Joseph and Magdalena Dachtera with three small children arrived in Baltimore in 1881. Eldest of the children was Stanley, my grandfather, who was about 5 years old. They first settled in Pennsylvania, in or near Pittsburgh, for a few years. I have no information yet about the Pennsylvania years, but Joseph probably worked in the coal mines. Two more children were born before they moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where their last child, Pauline was born in 1889.

As of today, no Polish records have been found for Joseph or Magdalena (nee Kaczmarek). Other Dachtera records have been located in towns surrounding Oborniki, just north of Poznan. Research continues.

The photo below was probably made in the early 1900's. Joseph and Magdalena are seated in the middle surrounded by their children. Place your mouse over an individual to see who is whom. They will be identified in the space below the photo.

Ignatius Ganas, my maternal grandfather, was born in Iwno, just east of Poznan, in 1870. His father, Joseph died in 1873. Sometime later, Ignatius was sent to Berlin to live with his mother's twin brother. Even after his mother, Mary (nee Jaskowiak) was remarried to Edward Kowalski, Ignatius remained in Berlin with his uncle's family. He left Berlin before his 16th birthday and is believed to have spent time in Sweden and Denmark. He was 17 or 18 years old when he arrived in the US. Mary and Edward Kowalski had already settled in St. Paul, Minnesota where Ignatius joined them.

Michael Schipp came alone to St. Paul in 1884. His wife Elizabeth (nee Jascinski) brought their children to St. Paul in about 1886. My maternal grandmother, Stella Schipp was 11 years old at the time. She once told my mother that one of the first things she remembered about her arrival was seeing another girl eating an orange – Stella had never seen an orange.

The Schipp family was from a village called Grabowo, but there are several towns and villages with that name. The correct one has not yet been identified.

When my ancestors were arriving in the 1880’s, the Twin Cities were in the period known as their Golden Age ( 1880 – 1895). In 1880 Minnesota’s population had swelled to 780,773. Minneapolis population was 46,887; and St. Paul’s 41,473. Together the cities had been nurtured by the river; together they had been strengthened by the railroad network. In 1880 they were poised on the edge of a remarkable era that would carry them into the ranks of major American cities.

Industry and commerce flourished during the 1880’s.  City improvements included cedar-block and asphalt paving on some streets, improved sanitation and hospital facilities as well as hundreds of acres of parkland. Private power companies began to generate electricity, lighting many streets and providing industry with a new source of power.

By 1893, however, the U.S. was in a severe economic depression that hastened the end of the golden age and slowed the cities’ growth. The population boom was over. It was in this climate that the first American-born of my ancestors greeted the world.

Stanley Dachtera met and married Tekla Raczynka. (I have no information about Tekla’s family.) They had 10 children, 6 of whom survived to adulthood. My father Ambrose was the youngest.

Ignatius Ganas met and married Stella Schipp. They had 11 children, all of whom survived to adulthood. Emily, the 10^th child is my mother.

There are more connections between these families. Apparently Stella Schipp and Tekla Raczynka knew one another before their marriages. Theodore Schipp, Stella’s brother, married Pauline Kowalski, Ignatius’ half sister.

Ambrose Dachtera and Emily Ganas attended elementary school together at St. Adalbert’s in St. Paul. They were married in that church in 1936. Ambrose served in the Army during WW II but his poor eyesight kept him stateside for the duration. They had three children: me, Mark and David.

Two of Emily’s brothers also served during WW II. The younger brother Frank (also known as Bud) had the misfortune to spend time as a German POW. Chester (Ches) was a glider pilot. Both brothers made it back home.

My marriage to Robert Filek produced two wonderful children, Jim and Karen.    Research on the Filek family has generated more questions than answers. Robert's grandfather could have been one of two John Fileks born at about the same time. No immigration research has been done.

Robert's mother's family is easier until I try to go beyond the 1860 census. Mary Irene Rose's father was John who was born of a rather long line of John Roses going back to at least 1812 in New York state. Before 1860, census data listed only the head of the household and indicated how many others within various age ranges were also members of the household. This makes it more difficult to find a particular family - especially a family with a relatively common surname in a large state like New York. I haven't tackled that research.

There are, of course many many people not mentioned here.  Some of them are visible on the photo page.

My research is still in its early stages.  With families this large and diverse there must be many stories. I hope to find them.

If you've read this far, my guess is that you may be one of us. If so, please contact me. I’d love to talk to you and learn more about your branch of the tree.