkowski, Stanley Ratajczak, Frank Ratajczak (twin of Stanley) Walter who took the surname Reed ,Pauline Ratajczak Gasior, and Clara Ratajczak Koltonski.

Census records for 1900 show the family living at 43 Streicher Street 2nd ward Precinct G Toledo Ohio. The record is a good example of the errors that could occur if the interviewer had trouble interpreting the residents’ information. John is listed as Ratajski and his family as Ratajcak. Stella is listed as Staley and Walter is listed as William. John and Catherine claimed 1891 immigration. John said he was 40 years old and Catherine said 32. Both said their native land was Poland Germany and that they had been married for 8years. Walter Kanias’ future bride Stella was just 6 years old. Catherines’ brother Martin Michalak 19 is listed as a boarder.

The 1910 census shows Waclaus Kania living at 3018 Chestnut Street in Toledo as a boarder with the Smegielski family. Thomas and Victoria had one son Walter and counted four boarders Joseph Sadowski, Ignace Pawlak, Frank Florkowski,( who would later marry Stellas’ sister Rose)and Waclaus Kania. His year of immigration was listed as1909. Waclaus was of Russian Polish heritage, 27 years old and was a laborer at a sand dock. Both Frank Florkowski and Joseph Sadowski were street workers. Many jobs during this time were connected to the growing transportation industry whether in the auto factories or in street improvements where the street workers laid the paving blocks in a bed of sand.

The Smegielskis’ neighbors were the widow Mary Wisniewski household on one side and the Andrew Kodlinski family on the other. A boarder in their house was named John Wisniewski who was a laborer at a bridge works.

The 1910 census shows the Ratajczak family living at 33 Weber Street. John is 64 years old and works as a grinder in an auto factory. His wife Katherine is now 41 and both list their year of immigration as 1892. Stella is 16 and works as a laundress in a laundry. Siblings are Rose 14, Stanley and Frank both 13, Walter 9, Pauline 8 and Clara 4.

Walter  Kania and Stella Ratajczak were married in 1913 and brought forth 9 children
Casimer (2-8-1913) – (9-18-1977) 
Wesley(6-24-1914) – (6-24- 1986)
Catherine(Carrie)Kania Manwell
Stanley Kania 
Walter Kania (9-12-1920 – (1-5-1985) 
John Kania
Jeanette Kania Finger
Dorothy Kania Morris
Lou Ann Kania Forche