In 1844, my great-great grand-parents, Nicholas Gross and Christina Demmerly, were married in Kalhausen, Germany. In 1864, the oldest of their children, Richard, came to America to escape the draft. When he found a place for his family to live, his parents and seven children (one of them a baby) joined him. Nicholas was 48 years old and Christina was 41. They settled in Ellis, which was then called Poland Corners. At that time, it was just a cluster of families living in an almost unbroken wilderness.

Besides having two more children, making a total of 10 in their family, the Grosses ran the first hotel in the area. It was called a “house of public entertainment” and also included a tavern. Apparently it was “the” place for gatherings in the 1860's and ‘70s. In March 1876, a benefit was held at “Gross Hall” for the German Catholic Church (St. Martin’s), and according to the Stevens Point newspaper, the “neat sum of $50.00 was raised.”

Richard worked as a farm laborer on two different farms until he had saved enough to buy land in the town of Stockton. He married Lenaena Koltz in 1867 and they had eight children. Three of these children died of diphtheria within two weeks of each other, and three more also died while young. Only two lived to reach maturity.

Katherine, the next in line, married Nicholas Jacobs and they ran the Jacobs House in downtown Stevens Point.

Victor was their third child and my great-grandfather. He was married to Anna Simonis whose parents were Mathias and Mary Anne Simonis. Mathias and two brothers came from Bavaria, Germany, in 1837. In New York, he met Mary Anne Krause, a girl from his hometown, and they were married. In 1853, they came to the township of Sharon.

Anna and Victor were married at St. Stephen’s Church on May 23, 1876. They rode to church on a wagon drawn by a team of oxen. Three months later, Victor’s father died. He is buried in Ellis, next to a son, Felix, who died at age 7. Shortly after that, the hotel burned down. There were no fire departments then, so a fire had to be put out by neighbors with buckets.

In 1862, the family moved to Stevens Point. Christina lived with her daughter Katherine until her death in 1891. She is buried next to her in St. Stephen’s cemetery.

For several years, Victor worked for a lumber company rafting logs downstream. After they moved to Stevens Point, he and his family lived on Brawley Street. For awhile, Victor drove a beer wagon for his brother Nicholas, who was part owner in the brewery. Anna was mortified that he would drive a beer wagon, because that was not a respectable job as far as she was concerned.

Anna died in 1925 and Victor lived his remaining years with, a son, Father Nicholas Gross. Victor died in 1936 and both he and Anna are buried in St. Stephen’s cemetery along with eight of the 10 children of Nicholas and Christina Gross.

Submitted 1y
Marianne Koch
3948 Jordan Lane

The Dudzik Family

Anna Dudzik immigrated to America with her parents, Paul Dudzik and Antonina Cyrhowska. The Dudziks, including a son, Anton, came to Baltimore from Bremen, Germany, on the ship “Ocean” on May 29, 1866. Also on that ship were Mathias Dudzik and his wife, Mathilde, and their daughters, Marianna and Josephine. Paul Dudzik was a farmer and Mathias Dudzik was a frame maker.

Paul Dudzik was born at Wlosciborz, Woldowo parish, Bydgoszcz, Poland, in 1828. His wife, Antonina, was born at Komierow, Woldowo parish, in 1826. In Poland, they had the following children: Johann, Joseph, August, Ignatz, Marianna, Anna, Anton and Josephine. Only Anna (who married Christian Rinka) and Anton (Catharina Zoromski) survived past the age of 3. In 1866, the family came to the United States with the two surviving children who grew to adulthood. In this country, they had two more children: Frank (Marianna Cieplina) and Rosa (Paul Biesik).

In 1870, the census shows that the family was living in the town of Sharon with their children. Paul is recorded as purchasing the SW¼ of the SE¼ of Section 30 in Township 25 - 40 acres - on Oct. 17, 1874, and later acquired more land.

The Dudziks were Catholic. Anton farmed in the town of Hull and the town of Dewey; Frank farmed in the town of Sharon; and Rosa and Paul Biesik lived in the town of Hull.

Paul Dudzik died in 1900 before the census was taken. His wife’s death date is not recorded.

Submitted by
Diane Wysocky Anderson
Poulsbo, Wash.

The Cisewski Family

Paul Cisewski and his wife, Elisabeth Cherek, were born at Brusy parish, Bydgoszcz, Poland. They had two daughters born in Poland. The oldest had died before they immigrated. On May 2, 1861, the family consisting of Paul, Elisabeth and their daughter, Apolonia, left from Hamburg, Germany, on the ship “Oden,” which set sail for Quebec. There is no further record of this daughter.

Also sailing on the same ship were Paul’s sister and brother and their families. Catharina Cisewska and her husband, Anton Lepak, also settled in Portage County. The brother, Franz Cisewski, and his wife and daughter apparently never came to Portage County.

The family arrived in Milwaukee in June 1861. They settled on a farm in the town of Sharon. Their children born in America were Mary (Joseph Wroblewski), John (Julia Glodowski) and Joseph who never married. Elisabeth died between 1870 and 1872, and Paul then married a widow, Mary Stroik Gilmeister, who was born in Lippuschutte, Poland. She had a son, Michael Gilmeister, who was born in Poland. Paul and Mary had a daughter, Frances (Frank Meronek). Mary died in 1898. Paul lived until 1906 when he died of heart disease.

Paul Cisewski must have cultivated friendship with the Indians. In the Polonia church baptismal records, Paul Cisewski is the god-father for Red Horn Dekori - Christian name, Joseph. He was an adult Indian, age 55, who was baptized on Nov. 1, 1876.

Paul Cisewski was a good role model. His son, John, was a successful farmer and also was a blacksmith. Paul and his wife sent their children to school as they could read and write.

Paul Cisewski had 44 grandchildren. Many of his descendants still live in Portage County.

Submitted by
Diane Wysocky Anderson
Poulsbo, Wash.

The Erickson Family

Andrew Erickson was born Sept. 7,1851, in Sundalen, Norway. He was married to Aspbur (Anna) in Norway on May 28, 1878.

Three years later, they emigrated to America with their two small sons, Eric and John. They came directly to Stevens Point to live on S. River Drive where they built a home. In 1892, they decided to be farmers with their four sons and they bought land in the town of Eau Pleine.

The two oldest sons moved to the farmstead and logged to get lumber to build the necessary buildings for a farm. They lived in a small woodshed during the winter in very primitive conditions. The house still stands on Highway H in the town of Eau Pleine.

Andrew and his wife sold their farm in 1928. They spent summers staying with their son Eric and family who lived across the road from their old farm. A little while later, they moved to Stevens Point to live with their daughter Lena (Mrs. William Hanson).

Andrew died in 1929 and his wife in 1945. They were the parents of six children -  two who later moved to Canada and raised their families there. The others lived in Stevens Point and the town of Eau Pleine.

Submitted by
Marit Erickson
1117 Main St.
Junction City