Frank Wejer

Frank Wejer

Frank (Weyher) Wejer was born about 1831 in Kalisz, Lipusz Parish, Poland. Frank married Anna Krefft in about 1855; Anna was born in about 1831 in Kalisz, Lipusz Parish, Poland which at that time was West Prussia. The family came to America in August of 1859 on the ship Donau with a group of Lipusz Parish families.

First Name Last name Occupation Age Sex Arrived Origin Ship
Franz Weiher Farmer 28 1831 M 25 Aug 1859 Germany Donau
Anna Weiher Wife 25 1834 F 25 Aug 1859 Germany Donau
Michael Weiher Infant 9 m M 25 Aug 1859 Germany Donau
U Weiher Infant U U 25 Aug 1859 Germany Donau

On the ship a daughter Susanna was born. The family with a number of other Lipusz Parish families landed in New York and came to Winona, Minnesota. On the 1860 census for the City of Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, Frank is listed as a day laborer and was living with the Paul Libera family.

1860 Census Winona City, Winona County, Minnesota

VARAH FRANCES	40	1820	Poland	Day Laborer
Wejer Anna	26	1834
Michael	4	1856
Susanah	1	1859	MN
Lebezzce Paul	27	1833	Day Laborer
Libera Caroline	26	1834
Albert	1	1859	MN

In about 1863, Frank and a number of other Polish families moved to the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River. Frank settled south of Pine Creek, by the Trempealeau River, on government land. Initially the family lived in a tent, while constructing a log house and barns and Frank sold hay and lumber in Winona.

1870 Census Trempealeau, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

Wier Frank 53 1817 Pruzsia
Annie 35 1835 "
Michael 13 1857 "
Susie 11 1859 At Sea
John 7 1863 Minn
August 5 1865 Wis
Pauline 3 1867 Wis
Julia 1 1869 Wis

1880 Census Dodge, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Frank WIRE Self M Male W 62 PRUSSIA Farmer PRUSS PRUSS
Annie WIRE Wife M Female W 49 PRUSSIA Keeping House PRUSS PRUSS
Michael F. WIRE Son S Male W 23 PRUSSIA Laborer PRUSS PRUSS
John WIRE Son S Male W 17 WI Laborer PRUSSIA PRUSSIA
August WIRE Son S Male W 15 WI Laborer PRUSSIA PRUSSIA
Juli WIRE Dau S Female W 11 WI PRUSSIA PRUSSIA
Jacob WIRE Son S Male W 7 WI PRUSSIA PRUSSIA
Mary WIRE Other S Female W 4 WI PRUSSIA PRUSSIA

Frank and Anna aided the John Kulas family (Anna's sister Josephine married John Kulas), to come to this country in about 1873 and settle in the Pine Creek area. They also aided two of Frank's relatives, Mike and Martin to come to this country.

Frank and Anna had nine surviving children:

1. Michael F. Wejer, born September 26, 1856 in Kalisz, Lipusz Parish, Poland. He married Catharina Brzezinski February 13, 1882 in Trempealeau County, WS; born 1864 in Poland (MN).
2. Susanna Wejer, born 1859 in at sea. She married Joseph Brzezinski February 21, 1878 in Trempealeau County, WS
3. John Wejer, born 1863. He married Marianna Szlagowski; born 1870.
4. August Wejer, born 1865; died 1897.
5. Pauline Wejer, born 1867; died 1879.
6. Juliana (Weir) Wejer, born April 17, 1869 in South of Pine Creek; died April 02, 1905. She married Paul Brzezinski January 26, 1891 in Trempealeau County, WS; born June 26, 1871 in Trempealeau County, WS.
7. Stanislaus Wejer, born 1871; died 1880.
8. Jacob Wejer, born 1873; died 1888.
9. Marianna B. (Weier) Wejer, born March 16, 1876 in Wisconsin -listed as other on 1880 census; died July 1969 in Dodge, Trempealeau co, WI.

Frank passed away in 1892 and Anna and 1924.

Where is anna in 1900?
Annie Krefft in 10/4. She was born 1835 in Kalisz, Prussia -imm 1859, and died 1924.

Polish and Bohemian Settlers

Histories: Trempealeau Co. Historical Accounts:

"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917":

Chapter 10:


Polish and Bohemian Settlers

-As transcribed from pages 150 - 152



It is impossible to obtain the exact date of the day, or even month of the year, when the first Polish or Bohemian people came to this county, for the reason that there cannot be found anyone that kept any kind of data, and there are only three left in this county of the very first ones that came here - two men and one woman. Those that are alive are all past the age of eighty and their memory is beginning to fail noticeably, and what information I was able to gather is such as these people were able to give me from recollection only, except in one instance, that of the woman I just mentioned. She fixes the dates of their arrival by the age of one of her daughters. She has the names of all her children and the date on which they were born written down on the inside cover of a prayer book, and she seems to be sure that the age of the girl I mentioned was three weeks.

It seems that the Polish and one Bohemian family settled in two localities in this county at about the same time, and as near as I have been able to learn, they did not know of the existence of each other at the time, nor for a good many years after - the length of time no one seems to be able to tell.

During the winter of 1862 and 1863, there came to what is now known as Pine Creek, in the town of Dodge, several Polish families, as follows: Paul Lessman, Paul Libera, Mike Lessman, Frank Weyer, Joseph Lubinski, Joseph Wnuk, and some others whose names I did not get. Of these, all but Paul Libera are now dead. With them came one Bohemian family, that of Math Brom. He is still living, although past eighty years of age and quite feeble. All of these people came from the city of Winona, Minnesota.

You notice that there are several families that came at the same time and they settled in close proximity and formed a colony of their own. They claim the distinction of having the second oldest colony in Wisconsin, one in Polonia, Wisconsin, being older, and they claim their colony as the third oldest in the United States, one in St. Mary's, Texas, being first.

The other settlement that took place, which I mentioned before, was in the Town of Arcadia, what is now known as North Creek, and in what is now known as the Town of Burnside.

Lessmann

There are three Leszman families who settled in Pine Creek and were on the 1870 census together: Paul Lessman, Michael Lessman, and Anton Lessman. These three may all be from Brusy, West Prussia and could be brothers.

Michael Lessmann married Clara Studzinska in 1848, Brusy Parish Poland; he later married Susanna Brunke in 1854 and she may be related to the Bronk family of Winona, Minnesota.

Paul Lessmann married Catharina Stenzel in 1855 in Brusy, Parish and they came to the Untied States and arrived in New York on August 29, 1860 on the ship Shakespeare. Also on the ship was Anton Lessmann listed as a laborer the same as Paul and August Bambenek who also settled Pine Creek.

Michael Lessman was born September 1825 in Turowiec, Brusy Parish, Poland. Michael it is not known when Michael came over possibly between 1854 and 1868 Sussana may have come over with him as three childern were born in Wisconsin. Susanna may have died between 1868 and 1870 because in 1870 Michael married Josephine Robinski or Zabinski in Pine Creek.

Anton Lessman was born Bet. 1830 - 1833 in Prussia Poland, and died between 1876 - 1880. Anton married Josephine after coming to the United States and Josephine was born about 1845 in Prussia Poland.

Paul (Pawel) Lessmann was born March 23, 1829 in Brusy, Pomorskie, near Turoweiz, Poland (Bruß, Konitz, West Prussia). Paul was one of the founders of Pine Creek mentioned in the histories and died January 12, 1899 in Pine Creek, Trempealeau, Wisconsin. Paul’s wife Catherine Stencel was born January 02, 1839 in Poland, and died November 04, 1879 in Pine Creek, Trempealeau, Wisconsin.

Paul Libera

Paul Libera was born between Jan 1834-1835 in Brusy Parish, Poland to Vincent Libera and Anna Myska. Other histories have Paul born to Anton Libera and Rosalie Pestka of Wiele Parish Poland and that family came to Wilno, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada.

Paul Libera and Antonina Dolna were married on 06 Jun 1857 in Brusy, Chojnice, Poland.

Parish / Registry office	Year	Book	Groom Forename	Groom Surname	Bride Forename	Bride Surname
Brusy	1857	-----	Paul	Lybera	Antonina	Dolna

Antonia was born to Mikołaj Dolny 18 Jun 1837 in Lubnia, Chojnice, Poland. Paul is listed on the 1860 Winona Census, but his wife is shown as Caroline.

LEBENCE	PAUL	27	1833	M	W	POLA	MN	WINONA	WINONA	1860
	Caroline	26	1834			Do
	Albert	1	1859			Minnesota

In 1870 they were living in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.

LIBERA	PAUL	36	1834	M	W				PRUS
	Antonia	32	1838						"
	Albert	11	1859						Minn
	Mary	8	1862						"
	Michael	7	1863						Wis
Libera	Valeria	5	1865
	Merert	3	1867
	Francisca	1/12	1870

By 1880 they have moved to back to Winona

Name	Relation	Marital Status	Gender	Race	Age	Birthplace	Occupation	Father's Birthplace	Mother's Birthplace
Paul LUBBY	Self	M	Male	W	45	PRUSSIA	Laborer	PRUSSIA	PRUSSIA
Antonia LUBBY	Wife	M	Female	W	43	PRUSSIA	Keep House	PRUSSIA	PRUSSIA
Michael LUBBY	Son	S	Male	W	16	WI	Laborer	PRUSSIA	PRUSSIA
Maria LUBBY	Dau	S	Female	W	14	WI	Keep House	PRUSSIA	PRUSSIA
Mamast LUBBY	Son	S	Male	W	12	WI	At School	PRUSSIA	PRUSSIA

Paul and Antonia had the following children:

1.     Albert P. Libera was born on 16 Jan 1860 in Winona, Minnesota, USA. He married Mary (Krotch) Kreczy on 19 Jan 1880 in Pine Creek, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, USA. He died in 1920.

2.     Mary Libera was born in 1862 in Minnesota. She married John Platta on 14 Jan 1879 in Pine Creek, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, USA.

3.     Michael Libera born between 1866-1867 in Wisconsin.

4.     Mamert Libera was born between 1867-1871 in Wisconsin.

5.     Francisca Libera was born between 1870-1875 in Wisconsin.

6.     Joseph R. Libera was born between 1873-1875 in Dodge, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, USA.

7.     Josephine Libera was born between 1874-1877 in Wisconsin.

8.     John Libera was born in 1879.

9.     Emma Libera was born in 1882 in Wisconsin.

Paul died on 01 Jan 1916 in Winona, Winona, Minnesota, USA and his parents are listed as Vincent Libera,​ Anna Myska.  Antonia died on 14 Feb 1920 in Winona, Winona, Minnesota, USA.