Troy's Genealogue

What's New?:

News
Journal

Family Histories:

 

WARGIN Family History,Part II

Melania "Millie" (WARGIN) KRAWIECKI (1888-1964)

11A. Melania "Mildred"/"Millie" L(ouise) Wargin was born in December 1888 in German-occupied Poland. She immigrated through Ellis Island, New York with her parents as a toddler in 1890. They settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She married Edward Frank Krawiecki about 1918^{[Cen 1930]} and had two children:

11A1.	Bernardine Dorothy Krawiecki	2 Jun 1924	1 Aug 1987	(63)
11A2.	Edward John Krawiecki	14 Dec 1926	3 Jun 2020	(93)

After their marriage, the Krawieckis lived just up the street from Millie's parents at 903 First Avenue in Milwaukee (now numbered and named as 2179 South 6th Street). There Ed worked as a grocer.^{[Cen 1920]} By 1930 they moved to 599 Fourth Avenue (now believed to be 1603 South 9th Street on the corner with West Lapham Boulevard, a block north of St. Anthony Church) where Ed continued to work as a grocer. The family address was updated to 1603 South 9th Street by 1940 and Ed continued to work as a sales clerk at a retail grocery store.^{[Cen 1940]}

The Krawieckis moved five blocks southwest to 1966 South 14th Street by 1944^{[Draft 1944]} where Ed worked as an expediter at a motor manufacturer and son Edward worked as a stock clerk at a department store.^{[Cen 1950]}

Edward Frank Krawiecki died on November 10, 1953, at the age of 72. He is buried at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee.^[Grave]

Melania "Millie" (Wargin) Krawiecki died 11 years later on October 5, 1964. She was 75 years old and is buried with Edward at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery.^[Grave]

Helena (WARGIN) KEMPINSKI (1890-1941)

11B. Helena Wargin was born December 31, 1890, in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, soon after her parents immigrated from Poland. She married Franciszek "Frank" Kempiński, a widower and native of Wielkopolskie (Posen), German-occupied Poland, about 1923 and had one daughter. Frank had previously been married to Martha Peplinska and had four children before her death in 1922.

-	Clara Kempinski	6 Aug 1905	7 Mar 1906	(7 mos.)
-	Henry Kempinski	23 Jul 1907	1 May 1970	(62)
-	Helen Kempinski	(Mar-Apr) 1910	1965	(55)
-	Harry Sylvester Kempinski	23 Oct 1912	1 Jun 1951	(38)
11B1.	Eugenia Theodoria Kempinski	9 Nov 1923	29 Mar 1987	(63)

Frank and Martha lived at 1062 5th Avenue by 1910^{[Cen 1910B]} and later at 1336 8th Avenue by as early as 1918 where Frank established himself as a contract house carpenter.^{[Draft 1918, Cen 1920B]} Martha (Peplinska) Kempinski died on January 2, 1922, at the age of 32 or 33. She was buried at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee.^[Grave]

Helen was 32 years old when she married Frank, who was about 40 years old, in 1923. They lived at the corner of South 13th Street and Dakota Street (then likely numbered 606 Dakota Street^{[Cen 1930]} and later 2872 South 13th Street^{[Cen 1940]}). Frank's widowed mother, Franciszka "Frances" (Czerniachowska) Kempińska, immigrated from Poland in October 1929 to live with them. At about the same time, Frank's eldest son Henry married and rented nearby at 612 Dakota Street. Henry was also a carpenter.^{[Cen 1930]}

Helen (Wargin) Kempinski died on January 8, 1941, at the age of 50 years old. She and Frank had been married about 18 years and were living at 2872 South 13th Street. Helen was buried alongside Frank's first wife, Martha, at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee.^[Grave]

Frank Kempinski died 15 years later in 1956 at about the age of 73. He is also buried with Helen, Martha, two sons, and his mother at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery.^[Grave]

Anastazja "Nettie" (WARGIN) CZERNIAK (1892-1935)

11C. Anastazja "Nettie" Wargin was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1892, in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.^{[Birth 1892]} She married Stephen "Steve" Czerniak, a Polish immigrant from Mogilno, Posen, about 1924.

"Anastasia" and Stephen settled in Stephen's family home at 1000 American Avenue in Milwaukee by 1930. Stephen worked as a paint manager.^{[Cen 1930]}

Anastazja "Nettie" (Wargin) Czerniak died on August 10, 1935, at the young age of 42. They apparently did not have any children.

After Nettie

After Anastazja died, Stephen remarred to Ludwika "Louise" Kujich/Kuich by 1940 and bought a home on South 45th Street in Greenfield. Stephen continued to work as store supervisor in the paint industry. Stephen's 21-year-old niece, Alice Czerniak, was recorded as a dry goods sales lady who and lived with couple as a "lodger" in 1940.^{[Cen 1940]} Alice was the daughter of elder brother Anton Czerniak (1883-1946), who had settled in Taylor County, Wisconsin.

By 1950, the Czerniaks moved northwest to 2455 South 60th Street in West Allis. Stephen was recorded to be a utility relief man for paint and hardware.^{[Cen 1950]}

Stephen and Louise ultimately resettled 235 miles northwest in Rib Lake, Taylor County, Wisconsin.

Louise (Kuich) Czerniak died on September 30, 1977 at the age of 80. She is buried at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee.^[Grave]

Stephen Czerniak died two months later on December 9, 1977, at the age of 85. He is buried with Louise at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery.^[Grave]

Mary WARGIN (1897-1971)

11E. Mary "Marie" Wargin was born on June 10, 1897, in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.^{[Birth 1897]} She was a registered psychiatric nurse who never married. She lived with her parents through at least the 1930 census at 911 First Avenue (now numbered as 2201 South 6th Street) where she worked as a tailoress.

After her father died in 1931, Mary's mother lived with her off West Lincoln Avenue at 2228 South 18th Street. She continued to work as a tailoress, earning $400 in 1939.^{[Cen 1940]}

Later, presumably after her mother died in 1943, Mary and a roommate lived at 711 West Lincoln Avenue (pictured to the left), across the street from Kościuzsko Park and a block west of the Basilica of St. Josaphat.

Mary Wargin died on August 16, 1971, in Milwaukee County. She was 74 years old.

Mary left a sizable inheritance to her nephew John and niece Nancy.

Roman Aloysius WARGIN (1899-1929)

11F. Roman Aloysius Wargin was born on August 4, 1899, in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. His birth record named him as "Dominyk."^{[Birth 1899]} He served as a Master Sergeant in the Army during World War I. Roman later married Lena "Lee" M. Pauley (Paveletz), a native of St. Louis, Missouri and of Bohemian extraction, about 1920. They had one son:

11F1.

Lawrence "Lars" Roman Wargin

12 Jan 1922

Jul 1967

(45)

Roman enlisted in U.S. Army on July 6, 1916, and served for five years. He attained the rank of Master Sergeant and served his last position at the Army War College at Washington Barracks (later renamed as Fort Lesley J. McNair) in Washington, D.C. MSG Wargin was discharged on March 15, 1922^[Vet], just two months after his son Lars was born.

The Wargins returned to Milwaukee by 1926.^{[Cen 1930]}

The Wargins traveled to Europe at least twice in the late 1920s, once returning via Le Havre, France, in 1926, and again the following year, returning via Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1927. They listed their residences as 763 Illinois Avenue in Milwaukee (1926) and 535 Mitchell Street, about four blocks north of Roman's parents (1927).^{[Imm 1926, 1927]} Later they again resided at 763 Illinois Avenue (1929).^[Dth]

In 1929, Roman and his steamship ticket agency became embroiled in a scandal under allegations of assisting aliens to enter the United States illegally and thereafter not following through on numerous incomplete travel arrangements that left immigrants stranded back home and even part way en route. Reporting from The Sheboygan Press and other greater Milwaukee newspapers covered the story of Roman A. Wargin, a former editor of the Milwaukee Polish language newspaper, Nowiny-Polskie, who was part owner in the "Wargin and Wargin Steamship Agency" (the other Wargin partner has not been identified yet). In April 1929, Roman pleaded not guilty to the charge of assisting aliens to enter the United States illegally. The case went to trial in December and on the eve of the trial, December 11, Roman committed suicide by gassing himself to death, citing betrayal by his friends.^[Press]

Complaints lodged against Roman's company claimed that "hundreds of" (later revised to about 250) laborers and immigrants, mostly Polish, were out $100 to $500 each, to an initially reported aggregate amount of over $100,000, that had been entrusted to Roman to purchase tickets for relatives who wished to immigrate to American and reunite their families. Others had given him money to arrange for care packages to be sent home. One notable complaint reported a 13-year old girl had been stranded in Montevideo, Uruguay, because Roman had failed to purchase the ticket for the final leg of the journey. Prospective immigrants faced years of delay as their immigration permits expired.^[Press]

Following Roman A. Wargin's untimely death on December 11, 1929, he was buried at the Valhalla Cemetery in Saint Louis County, Missouri, on December 15.^[Dth]

Lee and Lawrence moved in with Lee's sister's family, Oscar and May Winter, in Maplewood, St. Louis County, Missouri.^{[Cen 1930]} The following January, Lee received $17,000 in insurance money that claimants called to be seized and used to repay their claims, but the assistant district attorney noted that Roman's widow had no legal obligation to pay. Later in March, the Appleton Post Crescent reported that the aggregate amount of the claims was a little over $10,000 (not $100,000) and that a $10,000 bond on the company would cover all claims in full.^[Press]

Lee went on to remarry to George Herbert Goetting before 1942, when they lived at 109 Beverly Road in Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland^[Draft]. After the war, they lived a few miles to the southeat at 8720 Colesville Road in Silver Spring by 1947. They eventually moved to Sarasota County, Florida.

Both Lena "Lee" (Pauley Wargin) Goetting and George Herbert Goetting died in Sarasota County in May 1966. They were both 79 years old.

Bernard "Bernie" A. WARGIN (1901-1973)

11G. Bernard "Bernie" A. Wargin was born in Wisconsin on August 13, 1901.^{[Birth 1901]} He was expected by his family to enter the priesthood but married Helen A. Rademacher on July 4th, 1936, and raised one son who became a Catholic priest:

11G1.

John R. Wargin

7 Aug 1937

11 Jun 2006

(68)

Bernie owned the Badger Paint hardware store chain in Milwaukee.

The Wargins rented 1003 West Oklahoma Avenue by 1940 and later resettled a mile to the east at 3329 South Lenox Street by 1950. Helen's widowed mother, Mary Ellen "Nellie" (Sempier) Rademacher, lived with the family throughout their marriage until she passed in 1960. Bernie and Helen lived at 3329 South Lenox Street through Bernie's death.^{[Cen 1940, 1950]}

Bernard A. Wargin died November 25, 1973, at the age of 72 and was interred at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee.

Helen A. (Rademacher) Wargin died 26 years later on February 29, 2000, at the age of 98. She was interred with Bernie at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery.

Sylvester Thomas WARGIN (1903-1966)

11I. Sylvester Thomas Wargin was born December 29, 1903, in Wisconsin. Like his brother Bernie before him, his family expected him to enter the priesthood but he married Cecilia "Ritz" Dorothy Plewa about 1926 and had one daughter:

11I1.

Nancy A. Wargin

Sylvester and Ritz first lived a block north of Sylvester's boyhood home at 851 First Avenue (now likely numbered as the 2100 block of South 6th Street), by 1930. They later moved to 2822 South 12th Street.

Sylvester also taught at Boys Technology and Trade School ("Boy's Tech"), which was later renamed Milwaukee Trade and Technical High School (1976) when girls were admitted, and more recently as the Lynde and Harry Bradley School of Technology & Trade (2002).

Sylvester Thomas Wargin died on July 2, 1966, in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. He had been living at 974 West Eden Place in Milwaukee at the time. Sylvester was 62 years old and is buried at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee.

Cecilia Dorothy (Plewa) Wargin died 29 years later on July 25, 1995, in Milwaukee, at the age of 91 years. She is buried with Sylvester at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery.

Casimer Stanley WARGIN³ (1907-1984)

11K.Casimer Stanley Wargin³ (Kazimierz Stanisław) was born in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, on July 21, 1907.^{[Birth 1907]} His family expected him to enter the Catholic priesthood but he later married Blanche M. Sikorski on June 6, 1936^{[Mar 1936]}. They had three children:

11K1.	Robert Wayne Wargin	8 Mar 1938	9 Dec 2006	(68)
11K2.	Richard Wargin
11K3.	Joan Wargin4

Casimer, and most, if not all, of his Wisconsin-born siblings were baptized in the Basilica of St. Josaphat, a Polish Roman Catholic church about half a block away from his childhood home and his father's tailor shop.

Casimer was a tailor most of his life, as was his father, and moved around quite often working for companies such as Universal Studios or on his own. He even tailored clothes for Mr. Foley of the Foley & Burk Shows circus and uniforms for World War II. Casimer also apparently worked other jobs on occasion, such as a drill press operator for the Heil Company in Milwaukee.

Casimer was nearly bald with bright white hair around the sides and a jolly attitude. He always had the same old jokes ready for any mundane situation, but his outlook was refreshing compared to that of his serious, fastidious wife, Blanche.

Prior to their wedding, Casimer had nearly joined the Catholic priesthood.

Casimer married Blanche M. Sikorski, the only daughter of Polish immigrants, on June 6, 1936. They were married by Rev. Henry Niefer in Milwaukee. Interestingly, according to their marriage certificate, Blanche resided at 2203 South 6th Street, next door to Cas' parents' home at the time of his father's death five years earlier. Based on this it would appear that Cas basically married the girl next door—next door to his mother that is. At the time, Casimer himself was living to the east at 515 East Lincoln Avenue. Casimer had been working as a park employee and Blanche as a social worker.^{[Mar 1936]}

After marrying Blanche, the Wargin family bounced around the country and lived at at least 17 different addresses over the course of their 44-year marriage. First they moved to the Burbank-Glendale area of Los Angeles County, California, where Casimer got a job tailoring costumes for Universal Studios, most notably hundreds of uniforms for the railroad station scene of mass Confederate casualties in "Gone with the Wind." The Wargins lived there through at least 1938 when their first son, Bob, arrived.

Around 1940, Cas was recalled to have bounced between Corpus Christi, Texas, and Pensacola, Florida, selling uniforms to the military. He liked New Orleans, Louisiana, as a mid-way point and by April 1940 Cas, Blanche, and young Bob lived there at 1629G Bordeaux Street in Uptown. The census recorded that Cas had only worked 20 weeks as a tailor in 1939 and earned $500 that year, which was only a fraction of what his neighbors earned. On the other hand, it also recorded that in 1940 Cas was working 60 hours a week, which was a good deal more than his neighbors.^{[Cen 1940]}

Over the course of the following year, the family moved to that outskirts of Pensacola to 221 Corry Drive (perhaps now Old Corry Field Road) in Warrington, Escambia County, just outside of Corry Station. There Casimer worked for Abbott Military Tailors in Pensacola. Second son Richard was born in Pensacola Hospital.

Once again, the family moved, this time back to Milwaukee, where he was living when Cas's mother died in 1943. By 1944, they lived at 4320 West Cleveland Avenue in Milwaukee where Casimer worked as a drill press operator for the Heil Company and where daughter Joan was born. Not long after this, the family pulled up stakes again and moved back to California by 1949, this time to 272 Woodrow Avenue in Vallejo, Solano County^{[Cen 1950]}, where Casimer got a job making uniforms for the war effort at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.

Around 1948, Casimer and Blanche became Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1950, the whole family attended and was baptized at the Jehovah's Witnesses' international convention at Yankee Stadium in New York City the week of July 30 to 6 August.

About 1955, the Wargins briefly moved to Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California, and soon thereafter down to 729 Wright Street, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, until about 1958. The Wargins then moved inland to Lodi, San Joaquin County, California, for the school year when Blanche had to undergo an hysterectomy and sought a doctor who was also a Jehovah's Witness.

At the end of the 1959 school year, the family briefly moved back to Santa Rosa, on King Street, and then off to Sebastopol (1960) and Sonoma, Sonoma County (1961). Again they returned to Santa Rosa about 1962 where daughter Joni graduated high school.

After all the children had left the house, Cas and Blanche followed Richard out to Virginia when he wed in July 1966. There they first lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Falls Church, Fairfax County, Virginia, and second in a two-bedroom apartment. Soon thereafter they moved across the Potomac River to Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland (1969/1970).

In March 1971, Cas and Blanche returned to Milwaukee for several years before returning once again to Santa Rosa in the mid-1970s where they lived at 948 West 9th Street.

Blanche M. (Sikorski) Wargin died on December 25, 1980, in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, at the age of 71. She and Casimer had been married 44 years.

Soon after Blanche's death, Casimer sold his home in Santa Rosa and briefly returned to Virginia where he lived in a seniors' apartment in Reston, Vienna County. He then returned to Milwaukee and settled in at 3446 South Chase Avenue, near the intersection at East/West Morgan Avenue. There he remarried to La Verne B. (Gehle) Rife on May 1, 1982, a friend he had known since his youth. He left the Jehovah's Witnesses and attended Baptist services with his new bride.

A year and a half later, again on Christmas Day, 1983, Casimer suffered a heart attack while sitting in his car in a store parking lot. He fell into a coma and died a few weeks later on January 8, 1984. He was 76 years old. Services were held at Prasser-Kleczka Funeral home at 3275 S. Howell Avenue and he was buried at the Forest Home Cemetery at 2405 W. Forest Home Avenue in Milwaukee two days later.

La Verne (Gehle Rife) Wargin succumbed to colon cancer 16 years later and died in April 1999 in Milwaukee at the age of 89. She is buried with her mother, three rows behind Casimer, at the Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee. Her family apparently reverted the name on her headstone to "La Verne Rife."

Jadwiga WARGIN (1911-1926)

11L.Jadwiga "Hedwig" Wargin was born with Down syndrome in 1911. She died 15 years later in 1926 and is buried at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee.

Anna (WARGIN) KOZLOWSKI (1900-1978)

121. Anna Wargin was born on April 1, 1900, in Wisconsin, likely in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County.^{[Dth 1978]} She married Frank E. Kozlowski and had at two daughters before they divorced:^{[Cen 1930]}

1211.	Rosemary Kozlowski
1212.	Beatrice Hedwig Kozlowski	15 Oct 1924	16 Jul 2011	(86)

Anna divorced in the late 1920s and lived and worked as a milliner with her father through 1940.^{[Cen 1930, 1940]}

Frank went on to remarry to Madelyn "Madge" Andrews. He died on October 19, 1962, in Milwaukee, at the age of 67.^[Grave]

Anna (Wargin) Kozlowski died on September 8, 1978, at the age of 78, and was buried at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee.^{[Dth 1978, Grave]}