ew ecee Name: Feliks Skibicki Born: May 30, 1871 in Male Radowiska, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland Parents: Adalbert Skibicki and Maria Rushowska Sibling: Josef Skibicki, who lived in Poland May 15, 1880 - Arrived at Ellis Island, possibly lived in Boston afterwards (he reportedly could have arrived with a brother and a sister). His last foreign residence was in Poznan, Poland (which was formerly known as Posen, Germany). ¢ January, 1890 - Moved to Haverhill, Massachusetts April 12, 1892 - Arrived at Ellis Island on the SS. Circassia from Glasgow, after visiting Poland. His reason for visiting is unknown. Military: enlisted in the army in Boston on November 22, 1898. He was a private in Company M of the 13th Regiment US Infantry. He was stationed in the Philippine Islands. Notable engagements include: the War with Spain, the Philippine Insurrection, and the China Relief Expedition, He was honorably discharged December 2, 1900 at The Presidio, San Francisco, CA, due to a disability (dysentery, abdominal mass, malaria, bad heart, bad stomach, bad eyes, Rheumatism). A Spanish-American War monument was erected in Haverhill in 1926 and his name is on the honor roll. © Feliks left the military post three times because he was sick: once from Manila, Philippines on August 24, 1899, and twice from Binalonan on January 7, 1900, and March 13, 1900 © According to a military census, Feliks was stationed at Dagupan Seaport on Luzon Island in the Philippines in 1900. Marriage © Spouse: Anna Bartoszewicz © Married on August 24, 1902 at Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish by John Joseph Czubek (Catholic Clergyman) in South Boston, MA. They were living together at 8 South St. in Haverhill at the time. © Children: Veronica M. Morin (1903-1973) Bronc “Bronislaw” Benjamin Skibicki (1905-1964) Loydia “Lidivina” M. Chase (1906-1974) ‘Theodore Skibicki (1908-1958) Felix Joseph Skibicki (1910-1973) Joseph M. Skibicki (1912-1970) Anne Marie Vinecour (1914-1990) Helen Gordon/Hoso/ Littlefield (1916-1966) m= Pauline Anna Day (1919-1994) © Anna and Feliks' marriage was reportedly arranged© Anna was a morocco worker and Feliks was a shoemaker at the time of their marriage. Feliks would go on to operate a shoe-lasting machine. © Anna and/or Feliks were Jewish but converted to Catholicism to avoid religious persecution © Anna could only speak Polish as of 1910, while Feliks could speak English and Polish. As of 1920, Anna could speak English. © Anna's parents were John Bartoszewicz and Eva Hane (Kenc? Heintz?). She was born in 1885 in Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland (formerly a Russian province). She arrived at Ellis Island on December 31, 1900 and lived with her half-brother Frank Uzarek in Boston, MA. Her mother’s first husband was John Uzarek and her half-brothers, in addition to Frank, were Adam and Jan Uzarek. Feliks and/or Anna was employed at the Lennox and Briggs Leather Tanning Factory in Haverhill for a period of time (most likely in association with a shoe factory) August 7, 1907: arrived at Liverpool, England, having departed from Boston, Massachusetts on the SS Ivernia, Holding ticket to Hamburg, Germany. December 21, 1907: arrived at Ellis Island, departing from Bremen on the $.S. Main, after a visit to Poland, His reason for visiting is unknown (the immigration record is illegible). April 8, 1922 -- hit his wife over the right eye with a coffee pot; neighbors called police and he was arrested/charged with assault with a dangerous weapon; wife was treated by Dr. O'Toole and possibly had a concussion; the case was heard in court on April 10, 1922, on Bronc’s 17th birthday July 2, 1929: Anna died of a brain hemorrhage at Gale Hospital in Haverhill. She fell ill at 4pm, was taken to the hospital at 8pm, and died a few minutes later. July 6, 1929: Anna's funeral took place at 6:15am from the Skibicki home (living at 8 Gulezian Pl at the time), with a requiem high mass celebrated at 7am at St. Michael's Church (the church was designated for Polish immigrants in Haverhill, operating from 1901-1998). She was buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery. October 29, 1929: The Wall Street crash. After this, Feliks no longer trusted financial investments. He withdrew his money from a Boston bank in 1932 and put it all in a safe deposit box in Haverhill According to a census taken April 1930, Anne left home and moved in with Veronica Eventually, so would Joseph and Pauline after Feliks’ death. June 29, 1930: Feliks stays at the Hotel Amerykatiski in Gdarisk, Pomerania, Poland (now the Qubus Hotel) for four days, leaving on July 3. He got his immigration visa on June 4 July 25, 1930: Feliks departs Hamburg on the SS Deutschland, arriving at Ellis Island after about a visit to his brother Josef in Zdrviki or Zdwitzi, Poland (Zdrojki? ). About September 18, 19 centered in Stevens Point, WI : answered a marital ad in Polish newspaper Gwiazda Polarna,‘Tues. October 31, 1933: Anna Kolass arrived at the Haverhill Depot (around 3:25pm) after leaving Detroit, MI the day before and taking a train from Boston. They agreed to get married that day. Upon Anna's arrival, Veronica came to Feliks' house to protest her father's second marriage, but was sent “flying back to Maine” Fri, November 3, 1933: Anna asked to put her money in his Safe Deposit Box at the Haverhill National Bank. She added her name and signature to the account as “Anna Skibicki” and was given a key. Sat. November 4, 1933: Feliks was chopping wood when Anna left at 10:30, claiming she was "going downtown to get some dinner”, She did not return. A missing person's report ‘was filed with police looking for her for the next day. Mon. November 6, 1933: Feliks checks his safety deposit box and discovers his $12,200 in life savings is gone, along with Anna's $6,000, all replaced with a wrapped bunch of celery. She had made the switch while Feliks’ back was turned. ‘Woman that matched Anna's description in Fitchburg, MA, arrested with three men who supposedly duped an elderly woman out of $1200 -- this was not the woman, Anna left behind a bag of suspicious items at Feliks home that showed intent to kill him if necessary in order to get the money (chloroform, stiletto knife, nurse's uniforms with name Moore, MD, book with name Alma Borwart written inside) August 7, 1933 -- Was refused medical care by Portland, ME doctor Chester L. Clarke because symptoms could not be remedied and they could not keep close enough contact September 7, 1933 -- Petitioned for Citizenship at Boston, MA, under the witness of his son, Brone, and a friend, Vincent Bibikus (1898-1975), hereby renouncing his affiliation to the German Reich November 17. 1933 -- Henry Wiechurman replies to a letter from Feliks, believing a photo of “Anna Kolass” is in the Robbers Gallery in NY, under the name Margaret Stein or Elsie Walters December 11, 1933: Naturalized as a U.S. Citizen at Boston, MA Feliks received a cut in his pension and considered going back to Poland to work there because he could not financially support himself or his daughter Pauline. This is why Feliks and Pauline lived temporarily in Kennebunk, they were staying with Veronica and her family. January 9, 1934: Last Will and Testament -- omitted all children except for his eldest, Veronica Morin, to whom he bequeathed his entire estate but only to pay for his funeral and gravestone Death: February 9, 1934 at the Gale Hospital in Haverhill, MA due to chronic coronary thrombosis (one headline read "Broken Heart Causes Death of Lone Man"). He walked into the hospital complaining that he felt unwell, and died shortly after. At the time of his death, he was living with Brone in Haverhill.© Funeral: February 12, 1934. His funeral took place at his home at 6:30am with a requiem high mass celebrated at St. Michael's Church at 7am. The bearers were members of the United Spanish War Veterans organization. He was buried in St, Patrick's Cemetery, with his wife, Eventually, three of his children (Theodore, Felix, and Helen) would be buried in the same lot. © Miscellaneous Facts, Rumors, and Stories beat a horse to death with his bare hands because it would not get out of his way at the Farmer's Market Feliks once non-fatally shot his wife he threatened the lives of his children he was a Shoe Laster at multiple factories in Haverhill when it was raining outside, he beat up a cop and stole his raincoat no police ever took Feliks to jail when he was drunk because they were scared of him put Theodore in an institution for being mentally disabled, a choice that his children never forgave their father for ‘Anna was a "saint" Bronc grew up and inherited Feliks' abusive behavior and heart problems Felix grew up and inherited Feliks’ alcoholism and heart problems