Contributed by: Cathy McTavish
To see other related family pages please click on: BELONGIA - BELANGER, McTAVISH, MATERNOSKI, OLSON
Mary Westowski Neta 1846-1929 (with Steffeck daughter) |
I am still working on this story. The Neta family emigrated from Poland and settled in Pennsylvania before obtaining farmland in Lena, Wisconsin about 1883. They owned about 120 acres on what is now Porcupine Lake Road, just off of County A. The farm is still there and is right across from the Sacred Heart Church, for which the family donated some of the land. Simon was an educated man who loved to read and he owned many books written in Polish. Farm life in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s centered around the Porch. I have so many family pictures “on the porch”, that spoke of family life in that time.
His son John was born to Simon Neta and Mary Westowski in Wisconsin in 1885. He worked at times for the
John Neta on a horse (1885-1966) |
Holt company, but most often farmed with his father. He married comparatively late for those days- he was 38 and his wife, Adolphine Maternoski was 33, considered a spinster back them. Adolphine, “Dafnee” died when she was only 49 and her two children were quite young. Dafnee was born in Glenmore, Wisconsin to Joseph Maternoski and Agnes Cywinski. Her life has long intrigued me, as it was unusual for a lady of her day. She left home and worked in Chicago, for a “fancy dress store” as a seamstress. She was an independent woman! I have a picture of her a year before she married on her way to the opening of the Field History museum in Chicago. It was fascinating because: #1, a farm girl from Glenmore was there, and #2, because there is nothing around the museum, but hills of gravel, no Lake Shore Drive, no soldier field, “no nothing”!
The history of the early Polish family is still incomplete and I hope to fill in the pieces soon!
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Generation No. 1
1. John Neta, born May 26, 1885 in Maple Valley Wisconsin; died July 10, 1966 in Oconto Falls, Wisconsin. He was the son of 2. Simon Neta and 3. Mary Westowski. He married (1) Adolphine Maternoski June 26, 1923. She was born December 01, 1890 in Glenmore, WI, and died December 15, 1939 in Spruce, WI. She was the daughter of Joseph Maternoski and Agnes Cywinski.
Notes for John Neta:
In 1935, John and Adolphina hired Martha Pawlak to
help run the household. and Martha stayed until John's death.
Martha's son Peter Pawlak was raised on the farm along with John's
two daugthers.
Cecilia remembers that her father was considered a well off farmer until her mother illness. The expense of doctors and hospitals put their family in finanical peril. However at Christmas when the family was given bushels of fruit, John always split it up, and shared it with families he considered to be less fortunate than himself.
More About John Neta:
Burial: Sacred Heart Cemetery, Spruce, WI
Notes for Adolphine Maternoski:
Adolphine was a tall slendor woman, about 5'10".
Prior to her marriage Adolphine live in Chicago with
her cousin Mary Gajewski. She was a saleslady in a dress shop on
Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago.
Cecilia's mother was bed ridden when she was 4 years old. She spent a year in the hospital in Madison, WI suffering from arthritis. They severed her tedons in her legs, so that she could sit in a wheel chair more easily. The family suffered finacially because of this and my mother has always missed her mother.
More About Adolphine Maternoski:
Burial: Sacred Heart Cemetery, Spruce, WI
Generation No. 2
2. Simon Neta, born Abt. October 19, 1839
in Posen, Poland- Poznan in Polish; died February 23, 1927 in Spruce, Wisconsin.
He was the son of 4. Bartholomew Nijta and 5. Agnes Powaski. He married
3. Mary Westowski November 04, 1865 in Roman Catholic Wedding.
3. Mary Westowski, born Abt. October 14,
1846 in Poland; died July 13, 1929 in Spruce, Wisconsin. She was
the daughter of 6. Nicholas Westowski and 7. Unknown.
Notes for Simon Neta:
They immigrated to Philadelphia, PA (exact date unknown)
and then homesteaded in the Spruce Wisconsin Area(early 1883). The
Sacred Heat Church at Spruce was built on property across from their farm.
Simon Neta was the first Treasurer of that church. They are buried
at the Church Cemetery. Stanley, Frank, Joseph, Katherine and John lived
in an area north of County Trunk A between Lena and Spruce. Mary
Neta lived in Niagara and then Stevens Point. After her marriage,
Agnes moved to Knowlton and lived there all her life.
Simon Neta was born Szymon Nijta. The spelling of the last name evolved over several years after landing in the US. The J was dropped almost immediately, becoming Nita, then the i became an e, becoming Neta.
Research done by Thomas E Neta shows that the Netas left Hamburg on Wednesday, March 7, 1877 aboard the SS Frisia commanded by Captain Meyer. The ship docked in New York city on Tuesday, March 20, 1877. The then moved to 1207 Morton St, Philadelphia, PA
They are found in Philadelphia on the 1880 US Census.
Simon Neta 1839-1927 |
Simon was an educated man, who loved to read. Accorded to Gen Neta Lane, he owed a set of Polish encyclopedias, but it is not known what happened to them! Simon was a farm foreman in Poland.
More About Simon Neta:
Burial: Sacred Heart Cemetery, Spruce, WI
Immigration: Unknown, philadelphia, PN
More About Mary Westowski:
Burial: Sacred Heart Cemetery, Spruce, WI
Children of Simon Neta and Mary Westowski are:
1 i. John Neta, born May 26, 1885 in Maple Valley
Wisconsin; died July 10, 1966 in Oconto Falls, Wisconsin; married Adolphine
Maternoski June 26, 1923.
ii. Stanley Neta, born April 30, 1868 in Fierzyna,
Poland; died July 02, 1957 in Lena, WI; married Balbina Kowalczyk November
05, 1901 in Sacred Heart Church, Spruce, WI; born March 19, 1883 in Poland;
died November 04, 1963 in Lena, WI.
Notes for Stanley Neta:
Stanley (Jake) was a farmer and a Foreman for Holt
Lumber Company, of Oconto, WI in logging Camps early 1900's
More About Stanley Neta:
Burial: Sacred Heart Cemetery, Spruce, WI
More About Balbina Kowalczyk:
Burial: Sacred Heart Cemetery, Spruce, WI
iii. Frank Neta, born February 13, 1873 in Fierzyna, Poland; died August 02, 1918 in Spruce, Wisconsin; married Magdalene Mosiniak September 12, 1900 in Sacred Heart Church, Spruce, WI; born July 22, 1878 in Philadelphia, PA; died January 09, 1976 in Oshkosh, WI.
Notes for Magdalene Mosiniak:
Mosiniaks were Railroad people from Winona, Minn
iv. Joseph Neta, born March 12, 1879 in Philadephia, Pa; died March 15, 1960 in Lena, WI; married Victoria Mosiniak July 26, 1900; born September 12, 1881 in Winona, Mn; died 1949 in Lena, WI.
Notes for Victoria Mosiniak:
Victoria Mosiniak and Magdalene Mosiniak were sisters.
v. Katherine Neta, born November 20, 1882 in
Philadelphia, PN; died March 06, 1978 in Spruce, WI; married Frank L Steffeck
June 17, 1902; born January 29, 1878 in Stangleville, WI; died August 27,
1960 in Spruce, WI.
vi. Mary Neta, born September 04, 1887 in Spruce,
Wisconsin; died November 12, 1978 in Stevens Point, WI.
Notes for Mary Neta:
Housekeeper for Rev Leo Troganowski (1885-1963) at
St Anthony's parish, Niagara, WI and St. Stanislaus parish, Stevens Point,
WI
vii. Agnes Neta, born January 06, 1890 in Spruce,
Wisconsin; died December 06, 1973 in Knowlton, WI; married Elmer Jerome
Breitenstein May 18, 1926 in Sacred Heart Church, Spruce, WI; born November
27, 1892 in Knowlton, WI; died May 08, 1961 in Knowlton, WI.
Generation No. 3
4. Bartholomew Nijta, died Deceased.
He married 5. Agnes Powaski.
5. Agnes Powaski, died Deceased.
Child of Bartholomew Nijta and Agnes Powaski is:
2 i. Simon Neta, born Abt. October 19, 1839
in Posen, Poland- Poznan in Polish; died February 23, 1927 in Spruce, Wisconsin;
married Mary Westowski November 04, 1865 in Roman Catholic Wedding.
6. Nicholas Westowski, died Deceased.
He married 7. Unknown.
7. Unknown, died Deceased.
Child of Nicholas Westowski and Unknown is:
3 i. Mary Westowski, born Abt. October 14, 1846
in Poland; died July 13, 1929 in Spruce, Wisconsin; married Simon Neta
November 04, 1865 in Roman Catholic Wedding.
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