Jan. 6, 1852 - May 31, 1936
Young John, age seventeen, traveled by Steam Ship from Hamburg, Germany to New York. Work..He first went to Bay City. There was a large group of Polish immigrants there. Census records show him logging there in 1873. Later joined his brother Ignatz in Huron county, were Ignatz owned a farm. He was a neighbor to the Jan and Marcella Guza.
He and Catherine met, a marriage was arranged They were married on August 26, 1879, at St. Mary's Church, in Parisville, Mi
John first bought forty acres, at a cost of two dollars an acre. Later he bought an additional sixty acres.
In September of that year, a great fire swept the Thumb. Catherine's mother Marcyanna and her infant son Leo were suffocated. They had been placed in a well in an attempt to save them. The rest of the family survived due to the quick thinking of the grandfather John. He had them place large tubs of water in the center of the cleared field, next soaking themselves down. The oxen were turned loose in an effort to help them survive, only to have them return with tongues hanging out, and roasted behinds. After the fire passed, the only artical of clothing Catherine was left with was her belt.
They built a second log cabin, and raised a large family. In those early years, John would farm and also worked at the logging camp, miles away. During the time he was away, Catherine and the children tended the stock, chopped wood for their fire and cooking. In
Jan. 6, 1852 - May 31, 1936
The family with three living sons and eight living daughters, they had to share the work. John and the boys couldn't do it all. The girls worked as hard as the boys. Lucy told the family. They even helped plow the fields.
During an outbreak of diphtheria John's children also became ill. They lost Theresa May 21,1885 of diphtheria. Doctor Crokeren saved the rest of the children. He told John and Catherine to trim a feather, leaving a small edge, dip it in iodine and swab their throats. People in the Parisville area dropped like flies. Two of the Polk children, one seven years and the other two or three died the same day.
An odd story about Doctor Crokeren.....some time later he helped a Mrs. Sparling kill her family with arsenic. They both went to jail for murder.
John Kubacki's birthday was celebrated by the entire family, as big as Christmas I'm told.
Each year for the holiday, Grampa John would get a gallon of straight grain alcohol. It was mixed with equal parts water, then colored with burnt sugar, which also added flavor.
John loved to sing. The Christmas tree was trimmed the eve of Christmas. John began singing as the first ornament was placed on the tree, and never stopped till it was completed. He also sang at all the wakes for the dead. This could continue for a couple of days. At one such events, Catherine, his wife took ill, but he refused to leave until after the burial.
Jan. 6, 1852 - May 31, 1936
When their parents went out at night to visit neighbors, the children were put to bed in their loft bedroom. Things would happen while they were away. The cupboard doors would open and close, sounds like some thing was being moved across the floor were heard! This only happened then the childen were alone. It was said, the cabin was built over the grave of An Indian perhaps he was the caller.
As John advanced in years, it became impossible for him to continue to do his work. His daughter Lucy would walk with him while he checked his fields. For the most part, it was her responsibly to accompany her father. Even though John was slowing down he still set horsehair snares to catch quail, a tasty addition to the dinner table.