Hello!
I am searching for information on the Dropesky/Drapiewski and Kotkoski/Kotkowski branches of my family tree:

I believe Martin came to the states around 1857 with his brothers Anthony, Stanley, and Joseph. These brothers moved onto Michigan and Nanticoke PA.

Martin and Agnes (Malicka) Drapiewska came from Poland to the United States some time before 1860. At first, they settled in the area of Shamokin and Trevorton PA. Around 1860, they moved their family to Mount Carmel PA, about 15 miles away. Martin worked in the coal mines to support his family. Their children include:
John Dropeski
Joseph J. Dropesky
Constancya Drapiewska Rybacka
Anna/Hannah Drapiewska Jarka (York)
Rosalia “Rose” Drapiewska Jarka (York)
Ellen/Helen Dropesky Dytewski
Margaret Dropesky Fisher


Most of this clan stayed near Mount Carmel, except Constance and Anna, who spent some time living in Lykens PA.

John married Frances Kochczynska
Joseph married Eva T. Kotkowska Shuda
Constance married Frank Rybacki
Anna married Anton Jarka / York
Rose married Frank Jarka / York
Ellen married Lewis Dytewski

Joseph and Eva had the following children:
Magdalena Shuda Whalen
Adolf Dropesky
Peter Dropesky
Edward Dropesky
Esther R. Dropesky Gaughan
Joseph J. Dropesky
Raymond Dropesky
Leanore Dropesky Snyder
Dorothy Dropesky Bader
Clement Dropesky
and possibly, Walter Dropesky

Esther married Joseph Owen Gaughan, of Centralia PA. Their children include:
Anthony J. Gaughan
Virginia “Jeannie” Gaughan Reilly
Donald P. Gaughan
Joleen Gaughan Yokemick
Raymond J. Gaughan



Eva T. Kotkowska Shuda Dropesky was the daughter of Jacob and Annie Kotkowski. Eva was likely born in Michigan, her parents in Poland. She was raised in Mount Carmel PA. Jacob and Annie’s children included:
Eva
Walter
Joseph
Frank
Mary
Enoch
Rosa
John
Katherine

Joseph married Marianna Lubiewska/Lubeski

Eva was first married to Joseph “David” (Siuda) Shuda, who died before his daughter Magdalena was even born. About 5 years later, she married Joseph Dropesky.
Most of this clan attended Saint Joseph’s Polish Catholic Church in Mount Carmel PA. I have scoured this records, as well as the cemetery.

If you can offer any information on this clan, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you,
Eileen (Gaughan) Cizewski
Stillwater PA
Lilred72@epix.net

Why are you posting this query on the Michigan, Wayne county board if they all lived in PA?

Because Martin Dropesky's brother moved to Michigan - Parisville area and also Detroit.

And also because Jacob and Annie Kotkoski moved to Michigan for a while, had children in that area, and some of their older children stayed there after the parents moved back!

Any opportunity to come upon cousins, descendants, etc.....I'd hire a sky writer if I knew it might grant me leads in genealogy!

OK! Good enough. What's the time period? Got any 1st names of the husband's in the Mich. area?

What is Martin's brother's 1st name? When did he move to Parisville, Mich.?

When did Jacob move to Mich.? What are his children's 1st names & DOB?

The time period is about 1860 on. Martin's brother Joseph Dropiewski obtained a patent for land in Paris Township, Huron County, Mi. His name appears on a list of land owners in "Parisville Poles - First Polish Settlers in the USA."

Joseph Dropiewski married Anna Milkoska/Wilkoski (?), according to the records of St. Mary's Church at Parisville Michigan.

Joseph and Anna Dropiewski's children include:
Kate Dropiewski (b. 1873)
Julia Dropiewski (b. 1883)
Mary Pawlowski Dropiewski (b. 1865)
Nicholas Dropiewski (b. 1867)
Ignatz Dropiewski (b. 1875)
Louis Dropiewski (b. 1879)
Josephine Dropiewski (b. 1879)
Martin Dropiewski (b. 1859)

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Jacob and Ann (Piekarska) Kotkoski are first shown in Mount Carmel PA in the 1870 census. In 1880, they reside in Shenandoah PA, which is 20 - 30 minutes away - still in the coal fields of PA. Their next stop, I believe, is Michigan. Daughter Katherine was born in 1881 in Jackson Michigan. At some point, most definitely before 1893, the Kotkoski family returned to Mount Carmel PA. I believe some of adult children might have stayed behind in Michigan.


According to records at St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church, Mount Carmel PA., daughter Eva is listed as being born in three different places - Dixon MI, Jackson MI, and Shenandoah PA. (It is quite likely that Shenandoah is the case, because she was born Oct. 14, 1877.)

The children of Jacob and Ann (Piekarska) Kotkoski include:
Eva
Walter
Joseph
Frank
Mary
Enoch
Rosa
John
Katherine

Eva first married David Shuda, in 1893. He died within the first year of their marriage, while Eva was pregnant with their only child - Magdalena Shuda (wife of Frank Whalen).

Eva then married Joseph J. Dropesky in 1899. He was the son of Martin and Agnes Dropesky. (Martin - the brother of the above-mentioned Joseph Dropiewski, Parisville MI.)

I have seen this family name spelled Kotkoski, Kotkowski, Kotkotski, Kutkusky, etc....the variation back in the days before consistent reading and writing are endless!

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Eileen

There are no Dropiewski's or Dropesky's in the 1870 Mich. census. They must have moved.

Use these links to aid in your search.

1870 Michigan Census = Free site
http://envoy.libofmich.lib.mi.us/1870_census/

1880 US Census – The Mormon Church Files (Free and searchable)
Look for 1880 US Census on the left side of screen
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/default.asp

Eileen,

I Don't know if there is a connection--or if we can help each other out in some way...

I had a great-aunt who was born and baptized in Shamokin, PA--also many relatives from the Mt. Carel area in PA..they lived there from 1892-1900+/-

According to the Baptismal Certificate of Maria Wisniewski:
From St. Stanislaus Church; 106 North Cherry Street; Shamokin, PA 17872:
Maria Wisniewski was a child of John Wisniewski and Eleanor Nowak. She was born on January 31, 1898 and was baptized on February 5, 1898 according to the Roman Catholic Rite by Rev. Thomas Misicki.
Sponsors were: George looks like Koskotlo?? and Agnes Czaplewski

I have another line which settled in the Livonia area--ZYWICKI..specifically, Theodore...

Zywicki , Theodore
Death Date: 29 August 1995 Birth Date: 28 February 1918
Gender: Male Residence: Livonia, Wayne, Michigan
Place of Death: Dearborn, Wayne, Michigan

I am related to him via his brother Leo Zywicki who died in Duluth, Minnesota:

The obituary for Leo Zywicki reads: Leo Zywicki, 64, of 2320 West Fifth street, died in a Duluth hospital yesterday after a
long illness. Born in Winona, MN, he was a Duluth resident for the last 45 years. A former employee of Clyde Iron Works,
Inc. He was a member of the Polish Alliance society, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Duluth aerie No. 79, and SS Peter and
Paul Catholic parish. Surviving are his widow; two sons, Ernest, Duluth, and Leo, Jr., Milwaukee; three brothers, Theodore,
Detroit, and Joseph and Jake, both of Duluth; a sister, Mrs.Josephine Novak, Duluth, and two grand children.

Any assistance or direction you can provide me in regard to locating information about this gentleman, his family of descendants
would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance,
Sincerely,
Susan L. Nokes
27532 State Hwy 3 NE
Poulsbo, WA 98370
e-mail: snokes@tscnet.com

I am sorry it is taking so long to sent you the Dropiewski informatiion I have, I have to find the paper copies, cause ex-husband took the computer files.
I do have information on both Martin and his brother Louis Dropiewski please be patient with me.
and I will try to locate the information as soon as I can.
Thanks
Bernice

There is a Joseph Dropiewski in the land patent records of 5/1/1860
www.glorecords.blm.gov

Search 1880 census for Joseph in Paris, Huron county, Michigan.

The name is spelled "Josaph Drapiewski".

Use this for searching -

1880 US Census – The Mormon Church Files LDS (Free, indexed and searchable)
Click on the SEARCH tab at top of page
Look for 1880 US Census on the left side of screen
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/default.asp