Anistasia Scieszinski (1845* - 1941), birth name Anastasius Sciesinski, was born at Trzeciewiec, Poland on May 3, 1845.

Baptized at the Parish of Dobrcz; Anistasia's Aunt Carolina Sciesinska, wife of Anistasia's father's brother Paul, and Uncle Joannes Wyrwicki, husband of Anistasia's father's sister Marianna (Sciesinska) Wyrwicka (1827 - 1867), served as godparents.

The eldest of five children of Jan Sciesinski (B: 1822) and Marianna (Pawlicka) Sciesinska (B: 1825), married May 28, 1844, at the Parish of Dobrcz, Poland.

Grandson of Franciscus / Franz Sciesinski (Abt 1792 - 1875) and Leonore (Buchholz) Sciesinska (Abt 1795 - 1862) and Jan Pawlicki and Ewa (Ceglarska) Pawlicka (Abt 1794 -1859).

Brother of:
Joanna Marianna Sciesinska, born December 20,1846;
Antonius Sciesinski, September 5, 1849 - December 25, 1852;
Jan Sciesinski, Jr. a/k/a John S. Sinskey (1851 - 1913), Find a Grave Memorial # 97402083;
Franciszek Sciesinski, born November 2, 1852.
All siblings born at Trzeciewiec, Poland.

At ~ six years of age Anistasia and family left Trzeciewiec, Poland and settled in Prussia. It was in Prussia that a "z" was added to the family name and Sciesinski became Scieszinski. After the death of Anistasia's father, Anistasia's mother remarried a widower with children and Anistasia left for America.

Anistasia arrived alone at the Port of New York three weeks after his 19th birthday on May 23, 1864 aboard the Elise and Mathilde sailing from Bremen, Germany. After leaving New York Anistasia worked as a teamster hauling coal supplies in the coal fields of Pennsylvania and Illinois and at Coal Valley, IL Anistasia met Prussian immigrants, the Martin and Catherine Augusta (Barks) Ciskey family.

On February 5, 1870 at St Mary's Catholic Church, Rock Island, IL Rev Father Joseph P Roles (1830 - 1889) married Anistasia and Mary Frances Ciskey (1853 - 1943) on the day before Mary's seventeenth birthday.

After the birth of their first child, Frank Scieszinski (1871 - 1962), in 1871 Anistasia and family relocated to Monroe County, IA where Mary's family had settled in 1870. Anistasia and Mary initially settled on an eighty-acre plot in Wayne Township near the western fringe of the county, north of Melrose. Through the years Anistasia and Mary built other homes on different sites and in addition to farming operated a stable and stud farm known for its stallions. Anistasia was one of the first farmers in Monroe County to invest in a combine and the funds earned from the use of his combine on other farms were invested in additional farmland until Anistasia and Mary acquired roughly 1100 acres which they distributed among their children before retiring to Melrose in 1923.

Anistasia and Mary were married 71 years and had 12 children (8 sons and four daughters) over a period of twenty-four years from 1871 to 1895. Nine of their children (7 sons and 2 daughters) lived to adulthood. Anistasia and Mary had fifty-four grandchildren, thirty-one grandsons and twenty- three granddaughters, with births spanning thirty-one years beginning February 20,1901 and ending March 25,1932 and 127 great-grandchildren, 67 great-grandsons and 60 great-granddaughters.

Anistasia spoke Polish, German and English and went by the first names Nostic, Abe and the initial A.

*Note: Anistasia's tombstone and some U.S. records reflect 1846 as his year of birth but church records from the Parish of Dobrcz, Poland and other records reflect May 3, 1845 as his birth date.
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September 18, 1939, Monroe County News

MARRIED 69 YEARS – Town's Oldest Man, 93*

A. Scieszinski, Melrose's oldest living man attained his 93rd* birthday May 10* of this year. He was born in Poland in 1846*. He has lived in Melrose for 16 years with his wife in a little cottage in the north part of town, moving from Wayne township where he farmed since 1871.

Lived Both in Germany And Poland -

Melrose's oldest living man is A. Scieszinski, who can look back on nearly a century, on a life filled with struggles but crowned with triumphs. May 10* of this year was the 93rd* birthday for this pioneer resident who lives quietly today with his wife in an attractive little cottage along the main highway into the town.

Mr. and Mrs. Scieszinski also enjoy an added distinction of being one of the longest-married couples in Iowa, attaining their 69th wedding anniversary this year. They were wed in Illinois in 1870.

A Lucas county couple, who recently celebrated their 77th anniversary, is believed to be the longest-married couple in the state.

Born in Western Poland* —

Scieszinski's real first name is Anastasia, but he is known to most people simply as A. Scieszinski and receives mail by that initial. He was born in 1846* in western Poland* in a district which has been the scene of some of the most terrific fighting in the present European war.

When he was only six years of age Scieszinski was taken by his parents across the frontier into Germany. He resided in the empire until he reached the age of 17, but was dissatisfied with the outlook for life in that country, and came across the Atlantic to America in 1863.

Scieszinski was employed in Illinois coal mines near Moline and it was in Rock Island that he was married, seven years after arriving in the new land. The couple moved to Iowa and Monroe county in 1871 and settled on a farm in Wayne township near the western fringe of the county and north of Melrose.

Successfully pursuing the business of farming, he gradually annexed more land until he had 900 acres in his possession at one time. Almost all of this land was given to his children, however, so that today the elder Scieszinski owns only 40 acres located north of highway 34 in Wayne township.

Joe Lahart lives today on the property which Scieszinski occupied for 19 years. Scieszinski says this place is one of the best pieces of land in the vicinity.

Seven Children -

Mr. and Mrs. Scieszinski moved into Melrose 16 years ago. They have seven living children, five sons and three daughters.

The oldest sons, Frank and Joe, are in their sixties and both live in Wayne township. William also resides in that township. Dan is a resident of Albia and Ed dwells in Wisconsin where he is employed in an automobile shop.

Daughters include Mrs. Pete (Annie) Bernard* of Wayne township and Katie, who is married and lives in Ottumwa.

Despite his advanced age Scieszinski can move about easily. He keeps in the best possible health by lying down and resting frequently. Interesting stories of his experiences have been told over and over again to attentive listeners among towns-people of Melrose.

NOTE: Anistasia was born in north central Poland - at one time part of western Prussia; daughter Annie was Mrs. Charles Clarence "Pete" Leonard (1880 - 1952) at the time of the article, not Mrs. Pete Bernard. Annie also married Michael C. Judge (1862 - 1917) and Emile D. Bogaerts (1885 - 1962).
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Monroe County News, July 14, 1941

A. Scieszinski, Pioneer County Resident, Dies

Anistasia Scieszinski, 95*-year-old retired farmer and one of Monroe county's oldest residents, died at his home in Melrose Saturday after a lingering illness. Death was due primarily to old age.

Scieszinski was born in Poland on May 3, 1846*, and came to this country when he was about 19 years of age. He settled in Illinois where he worked as a coal miner. Sometime later he married Mary Ciska (should be Ciskey) in Illinois and moved to Monroe county where he had made his home for nearly 65 years.

He is survived by his wife; five sons, Frank, William and Joseph, all of Melrose, Daniel of Albia and Edward of Janesville, Wis.; two daughters, Mrs. Pete Leonard of Melrose and Mrs. Ed McLamar of Ottumwa; 45* grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren. A son, Martin, died some time ago.

Funeral services were held at 9 a.m. today at St. Patrick's church in Melrose with the Rev. J.J. Welsh officiating. Burial was in Mt. Calvary cemetery. The body was taken to Humeston funeral home here.

NOTE: There were fifty-four grandchildren in total, thirty-one grandsons and twenty-three granddaughters.
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OTTUMWA DAILY COURIER, July 15, 1941

SCIESZINSKI FUNERAL

Melrose - Funeral services for A. Scieszinski, 95*, were held at 9 a.m. Monday at St. Patrick's church in Melrose, with the Rev. J.J. Welsh celebrating the requiem high mass. Burial was at Mt. Calvary cemetery.

Mr. Scieszinski died at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at his home in Melrose. He was born May 3, 1846* in Poland and came to the United States when he was 19 years old. He settled in Rock Island, ILL. as a coal operator and was married to Miss Mary Ciska* at Rock Island. In 1871 he moved to Monroe county, where he became an extensive landowner.

Five children preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Mrs. Charles Leonard of Melrose and Mrs. E. J. McLamar of Ottumwa; five sons, Frank, Joe and William of Melrose, Dan of Albia and Edward Of Janesville, Wis.; 46 grandchildren and 34 great - grandchildren.

*NOTE: Anistasia Scieszinski born Anastasius Sciesinski May 3, 1845, Trzeciewiec, Poland; died July 12, 1941, Melrose, IA; married Mary Frances Ciskey February 6, 1870, Rock Island County, IL; arrived at the Port of New York from Bremen, Germany May 23, 1864 aboard the Elise and Mathilde; father of 12 children, 4 daughters and 8 sons, 96 at the time of death.