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There is no life information about Johann Gnech and his wife Constantia other than that they lived in a small farming town not far from a body of water called Zatoka Gdanska or the Baltic Sea. This town known as Polzin (or Polczyno in Polish), was located in the North Eastern Area of West Prussia. Throughout the years West Prussia was occupied by Poland, Germany and Russia. Today West Prussia is part of Poland and the town is called Danzig.
Johann and Constantia had a son named Albert Heinrich Gnech. He was born on January 8, 1850 in Polzin, West Prussia. He married his first wife and mother of his children Eva Siebert on May 9, 1875. Eva was born on November 1, 1847 and lived in a neighboring town called Celbau, West Prussia. Their two eldest sons Jan Martin born December 30, 1875 and Jozef were born in Putzig, West Prussia. Sometime between 1850 and 1875 the town of Polzin was renamed to Putzig. The most plausible reason for the name change is that another country such as Germany, Austria or Russia invaded the town and took control. Albert and Eva's son Anton was born in November of 1879 in Germany, while the family started to travel to the United States. Anton was the last Gnech to be born of European soil.
As many people did, Albert and his family entered the United States through the Castle Garden receiving station in New York during the year of 1880. Either due to a clerical error or a misunderstating, the U.S. immigration officals added an "i" between the "n and e"; thus changing the spelling of Gnech to its modern day spelling "Gniech". Albert Gniech's family settled in Chicago, Illinois after entering the United States. Durind this period of time Chicago was growing in leaps and bounds, and becoming a haven to the Polish and German immigrants.
The three youngest children of Albert and Eva where born in the United States; they are also the first Gniech's to be born in Chicago, Illinois. They were also the first generation of American citizens. Sometime between the years of 1880 and 1905 there was a family division for unknown reasons. Speculation has it that the two oldest sons of Albert fought over religion. The rift brought on another spelling change in the family name. Fransciszek changed his last name from Gniech to Knecht which by all standards has a more German Flavor.
Today, there is most definitely the two name divisions with a possible third. We know from recent contact that Fransciszek Knecht had his own family that still exists and there have been several sightings of the Gniech name spelled in the original way Gnech. The third spelling suggests that Albert or his father had brothers that we do not know about.