Ancestors

Bartley F. Staniec

Bartley F. Staniec, christened Bartholomew, was born on 14 June 1859 in Poland. The census of 1900 gives his birthplace as "Poland Aust", meaning the part of Poland ruled by Austria, the province of Galicia around Krakow.

His obituary says that "as a young child he came to America with Mr and Mrs. Skorupa and made his home with them until young manhood." It does not name his own parents or say what became of them. He grew up in central Nebraska. When he died in 1948 he had lived in the community for more than seventy years.

In 1891 he married Mary Swertzic, also from Austrian Poland. They had six children, and one died as a baby. His early years were spent farming, but he took up railroad work for a time. About 1900 he was stationed at Havens as section foreman for the Union Pacific. A section foreman was in charge of the crew that kept a stretch of track in repair. In June 1900 the census found the family at Clarks village in Merrick County: Bartley, his wife Mary, 25, and daughters Sophia, 8, Annie, 6, Stephnia, 4, and Aggie, 2. Their son Luke was zero days old. Three Polish lodgers lived with them: Mary Bosak, 20, Joseph Swircek, 24, and Peter Boro, 44.

Mary died on 10 January 1903, leaving him with five small children. Shortly after, he went back to the farm.

On 29 July 1906 he married Julia Marfica at St. Lawrence Catholic church in Silver Creek. She was twenty four and had been born in Poland too. They had thirteen children. Three died as babies. A daughter, Rose McKay, died in 1940, and a son, John, in 1937.

He spent most of fifty years farming in Nance and Merrick counties. In 1930 the census found him at Prairie Creek in Nance County with Julia and five of the children. The family home stood north of Havens. He belonged for many years to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic church at Krakow.

He was in failing health for several years. He died on Tuesday afternoon, 26 October 1948, at the Emergency hospital at Genoa, after about ten days there. He was eighty nine. The newspaper headed his obituary "Pioneer Resident Called by Death" and called him "a resident of this community for more than seventy years."

His body was taken from the Fleming Funeral Home to the family home north of Havens to lie in state, with a rosary on the Thursday evening. The funeral was at nine on Friday morning at Krakow, with Rev. Father Edward officiating, and he was buried in the parish cemetery.

He left his wife, nine daughters and four sons. The daughters were Mrs. Josie Armatys of Silver Creek, Mrs. Anna Wrobloski of Belgrade, Mrs. Stella Bandur and Mrs. Agnes Niedzwiecki of Duncan, Mrs. Helen Hinkle of Silver Creek, Mrs. Mary Graham of Belleville, Kansas, Mrs. Vera McMenney of Worcester, Massachusetts, Mrs. Frances Miller and Miss Julia Staniec of Silver Creek. The sons were Luke Staniec of Valley, Thomas of Belgrade, and Frank and Louis of Silver Creek. There were thirty grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

If Bartley F. Staniec is in your family, start your own tree.

Cite: Heirology, "Bartley F. Staniec (1859-1948)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/bartley-f-staniec-1859-1948-1f286d.