W.G. Polack

September 25, 2013
Dear Shannon:
Could you please direct this email to your district archivist.
I am writing the history of Immanuel Lutheran at Kirchhayn, WI where a Rev. W. G. Polack served 1878-1879, while at Trinity Cedar Creek.
I found a Rev. William Polack in the 1880 Census at Marshall and Maryville, KS. His wife's name was Mary.
Do you have a picture of him? I also want to make sure that I have the correct person.
The Concordia Hist. Inst. has no picture of him.
Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
Blessings,
Rev. Royal Natzke ( I vicared at Sabetha 1958-59)
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On Thursday, January 30, 2014 2:33 PM, CHI Research <chires@lutheranhistory.org> wrote:

Dear Mr. Natzke,

Thank you for contacting Concordia Historical Institute with your request.

It seems that your W.G. Polack, the one who served at Jackson, did indeed die October 18, 1912 in Cape Girardeau at the age of 56 years, 1 month, and 15 days (according to his obituary in “Der Lutheraner” vol. 68, pg. 367. He appears to be the son of W.G. Polack Sr. who served for a number of years in Cape Girardeau (at Trinity for 11 years, but listed in other congregational anniversary books as well.)   The W.G. Polack that you are researching did in fact serve in Uniontown, MO from 1880 according to his personal record and then at Dudleytown, Indiana from 1886 (until ?).

It seems that he was not, however, the father of the W.G. Polack who served as professor at Concordia Seminary and curator of Concordia Historical Institute.  That W.G. Polack’s (the professor) obituary and personal record lists a Herman Adolf Polack as father indicates otherwise.  However, Herman A. Polack was also a son of W.G. Polack Sr.  So, the relationship of the W.G. Polack who served in Jackson to the W.G. Polack who served as a professor in St. Louis is that of uncle to nephew.    

I’ve also taken a look through a number of anniversary books from Cape Girardeau and come up empty as far as biographies and pictures go.  I seems that the W.G. Polack who served in Jackson tendered a resignation in 1878, although he later took up the office again when he served in Uniontown.  He may have stayed with his father who was still in Cape Girardeau at that point (up until 1880 when he moved to Kansas), but I cannot find evidence that he served there.

I hope this has been helpful (if not a bit confusing).

Servus tuus,

Shawn Barnett

Research Assistant
Concordia Historical Institute

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Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 11:43 PM
Subject: Rev. Polack
 

Royal,
I got busy with other things and didn’t get to this until late evening.
I have kind of come to the conclusion that this may not be your William Polack. According to the 1880 Census, the five children between 13 & 20 were born in Illinois and the last two who were 7 & ( were born in Missouri.
The “H. Polack” that was a teacher between 1883 & 1885 might have been Herman Polack but the picture I am sending you looks like an older man than his 17 year old son in 1880. See Polack_ p10.jpg
The record for Rev Polack in findagrave.com is titled “A. Gustav Polack”. If you look closely at the picture, the first initial is really a “W” rather than an “A”.
The other Polack that is buried in Marshall County is Theodore and he apparently stayed around Marshall County. He was 20 in the 1880 Census.
That is about the limit of what I can find.
Good Luck

Dean
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Dear Dean:
Ancestry.com to the rescue. Your W. G. was the father of my W. G. The one family tree had the same pic for your man as you had sent to me. Another tree had the tombstone of my man, so now I at least have something, and am checking with the MO Dist. archivist because he served in MO and died in Cape Girardeau. There has to be a picture in there somewhere.
Another item: my first wife, Jane, died two weeks ago. All the children and grandchildren were there - it was a great time of healing for all of us. The last 3 yrs. she had been living in Milwaukee. She was almost 77.
I'm glad the archivist stuff helped us to reconnect at this time - your family sure was a great help to us while we were in Sabetha.
Blessings,
Royal