Flash Family History: Mizera and Lisowski

My grandmother, Zofia Mizera (1894-1970), was the first of her family line to immigrate (1913) to the U.S. (Detroit, MI). She was the second oldest of Piotr Mizera (1862-1943) and Anna Bober’s (1862-1941) six children. Zofia married (1916) Wincenty Lisowski (1884-1956) and they had 4 children including my mother, Lucille (1918-2007). Lucille married (1944) Joseph Laska (1914-1974) and they had 3 children, including me, Jasia.

The Mizera and Bober familes lived in and around Wojnicz, Poland. Earliest records of the Mizera family line date back to 1790 and for the Bober family line, 1760. These families were peasant farmers, practiced the Catholic faith, and served in the military as required. Both families lived in the area from the time of first written records.

Being of the Polish peasant class, the Mizera and Bober family members were not formally educated and were mostly illiterate, although Zofia was literate when she came to the U.S. Their villages were in the section of Poland that was Austrian-ruled after the country was partitioned (1772, 1793, 1795). In 1920, Zofia sponsored her sisters’ Mary (1890-1959) and Halina’s (1901-1996) immigration to the U.S. Mary married (1922) Baltazar Dembowski (1890-1948) and they had 2 children. Halina married (1924) Stanley Laba (1892-1953) and they had 2 children. Zofia, Mary, and Halina were the only siblings from the Mizera-Bober family that immigrated to the U.S. Remaining in Poland were their sister Michalina (b.1903) and their brothers Jan (b.1895) and Antoni (b.1898)

It is not known if there are still members from the Mizera-Bober family line still living in the area of Wojnicz, Poland. Some are know to have resettled farther west in Poland and others also live in Ireland.

Family surnames: Kubon, Piechowicz, Liszka, Baran, Turek, Molecki, Opiela, Palka, Banas

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My grandfather, Wincenty Lisowski (1884-1956), was the first of his family line to immigrate (1912) to the U.S. (Detroit, MI). He was the oldest of Wojciech Lisowski (1855-1911) and Jozefa Adamski’s (1865-1924) 11 children. Wincenty married (1916) Zofia Mizera (1894-1970) and they had 4 children including my mother, Lucille (1918-2007). Lucille married (1944) Joseph Laska (1914-1974) and they had 3 children, including me, Jasia.

The Lisowski and Adamski familes lived in a number of small villages near Łódź, Poland. Earliest records of the Lisowski family line date back to 1823 and for the Adamski family line, 1794. These families were peasant farmers, practiced the Catholic faith, and served in the military as required. The Lisowski family colonized to the area from parts unknown. The Adamski family was in the area from the time of first written records.

Being of the Polish peasant class, the Lisowski and Adamski family members were not formally educated and were mostly illiterate, although Wincenty was literate when he immigrated to the U.S. Their villages were in the section of Poland that was Russian-ruled after the country was partitioned (1772, 1793, 1795). Following WWII (1952), Wincenty’s sister Waleria Lisowski Wojciechowski (1889-1966) and her two sons, Antoni (1926-2006) and W. (living), also immigrated to the U.S. (Detroit, MI). Wincenty and Waleria are the only two of Wojciech and Jozefa’s 11 children who immigrated to the U.S. More recently, in 1978, Wincenty’s grandnephew, M. Lisowski (living), also moved here.

There are still Lisowski and Adamski families living in the same area of Poland and throughout the country as well as in Germany, Sweden, and the U.S.

Surnames of the Lisowski - Adamski family lines include: Marcinkowski, Szalecki, Cieslak, Juszczak, and Janiak.

[Written for the 115th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.]