Anthony Dombrowski

DOMBROWSKI ZIELENKIEWICZ, JEZEMBOWSKI

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/19/2010 at 23:05:24

Woodbury County History 1984

Dombrowski
By Joanne Fox

Anthony Dombrowski was born July 26, 1883, in Poland, the youngest of seven children of Ludwig Dombrowski and tillie Jezembowski. He visited the US as a single man, following his older borthers, Michael and Stanley to Sioux City. He returned to Poland to marry Jadwiga Zielenkiewicz, November 24, 1912, in Vilno. The two had grown up in the city and first became acquainted when Anthony asker her older sister, Helen, for a date. Jadwigs, the third oldest of ten children was born January 2, 1892 to Alexander Zielenkiewicz and Monica Butromowicz.

In 1913, Anthony sold his grocery store to his sister and immigrated to the US. The trip was rough for the Jadwiga who was only twenty-one and spoke no English. She suffered from sea sickness most of the voyage, finally deducing the nausea was due to her pregnancy. She worried the immigration officials might not let her enter the country in her condition.

Apparently, it posed no problem, since Jadwiga and Anthony were admitted and settled in Sioux City. Brother Stanley returned to the east coast leaving the newlyweds in good hands since there was a substantial number of Polish-speaking people living in Sioux City.

A son, Walter, was born January 20, 1914, then a daughter, Mary, born October 18, 1915 in a house in the 1400 block of Washington Ave, now where the rechanneled Floyd River flows. They then moved to 406 S Howard, another house lost to the Floyd River rechanneling. Their next house, at 2301 Dace, was torn down in the 1960’s for the Highway 75 exit from Highway 20. They moved into a house at 2915 Washington in 1929 and that house remains in the family.

Anthony’s first job in Sioux City was briefly on the railroad. That was followed by Cudahy’s and finally Armour’s, both meat packing plants which went out of business.

The Dombrowski were active parishioners in St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, which was established for the Polish Catholics. Anthony served as president of the St Francis Society, the modern-day equivalent of a parish council in the mid 1940’s. He was an active member of the Pulaski Club, a men’s civic organization which acquainted Sioux City with the fact Polish people were a force to be reckoned with, both socially and politically.

Anthony died of a stroke, June 28, 1949, and was buried in Kearny, New Jersey. Jadwiga also died of a stroke, October 28, 1964, and was buried in Kearny.

Walter Dombrowski, after graduating from East High School, went to the east coast in hopes of finding employment. Jobs were scarce in the Midwest following the Depression.

He married Ida Dunaj, November 17, 1940, in Kearny. They had six children: Arlene, Dolores, Carol, Daniel, Thomas and Gary. Thomas died 1975. Walter worked as a beer distributor for Rheingold Brewery for thirty-seven years, retiring in 1976. His family lives in the Kearny area.

After her East High graduation, Mary attended National Business Training School, Sioux City. She worked at Williges, Cudahy’s in the canteen, Wincharger and RCA in New Jersey.

She married Ben Zukowski, September 27, 1947, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Ben’s mothers and Ida’s father were brother and sister, making them first cousins. Ben and Mary met at Walter and Ida’s during a visit both made to New Jersey.

Ben, the son of Anna Dunaj and Ben Zdanowicz, was born, September 16, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio. His father died from a blow to the head while working at the Ford Motor Company before Ben was two. His mother married Ben Zukowski and changed her son’s last name. The Zukowskis also had a daughter, Mrs. Anthony (Irene) Klodnicki of Scranton and a son, Henry, of Orlando, Florida.

Ben and Mdary lived in Scranton after their marriage. Ben worked as a baker and served as a city councilman. He was an active member of the Democratic Party. They returned to Sioux City following Anthony Dombrowski’s death in 1949 and moved into 2915 Washington.

Ben worked as a baker for Barney Baron’s grocery store, Sioux City Bakery and Iowa Bakery, then owned by the Schindler family. He stayed on after they sold out to Old Home. When Old Home closed the small bakery, moving all operations into their new plant, Ben transferred there and retired in 1976. He died of a heart attack, March 7, 1980.

Mary worked as a cashier and in sales for T S Martin form 1954-64 and then as a demonstrator of food and appliances for several companies form 1966-80.

The Zukowski’s daughter, Joanne, was born August 10, 1952. She attended East High School and graduated from the Univesity of Missouri-Columbia in 1974. That same year she went to work for The Globe, newspaper for the Diocese of Sioux City as a reporter/photographer.

She married Dean Fox, June 26, 1976, in St Francis Church, wehere her grandparents and parents had been active parishioners. Dean, the oldest of nine children, was born December 12, 1949, in Parsons, Kansas, to Leonard Fox and Dorothy Johnosn. He is a mechanic for Midcom Equipment.

The Foxes have three boys: Brian, born April 24, 1977; Alex, born October 29, 1978; and Eric, born March 27, 1981. They first lived at 3101 E 8th and moved in 1978 to 3815 Elmdale.