Mary Antonina (Wishnenski) Fisher (abt. 1871 - 1943)

Born about 1871 in Russia

Descendants

Died 24 Apr 1943 at about age 72 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gerrie Bartholomew [send private message]

Biography

Mary (Wishnenski) Fisher migrated from Poland to United States.

Mary (Wishnenski) Fisher has Polish Roots.

Mary was born about 1871 in Russia to Kazimerz Wishnenski and Euzifini. She spoke only Polish. She was married first to Charles Fisher. Mary remarried shortly after the death of her first husband to Benedikt Solomewich on 16 March 1911 in Centralia, Washington; they were divorced almost two months later on 6 May 1911. Mary was granted the use of her previous name by the court in the divorce. She died April 24, 1943, in Seattle, Washington, and was buried by Booth Ashmore Mortuary at Calvary Cemetery, Seattle, Washington on 29 April 1943.^{[1] [2]} On the 1920 US Census it shows that Mary's father was German and her mother was Russian.^[3]

Children:

1. Steven E Fisher b. 20 Feb 1900 in Chicago, Illinois, m. Halloween Baldwin, d. 9 Mar. 1968 in Seattle.
2. John Joseph Fisher b. 14 Sept. 1902 in Centralia, Washington, m. Inez Schreiber, d. 24 Jan. 1978 in Seattle.
3. Billie E. Fisher b. about 1904 in Pe Ell, Washington, m. Claude H. Flynn, d. 12 Nov. 2001 in Puyallup, Washington

'My grandmother, Mary's daughter, Billie Fisher Flynn' told us a story about her mother remarrying very shortly after her father (Charles Fisher) died. The new husband had Mary send the children to a friend's farm to stay while they got settled and they were to send for them. However, it turned out that he didn't want the children, he only wanted Mary. Billie said he was a mean man and chased her mother around the house with a knife when he was "in the mood to do so". Mary left him very soon after they were married and divorced him, asking the court to give her back her previous married name of Fisher (which was granted).^[4]

Here is a marriage certificate for Mary Fischer and Benedikt Solomewich for 16 March 1911 in Centralia^[4] and there were divorce papers filed very soon after on the 29th of March 1911^[5] which tells a similar story to the one my grandmother recalled from when she was six years old. The divorce papers tell this story:

Benedict promised to take care of Mary and her three children if she married him. He said he was a man of means and that she would not have to work outside the home. Mary also was led to believe they would make their home in Centralia, Washington, where the Fisher family was living at the time. So she must have agreed and they were married on 16 March 1911.

On the day after the wedding, things were different. Benedict ordered Mary to go with him to Aberdeen, Wash., where Benedict had a one-room "filthy and ill-kept bachelors shack." When Mary said she wanted to stay in Centralia, Benedict threatened her with a butcher knife in front of the children.

Fearing for her life, Mary and the kids went with Benedict to Aberdeen. The living conditions in Aberdeen were bad in the on room house; they had no privacy, Benedict refused to "properly" feed the kids nor would he let Mary do so. He ordered Mary about like a "slave", often hitting her and chasing her about the house and cursing her in front of the kids and threatening to kill her if she didn't obey him.

Mary became so concerned for the children that they went to live with kind neighbors, but that didn't resolve the issue and Mary being miserable and unhappy sued Benedict for divorce by the end of March 1911.

The divorce was granted on the grounds of extreme cruelty on the 6th of May 1911. Mary, who petitioned to have the use of her former name of Mary Fischer was granted her wish, and both parties were ordered to not contract into another marriage with a third party for six months. ~ Gerrie Bartholomew^[6]

Note: Born 1870/1874 to Kazimerz WISHNENSKI and Euzefini. (DOCUMENTATION May Be Leading Elsewhere). So far Mary had the following maiden names that her children used on documents: Grazdofski (death certificate), Grudzodolski (John J. Fisher’s delayed birth certificate), and Rosenberg/Roseberg (used on both son’s Social Security Applications). She was very likely of Polish descent because she spoke Polish, but she claimed to be German if you asked her and was listed as Russian and speaking Russian Polish on the census.

Sources

1. ↑ Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Division of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death. State File No. 2154. Registrar’s No. 2238. Washington State Digital Archives
2. ↑ Newspaper clipping in Claude Flynn's bible from Seattle, Wash. newspaper, "4-24-43 FISHER - Mary, 802 W. 48th St., beloved mother of Mrs. Claude Flynn, John and Edward Fisher. Remains at Booth-Ashmore Mortuary. Requiem Mass Thursday, 8:30 a.m. St. Alphonsus Church. Interment Calvary."
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHNR-YPG : accessed 24 August 2018), Mary Fisher, Seattle, King, Washington, United States; citing ED 190, sheet 6A, line 35, family 153, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1928; FHL microfilm 1,821,928.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} State of Washington Certificate of Marriage, Lewis County. Certificate No. 8882. Benedict Solomewich and Mary Fisher, 14 March 1911, Centralia, Wash. State of Washington Digital Archives, Lewis County
5. ↑ Extraction of Court documents for the divorce of Benedict and Mary (Fischer) Solomewich and PDF File of Court the documents Divorce of Benedict and Mary (Fischer) Solomewich
6. ↑ Family History given by Doris Flynn Schneider, Mary Fisher's granddaughter

• United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC3F-24C : accessed 12 April 2021), Mary Fisher in household of John Fisher, Seattle, King, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 216, sheet 32A, line 7, family 105, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2504; FHL microfilm 2,342,238. 1930 US Federal Census, Seattle, King, Washington, T626_2504, Pg. 32A, ED 216. Block 6668, SD 2, Image 822.0, FHL microfilm 2342238, dwelling 103, family 106, lines 6-7, enumerated 5 April 1930 by Norma E. Davis. John Fisher listed as head of household
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K93F-WH5 : 6 January 2021), M Fisher in household of E Steve Fisher, Seattle Election Precinct, King, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 40-301, sheet 6A, line 1, family 126, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4382. 1940 US Federal Census, Seattle, King, Washington, T627_4382, Pg. 5B-6A, ED 40-301. Non-Farm Area, SD 1, Lines 80 and 1, 831 Chicago St., Visit No. 126., Worth $1000. Enumerated 6 April 1940 by Mary Sasse; E. Steve Fisher head of household.
• Washington State Department of Health. State Death Records Index, 1940-1996. Microfilm. Washington State Archives, Olympia, Washington.
• Washington, King County Delayed Births, 1941-1942. FamilySearch.org. Index and images, FamilySearch, John Joseph Fisher, 14 Sep 1902; citing Centralia, Lewis, Washington, United States, certificate number 2197, State Archives, Bellevue; FHL microfilm 4,310,220. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRM7-LLS.
• US, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current. Mary Antenia (Wishiewski) Fisher, Memorial #137718475. Mary A Fisher] Note: Mary Fisher originally had a grave marker with only her name on it. The gravestone on her grave today is not contemporaneous, but was placed there by her grandchildren in the early 2000s.

Acknowledgments

This page was created by Gerrie Schneider, WikiTree profile Wishnenski-2 with biography and sources, on 8 July 2014. Go to the Changes tab for the details of edits by Gerrie and others. Thanks to Gerrie Schneider for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Gerrie and others.