This beautiful wedding portrait was taken in Chicago, Illinois, and is thought to be from the wedding of Ann M. Rozenek and Bernard J. Piatek. The bride is absolutely beautiful, and her wedding dress is gorgeous! Like many of our family’s photographs it isn’t identified – by name or date. It is a large photograph, in an 11″ by 14″ folder. George Daniel Stafford was a noted Chicago photographer from the first half of the 20th century. From what research I’ve done, I would estimate this wedding to have been circa 1940.
Ann M. Rozenek (1917-2005) was the daughter of Jan and Sophie Satkiewicz Rozenek. Her brother, Paul, died during World War Two while fighting overseas in 1944. In his obituary. Ann was married to Bernard Piatek, with one son. Bernard J. Piatek (1916-1996) and his wife, Ann, are listed in the 1940 Federal Census for Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, as married, living with his parents, without any children. They are both buried in the Saint Adalbert Roman Catholic Cemetery, Niles, Cook County, Illinois.
Our family has a series of photographs of Ann Rozenek Piatek, from when she was a child, until she was a grandmother. It is thought our families were somehow related back in Bruśnik, Poland.
Wedding Wednesday is a blogging prompt suggested by Geneabloggers, to help with family research. Below is a photo from 1930, of a younger Ann with her beloved brother, Paul Rozenek, also taken in Chicago.
GenealogySisters 
The style of the sleeves and the high waist with bust gathering is very typical of the late 30s and early 40s. The dress has a curious mixture of elements. Her hair is still done in marcel waves and those are from the 1930s. The larger sleeve caps and the bust gathering is more 40s. And since it is her wedding dress, one would expect it to be the height of fashion. She is very much on the cusp of two different styles.
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Deborah, I also find it interesting that Ann’s mother, Sophie, was working in a tailor’s shop in the 1940 Federal Census, so maybe she made her daughter’s dress. It is very original and fits perfectly.
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Maryann,
I just came across your post about the wedding of Bernard Piatek and Ann Rozenek. They were my grandparents. My name is Lawrence Paul Piatek, Jr. My Dad, Lawrence, Sr. is their son. We called my grandpa “Dziadzu” and my grandma “Busia.” What is your relationship to Ann?
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Lawrence, How wonderful to hear from you! My grandmother, Sophia Szczerba Mirota, called Babcia, in my family, and your great-grandmother, Sophie Satkiewicz Rosenek, were very dear friends, and possibly cousins, from childhood in Poland. They both were called Zofia in Poland. Bapcia was close friends with the entire Satkiewicz family, especially Mary Satiewicz Szmek. She was my uncle Joe’s godmother. The families came to western Pennsylvania, USA from the same small villages of south east Poland. We think they were related from the Olszewski family, since both had mother’s with maiden names of Apollonia Olszewski. Your great-grandmother, Sophie, was chosen to be my mother’s “kumoszka”, godmother, a very honored relationship in Poland. At first they lived in the same area near Cherry Valley, PA, but then my family moved to New Jersey, and your family to Illinois. I have other photographs if you are interested. My mother knew how to read and write Polish and she corresponded with her godmother, Sophie, and kept up with the Illinois family. After my mother’s death our family lost contact.
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Thanks you for your excellent points on her wedding dress. The fabric is luminous. Since she was a first generation Polish-American gal, most likely she had lots of input from her family about the styling of her hair and dress. She looks so lovely, and with the short sleeves I’m guessing the wedding was in the warmer weather.
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What a beautiful wedding photo!
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Thanks for leaving a comment, and I agree that the wedding photo is absolutely lovely!
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