Lawrenz arrived in the United States in July 5, 1904 with his son, also named Lawrenz, on the ship, the Kaiser Wilhelm II. Lawrenz senior was 42; Lawrenz junior was 15. Albin Musial, Anna Dziekan's brother-in-law, sponsored them. According to the ship's manifest, they came from Austria and were of Bohemian ethnicity. Today we call the Bohemian people Czech. In 1904 the part of the world that we now call the Czech Republic was a part of Austria.
Anna's maiden name was Grabowski. She arrived in the United States with the three remaining children on March 1, 1905 and joined her husband in Peru, Illinois. Several of Anna's siblings also came to the United States and also settled in Peru, Illinois.
The family portrait includes Lawrenz in the back, Anna Dziekan, Al (a.k.a. Alois),
Louis (a.k.a. Luduik), Elizabeth (a.k.a Alzbeta), and Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrenz).
This picture was probably taken in the old country. That is, prior to 1904.
Allen and Louis
Louis
Allen
This is a picture of Anna and Lawrenz with one of their great grandchildren - me
- taken in the mid1940s
Follow links below for images of Lawrence and his family and Elizabeth hand her family.