Klass Family
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Spoken Polish
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SURNAMES & THEIR ORIGINS
BUCA (Pol) Buczec. Meaning: to hum, drone, buzz, or < buk a beech tree.
FORMELLA (Pol) fornal. Meaning: stable-hand.
KLAAS (Dut) or KLAS (Ger) Niklaus, Klaus.
MAZA (Pol) mazać. Meaning: to smear, daub.
Jan Franciszek Klass (Formella), a small farmer, (b. 1817–d. 1899) was born at Klobuczewo on 05 October 1817, the son of Jan Klass (b. 1798–d. 1877) and Maryanna Formella (b. abt. 1791–d. 1841). Jan married on 22 November 1841 at St. Jakuba in Kłodawa to Apollonia Buca (b. 02 March 1821 at Postołowo–d. 1889), the daughter of Filip Buca (b. 1791–d. 1829) and Anna Maza (b. 1799–d. 1870). The family born at Klępiny were: Katarzyna Maryanna (b. 1843–d. 1845), at Postołowo; Anna Katarzyna (b. 1845–d. 1923), at Sobowidz; Julianna Albertyna (b. 1848–d. 1849) and Paulina (b. 1850), at Małe Turze; Jan (b. 1854–d. 1857), Barbara (b. 1857–d. 1857) and Rozalia (b. 1858–d. 1947), at Sliwiny; Franciszka (b. 1860–d. 1869) and Jozef (b. 1866). As older daughters, Anna and Paulina, had migrated to New Zealand in 1872, It was thought better for Rozalia to be with her sisters in case something happened to them both. They left the village of Mieścin for Hamburg where they set sail aboard the Fritz Reuter on 16 December 1874, arriving at the Port of Napier on 18 March 1875.
Listed aboard were: Johann Klass age 57, Paulina 53 and Rosalia 16. They travelled south to the settlement of Allanton where John worked as a labourer and retired. Apollonia (Paulina) died on 27 December 1889 at Allanton aged 68. Unable to make a living, John was institutionalised at the Otago Benevolent Institute (Tall Boys) at Caversham in Dunedin on 8 August 1898. John was discharged on 14 March 1899 and sent to the Dunedin hospital where he died on 22 April 1899 aged 81. He is buried with his wife at the Allanton Cemetery.
Believed to be John Black and Rosalia (nee Klass), originally shared by Christina Henry 15 June 2019, ancestry.com
Rosalia Klass was born at Małe Turze on 11 September 1858. She married on 18 July 1876 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at East Taieri to John Black (b. 1838 at Ballyglass, Ireland–d. 1920), the son of Michael Black (b. 1815–d. 1870). The family born at Allanton were: John (b. 1877–d. 1877), Rosalie (b. 1878–d. 1934), Annie Mary (b. 1880–d. 1949), Jane (b. 1882), James (b. 1884), Evangeline Mary (b. 1884), Joseph (b. 1888), Martha (b. 1890), Madgalene Pollina (b. 1892–d. 1985), Lucy (b. 1893) and Herbert William (b. 1898–d. 1971). John was employed as postmaster and shopkeeper at Allanton and died in Dunedin on 11 October 1920. Rosalia died in Dunedin on 21 September 1947 aged 89. Both are buried at the Andersons Bay Cemetery in Dunedin.
Rosalia Black (nee Klass) with her daughters and grandchildren, originally shared by Christina Henry 15 June 2019, ancestry.com
John and Pauline Klass, Catholic Block Plot 14 at Allanton Cemetery, courtesy of Paul Klemick
Research Sources
Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973, FamilySearch.
Catholic Diocese of Dunedin, St Mary’s Church, Milton; Baptism Register.
Godziszewo, Kłodawa & Trąbki Wielkie Parish Records, Pelplin Diocese, Poland.
New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs Naturalisations, Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Websites
Andersons Bay Cemetery – Rose Black (1858-1947) – Dunedin City Council
Allanton Cemetery – John Klass (1817-1899) – Dunedin City Council
John Black and Rose (nee Klass), Block 80 Plot 2 at Andersons Bay Cemetery in Dunedin
Allanton Cemetery – Pauline Klass (1821-1889) – Dunedin City Council
Compiled by Paul Klemick (2022)
The Polish Heritage of Otago & Southland Charitable Trust
Chairperson ..... Ewa Rozecka-Pollard
Phone ......+64 3 477 5552
Secretary ..... Anna McCreath Munro
Phone ..... +64 3 464 0053
facebook ..... Poles Down South
Contact Poles Down South
Poles in New Zealand We would like to hear from Poles or people with any Polish connection, who visited New Zealand and particularly those of you who paid a visit or lived anywhere in Otago or Southland.
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Polski “Poles Down South” jest stroną internetową organizacji polonijnej w Nowej Zelandii działającej w rejonie Otago i Southland na Wyspie Południowej. Siedzibą organizacji jest Dunedin.