Searching for family roots

Data on the Marszałkiewicz family comes primarily from the registers of baptisms, marriages, and deaths of the Roman Catholic parish in Skoki, to which Budziszewko belonged. It is supplemented by information from the parish records of Potrzanów, where, among other things, the death of a member of the older generation of the family is recorded.

The research also utilized U.S. censuses from 1880, 1895, 1900, and 1910, allowing for the tracing of emigrants' fates after settling in the United States. Additionally, attempts were made to search military archives and the genealogical databases FamilySearch and Ancestry, although these efforts yielded no positive results regarding Tomasz Marszałkiewicz's possible military service.

The final report also includes a short description of the parish in Skoki and information about the local church, which allows the family's history to be placed in the broader historical context of the region.

The parish church of St. Nicholas the Bishop in Skoki, which included Budziszewko, dates back to 1737 and was founded by Michał Kazimierz Raczyński, Voivode of Greater Poland. The church underwent numerous modernizations, including in 1787, 1846, 1911 (with the addition of towers), and 1946.

Between 2005 and 2011, a thorough renovation was carried out, including replacing wooden elements, removing exterior plaster and post-war polychromes, and restoring earlier decorations depicting, among others, the Virgin Mary and Child and the Transfiguration of Our Lord. Parish records also indicate that on September 26, 1931, the renowned poet Adam Mickiewicz was listed as Maria Łubieńska's godfather during her baptism ceremony held at the church branch in Budziszewko, underscoring the significance of this town in the region's religious life.

The oldest identified generation of the family is Andrzej Marszałkiewicz and his wife Marianna. According to parish records, Andrzej was born around 1765, likely in Budziszewo (present-day Budziszewko), and died in Potrzanów on April 27, 1831, at the age of 66.

Marianna Marszałkiewicz, Andrzej's widow, died on May 10, 1844, in Budziszew, also at the age of 66. Her death was reported by her son Tomasz. There is no record of any other offspring of this couple during the period under review, but surviving records clearly confirm the existence of at least one son – Tomasz.

Tomasz Marszałkiewicz was born around 1815 in Potrzanów, Greater Poland, to Andrzej and Marianna. According to researchers, on November 23, 1835, he married Marianna Januszewska, a native of Budziszew, in Skoki. Both were young adults at the time, around 20–23 years old, and their wedding was witnessed by Jan Krzymimieski and Jan Gapiński.

An analysis of baptismal records from 1836–1854 shows that Tomasz and Marianna were the parents of a large family whose children were born and baptized in Budziszewko. The records include various forms of Marianna's surname (including Janoska, Januszewska, Janiszewska) and a single misspelling of the surname Spychła, which was corrected by a later death certificate.

Children of Tomasz and Marianna Marszałkiewicz

The parish records show that at least the following descendants of Tomasz and Marianna were born in Budziszewko:

• Katarzyna (Catharina) Marszałkiewicz – born on November 8, 1836, baptized on November 13, 1836; godparents were Jakub Spychała and Katarzyna Gapińska.
• Antonina Marszałkiewicz – born on October 21, 1840, baptized on November 1, 1840; godparents were Jakub Pospychała and Katarzyna Gapińska.
• Andrzej (Andreas) Marszałkiewicz – born on November 3, 1842 in Budziszewko, baptized on November 13, 1842; his godparents were Jan Gapiński and Rozalia Jóźwiak.
• Anna Marszałkiewicz – born on June 25, 1845 in Budziszewko, baptized on July 6, 1845; godparents were Jan Sierzchuła and Konstancja Sonnenberg.
• Jan (Joannes) Marszałkiewicz – born on May 16, 1847 in Budziszewko, baptized on May 23, 1847; godparents were Jan Sierzchuła and Marianna Lisiecka.
• Marianna Marszałkiewicz – born on August 18, 1849, baptized on September 2, 1849; in the baptismal certificate her mother's surname was incorrectly written as Spychła, which was corrected thanks to later documents confirming the form Januszewska.
• Józef (Josephus) Marszałkiewicz – born on February 4, 1852 in Budziszewko, baptized on February 5, 1852 by a midwife present at the birth.
• Michał Marszałkiewicz – born on September 19, 1854 in Budziszewko, baptized on September 24, 1854; godparents were Jan Bloch and Józefa Matuszewska.

This list corresponds to the one contained in the local note, which confirms that the Marszałkiewicz family lived in Budziszewko and its surroundings in the first half of the 19th century.

Deaths in the family

Not all of Tomasz and Marianna's children survived into adulthood, which clearly illustrates the scale of infant and toddler mortality at the time. Antonina Marszałkiewicz died in Budziszewko on June 9, 1842, at the age of 1 year and 6 months, with Tomasz and Marianna listed as her parents on the death certificate.

Another daughter, Marianna, died in Budziszewko on February 7, 1851, at the age of 1 year and 7 months. The following year, Józef's death was recorded, on February 7, 1852, four days after birth. This record emphasizes the role of the midwife, who was present at the birth and had the authority to baptize the child in life-threatening situations.

Based on family records and Karolina Moder's research, it has been determined that some of Tomasz and Marianna's descendants left Greater Poland in the late 19th century. A local note indicates that the family likely emigrated to the United States in the late 1880s or early 1890s, and both Budziszewo (Budziszewko) and Potrzanowo appear in parish records.

The genealogical report states that Tomasz and Marianna "remained in the Old Country," while at least three, and possibly five, of their children emigrated to Duluth, Minnesota. The best-documented case is that of Jan Marszałkiewicz, born in Budziszewko on May 16, 1847, who adopted the name John Marshall Sr. upon arriving in the United States.

Jan married Kordula Ludwikowska, daughter of Kazimierz Ludwikowski. According to family lore, Cordelia (Kordula) emigrated to America with her father in the 1860s, spending some time in Chicago, where they both survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, before moving to Duluth.

A detailed analysis was also conducted on the fate of Victoria Kuschura (Kazura), a relative of the family who, after emigrating, lived with John and Cordelia Marshall in Duluth. Family records indicated that she was born around 1806 and died in 1911 at the age of 106.

A genealogical researcher, analyzing available censuses, determined that Victoria appears in documents under various forms of her surname (including Kuschura, Kazara), and that her age is sometimes given in discrepancies. In the 1895 census, she is listed as 73, which would indicate a birth year around 1822, while in the 1900 census, she is listed as 80, with a birth year around 1820. The 1910 census, however, lists her age as 104, suggesting a birth year of 1804, making it difficult to reconcile the two documents.

Based on the distribution of data, the researcher assumed that Victoria's year of birth was most likely in the range 1820–1822, so she was slightly younger than family tradition indicated.

One element of the commissioned research was to determine whether Tomasz Marszałkiewicz participated in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. For this purpose, a search was conducted in Polish archives, with particular emphasis on the State Archives in Poznań, as well as in the FamilySearch and Ancestry genealogical databases, which include military records.

The search yielded no results – no records were found confirming Tomasz's service in the Prussian army or any other form of participation in the conflict. The researcher noted that if Tomasz had actually participated in the war, he would have been around 55 years old, which would indicate a volunteer, auxiliary, or administrative role. To finally clarify this matter, inquiries were sent to the French Service historique de la Défense and the German Bundesarchiv, awaiting possible responses.

The collected source material confirms the continued presence of the Marszałkiewicz family in Budziszewko and surrounding towns in the first half of the 19th century. Analysis of baptism, marriage, and death records allows us to reconstruct not only the family lineage but also the image of the local community and the network of neighborly relationships—evident, for example, in the repeated surnames of godparents.

The visit of the family's descendants from the USA in 2026 provides a contemporary update to this story, demonstrating that even after more than 150 years of emigration, the bond with the "small homeland" remains intact. By combining the work of professional genealogists with the resources of local archives, it was possible not only to confirm the family's ties to Budziszewko but also to enrich our knowledge of the history of the town itself.

The history of the Marszałkiewicz family demonstrates that, even after more than one hundred and fifty years, it is possible to reconstruct the fate of ancestors who left Budziszewko and emigrated overseas. By combining local parish registers, foreign censuses, and the work of professional genealogists, it was possible to establish not only dates of birth and death, but also reconstruct the network of neighborly connections, emigration routes, and name changes abroad. Such research allows for a better understanding of one's own identity, rekindles the memory of the village's former inhabitants, and places Budziszewko within the broader history of the region and the world.

In this case, key specialists played a key role: Karolina Moder, a Polish genealogical researcher from https://genealogytour.com , and Tomasz Szymkowiak from Wrocław, a guide and genealogist who accompanied the family during their stay in Budziszewko. Karolina Moder compiled a detailed report, drawing on resources from the State Archives in Poznań, the parish registers of Skoki and Potrzanów, the FamilySearch and Ancestry databases, and American censuses, as well as inquiries from military archives in France and Germany. Tomasz Szymkowiak combined the results of this research with local knowledge about the parish, cemeteries, and early settlers, allowing the American visitors to experience firsthand the places where their ancestors lived.

Using the services of professional genealogists has several significant advantages. First, they can read and interpret difficult sources—Latin records, German-language documents, and handwritten lists—that can be practically unreadable to the layman. Second, they have experience working with state and church archives, knowing where to look for missing links and how to verify contradictory information, a good example of which is the analysis of discrepant data on Victoria Kuschura's age in American censuses. Third, they can offer a comprehensive approach: from document research to preparing a readable report and organizing a "journey to the roots," as was the case with the Marszałkiewicz family's visit to Budziszewko.

Searching for one's family history is an investment not only in knowledge but also in the memory of the places from which successive generations of our village's inhabitants originated. Every discovered baptismal, marriage, or death record is a fragment of a larger story about Budziszewko – about people who left here, but who remain "from here" in the hearts of their descendants. Therefore, it is worth, like the Marszałkiewicz family, delving into the archives, connecting with professional researchers, and trying to discover one's own roots; this way, the history of our village doesn't end on a map, but lives on in the memories of families scattered around the world.