Pauline was born in northcentral Poland , but in her day was part of West Prussia or Preußen. Her baptism record lists her parents' home as "Skoraczewo", which apparently was a small village near today's Sicienko in Bydgoszcz County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland.

Her parents were Friederich Wilhelm & Anna Elizabeth, nee Schmidt, Tessmer. Pauline's name on her baptism record was "Caroline Pauline", but as often the case with Germanic names, she went by Pauline in her daily life. Pauline had 4 siblings that we know of: August Ferdinand (b. 1849), Friedrich Wilhelm (b. 1851, d. 1852), Emilie Ernestine (b. 1853, d. 1854), and Gustav (b. 1861). As far as we know, neither August or Gustav emigrated from Poland.
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Obituary:
Avoca Woman Dies At Daughter's Home

Mrs Pauline Witzke, 84, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs William Gollner, Avoca, Sunday morning after a long illness. She was born in West Prussia, Germany, Oct. 10, 1858, and came to Avoca in 1911 from Hammond, Minnesota.

Survivors are two sons and six daughters, Charles E, Red Wing, Minn.; Gustav A., Billings, Mont.; Mrs Anna Hawley, Hamlet. Neb.; Mrs Fred Ronfronz [sic], Rochester, Minn.; Mrs John Nutzman, Mrs William Gollner, Avoca; Mrs G. S. Mohr, Hamlet, and Mrs Marian [sic] Pittman, Avoca. Also surviving are a brother, Gustav Pessmer [sic], in Poland, and 2 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren also survive. Her husband, Gustav Witzke, died several years ago.

Funeral services will be held at Congregational church, Avoca, Tuesday at 2 p. m. following a short prayer service at the home of her daughter at 1:30 o'clock. Rev G. Bergstraesser will officiate, and burial will be at Avoca cemetery. The pallbearers will be Elmer Hennings, Elmer Halstrom [sic], Henry Maseman, Ellis Lacey, Oscar Zimmerer and Carl Zeiser. The body will lie in state at the Gollner home from 10 a. m. Tuesday until time of the service. Caldwell funeral home, Plattsmouth, has charge of the funeral.