When did Walter & Blanch Stefanski die?

I have taken quite an interest in Walter Stefanski since my great-grandfather, George Faustmann, lived with Walter and his family in the same home for many years. The only information I previously had on him was that he was buried in Holy Trinity Cemetery.

I have since learned that he came to the USA in 1906, married Bronislawa (Blanch) Fabiszewska in 1907, lived in Milwaukee during the 1910 and 1920 Census, but is not in the 1930 Census. In trying to find his children in the 1930 Census, I found them listed with their mother, Blanch, who now had the last name of Kulczynski, and a head of household named Louis W Kulczynski. So either Walter died before 1930 or they were divorced before 1930.

Searching in the Milwaukee City Directories (see below), the Kulczynski person's name is listed as Ladislaus and Walter, so for a while I was convinced that it was the same Walter, but that he had changed his last name for some reason. But then I searched in 1926 and found Blanch listed as a widow. That entry told me for sure that Walter had died between 1925 and 1926, so I can now order a death certificate to get the exact date.



There is no record of his burial at Holy Trinity Cemetery. I spent some time walking around looking at graves, but even though it is much smaller than St Adalberts, it is still quite a large cemetery. And on top of that, many of the older graves are very hard to read and some have fallen over. When I receive his death certificate, that will hopefully solve the mystery of where he is buried. If it is in Holy Trinity, someone will have to walk the entire cemetery to see if his grave is still there.

As for Blanch, after the death of Walter, she continued living in the 3rd Avenue home with her children and George Faustmann in 1926 and 1927 before marrying Ladislaus Kulczynski sometime in 1928 or 1929. They are listed as husband and wife in the 1930 Census together. The last entry of Blanch in the city directories is 1938. I have sent for a death certificate to get the exact date, but she most likely died between 1938 and 1940. The last entry for her second husband was in 1947.

Milwaukee City Directories
1919 Stefanski Walter blksmth h rear 534 3d av
1921 Stefanski Walter (Bernice) blksmith h534 3d av
1923 Stefanski Walter (Blanch) blksmith h rear 534 3d av
1924 Stefanski Walter (Blanch) blksmith h rear 534 3d av
1925 Stefanski Walter (Blanch) blksmth h rear 534 3d
1926 Stefanski Blanch (wid Walter) h rear 534 3d av
1927 Stefanski Blanche (wid Walter) h rear 534 3d av

1928 Kulzysenski Ladislaus coremkr h679 S Delaware av

1929 Kulczynski Ladislaus W (Blanch) coremkr h679 S Delaware av

1930 Kulczynski Ladislaus W (Blanch) coremkr h679 South Delaware av

1931 Kulczynski Walter (Blanche) coremkr h3203 S Delaware av

1932 Kulczynski Walter L (Blanche) coremkr h2318 E Euclid av

1933 Kulczynski Ladislaus (Blanche) coremkr h3782 S Kansas

1935 Kulczynski Walter L (Blanche) coremkr h2754 S Logan av

1936 (No Kulczynski listed)

1938 Kulczynski Walter (Blanche) coremkr r3444 S 9th

1939 (No Kulczynski listed)

1940 Kulczynski Lawrence L (Ladislaus) uphol CMSt P&PRR r RD1 Box 561 Cudahy

1941 Kulczynski Lawrence L hlpr CMStP&PRR r RD 1 Box 561 Cudahy

1944-45 Kulczynski Lawrence L uphol CMStP&PRR r Rd 1 Cudahy

1947 Kulczynski Lawrence L uphol MilRd r Cudahy

uphol=upholsterer
h=householder
r=resides or rooms
hlpr=helper
MilRd=Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul & Pacific Railroad
CMStP&PRR=Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul & Pacific RR

Chapel at Holy Trinity Cemetery