John Pawlak came to the U.S. in 1872 through Penn, with his wife Michelena Novak Pawlak and small child, and settled in the Green Bay area of Wisc. At that time it was called Brown Country, and they settled into farming. The first Polish Catholic Church in 1875, was called St. Stanislaus. It lasted only 2 yrs, when it then combined with St Mary's and the Catheral.

There they rasied their children John, Joseph, Frances, Anna, Stanley and Wencil. Later they moved to the town of Spurce, Oconto County, Wisconsin, where they worked a small farm with other family members.

John Pawlak immigrated from Germany in 1871 and was Nationataled in 1906. He is buried in the Spurce cemetary, with other members of the family.