Francis Xavier Golniewicz Jr.
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The Honorable Francis Xavier Golniewicz, born on September 16, 1920, in Chicago to Francis Xavier Golniewicz (born 1895, passed away 1952) and Victoria Golniewicz (nee Stolecki) (born 1900, passed away 1943), experienced a childhood split between Chicago's northwest side and Joliet, Illinois. His education journey included attending various grammar schools due to his father's involvement in mortgage deals and property transactions.
Francis Xavier Golniewicz Sr. delved into property acquisition during the early 20th century, with a particular focus on providing mortgages to Chicago's substantial Polish community. Following in his father's footsteps, FXG Jr. enrolled at Northwestern University from 1938 to 1942 and subsequently attended Northwestern Law School from 1942 to 1945. After World War II, both FXG Sr. and FXG Jr. embarked on careers in law and property speculation. FXG Sr. passed away in 1952 due to eye cancer, leaving his business and much of his property to his son, FXG Jr., who assumed control of various family properties, including the Joliet, Illinois family farm.
Personal Life: In 1945, Francis met Kathryn 'Ruth' Golniewicz (nee Richards) while riding a streetcar in the Logan Square neighborhood. Their relationship blossomed shortly after the war, leading to their marriage in October 1950. They relocated from Logan Square to the Chicago neighborhood of The Villa in 1955. There, Francis operated his law office from their home while raising four children with Ruth. They remained together in The Villa until Ruth's passing in 2012. Francis continued to reside in The Villa until his own passing in 2022 at the age of 101.
Legal Career: Francis, commonly referred to as 'Frank' by colleagues, followed in his father's footsteps, offering notary public services and specializing in legal cases related to titles, deeds, mechanic's liens, and property transfers. His ability to speak Polish drew many first-generation Polish, Bohemian, Czech, and Ukrainian immigrants as clients. For over four decades, Francis operated his legal practice from his Villa residence, with Ruth serving as his secretary. Additionally, he worked as a substitute teacher in Chicago public high schools during the late 1950s and 1960s to supplement the family's income. In 1966, he gained admission to the Chicago Torrens Office, where he continued to specialize in titles and deeds.
Francis actively participated in local politics, serving as a Precinct Captain, sitting on the Villa Neighborhood Board for several years, and eventually becoming a Chicago Circuit Court judge in 1978. During his tenure, he stood out for riding the 'L' to work and appointing one of the city's first African American clerks. Francis served as a circuit court judge from 1978 until 1989, earning a reputation for legal impartiality due to his demeanor and composure on the bench. Even after his time on the bench, he continued to provide legal services for the Chicago legal system, serving as a legal arbitrator from 1991 to 2008.
Significant cases in which Francis X. Golniewicz Jr. was legal counsel or presiding judge.
Wojcik v. Stolecki, 411 Ill. 443, 104 N.E.2d 288 (Ill. 1952) (As a general rule, in an action to enforce a lien against the interest of one joint tenant, any judgment rendered affects only the interest of the individual tenant and not the entire estate.)
Garbe Iron Works, Inc. v. Priester 99 Ill. 2d 84 (Ill. 1983) (Holding that the automatic stay in the bankruptcy of a necessary party in an action to enforce a mechanic's lien extends the amount of time the subcontractor has to file suit)
Nat'l Wrecking Co. v. Midwest Terminal 518 N.E.2d 193 (Ill. App. Ct. 1987) (The court recognized the continuing validity of Almon to dismiss an appeal by the defendant and its attorney from an interlocutory order disqualifying the attorney from representing the defendant.)
Nat'l Wrecking Co. v. Midwest Terminal Corp. 234 Ill. App. 3d 750 (Ill. App. Ct. 1992) (Holding that an amendment to Illinois mechanics' lien law that changed the definition of persons entitled to a lien to include "anyone who contracts to remove any house or structure" put demolition within the purview of that statute)
Cleveland Wrecking Co. v. Central Nat'l Bank, 216 Ill. App. 3d 279, (Ill. App. Ct. 1991) (Any person furnishing labor, equipment, material, or supplies used or consumed for the improvement of real property, under a contract with the owner, shall have a lien upon the property for the labor, equipment, material or supplies furnished, and for the cost of transporting the same.)
Life in Agriculture:
In addition to his legal career, Francis managed the family farm in Joliet, where he raised Belgian draft horses from 1940 until 1966. He continued farming without modern machinery, becoming one of the last farmers in Will County to do so into the postwar era. In 1966, he sold the Joliet farm and relocated the family operation to Capron, Illinois, transitioning to raising and caring for Arabian horses, a venture he pursued until 2009.
Career in Horology: Francis nurtured a lifelong passion for collecting and repairing timepieces, specializing in 30-day movements and American-made pocket watches. He had a particular affinity for American-made 30-day clock movements with calendar functions, crafting intricate and highly accurate timepieces. In 1970, he earned a PhD in Horology and became a sought-after expert for Chicago periodicals in articles concerning timepieces. In 1973-4, he served as President of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) and remained a lifelong Fellow of the NAWCC.
References[edit]
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