Joseph Jacob Roraff was born Nov. 27, 1865 Seelau, near Neustadt, Danzig, W. Prussia. With the name changes we believe this to be Wejherowo, Pomorskie, Poland. Joseph immigrated to Saskatchewan, Canada in 1891, followed by his parents August & Anna (Bianga) Roraff, siblings, Paulina, Stella, August and Anna & her husband John Koberinski. We believe Joseph's future wife Mathilda Baranowski accompanied this group. Joseph married Mathilda in Prince Albert, Sask. on Feb. 13, 1893. Other marriages in Prince Albert were Paulina Roraff to George Lukasiewicz 1895 & Stella (Anastacia) Roraff to Joseph Kusch 1893.
Joseph's father August Roraff was born July 7, 1829 at Selan, Neustaeder County on Sinbus to Joseph Roraf & Marianna Santhin and was baptized July 12, 1829.
August, Anna & August Jr. Roraff along with Paulina & George Lukasiewicz, Stella & Joseph Kusch immirgrated to Chicago, Illinois where August had a daughter from a previous marriage to Augustyna Kunz. This daughter, Mathilda was married to August Shemroske about 1881 in Chicago.

Does anyone recognize any of these names and have some information to exchange with me?
debhamilton@sk.sympatico.ca

Deb,
I was referred to your e-mail by another RORAFF researcher. How wonderful to read your e-mail, for the RORAFF and KOBERINSKI information matches the families I am researching!! I have found them on the 1901 census, plus also the KOBERINSKI homestead near Sinnett, Sask. My son-in-law is a KOSKI, short for KWIATKOWSKI, who married KOBERINSKI and also RORAFF. I believe Mathilde, whom you say was a BARANOWSKI was actually a KWIATKOWSKI, but I will check my information.
Have you checked the sources in West Prussia for further information, or is your information mainly through family sources? Thanks for any reply.
Ken Neumann
Fairy Glen, SK

address update debhamilton@sasktel.net

I have found a little more information on the Roraff family since the last message.

I have a new E-Mail Address
debhamilton@sasktel.net

Ken,

Wondering if you have any info that may lead to a possible connection. I am not real familiar with the different areas of Poland yet, but I am very interested in any possible connections to the Kwiatkowski name from Poland.

I have a Lawrence Kwiatkowski married to Frances Kalinowski from the area of Przybyslaw/Turzany/Parchanie/Inowroclaw.

Lawrence and Frances had a daughter Josephine born in Przybyslaw I am guessing @ 1870, so Lawrence would be born @ 1850....all guess work on the dates. However, Josephine did marry 2nd husband Joseph Szczupak in Rochester NY 20 January 1908. He emigrated to US in MAy 1907 w/first wife and children, so Joseph and Josephine could have known each other/been from same area. Josephine died 12 March 1946 in Rochester.

Other names from the same area are Kaliska, Niewiadowski, Burmistrzak, Paprocki, Borowicz, Adamski, Zwierzykowska, Karminska, Kruszynski and Ulanowski.

Turzany is a small community @ 4 km west of Parchanie, and Parchanie is @ 8 km east of Inowroclaw. All in the Posen/Poznan area. Most of the families were married in or buried from St. Nicholas Church in Inowroclaw. At some point in history, these villages/towns may have been under Polish/German/Russian rule, but the families have always considered themselves Polish.


Let me know if you think there may be a connection.

Regards,
Maureen

Maureen,
I'm sorry but I don't see any connection at the moment. The KWIATOWSKI family I know came from north of Danzig (Gdansk) in Seelau, Westpreussen.
I don't know of the other surnames you mention. The family married ROHRAFF and KOBERCZINSKI. They settled in Saskatchewan, Canada. The latter families, in some cases, settled near Detroit and Chicago.
Ken Neumann

Ken,

Thanks for your reply. The Kwiatkowskis I am researching were from the Posen area per information in my previous post, but it is always worth asking!

Regards,
Maureen

I'm searching my grandfather, Alexander Kwiatkowski from Gdańsk (Danzing, Poland), and now he is probably in Germany. I don't know the date of his birth (maybe 1922?) and anything about his family in Poland (only this: wife Janina Piotrowska, they were married in Elbląg, had 2 daugters: Barbara (1953, born in Elbląg) and Hanna (1956, Gdańsk).

Thank you for any informations.

I'm sorry but the names do not connect with any of the KWIATKOWSKIs that I know, although they may connect further back a generation or two.
The ones I know were from Seelau, Westpreussen in the late 1800s and emigrated to Canada and the U.S. in the 1890s. No Alexander is among any of the families.
There are lots of KWIATKOWSKIs around. Perhaps you can find connections on the LDS website (www.familysearch.org) or the KWIATKOWSKI surname list on Rootsweb/Ancestry.com.
That's about all I can say for now.

I happened upon your email researching the Santhin family tree. My father was Adolph Edward Santhin born in Chicago. Do you have any information about Marianna Santhin?

-Adrienne D. Santhin