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Silesian Profiles - Example - Haiduk
June 12, 2025
A Silesian deep dive
By Theresa Doyle Nelson
The Bandera Prophet
There are some great ancestry treasure hunts at the Bandera Kronkosky Library. If your family tree includes names like Adamietz, Haiduk, Hoffman, Knappick, Mazurek, Czerner, Pyka, etc., there is a good chance that you can dig up some fun historical facts in one of the three Silesian Profiles books kept in the Texana Room.
For example, if the name Kalka is within your ancestry, you can find that Silesian immigrant Caspar Kalka was a founder of St. Stanislaus Church; he also fought in the Civil War and was paid $2 a day.
If the surname Mazurek is in your lineage, you might enjoy reading the will of immigrant Thomas Mazurek. Among other items, he left his son Theodore a brown horse and his daughter Josephine a 2-year-old filly.
If you are an Anderwald descendant, you can learn that Franz Anderwald and his wife, Elizabeth Adamietz Anderwald had 10 children before arriving in Texas in 1854; and that Franz and Elizabeth died within one week of each other in 1887.
Johann Długosz (a surname now commonly known as Dugosh in Texas) and his wife Franciska Kasperczyk Długosz quickly acquired four cattle and nine hogs. Initially, Johann could speak only Silesian, so often had to rely on actions to convey a point.
You can find a photograph of the impressive home built by Franz Jureczko/Jureczki, where it has been reported that Franz sold whiskey at 25 cents a quart!
The three Silesian Profiles volumes are loaded with fascinating details on dozens of the original Silesian families who settled in Texas in the 1800s. Learn when your ancestors arrived in Texas, what towns in Silesia they came from, the names of their children, the acreage they attained, how much livestock they acquired, their brand marks, their death dates, and so on. If you think you might have some Silesian roots, and want to dig a little deeper into your family legacy, consider stopping by the Texana Room at the library. Find the three volumes (GEN 976.4), settle in at the table, and enjoy your discoveries.
*Silesian Profiles I, II, and III were compiled by the Silesian Profiles Committee over the course of many years.
*Silesia is an ancient European region with a long and complex history. It is currently—for the most part—in Poland.
For example, if the name Kalka is within your ancestry, you can find that Silesian immigrant Caspar Kalka was a founder of St. Stanislaus Church; he also fought in the Civil War and was paid $2 a day.
If the surname Mazurek is in your lineage, you might enjoy reading the will of immigrant Thomas Mazurek. Among other items, he left his son Theodore a brown horse and his daughter Josephine a 2-year-old filly.
If you are an Anderwald descendant, you can learn that Franz Anderwald and his wife, Elizabeth Adamietz Anderwald had 10 children before arriving in Texas in 1854; and that Franz and Elizabeth died within one week of each other in 1887.
Johann Długosz (a surname now commonly known as Dugosh in Texas) and his wife Franciska Kasperczyk Długosz quickly acquired four cattle and nine hogs. Initially, Johann could speak only Silesian, so often had to rely on actions to convey a point.
You can find a photograph of the impressive home built by Franz Jureczko/Jureczki, where it has been reported that Franz sold whiskey at 25 cents a quart!
The three Silesian Profiles volumes are loaded with fascinating details on dozens of the original Silesian families who settled in Texas in the 1800s. Learn when your ancestors arrived in Texas, what towns in Silesia they came from, the names of their children, the acreage they attained, how much livestock they acquired, their brand marks, their death dates, and so on. If you think you might have some Silesian roots, and want to dig a little deeper into your family legacy, consider stopping by the Texana Room at the library. Find the three volumes (GEN 976.4), settle in at the table, and enjoy your discoveries.
*Silesian Profiles I, II, and III were compiled by the Silesian Profiles Committee over the course of many years.
*Silesia is an ancient European region with a long and complex history. It is currently—for the most part—in Poland.