My Family History Research

Kaniecki Family in Buffalo, New York

When I first started documenting family history in the 1990s, I mistakenly thought that my great-grandmother Anna Kalinowska Szczepańska‘s family name was Kaniecki. My Aunt Imelda said that her mother Marya was close to her cousin Joanna Kaniecka, who had married Jan Beresniewicz. Even after Marya‘s death in 1951, my father and his siblings would pick up “Aunt Jennie” to take her with us to visit the Szczepański family in Bennington, New York.

My aunts Cele and Imelda told me that Joanna/Jennie‘s father Jan Kaniecki was an “uncle” on their mother Marya‘s side of the family. Because of their certainty, I included the Kaniecki family in Buffalo on pages 156-157 of the Descendants of Martin and Anna Szczepański book, although we were not sure how we were related.

Marcin Szczepański‘s mother’s name was Franciszka Kaniecka. Marcin was godfather to Joanna Kaniecka at her baptism 25 May 1884 at St. Stanislaus Church in Buffalo, New York.

Jan and Rozalia Kaniecki and their three children Anna (14), Johanna (7), and Władysław (2) were listed immediately after Martin, Anna, Frank (7), and Mary (5) Szczepański in Buffalo in the 1892 New York State census.

1900

In 1900, John, Rozalia, Władysław, and Johanna Kaniecki lived at 259 Detroit Street in Buffalo. Their daughter Anna had married Walenty Domalski 8 Oct 1895 at St. Stanislaus Church in Buffalo, New York, and lived at 289 Detroit Street. The census record indicates that the couple had immigrated in 1882 and that three of Rozalia‘s eight children were living in 1900. In the St. Stanislaus church registers I found two Kaniecki children who were born and died in Buffalo, Józef (28 Nov 1882-4 Dec 1882) and Rozalia (11 Jul 1887-9 Oct 1890).

On 20 July 1909, the Buffalo Courier, under Marriage Licenses on page 6, column 6, listed “John Beresniwicz, 30, No. 404 Sweet Avenue—Jennie Kaniecka, 25, No. 34 Woltz Avenue.”

1910

The Kaniecki and Beresniewicz families were together at 242 Clark Street in Buffalo, Erie, New York, in the 1910 federal census, including three month old Władysław Beresniewicz, who was listed as Vladislaus.

Władysław/Walter Kaniecki had enlisted in the military in 1908 and in 1910 he was a private in the U.S. Coast Artillery at Fort Howard in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Beresniewicz family lived at 66 Gates Street in Sloan, Erie, New York, in 1918 when Jan Beresniewicz, a veteran of the Spanish American War, registered for the World War I draft.

1920

Rozalia died between 1910 and 1920, because widowed John Kaniecki was listed in the 1920 census with his daughter Anna and granddaughters Sophia and Clara on 376 Gibson Street in Buffalo, New York.

Walter Kaniecki served in the United States Army in World War I. He had married Louise Mentzer in Maryland and in 1920 they were at 107 Sturtevant Street, Greenfield, Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan, United States, with their daughter Regina.

In 1922, Walter and Louise‘s son Walter Kaniecki was born across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. A dual citizen, he joined the Canadian Army in 1941 and was killed in action in Italy in 1944. His widow and son, also named Walter Kaniecki, lived in North Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Jan Kaniecki died in 1928. His death notice was published in Dziennik dla Wszystkich,“Everybody’s Daily,” the Buffalo, New York, Polish daily newspaper from 1911 to 1957.

On Wednesday, August 15th 1928, at 1:50 PM he departed this earth after having received the Sacraments.

In holy remembrance of

John Kaniecki

The late John Kaniecki was born in Poznań. He came to America 45 years ago.

Funeral services will be on Saturday, August 18th, at 8:30 AM at the house of mourning on 138 Rolland Street, Sloan, N, Y., to St. Andrew Church at 9 AM and afterwards to St Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Cemetery.

For this sad ritual family and friends are invited in mourning.

FAMILY

John J. Buszka, mortuary.

1930

In 1930, John and Jennie Beresniewicz lived at 138 Rolland Street, Sloan, New York, with their children Walter, Frank, and Irene.

Louise Mentzer Kaniecki died in a tragic drowning accident in Canada in 1934, and in 1936 widower Walter Kaniecki married a Canadian woman, Corena Marquette Parent. As Corinne Kaniecki, she became an American citizen in 1943.

1950

Władysław/Walter Kaniecki died 20 August 1953 in the Dearborn Veterans Hospital after a long illness. His obituary was in The Windsor Star of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on Aug 21, 1953.

He was a captain in the United States Army and World War I winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

He retired from the Detroit Department of Parks and Recreation, and was in charge of the Belle Isle Aquarium for many years.

“Surviving are his widow Corinne, a daughter, Mrs. Jack Vollans (Regina) of Orillia; three grandchildren; and two sisters, Mrs. Jennie Berry and Mrs. Anna Domalski, both of Buffalo.”

His widow’s “United States Headstone Application for Military Veterans” indicated that Walter Kaniecki had been a Captain and his final resting place was Windsor Grove Cemetery in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Anna Kaniecki Domalski‘s death notice in the Buffalo Evening News read

DOMALSKI—Anna Kaniecki Domalski, Jan. 23, 1955, of 31 Hempstead Ave., wife of the late William Domalski; mother of Mrs. Mary James, Mrs. Sylvia Richards and Mrs. Charles Coons; sister of Mrs. Jennie Beresniewicz and the late Capt. Walter Kaniecki; grandmother of Frank Anders, Mrs. Frank Heigl, Marie and Charles Coons; also survived bv 3 great-grandchildren. Funeral service from Carlton A. Ullrich Funeral Home. 3373 Bailey Ave., Wednesday at 8:15 and from St. James Church at 9 o’clock. Friends are invited.

DOMALSKI—Anna Kaniecki, Buffalo Evening News, 25 January 1955

1970

Joanna/Jennie Kaniecka Beresniewicz died 2 Feb 1976 and was buried 5 Feb 1976 at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Lancaster, Erie, New York.

Here is a summary of Jan and Rozalia‘s known children and grandchildren.

1-Jan KANIECKI (1850-1928)
+Rozalia KRAUSE (1846- abt 1914)
. . . 2-Anna KANIECKA (1877-1955)
. . . +Walenty DOMALSKI (1873-1924)
. . . . . . 3-Bernard DOMALSKI (1896-1897)
. . . . . . 3-Marya DOMALSKA (1898-1967)
. . . . . . 3-Zofia DOMALSKA (1902-1974)
. . . . . . 3-Clara DOMALSKA (1905-1982)
. . . 2-Józef KANIECKI (1882-1882)
. . . 2-Joanna KANIECKA (1884-1976)
. . . +Jan BEREŚNIEWICZ (1876-1951)
. . . . . . 3-Władysław BEREŚNIEWICZ (1909-1988)
. . . . . . 3-Anna BEREŚNIEWICZ (1911-1911)
. . . . . . 3-Franciszek BEREŚNIEWICZ (1912-1985)
. . . . . . 3-Irena Teresa BEREŚNIEWICZ (1919-2004)
. . . 2-Rozalia KANIECKA (1887-1890)
. . . 2-Władysław KANIECKI (1890-1953)
. . . +Louise Hannah MENTZER (1891-1934)
. . . . . . 3-Regina KANIECKI (1915-1982)
. . . . . . 3-Walter KANIECKI (1922-1944)
. . . +Corena Marquette PARENT (1908-1986)

In 2018, our Szczepański/Kalinowski genetic connection to the Kaniecki family was confirmed when the son of Władysław (Walter) Beresniewicz tested his DNA with Ancestry.com. We share a 10.4 centimorgan DNA segment. Two of our four shared matches had Kalinowska ancestors going back to Szembruk, West Prussia. Anna‘s birth name was Kalinowska and she and Marcin Szczepański also came from Szembruk, West Prussia, so that is likely our link in the old country.

Sources

• 1900 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Buffalo Ward 9, Erie, New York, John Kaniecki; digital images, HeritageQuest (heritagequestonline.com : accessed November 2017).
• 1900 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Buffalo Ward 9, Erie, New York, , Anna Domalski.
• 1900 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Election District 3 Buffalo city Ward 14, Erie, New York, United States, , Josef Beresniewiez.
• 1910 Federal Census, New York State, population schedule, Buffalo Ward 8, Erie, New York, John Kaniecki; digital images, Heritage Quest Online (www.heritagequestonline.com : accessed November 2017).
• 1910 Federal Census, Maryland, population schedule, Election District 15, Baltimore, Maryland, Walter Kaniecki; digital images, HeritageQuest (heritagequestonline.com : accessed 9 February 2019).
• 1915 New York State Census, New York State, population schedule, Cheektowaga, A.D. 07, E.D. 03, Erie, New York, United States, , John Beresniewicz; FHL microfilm .
• 1920 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Buffalo Ward 10, Erie, New York, Anna Domalska; digital images, HeritageQuest (heritagequestonline.com : accessed December 2017).
• 1920 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Buffalo Ward 10, Erie, New York, , Anna Domalska.
• 1920 Federal Census, Michigan, population schedule, Greenfield, Wayne, Michigan, Walter Kaniecki; digital images, HeritageQuest (heritagequestonline.com : accessed February 2019).
• 1925 New York State Census, New York, population schedule, Buffalo Ward 10, Erie, , Anna Domalski; FHL microfilm .
• 1930 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA, Sophia Damalski; digital images, HeritageQuest (heritagequestonline.com : accessed January 2018).
• 1930 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Cheektowaga, Erie, New York, USA, John Beresniwicz.
• 1940 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Sloan, Cheektowaga Town, Erie, New York, United States, John Beresniewicz.
• 1940 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Cheektowaga, Erie, New York, , Jenny Banniewicz.
• 1940 Federal Census, New York, population schedule, Cheektowaga, Erie, New York, Sophie Anderzyak; digital images, HeritageQuest (heritagequestonline.com : accessed February 2018).
• 1940 Federal Census, Michigan, population schedule, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, Walter Kenecki; digital images, HeritageQuest (heritagequestonline.com : accessed November 2017).
• New York State, Department of Health, Vital Records Index, Certificate Number: 50230, John Kaniecki, 15 August 1928, Albany, New York.
• Jan Kaniecki, Dziennik dla Wszystkich [Everybody’s Daily], Buffalo, New York, 1928-Aug-16.
• Buffalo, New York, death no. Volume 200, Certificate Number: 160 (Death Date: 1909-1914), Rose Kanicka; City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, Reclaim the Records, archive.org.
• St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr RC Church,  Buffalo, New York, Church records, FHL microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr RC Church (Buffalo, New York), , Deaths, page 110, Jozef Kaniecki; FHL microfilm .
• St. Stanislaus RC Church, Buffalo, New York, Deaths, page 152.
• Ancestry, Jan Kanicki.
• Dziennik dla Wszystkich, 1955-Jan-24.
• DOMALSKI—Anna Kaniecki, Buffalo Evening News, Buffalo, New York, 25 January 1955, Vital Statistics 21.
• New York State Vital Records Index, 1955, Certificate Number: 1833, Anna K Domalski.
• “Find a Grave,” database, Find a Grave (findagrave.com: accessed February 2018), Anna Domalski.
• “United States Public Records Index,” database, “United States Public Records, “United States Public Records” (ancestry.com: accessed January 2018), Valentine Domalski; citing Original Data: Voter Registration Lists, Public Record Filings, Historical Residential Records, and Other Household Database Listings.
• Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index,” database, Death Master File (: accessed 17 February 2019), Jennie Beresniewicz, 053-52-9477.
• St. Stanislaus RC Church, Buffalo, New York, Births, page 64.
• St. Adalbert RC Cemetery (Lancaster, New York), gravestones and record cards, Jennie Beresniewicz.
• Beresniewicz-Kaniecka, Buffalo Courier, Buffalo, New York, 20 July 1909, page 6, column 6.
• New York State Vital Records Index, Marriage, Certificate Number: 11292, Jennie Kaniecka, John Beresniwicz.
• “World War I Draft Registration Cards,” database, Ancestry.com (: accessed 14 February 2019), John Joseph Beresniwicz.
• “Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914,” https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJDR-HVJ9, United States, FHL microfilm 1,465,935., National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.
• New York State Vital Records Index: cause 420, Cert No. 23327, John Beresniewicz.
• Find a Grave, John Beresniewicz.
• Walter Kaniecki, Windsor Star, 21 August 1953, page 12.
• “US Headstone Applications for Military Veterans,” digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 February 2019), Walter Kaniecki.
• “Kaniecki, Walter.” Pension applications for service in the US Army between 1861 and 1900.
• National Archives, “World War II Draft Registration Cards,” database, Ancestry.com ( ancestry.com : accessed November 2017), Walter Kaniecki.
• Ontario, Canada Vital and Church Records, “Drouin Collection 1621-1968,” Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 14 February 2019), Walter Leo Kaniecki.
• “Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas,” database, Ancestry.com (: accessed 13 February 2019), Walter Mentzer Kaniecki; Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• “Canada, WWII Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947,” database, Ancestry.com (: accessed 13 February 2019), Walter Mentzer Kaniecki; Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
• “Find a Grave,” database, Find a Grave (findagrave.com: accessed 13 February 2019), Trpr Walter Mentzer Kaniecki. Veterans Affairs Canada, “Canadian Virtual War Memorial,” database, Government of Canada, Canadian Virtual War Memorial (canada.ca : accessed 13 February 2019), Trooper Walter Mentzer Kaniecki, Service Number: B/62278, Montecchio War Cemetery , Italy, Grave I. F. 10; citing Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
• Michigan Marriage Records, Ancestry, (ancestry.com : accessed November 2017), Mr Walter W Keniecki-Corrinne Parant.
• “Ancestry,” database, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed 13 February 2019), Corrine Margeret Kaniecki; citing Passenger Lists.
• “U.S. Naturalization Records Indexes,” database, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.,  (ancestry.com : accessed 13 February 2019), Corena Marquette Parent Kaniecki.
• Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index”, database, Death Master File, Corinne M Mann.
• Beresniewicz–Jennie (nee Kaniecki), Buffalo News, Buffalo, New York, 4 February 1976, Page 40.