Klass Family
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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 Klass (b. 1796 –d. 1877) married Maryanna Anna Formela (b. 1792–d. 1841) who was born on 2 August 1792 at Zakrzewko, the daughter of Franciszek Formela (b. abt. 1770–d. 1838) and Elzbeita Lenger (b. abt. 1766–d. 1849). The family at Klobuczewo: Jan Franciszek (b. 1817–d. 1899 NZ), at Gołebiewo; Anna Elzbieta (b. 1820–d. 1870), Maryanna (b. 1823), at Mirowo; Franciszek (b. 1825–d. 1876), Michał (b. abt. 1826), at Zakrzewko; Jozef (b. 1827), Julianna Katarzyna (b. 1830), Marcin Andrzej (b. 1832) and Rozalia Barbara (b. 1835). Maryanna Anna (nee Formela) died on 15 December 1841 at Zakrzewko and was buried at St. Jakuba in Kłodawa. Jan Klass married on 9 October 1842 at St. Jakuba in Kłodawa to Maryanna Leszczynska (b. 1823–d. 1873), the daughter of Szymon Leszczynski (b. abt. 1784–d. 1864) and Kunedgunde Nowakowska (b. abt. 1773–d. 1863). The family at Zakrzewko: August Franciszek (b. 1843–d. 1849), at Godziszewo; Franciszka (b. 1845–d. 1846), Jozefina Dorota (b. 1847–d. 1848), Rozalia (b. 1850–d. 1855), Jakob (b. 1851), Juliusz Albrecht (b. 1855), Weronika Elzbieta (b. 1858–d. 1894) and Jozef (b. 1861). Maryanna (nee Leszczynska) died on 14 September 1873 at Godziszewo and Jan Klass died on 27 November 1877 also at Godziszewo. Both are buried at St. Jan Nepomuk in Godziszewo.
Jan Franciszek Klass (Formella), a small farmer, (b. 1817–d. 1899) was born on 5 October 1817 at Klobuczewo, the son of Jan Klass (b. 1798–d. 1877) and Maryanna Formela (b. abt. 1791–d. 1841). Jan married on 22 November 1841 at St. Jakuba in Kłodawa to Apollonia Buca (b. 2 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: 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 on 11 September 1858 at Małe Turze. 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 (2025)
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