When I began researching the Michael Koziczkowski family I worked hard at finding the original family homestead. It had been built in the late 1850's so I wasn't sure if there would be anything left to see. I hadn't found much written about the homestead except that it was a few miles west of Polonia in section 11 of the town of Sharon, Portage County. It was also listed as being in section 2 of the town of Sharon. This was confusing but not when one factors in the amount of land that Michael originally owned. Portions of Section 11 and 2 were owned by Michael at one point, and they are adjoining sections. Michael owned land in other sections of the town of Sharon also.

Being new to family history hunting, it took me a while to find all the information I needed to locate the farm. I kept finding bits and pieces until I was able to put it all together and confirm where it was.

I thought I would possibly take some pictures when I found it, but doubted I would bother anyone currently living there. I just wanted to know were it was and see the land on which my grandmother and great grandfather had been born.

To my delight it turned out that I am an acquaintance of the woman whose land borders the homestead on its west side. I called her to see if she thought the current owner "Johnny" might allow me to see the homestead and take pictures. She knows Johnny very well and asked him for me, he was agreeable to meeting and talking with me.

We all met at her house at about 12:30pm on Dec. 5th of 2006. I truly enjoyed the afternoon I spent talking with Johnny.

Johnny is 75 years old and very spry, he's reserved but friendly, and he has a very good memory. Johnny doesn't have indoor plumbing; he gets his water from a hand pump in his barn. He's had the convenience of electricity on his farm for almost ten years now; he's getting used to it and wouldn't want to go back to using kerosene lamps again. But he would if he had to, and he'd get by just fine without it. Johnny is a simple man whose lead a simple life. He has a distrust of modern things, and prefers what he knows best, what he's known his whole life. He has a truck from the 1950's that he's mighty proud of, it doesn't have a lot of miles on it, but Johnny stays pretty close to home most of the time.

Johnny was born about 1930, around the time his parents bought the Koziczkowski homestead, purchasing it with a land contract from Joseph and Frances Koziczkowski.

At the time of the sale Daniel Koziczkowski had been farming the family homestead. Joseph, Frances, Justin, Edwin and Ann Koziczkowski had moved a few years earlier to a different farm in Galloway WI.

Johnny is the oldest of many children raised on the Koziczkowski homestead. He was born on the farm, and has lived there his whole life.

Johnny farms I guess, at least that's what he would tell you, but his animals are more like pets, a few of each; cows, pigs, chickens, a bull. That's about all and more than enough for Johnny to worry about with his rustic way of life, limited income, and advanced years.

Johnny is by nature a private person, so he wasn't going to give me the "grand tour" before he felt comfortable with me. We sat at my friend's house for hours, as Johnny showed me a plat book from 1947, explaining numerous things, and answering my questions as best he could. Before I headed home I gave Johnny a ride back to the homestead, at which time he and I walked around and I took pictures. Johnny explained the changes, or more accurately, lack of changes to the homestead since his parents bought it in 1930.

He told me about the fire that burned down the original Koziczkowski house when he was two. His family lost all of their possessions in the home; in fact it was all his mother could do just to save him and his younger brother. Johnny told me that his family felt the fire was arson related, but didn't add any other information to that. It started on a Sunday morning when his father was at church and his mother was home taking care of the children. The Stevens Point Journal said the fire originated in the basement.

My hands were freezing as I took pictures. It was such a cold day, but I was so happy to actually be standing there, that I hardly felt it. I think Johnny was proud to be able to show off his farm, and there seemed to be a feeling of kinship between us. He and my grandmother were both born there, played in the same fields growing up, swam in Pallen Lake, and picked fruit from the same apple and pear trees.

I asked Johnny about the well known Koziczkowski fruit trees and he told me that a good number of them were burned almost to the ground during the house fire, but that many re-grew from the roots and produced great apples and pears. Johnny told me that his mother canned the pears and that they were very good. Johnny's mother and my grandmother would have been close in age and probably knew each other.

I stood there trying to imagine my grandmother as a little girl, picking daisies, chasing butterflies, laughing, becoming a young women, making the 3 mile trip into Polonia on Sunday to go to Sacred Heart Church, meeting my grandfather, also from Polonia, falling in love.

I believe the Joseph Koziczkowski household was a happy one. Joseph was a highly respected man in the community, an honorable man and a good provider for his family. I look at pictures of Joseph and to me he seems to command the space around him, and the respect of others. He was both strong and good.

I didn't want to leave, though I was freezing, I wanted to see the inside of the barn, but didn't have the courage to ask, Johnny didn't offer. I thanked Johnny for allowing me to see his farm. I gave him the filled doughnuts I brought for him. Sugared ones with fruit filling, the one's that almost look and taste like ponczka's, but not really. I hoped Johnny would see the connection, I doubt he did.

I asked Johnny if I could come back in the spring or summer when it will be a little greener, and a lot warmer. Johnny said that would be OK. Maybe I'll get to see the inside of the barn and his livestock/pets next time.

I'm still amazed by my incredible luck at being able to see and photograph the Michael Koziczkowski homestead. Especially given that a number of the original structures are still standing, basically unchanged since they were built in the late 1850's. The silo is my favorite but the Granary is a close second.