John and Barbara Malaske Family

John Malaske (originally ‘Chmieleski’ or ‘Chmielecki’) was born in Peplin, Prussia (now Poland) between 1838 and 1842, probably 1840. Peplin is south of Gdansk, not far from the Baltic Sea. According to an expert on Polish surnames, Chmielecki is pronounced “h’myel-ET-skee” and means “of the hops.” John Lawrence Malaske married Barbara Ostrowski. Frances was born in 1866, John Stanley in 1868, Anton in 1870 (he died in 1872) and Joseph around 1873. John & Barbara probably emigrated from Poland in 1874 or 1876 with their children Frances, John Stanley and Joseph. There is some evidence that daughter Katie may have been born in 1874 or 1876 in New York. However, John, John Stanley, and Joseph listed 1876 as their immigration year on the 1900 census.

In September 1874 or 1876, Kathryn, or “Katie,” was born in New York, possibly in Buffalo or Albany. A daughter Mary was supposedly born in 1876, but the date may be wrong, as evidence is stronger that Kathryn was born in September, 1876. Mary apparently died young. The only information on Mary is from an earlier family history prepared by Frances’ daughter Bertha. By 1879, they had moved to Arkansas where Frank was born in December of that year. In the 1880 census, they lived in Pulaski County, Arkansas in an area with many other Polish immigrants. They moved to Duncan, Nebraska where Amalia, nicknamed “Molly,” was born about 1881 and Charlie in January, 1885.

In 1886, Frances married Valentine Chicoraske in Duncan. St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Duncan has the record of Amalia’s death in Jan 1892 at the age of 10. In 1893 John Stanley filed for citizenship in Platte County, Nebraska. In 1894, Joe and John Malaske bought land outside Perry, Oklahoma Territory. It’s not clear whether this was John or John Stanley. In Jan 1895, Katie married Frank Lugert, an emigrant from Bohemia who had made the run in Oklahoma and had a farm outside Perry. The following year John Stanley and Rose Drzewiecki married in the same Catholic Church in Perry, St. Rose of Lima. Rose’s family was also from Poland. They were part of the founding group of families in Harrah, Oklahoma Territory.

By the time of the 1900 census, Frances, John Stanley, and Katie were married. Frances and Valentine Chicoraske lived on a farm in Duncan, Nebraska with their children Bertha, Wanda, Frank, and Ladislaus (Leo). John and Barbara lived on a farm they owned in Payne County, Oklahoma with Joe, Frank, and Charles. John Stanley and his wife, Rose Drzewiecki, lived next door where he worked for the railroad. Katie and Frank lived in the town of Perry, where Frank was a saloon barman, and Katie was busy with 4-year old Theresa and 1 year-old Frank. In 1900, Barbara reported to the census that she was the mother of 9 children, 6 of whom were living, which appears to validate the existence of Mary. They moved to a farm in Silver Creek, Nebraska and in 1904 Barbara died there on 25 Jan. Her grave has not been found, but the local newspaper reports that her funeral was held at St Stanislaus Church, Duncan, Platte County, Nebraska. On Independence Day of 1904, 30-year old Joe married Rose’s sister, Fronia, age 21 in Silver Creek, Nebraska. George was born three months later. According to Frances Malaske Barton, Joe’s youngest child, Joe was not the father. In 1905 Frank married Sophie Opot. About 1911 or 1912, Joseph’s wife Fronia died. In 1918 Charlie married Eva Rainey.

By the 1920 census, Joseph had married Katie Koscielny and was farming in Osage County, Oklahoma, living with their children Georgie, Joseph Frank, John Martin, and Helen. Katie's sister Helen, age 13 also lived with them. The Koscielny’s were born in Marche, Arkansas (near Little Rock) and may have known the Malaske’s when they lived in Arkansas. Interestingly, John Stanley’s son Lawrence married Rosalie Koscielny who was born in Marche, Arkansas. In 1920, John Stanley and his wife Rose lived in Elk Township, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. They owned their own farm and were living with daughters Florence (18) and Mabel (10), and son John (7). Not far from John Stanley and Rose in Elk Township lived John Malaske, age 78 with his wife Constance, age 65. Constance was Fronia and Rose Drewriski’s mother, and had been widowed in about 1914. Both John and Constance reported being from Poland and having immigrated in 1888, but this is likely a mistake, at least for John. John (1840-1926), John Stanley, Rose, and Frances are buried in St. Teresa’s Catholic Cemetery in Harrah, Oklahoma. Kostanca Drzewiecki (1840-1923), John’s second wife, is buried in the cemetery near her first husband.

Frances Malaska Chicoraske’s children are Bertha, Wanda, Frank, Alexander, Leonard W., and Monica. The names of their children were recorded in the St. Stanislaus church records as follows: Bertha, Wanda Philomena, Franciscus Otto, Wladislaw Leo Walter, Monika, and Alexander Josef.

John Stanley Malaska’s children are Lawrence James, Florence Louise, Mabel Marie, and John. Lawrence told his children he was adopted and according to his grandson, he thought his mother may have been part Indian.

Joseph Malaske’s children are George, Helen Margaret, Joseph Frank, John Martin, Mary Elizabeth, Frank Louis, and Frances Louise.

Katie Malaske Lugert’s children are Theresa Barbara (my grandmother), Francis Matthew, Catherine Leona, and Marguerite Helen Marie.

Frank Malaska’s children are Lillian Eva, Angie Rose, Edward Paul, Glen Joseph, Orval John, Zenith Annie, Raney, Elwood Leland, and Bill.

Charlie died childless.

Terri Stern, updated 3 Sep 2006