They arrived in the Port of Baltimore on January 1st, 1903. Wincenty had twelve dollars in his pocket along with tickets to their final destination, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their passage had been paid for by Wincety's Uncle, Frank Sniatecki, Treasurer and one of the 1904 founders of Grand Rapids, Sacred Heart Parish.
Wincenty and Franciszka settled on Grand Rapids West Side where their family grew to twelve children; three sons Anthony, Valentine and Peter (who died as a baby in 1911) and nine daughters; Mari Anna, Michaelina, Sister Julie Ann, Catherine, Angelina, Agnes, Antoinette, Esther and Lorraine (Sister Frances.) The family was very active in Sacred Heart Parish.
Upon arrival Wincenty went to work in the gypsum mines and plaster mills on the west side, but the greater part of his working life was spent working for the Pere Marquette Railroad.
Wincenty died in 1942 at the age of 66 and Franciszka joined him in heaven in 1969 at the age of 91.
Part of the Sacred Heart Story began in 1904 as some one hundred pioneer Polish families who lived in the John Ball Park sector and beyond, near the gypsum mines and plaster mills formed the Parish of Sacred Heart. Here these hardy, self reliant and deeply religious people led by John Radlicki, Frank Sniatecki (Snow), Jacob Pienta and Andrew Amborski built a citadel of their Catholic Faith and their Polish Ethnicity.
Wincenty along with many other generous immigrants have their name permanently etched on the 4 bells in the tower at Sacred Heart.
They arrived in the Port of Baltimore on January 1st, 1903. Wincenty had twelve dollars in his pocket along with tickets to their final destination, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their passage had been paid for by Wincety's Uncle, Frank Sniatecki, Treasurer and one of the 1904 founders of Grand Rapids, Sacred Heart Parish.
Wincenty and Franciszka settled on Grand Rapids West Side where their family grew to twelve children; three sons Anthony, Valentine and Peter (who died as a baby in 1911) and nine daughters; Mari Anna, Michaelina, Sister Julie Ann, Catherine, Angelina, Agnes, Antoinette, Esther and Lorraine (Sister Frances.) The family was very active in Sacred Heart Parish.
Upon arrival Wincenty went to work in the gypsum mines and plaster mills on the west side, but the greater part of his working life was spent working for the Pere Marquette Railroad.
Wincenty died in 1942 at the age of 66 and Franciszka joined him in heaven in 1969 at the age of 91.
Part of the Sacred Heart Story began in 1904 as some one hundred pioneer Polish families who lived in the John Ball Park sector and beyond, near the gypsum mines and plaster mills formed the Parish of Sacred Heart. Here these hardy, self reliant and deeply religious people led by John Radlicki, Frank Sniatecki (Snow), Jacob Pienta and Andrew Amborski built a citadel of their Catholic Faith and their Polish Ethnicity.
Wincenty along with many other generous immigrants have their name permanently etched on the 4 bells in the tower at Sacred Heart.
Family Members
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Mary J Bochniak Grzegorski
1901–1984
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Baby Bochniak
1902–1902
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Michaeline "Mickey" Bochniak Sikorski
1904–1999
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Sr Julie Ann "M. Rufina" Bochniak
1906–1984
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Anthony M Bochniak
1907–1973
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Valentine J Bochniak
1910–1987
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Piotr Bochniak
1911–1911
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Catherine Gertrude Bochniak Gabert
1912–1995
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Angeline R Bochniak Gabert
1915–1989
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Agnes Bochniak Buozas
1918–1993
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Antoinette "Aunt Fanny" Bochniak Mentalewicz
1920–2009
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Esther Celia Bochniak Klimawicz
1923–2017
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Sister Frances Marie Bochniak
1926–2015
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