The Plachno Family and
Borzecin Genealogy Site
(The crowned White Eagle shown here is a
traditional symbol of Poland and the Polish people. The photo
below the line came from Helen Piatkowski in Syracuse and shows
the Catholic Church in Borzecin.)
My
name is Larry Plachno. My family became interested in genealogy
back around 1996. Both of my paternal grandparents came from
Borzecin in Poland. We have traced our Plachno family back to the
individual who we think became the first Plachno in 1698. We have
shared information with several other branches of the Plachno
family as well as other families with roots in Borzecin.
Now, 20 years later in 2020, I am finally getting around to
putting some of this information on the Web. However, I need to
add a disclaimer: Much of this information comes from old
microfilms, verbal reports and other unconfirmed sources. It is
not guaranteed and probably is difficult or impossible to confirm.
We do not claim any accuracy or responsibility and suggest that
you approach the information accordingly.
Borzecin and PGSA
Presentation
Borzecin in the Slownik Geograficzny.
- The Slownik Geograficzny was published in the late 1800s and
included information on most major communities in Poland. Here is
the information it provided on Borzecin.
Your Polish Genealogical Family Newsletter,
in Print and on the Internet. - This was used for a
presentation to the Polish Genealogical Society of America on
Saturday, October 7, 2000. It provides basic information and
suggestions for developing your own genealogical newsletter.
General Articles
The Plachno Line - This
12-page document was originally written in 1998 and follows the
Plachno line from the first records to Thomas Plachno who was born
in 1849 and would be my great grandfather. It was revised in 2019 to
include information on the first Plachno and how our family name
originated.
Why Our Ancestors Left Poland - This
three-page report was used by the Polish Genealogical Society of
America. It explains some of what was going on in Poland that
prompted many people to leave.
Coincidence Or A Love That Spanned Two
continents? - This three-page report was originally put
together for the Polish Genealogical Society of America. It tells
the interesting story on how our grandparents were born, raised and
attended church in Borzecin, Poland. Both came to America, found
each other, and were married in Chicago. We never did figure out
whether this was just a coincidence or was there some planning
involved?
Plachno Family Reports
We actually started doing genealogical research on the Plachno
family in 1996. While this was going on, I began providing reports
on progress. The early ones were simple letters but they later
evolved into newsletters with illustrations, maps and photos. Our
first problem was finding where our paternal grandparents came from
in Poland. This took a little while but was finally documented in
Report #4. Our second problem was in tracing the origin of our
Plachno family name. At first there was some confusion but we
finally discovered that the name originated in a battle in 1698.
Hence, I am not providing Reports 1 through 3 because they have
little to offer. I am also eliminating Reports 5 and 6 because they
provide earlier confusing information on the original of the Plachno
family name. Here are the others. Some of these are several pages
long.
Report #4 - Mormons, Microfilm and a
Marriage Certificate - This four-page report was a major
breakthrough for us because it confirmed where our paternal
grandparents came from in Poland and opened the door for using the
Mormon microfilms to research our family tree.
Report #7 - More Onomastics -
Onomastics is the study of the origin and meaning of family names.
This report covers several of the popular Polish family names in the
Borzecin area, some of which ended up being related or friends of
our family.
Report #8 - An Update - This
two-page report offers several updates including a possible source
of information for tracing our maternal grandfather, Jan Cholowiak,
back to Jaslo, Poland.
Report #9 - The Cholewiak Family -
Following up on the previous report, this 12-page document traces my
material grandfather's Cholowiak family back to Hankowka, Poland,
not far from Jaslo. It has several maps and photos including a World
War II map and a Cholowiak family photo taken in 1928 or 1929.
Report #10 - The First Plachno -
Trying to clarify previous incorrect information on the origin of
the Plachno family name, this five-page report brings out the fact
that our name originated in a battle in 1698.
Report #11 - Coincidence, Or a Love That
Spanned Two Continents? - This an expanded version of
the article written for the Polish Genealogical Society of America
by the same name. It brings out the fact that our paternal
grandparents were born and raised in Borzecin but found each other
in Chicago and got married. It also includes a wedding photo taken
in 1906.
Report #12 - Verbal Family History and
Notes - Containing eight pages, this particular report
combines some research plus several verbal reports from our mother,
Marie Plachno, collected by my brother Bob Plachno. Included is the
story of our paternal grandmother, Mary Czuj, as a Harvey Girl; how
our maternal grandmother, Katarzyna Kubeczka, came from Brzozogaj,
Poland; why our material grandfather, Jan Cholewiak, came to
America; and some family members who served in World War II.
Report #13 - How Poland Twice Saved Europe
and How the Plachno Name Came About - This 12-page
report combines more recent research on a couple of different items.
The first covers Poland's location, provides a map, and offers some
general information. The second provides additional information on
Polish family names and how names were chosen. The third and longest
part covers the European conflicts that led to the Battle of
Podhajce where our family name originated. It includes information
on the famous Battle of Vienna in 1683 when Polish King Jan Sobieski
led the largest cavalry charge in the history of the world and saved
Europe for the first time. The report ends with the lesser known
confrontation between the Poles and the Russian troops in 1920 that
saved Europe for the second time.
Please e-mail me with your suggestions and comments.
Last updated 04/11/2020.