The Paul and Anton Czapiewski Families

The Czapiewski families sometimes spelled Chapiewsky, have been in the United States since the 1860’s and settled in the Winona, Minnesota area. The families most likely came from the village of Czapiewice and surrounding areas of Kaszubian Poland where the name is common.

J. and Josephine Chapiewski were on the Ship the Donau which arrived in 1859 with some of the first Kaszubian poles to the United States.

Two Czapiewski families from Marion Lake bound several families together. The families of Anton Czapiewski and Paul Czapiewski together with their sons and daughters brought the Lizakowski, Rogalla, Feltman, and Gornowicz families together.

Anton and Mary Anna Czapiewski had a daughter Eleanor who married Joseph Feltman; and a Son John married Victoria Gornowicz, who was the daughter of Martin Gornowicz from Pine Creek, Wisconsin.

Paul and Victoria Czapiewski had a daughter Augustine who married Jan Lizakowski, who had recently arrived in the United States.

Paul (Pawel) Rogalla father of three sons’, Leon, Paul, and Apolanary Rogalla, all came to Walsh County. These families lived together as shown on the 1875 Minnesota Census.


Anton Czapiewski
Farmer 58 1814 M 27 Jul 1872 Prussia Gutenberg
Maria Czapiewski
Unknown 48 1824 F 27 Jul 1872 Prussia Gutenberg
Johann Czapiewski
Unknown 20 1852 M 27 Jul 1872 Prussia Gutenberg
Julanna Czapiewski
Unknown 15 1857 F 27 Jul 1872 Prussia Gutenberg
Eleonore Czapiewski
Child, Youngster 7 1865 F 27 Jul 1872 Prussia Gutenberg

Paul Czapiewski was born on June 22, 1819 in Poland and married Victoria Zona Gerdzewski on about 1844. Victoria was the daughter of Adaur and Eva Gerdzewski and she was born in 1822 in Poland. Paul and Victoria came to America with their children on the ship Main and arrived on June 24, 1871.

Paul Czapiewskh
Farmer 53 1818 M 24 Jun 1871 Prussia Main
Victoria Czapiewskh
Unknown 50 1821 F 24 Jun 1871 Prussia Main
Justine Czapiewskh
Unknown 20 1851 F 24 Jun 1871 Prussia Main
Joh. Czapiewskh
Unknown 16 1855 M 24 Jun 1871 Prussia Main
Josephine Czapiewskh
Unknown 12 1859 F 24 Jun 1871 Prussia Main

Paul and Victoria lived in Marion Lake Township which later became the city of Perham, Minnesota. In about 1873 Jan Lizakowski immigrated to the Perham area and met and married Augustine (Justine) Czapiewski the daughter of Paul and Victoria.

1875 Census

Paul Czapiewski 55 1820 m Prussia
Victoria 53 1822 f Do

John Czapiewski 18 1857 m Prussia
Josephine 15 1860 f Do


The children of Paul Czapiewski and Victoria Gerdzewski are:
1. Josephine Czapiewski, born Abt. 1845.
2. Augustine Czapiewski, born 1848 in Poland; died Apr-6-1893 in North Dakota. She married Jan Lizakowski Abt. 1873 in Otter Tail, Minnesota; born Jun-24-1850 in Poznan, Poznanskiego, Poland; died Feb-15-1923.

3. John Czapiewski, born 1858 in Poland.

Paul Czapiewski died Jun-1-1892 and was buried in St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Perham, Minnesota. In the index at the Perham History Museum is listed:

Czapiewski, Pawel - 22 CZERWCA 1819 - 1 CZERWCA 1892

In the St. Stanislaus Cemetery I found a badly worn stone CZAPIEWSKI which may be his gravestone.