Jan Labus & Paulina Bronder

We found the photo of Jan Labus and his wife Paulina on the wall of the old Polish Heritage Museum in Panna Maria, TX.

 

Jan's parents were Adam Labus (born 1 July 1829, Jasiona, Silesia, Poland) and Józefa Knopp (born 24 January 1821, Jasiona, Poland). Possibly the original spelling of the surname Labus was Łabuś.

Jan had two younger brothers, Ignatz (born 3 February 1851, Jasiona, PL/died 20 Sept. 1852, Jasiona) and Filip (born 1854/died 21 December 1854, Jasiona).

Jan Labus came to Galveston, Texas with his parents on board the vessel "Weser", on 3 June 1855 (1). They were accompanied by his uncle Franek (Adam's brother), his wife, and children. They settled in Panna Maria, Karnes, TX.

Soon, Jan's siblings were born:

• Franciszek (Francis) - on 8 March 1857,
• Magdalena Maria - baptized on 24 July 1857, Panna Maria Catholic Church, and
• Konstantyna, who was baptized at the same place on 12 April 1862.

👉 By 1860 Jan's father, Adam, had cultivated 25 acres of improved land. Eleven years later, on 30 September, Adam Labus purchased 10 acres of land on the Cibolo River in Panna Maria.

Jan married ⚭ Apolonia Paulina Bronder on 10 February 1874 (2). She was born on 9 February 1855 in Panna Maria, to Simon Bronder and Julianna Poloczek. The baby girl was the first child born in Panna Maria.

Paulina's parents were married in Wisnicze parish, Poland in 1852.

🏠 The young couple, Jan and Apolonia Paulina, settled in Justice Precinct #2, Karnes, TX (3).

Children were born to Jan and Apolonia in Panna Maria:

♦ Marta - 6 November 1874,
♦ Gertruda - 10 January 1876 (died by 1880?),
♦ Jan - 8 March 1877 (?),
♦ Agnes P - 13 June 1879,
♦ Marianna - 24 March 1881,
♦ Kunegunda Helena - 2 March 1883,
♦ Albina - 1 December 1884,
♦ Sophia - 12 May 1887,
♦ Pelagia - 8 June 1889,
♦ Philomena - 25 June 1891,
♦ Magdalena - 19 July 1893,
♦ Jerome - 22 July 1895, and
♦ Vincent Joseph - 19 July 1898.

Jan's mother, Józefa, died on ♦ 7 September 1892. His father, Adam, passed on ♦ 10 May 1898.

⚭ Marta married Alexander Korzekwa on 14 November 1899 (4).

⚭ Agnes P married VS Kowalik on 25 November 1902,
⚭ Marianna married Frank Mzyk on 4 February 1904 (5),

⚭ Albina married Stanislaus Moczygemba on 25 October 1904 (6),

⚭ Kunegunda Helena married Michael Moczygemba on 19 November 1907 (7),

⚭ Sophia married Simon Brysch on 25 November 1908 (8),

⚭ Pelagia married W F Gawlik in 1912,
⚭ Jerome married Gertrude Elizabeth Mika in 1918,
⚭ Philomena married Paul Banduch,
⚭ Magdalena married Izydor Gawlik,
⚭ Jerome married Gertrude Elizabeth Mika in 1918,
⚭ Vincent Joseph married Irene Pollok.

John Labus passed on ♦ 12 October 1909 (9). In 1920, his wife Pauline lived in Hobson with her son Vincent and his wife Irene (10).

 

Apolonia Pauline Labus left this world on ♦ 13 March 1929 (11).

Sources:
Silesian Texans
familysearch.org

Geneteka

1. Galveston Immigration Database
2. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-JD1N: Mon Oct 23 13:50:24 UTC 2023), Entry for John Labus and Paulina Brouder, 10 Feb 1874.
3. "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFNR-48C : Wed Oct 04 08:24:27 UTC 2023), Entry for John Labus and Apolonia Labus, 1880.
4. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-JRFB : Mon Oct 23 13:54:23 UTC 2023), Entry for Alexander Korgekera and Marta Labus, 14 Nov 1899.
5. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-JBYG : Mon Oct 23 13:10:49 UTC 2023), Entry for Frank Mzyk and Mary Labus, 04 Feb 1902.
6. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-JT6Z : Mon Oct 23 13:07:09 UTC 2023), Entry for Stanik Or Stanislaus Maczygeniba and Albina Labus, 25 Oct 1904.
7. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-JB8V : Mon Oct 23 13:05:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Michael Moczygemba and Conegonda Labus, 19 Nov 1907.
8. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-JVKQ : Mon Oct 23 13:08:08 UTC 2023), Entry for Sam Brysch and Sophie Labus, 25 Nov 1908.
9. "Texas Death Index, 1903-2000," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZV9-27W : 24 May 2014), John Labus, 12 Oct 1909; from "Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2006); citing certificate number 36738, Karnes, Texas, Texas Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Austin.
10. "United States Census, 1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC9X-WK6 : Fri Dec 08 02:00:11 UTC 2023), Entry for Vincent Labus and Irene Labus, 1920.
11. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3QK-XBK : Tue Nov 28 01:49:26 UTC 2023), Entry for Paulina Labus and Simon Bronder, 13 Mar 1929.

Rev. Leon Moczygemba

Quite a lot has been written about the Moczygemba family, who were some of the first Polish settlers in Texas. Even more has been told about Father Leopold Moczygemba, the man who brought those people to America.

I have checked the old records to see what information they give about Rev. Leon Moczygemba.

 

Leon Vitalis Stanislaus Moczygemba came to this world in Panna Maria, TX, on 8 April 1894 (1). Six years later, little Leon lived with his parents Jacob (age 43) his mother Anna (age 38), and siblings Julia (age 17), Izydor (age 15), Tom (age 13), Dorota (age 11), and Elias (age 2) in Justice Precinct # 2, Karnes County, TX. Mr. Jacob Moczygemba was a farmer (2).

Leon's parents*

In 1910, a Census clerk found the family in Justice Precinct #8, Karnes County. Tom and Dorota had already left the parents' home and another sibling, Eugenia arrived. Leon's paternal grandparents Joseph (age 97) and grandmother Karoline (age 76) lived with the family as well (3).

By June 1917, Leon had been a theology student at St. Meinrad Archabbey in Harrison Township, Spencer County, Indiana (4).

 

 

1919 - Rev. Leo Moczygemba was ordained into the priesthood. I do not know the history of his pastoral service.

According to the records, the man traveled (from 22 June to 5 July 1929) from San Francisco to Honolulu, on the vessel SS President Monroe. His travel companion was his uncle, Thomas J. Moczygemba (5).

It seems the two men visited Germany in 1932 (6). They sailed on the ship SS Europa from Bremen to New York (1 September/7 September 1932). On 8 September, they boarded SS President Adams in New York and arrived in San Francisco on the 27th day of the same month.
1940 Census - Rev. Leo Moczygemba lived and worked at Holy Trinity School in Falls City, Justice Precinct #2, Karnes, TX (7).

The last public record is of his death, which came on 17 November 1959. Rev. Leon Stanislaus Moczygemba lived 65 years. The man was buried at the Catholic church cemetery in Panna Maria, TX.

 

Clipping source: Sulak, John L. The Fayette County Record (La Grange, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, November 20, 1959, newspaper, November 20, 1959; La Grange, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth988894/: accessed February 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Fayette Public Library, Museum and Archives.

* The photos of Re. Leon S Moczygemba and his parents are displayed at the old Polish Heritage Museum in Panna Maria, TX

Sources:
1. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K34X-9PN : 20 February 2021), Leo S Moczygemba, 17 Nov 1959; citing certificate number 59829, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,115,990.
2. "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3PQ-DD5 : 30 November 2021), Leon Maczygemba in entry for Jacob Maczygemba, 1900.
3. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2SQ-C1W : accessed 7 February 2023), Leon Moczygemba in household of Jacob Moczygemba, Justice Precinct 8, Karnes, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 110, sheet 15A, family 244, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1567; FHL microfilm 1,375,580.
4. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:78Z2-BC2M : 29 December 2021), Leo Stanislaus Moczygemba, 1917-1918.
5. "Hawaii, Honolulu Passenger Lists, 1900-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9Z-XWRW : 24 March 2022), Leo V Moosygemba, 1929; citing Ship , NARA microfilm publication A3422 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
6. "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24JG-25M : 2 March 2021), Leo Meczygemba, 1932; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
7. "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KW2Z-1GG : 29 January 2020), Leo Moczygemba, Falls City, Justice Precinct 2, Karnes, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 128-4, sheet 3A, line 25, family 46, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4084.