I've put off writing about Karolina for far too long. My reasons for doing so were twofold. 1.) I have no pictures of her, no stories about her, no items she once owned that were passed down, no references to her in history books, no newspaper clippings that mention her, not even a photo of her house or grave site. 2.) The records, filmed by the LDS, in the village where she lived her life are spotty. Which is to say there are long gaps of time with no records of one sort or another. For instance, there are death records for 1799-1833 and from 1862-1982 but none before or in between. The only marriage records available on film are from 1835-1933, none preceding that. Only bapismal records run continuously from 1800-1929.
To my knowledge, there are no city directories, censuses, probate records, land records, historical newspapers, or military records available to help me fill in details of her life. All I have to go on are the baptismal, marriage, and death records kept by the Catholic Church in a nearby village. I'm not complaining, mind you. I'm very grateful that the LDS did as much filming of records in this area as they did. But it does make it challenging to write a nice biography about Karolina.
It doesn't help either that in the course of creating a time line of her life I discovered a major mistake in my data for her family line. Fortunately, the films I needed to access to rebuild her family line I have on indefinite loan at my local Family History Center. Unfortunately, because of the looming COG deadline, I've had to work fast and furious to get the data I needed to create a new time line and write a bio. When you rush, mistakes can happen. I hope the info I've been able to put together is accurate but I must admit I wasn't able to be as thorough as I would have liked. But this is Women's History Month, the COG deadline is just a few days away, and today is Karolina's birthday... so I'm going forward with what I've got (burning shoulder blades from sitting hunched over the microfilm reader, eyes that won't focus from straining to read dully-lit documents poorly penned, shooting pains in my arm from that repetitive stress injury, and all!).
I used the Chronology Report generated by my Legacy software as the basis for this time line. The numbers bolded in green on the left are Karolina's age when the event happened.
Parents: Jan Furman (born on May 2, 1825 in Podborze, Poland - died on January 15, 1865 in Podborze, Poland) and Marianna Lesniowski (born on February 10, 1840 in Podborze, Poland - died on September 17, 1911 in Podborze, Poland)
Life Range: March 12, 1864 - January 18, 1940
-1 1862 March 24 Spouse: Poland, Podborze. Krzysztof Laska (born on March 24, 1862 in Podborze, Poland - died on October 20, 1918 in Podborze, Poland).
0 1864 March 2 History: Abolition of serfdom in Congress of Poland
0 1864 March 12 Birth: Poland, Podborze.
0 1864 March 12 Baptism: Poland, Podborze.
10mos 1865 January 15 Death of Father: Poland, Podborze. Jan Furman (born on May 2, 1825 in Podborze, Poland - died on January 15, 1865 in Podborze, Poland).
18mos 1865 October 3 Mother Remarries: Jozef Kolisz.
2 1867 January 21 Step-Sister Born: Agnieszka.
8 1872 December 31 Step-Sister Born: Appolonia.
9 1873 May 9 Death of Sister: Appolonia.
13 1877 September 17 Step-Sister Born (unamed) and dies the same day.
19 1883 October 1 Marriage: Poland, Podborze. Krzysztof Laska (born on March 24, 1862 in Podborze, Poland - died on October 20, 1918 in Podborze, Poland). in Podborze, Poland.
20 1884 August 20 Son born (#1): Poland, Podborze. Jozef Laska (born on August 20, 1884 in Podborze, Poland - died on January 24, 1949 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA).
22 1887 January 15 Daughter born (#2): Poland, Podborze. Genowefa M. Laska (born on January 15, 1887 in Podborze, Poland - died in 1976 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA).
28 1892 August 16 Daughter born (#3): Poland, Podborze. Apollonia Laska (born on August 16, 1892 in Podborze, Poland).
36 1901 February 25 Daughter born (#4): Poland, Podborze. Anna Laska (born on February 25, 1901 in Podborze, Poland).
40 1905 February Emigration of Son: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Jozef.
42 1906 September 27 Son born (#5): Poland, Podborze. Michal Laska (born on September 27, 1906 in Podborze, Poland - died on September 16, 1994 in Zgorsko, Poland).
42 1907 January Emigration of Daughter: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Genowefa.
42 1907 January 27 Marriage of Son: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Jozef to Karolina Lipa.
43 1907 November 9 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Stanislaw, son of Jozef and Karolina.
44 1909 February 1 Marriage of Daughter: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Genowefa to John (Jan) Tabaka.
45 1909 April 16 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Ladislaw, son of Jozef and Karolina.
46 1910 December 7 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Granddaughter Helen to Genowefa and John.
46 1911 January 31 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Granddaughter Anna to Jozef and Karolina.
47 1911 September 17 Death of Mother: Poland, Podborze. Marianna Lesniowski (born on February 10, 1840 in Podborze, Poland - died on September 17, 1911 in Podborze, Poland).
48 1912 May 2 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Joseph J. to Genowefa and John.
48 1912 November 18 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Granddaughter Cecilia to Jozef and Karolina.
49 1914-1918 History: WWI, "With Poland's three occupying powers at war with each other, Poland becomes the main fighting ground. Because there was no official Polish state, there was no Polish army. Poles were forced into the Russian, German, and Austrian armies and forced to fight against one another."
49 1914 February Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Granddaughter Anna to Genowefa and John.
50 1914 August 5 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Joseph to Jozef and Karolina.
51 1915 July Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Boleslaw (William) to Genowefa and John.
52 1916 November 25 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Granddaughter Genevieve to Jozef and Karolina.
53 1918 February 24 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Walter to Genowefa and John.
54 1918 September 22 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Edward to Jozef and Karolina.
54 1918 October 20 Death of Spouse: Poland, Podborze. Krzysztof Laska (born on March 24, 1862 in Podborze, Poland - died on October 20, 1918 in Podborze, Poland).
54 1918 November 11 History: WWI ends and Poland regains its independence.
56 Abt 1920 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Harry to Genowefa and John.
56 1920 July Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Granddaughter Florence to Jozef and Karolina.
58 Abt 1922 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Leonard to Genowefa and John.
59 1923 August 16 Birth of Grandchild: Poland, Podborze. Granddaughter Janina, daughter of Anna and Sebastian.
60 Abt 1924 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Granddaughter Mary Ann to Genowefa and Joseph.
60 1924 September Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Eugene to Jozef and Karolina.
62 Abt 1926 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson Richard to Genowefa and John.
62 1926 November 11 Birth of Grandchild: Poland, Podborze. Granddaughter Teresa, daughter of Anna and Sebastian.
62 1926 December 31 Birth of Grandchild: Poland, Podborze. Granddaughter Maria, daughter of Anna and Sebastian.
62 1927 February 20 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Granddaughter Eleanore to Jozef and Karolina.
64 1928 July 16 Birth of Grandchild: Poland, Podborze. Grandson Stanislaw, son of Anna and Sebastian.
64 1928 October 2 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Granddaughter Mary Jane to Jozef and Karolina.
64 1928 October 15 Birth of Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Grandson George to Genowefa and John.
65 Abt 1929 Birth of Great Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Great Grandson Alfred to Stanislaw and wife Ann.
66 1930 September 5 Birth of Great Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Great Grandson Richard to Stanislaw and wife Ann.
69 1933 September 27 Marriage of Son: Poland, Podborze. Michal to Anna Dziekan.
73 1937 June 28 Birth of Grandchild: Poland, Podborze. Granddaughter Maria to Michal and Ann.
75 Abt 1939 Birth of Grandchild: Poland, Podborze. Grandson Kazimir to Michal and Anna.
75 Abt 1939 Birth of Great Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Great Grandson Chester to Ann and husband Chester.
75 Abt 1939 Birth of Great Grandchild: USA, Michigan, Detroit. Great Grandson Ronald to Cecelia and husband John.
75 1939 September 1 History: Poland is invaded by Hitler.
75 1939 September 17 History: Poland is invaded by the Soviet Union, WWII begins.
75 1940 January 18 Death: Poland, Podborze.
75 1940 January 20 Burial: Poland, Cemetery In Zgórsko.
All things considered, it's a pretty decent time line. It doesn't tell the whole story of her life though. Details to follow in her biography...
