My Family History Research

Kiec Family from Dobrocice near Sandomierz

My grandfather Jan Skrok‘s sister Stanisława Skrok married Adam Kiec in Buffalo, Erie, New York, on 31 Aug 1914.

Adam Kiec was born 8 November 1892 in Dobrocice and baptized at Malice Kościelne near Sandomierz in what was at that time the province of Radom in the Russian occupied part of Poland. Accordingly, the records were written in Cyrillic. As were listed in American records, Adam’s parents were Wojciech Kiec and Marianna Gierczak.

#115 Dobrocice, Kiec Adam

Birth registered and child baptized in Malice [>Kościelne] on 29 October/10 November 1892 at 10 am
Declarant/father: Wojciech Kiec, 26 yo, peasant farmer from Dobrocice
Witnesses: Franciszek Markot, 40 yo, and Jan Chadała [Hadała], 50 yo, peasant farmers from Dobrocice
Newborn boy: “born in the village of Dobrocice on 27 October/8 November of the current year at ten o’clock in the evening”, named Adam by priest Czerwiński
Mother: Marianna née Gierczak, 22 yo
Godparents: Franciszek Wojna and Marianna Siudak

abstract, Adam Kiec born 8 November 1892 in Dobrocice and baptized at Malice Kościelne

Wikipedia identifies “Dobrocice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wilczyce, within Sandomierz County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It lies approximately 5 kilometres west of Wilczyce, 14 km north-west of Sandomierz, and 70 km east of the regional capital Kielce,” while “Malice Kościelne is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Lipnik, within Opatów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It lies approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) north-east of Lipnik, 8 km (5 mi) south-east of Opatów, and 65 km (40 mi) east of the regional capital Kielce.”

The Catholic Church in Malice Kościelne is Kościół Matki Bożej Wniebowziętej, Our Lady of the Assumption. It has an interesting history.

According to the oldest tradition, the Malice parish was founded in the 12th century. It certainly operated before 1326, when it paid the Holy Feast. At that time there was a wooden church, Virgin Mary’s Assumption. It survived until the 16th century, when a new larch temple was built. Soon after, it was converted into a Calvinist church by the Malicki family. In 1635, bishop J. Albert appointed a parish priest in Malice Wacław Kostecki. In the same year, the clergyman and the local people took the church from Calvin, carrying out an effective armed attack (in the form of an inn). After this event, the temple was restored and consecrated solemnly by Bishop T. Oborski, but it was plundered by the Swedish and Transylvania troops at the same age. Once again, the church was renovated and consecrated by Bishop M. Oborski. Further renovations of the building took place during the time of Fr. Ignacy Dzisiewski (1848-1866) and priest Gabriel Pfadt (1905-1928). This church eventually burned down in 1942.

https://diecezjasandomierska.pl/malice-koscielne-matki-bozej-wniebowzietej/

Dobrocice is about 5 kilometers from Malice Kościelne.

Wojciech Kiec and Marianna Gierczak of Dobrocice were married 17 Oct 1889 in Malice Kościelne.

04.10.1889/ 17.10.1889

Wojciech 23 years old, son of deceased Józef, born and residing with mother Marianna nee Zimoląg in Dobrocice. Marianna 20 years, born in Leszczków, daughter of Franciszek and Marianna nee Jasińska, living with parents in Dobrocice.

Abstract, 1889 marriage of Wojciech Kiec and Marianna Gierczak of Dobrocice in Malice Kościelne

Wojciech Kiec was born in 1866 in Dobrocice, the son of Józef Kiec and Marianna Zimoląg. He was baptized at Malice Kościelne.

While the surname Kiec is uncommon, William F. Hoffman writes in Polish Surnames: Origins & Meanings that it is derived from kiec, kiecka, meaning “skirt,” or kiec, “the corncrake” (bird).

The name Zimoląg describes a “person extremely sensitive to cold, chilly person.”

Adam Kiec’s Brothers

Adam‘s older brother Stanisław Kiec was born 22 October 1890 to Wojciech Kiec and Marianna Gierczak in Dobrocice and baptized at Malice Kościelne.

Stanisław Kiec born 22 October at 2 pm. in Dobrocice Son of Wojciech Kiec 24 age and Marianna nee Gierczak 20 age. Godparents Wojciech Kędzierski and Anna Markot

abstract, Stanisław Kiec born 22 October 1890 in Dobrocice and baptized at Malice Kościelne

Stanisław KIEC immigrated on 3 Mar 1909 to New York, New York, on the ship Kroonland from Antwerp, Belgium, with a final destination of Buffalo, New York, although he may have made other journeys. He died on 31 Oct 1959 at the age of 69 in Buffalo and was buried at St. Stanislaus RC Cemetery in Cheektowaga, Erie, New York, United States.

Stanisław KIEC and Barbara ZALEWSKA were married about 1910. Barbara ZALEWSKA was born on 6 Dec 1894 in Radom, Russian Poland. Barbara died on 8 Nov 1939 at the age of 44 in Buffalo and was buried in Nov 1939 at St. Stanislaus RC Cemetery in Cheektowaga, Erie, New York, United States.

Stanisław KIEC and Barbara ZALEWSKA had the following children:

• Stanisław J. KIEC, born 3 Feb 1913; married Adela Karolina SŁOWIK, daughter of Jakub SŁOWIK and Karolina SZOPA, 6 Nov 1937, Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States; he died 22 Feb 1979, West Seneca, Erie, New York, United States.
• Stefan Wilhelm KIEC, born 25 Dec 1914, New York, United States; Stefan served in the United States Army, enlisted on 7 Jan 1941; married Clara R. NOGALSKA; they lived at 359 Tremont Avenue in Kenmore, Erie, New York; he died 13 Jul 1992, Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States.
• Genowefa KIEC, born 4 Aug 1917, Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States; married Bronisław KUBICKI, 16 Oct 1937, New York, United States; she died Mar 1987, Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States.

Another brother, Paweł Kiec, was born 22 March 1895 to Wojciech Kiec and Marianna Gierczak in Dobrocice and baptized at Malice Kościelne.

Paweł Kiec 10/22 March 1895 born and baptised. By the date his father Wojciech is 28 and Maryanna is 25.

abstract, Paweł Kiec born 22 March 1895 in Dobrocice and baptized at Malice Kościelne

Paweł Kiec immigrated on 2 Jun 1914 to New York, New York, on the ship Kroonland from Antwerp, Belgium, with a final destination of Buffalo, New York. He married Wiktorya Rój 11 May 1915 at St. Stanislaus Church in Buffalo, Erie, New York.

Wiktorya Rój, daughter of Antoni Rój and Katarzyna Pszczoła, was born in 1891 in Kujawy, Iwaniska, Opatów, in Russian Poland. Paul Kiec was a firefighter living on Metcalfe Street in Buffalo in 1915.

There may have been other Kiec siblings whom I was not able to verify, except for Wawrzyniec Kiec, who was born in 1897 to Wojciech Kiec and Marianna Gierczak in Dobrocice and baptized at Malice Kościelne. I did not find that he emigrated, even searching for Lawrence, the English equivalent for the Polish name Wawrzyniec.

There was a Lawrence Kiec in the 1915 New York State census at Buffalo, Erie New York, who was born about 1876 and had come to America about 1903. In 1915, he and his wife Mary lived at 127 Sears Street with their children Julia, Sophie, Lottie, and Joseph. I suspect this family may have moved on or returned to Poland, because I did not see them again in the records.

I found other immigrants named Kiec from Radom, Russian Poland, to western New York in the early 1900s, including siblings Stanisław Kiec, Marianna Kiec Lipka, Waleria Kiec Barańska, and Józefa Kiec Kołacz, born in Gierczyce and Brzezie, Opatów (about 5 kilometers from Malice Kościelne), and Józef Kiec, son of Michał Kiec and Marianna Batak, whose first wife, Agnieszka Dudek, was born in Stopnica, Busko. These places, like Dobrocice, are all in the current Polish province of Świętokrzyskie.

Sources