********************************** A very interesting background story: Pawel (Paul) Malecki was born in 1787 in Miedzna, Poland. Paul married Agnes Rachowski. The name "Rachowski" is very old and can be traced back to the year 1470. The couple had two children; a son named Szymon, born in October 24, 1835 in Miedzno, Poland and a daughter named Marianna, born in January 19, 1839. Bogumil Rachowski (could be Agnes's brother) was Marianna's godfather. There are no other records available about Marianna. Anyone out there who has information to share please click here HERE . From the Roman Catholic parish of Rossoszyca (Sieradz county), Miedzno (Village) of 1808 - 1844 it shows that both Agnes & Pawel Malecki were foresters. Szymon married Vincenzia Fogler (a widow of deceased husband: Piotr Mildner) in November 7, 1856. Marriage records show that he was 24 and she was 25. Vincenzia was born in 1831 in Nackotny, Czeckoslavakia. Records show that the parents of Vincenzia were Anton Fogler and Vincenzia Borowkow. Anton Fogler was born in 1805 and died in 1842. The Roman Catholic parish of Zdunska Wola, Poland records of 1808 through 1875 show that at the time of Szymon's marriage his occupation was that of a "weaver". Szymon passed on his skill as a weaver to his children. Szymon and Vincenzia (Wincencya) had 5 children, Josef, Anton, Romuald, Wladyslaw and Piotr. There are no information available at this time about the life of Wladyslaw and Piotr. Anyone out there who has information to share please click here HERE . Seems that two of the older Malecki boys were fond of the Schwertner sisters.. Josef married Helene Schwertner and supposedly Anton's 1st marriage was with Helene's sister whose name remains unknown. There is no record showing why Anton married the second time. Anton's second marriage was to Amelia Schwertner, who is also supposedly Helene's sister. So it seems that Anton married two Schwertner sisters.  Amelia died shortly after her third child, Aurelia "Laura". Anton then married again for the third time to Pauline Conrad on April 20, 1897. Anton and Pauline had three children. Bob writes, "Anton was the first of the Malecki brothers to come to America, which he did in 1902. Josef Malecki immigrated in 1907 with his whole family and they settled in Allentown, Pennsylvania. We do not know when or if Romuald immigrated, but Boleslav Maletsky (son of Romuald) does turn up in the Allentown city directory in 1914. By this time, all the families were using the spelling the officials at Ellis Island had given them - Maletsky". Evan writes, "It appears that Anton came over here first in 1902, probably to size things up, with $14.00 to his name. He returned in 1903 with his family and $25.00, staying first with Pauline's sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Berthold Ewert in New York City." The ship's register from the SS Patricia, which sailed from Hamburg, Germany on December 25, 1903 and arrived in New York at Ellis Island on January 11, 1904 shows Benjamin Maletsky to be 8 years, 4 months old. His younger brother Otto was 3 years, 6 months. The ship's register spelled the last name as Malecki. According to Bob the "c" in Polish is pronounced like a : "ts", hence the pronunciation was "Maletsky". The Malecki family were very skilled weavers. Josef and Anton listed their occupation as weavers when they immigrated. Sebastian, the son of Josef was a silk-ribbon weaver all his working life. Patterson, New Jersey (near Pompton Lakes) was one of America's main textile centers at the turn of the century. Allentown, PA was another. That is why the families settled there.