Czeslaw

As promised before I present a short history of my grandma's brother Czeslaw. In the meantime I received quite interesting letter from his order via facebook and found another letter, written in 1984 by his sister Krystyna to my mother, describing her memories of Czeslaw. The letter from his order gave me quite reach literature where I can find more info on him.

Below I present only facts which I am sure about, as there are some differences between both letters. I will try to find out more, mainly thanks to the literature given via FB.

Czeslaw was born in 1917 in Lublin. I have no info about his young years. Anyway in 1935 he graduated from Christian College of Saint Fidelin in Lomza. I have two new pictures from that years (the other one was presented in the post on sisters and bros of my grandma). First one might be probably the picture taken just after graduation as it is dated 1935. He is standing top left. Anyway he does not look 18 years old here, does he?

The other picture is from scouting - Czeslaw is standing in the right. He is so similar in face to some pictures of my grandma.

The same year, 1935, he moved to Warsaw and became an acolyte in the church belonging to Capuchin order, taking a habit in 1937 and the vows in 1938. His order name was Wieslaw. In the meantime, in 1936 he stood godfather to my mom. 

Being in the order he studied philosophy in Zakroczym. As it was situated near to fortress Modlin, during WWII Capuchins were moved to Lubartow, a small town near Lublin. Thus he was again near to the family.

In the spring of 1940, when nazis arrested Capuchins in Lublin, Capuchin seminarists in Lubartow were sent home by the order. He came home with two other seminarists then and spent with his family last few months together. In the autumn the same year he moved to Warsaw to continue studies. 

But in the night of 26/27 of June 1941 all brothers of his order were arrested by nazis and moved to  Pawiak (well known nazi jail in Warsaw). There is his, most probably, last taken photo in this jail. Czeslaw is standing first from the left.

On 3rd of September 1941 he was moved to Auschwitz nazi camp (the date I found in the internet, together with his camp number 20352 - 20421).

Czeslaw died in Auschwitz on 5th of February 1942.

My grandparents' walks

As nowadays, eighty years ago people spend their spare time walking with friends - to the parks or out of town. They didn't spend their time watching tv, blogging or just exploring web, so meeting with friends was much more popular. Also walking was.

In my archive I found some pictures taken during such walks.

Here my grandma is second from the left. I do not know other women.

And below is a picture taken most probably in the park. My grandpa is standing first from the left, and next to him is my grandma. I suppose the picture was taken before their wedding, so it means 1934 or 1935. Like above no info about other persons, but looking at my grandma and grandpa smiling, they had great time with them.

And here we have the same woman as above walking with a child and my grandparents. Again probably 1934 or 1935.

And again probably the same woman and my grandma in the middle. 

And again somewhere in the country, my grandma on the right and the same woman on the left. So it seems they were good friends, spending a lot of time together.

I will try to find out who she was.

Post scriptum to my post about grandma's sisters and brothers:

During search on net I found some details on arresting of my grandma's brother Czeslaw, who died in Auschwitz during WWII. The most interesting to me was an address of his monastery. Then I found the priests of this exact monastery are on facebook. So via FB they promised me to find out as many details on him as possible, especially I asked for details of his arresting. Just for family memory.   

My grandma's sisters and brothers

My great grandma Eleonora (the young lady from the first post) had six daughters and four sons. And it was the last generation with so many children in the family. And I have pictures of most of them, but unfortunately not all. So this time some portraits.

Emilia - she died when she was only 16, because of some complications caused by surgical operation, which are now nothing special to heal. Times change.

Lucyna - though I have never met her, I always felt like I know her - just because my aunt, her daughter looks exactly the same. And, as I have many pictures of her, she always looks, well, deeply sad? exhibiting careful thought?

Bronislawa, who died only three years ago as the last of all of them. For the family just aunt Bronka . Great woman.

Krystyna - one of only few pictures. I remember some visits to her when I was 4 - 7 years old. And I remember I liked her. When her husband died she moved with her daughter to a nearby town. She died in 1990.

Krystyna again (left), and the last sister - Irena. When Lucyna died, she left son and daughter (the aunt I mentioned above). The son was very young and Irena took care of him. She lived together with her mother, my great grandma Eleonora. She was a very warm person and when me and my sister were young we liked to spent time with her. Irena died in 1982.

My grandma had four bothers: Tomasz, Tadeusz, Józef and Czesław. I do not think I ever met any of them. So I knew all living sisters and no brother. Up till now I only found pictures  of Czeslaw, who was a monk and died in Auschwitz nazi camp during IIWW. One is his school picture and one is in a monk suit.

When Jozef met Feliksa

Both Feliksa and Jozef, my maternal grandparents, you could met in my previous posts. Now the moment came when they met, or rather first photos of them together.

So we go back to 1935, carnival time. My grandma  to the right. 

And here Feliksa sitting left, Jozef standing right. Probably they had great ball then. I hope so.

Walking picture taken probably before their wedding. Anyway 1935, Lublin. 

Jozef in student's suit.

And here just married, 22nd of April 1935. Lublin. Jozef in a prison service suit. In 1930s, when you worked in a state service, you shall to wear your suit during wedding. 

Jozef got married in a secret. Then he brought his new wife in front of his mother (Jozef's father, Jan, died in 1928). I do not know her reaction.

And here probably fall of 1935 in Lublin. Then it means that my mother is 'in place' ;-).

Xmas Sepia

Xmas time is so special, that I decided not to continue my family story this week, but jump to the only older Xmas photos I have. Next time the story will be back, I promise.

The pictures were taken as slides during Christmas Eve in, most probably 1967 (my sister looks 3 years old). Unfortunately the slides were very 'grainy'. They were taken in my family flat. As you can see below, we spent them with my maternal grandparents and my uncle Jan, their son and my mother's brother. The grandparents are the same, which you can see in my two previous posts. As far as I remember we were spending eve either at our flat or at my grandparents'. Usually with more family members, but a year before my greatgrandmother (mother of grandma) died and in the begining of 1967 my dad's father also died (he lived with us). 

I suppose that no special comment is required. Maybe only that the first and third pictures show my father Lechoslaw, second and fourth my uncle Jan (now living in US). The young girl is my sister Malgorzata, and I am that boy of six. My mother and grandparents can be seen on all of the pictures.

Xmas tree is not very impressive. Most probably it was very hard to get any Xmas tree at all at that time.

All my best to you all.

Sepia Saturday - my third input

As I decided earlier - each week I will show one part of my family history. So I choosed my maternal grandfather for this week.
Jozef was born in 1910 in Lublin county.
His father, my greatgrandfather Jan was an organist in a village Popkowice, Lublin county, graduated in music at Kiev University. I have only this one picture of him.

My grandfather oldest picture comes from his graduation certificate from secondary school from 1931. Then he looked like below:

After secondary school he served an army. Below the picture from 1932. My grandfather first from the left.

Here are two pictures of him being a student of Catholic University of Lublin - please notice a characteristic cap on his head. First is a 'walking' photo. Both were taken in 1934 in Lublin. Here second from the left, next picture in the middle.

Last for this post (as I decided to close this week before my granddad met my grandmom) is a picture of his sister, Zofia, who was a school teacher. This is the young girl to the right, with long hair. What is also interesting in the picture is the guy there. I do not know the year, when the picture was taken, but there are teachers and a school master in Warszawice, small town in Garwolin county. And this guy, the school master, is Piotr Jaroszewicz (check the link). After second world war he was a communist politician, in1970 -80 he was a 'red' prime minister of Poland.

My second Sepiaday

It took me some time to decide what to show next. I still have a lot old pictures in my family archive and hope to get more.

So this time I will go directly to the young years of my grandmom, the daughter and granddaughter of the two ladies presented the previous week.

My greatgrandmom Eleonora had 10 children: 6 daughters and 4 sons. My grandmom Feliksa was born in 1913. Her oldest picture is dated 1926. She played in a primary school theater - her role was a mother and, as an oldest one, she is sitting in the middle. 

Next picture was taken in her secondary school in 1930. She is sitting as first from the left.

Next are two photos I like. My grandmom was probably 17 - 20 years old then. 

In 1930s it was very popular to take photos while walking in the main street. I suppose there were many photographers who were proposing people they would take their photo and thus earning their lifes. In my archive I have a lot such photos. First presented was taken in 1935 in Sambor. My grandmom first from the left. I love the man's top-hat, which seems so funny nowadays. You can see poor, shoesless girl to the left.

Next picture shows my grandmom (left) with a friend in 1934. It was taken in Lublin.

Next picture is from Sambor 1934, which was taken from Poland after Second World War. My grandmom first left. My grandfather worked there then (one of next weeks ;-)) 

And the last 'walking photo' of my grandmom. Taken in Lublin in 1933. I know the place - the buildings remained the same - maybe look better now, the gate stands straight. Main street in Lublin. 200 m further is the palce, where second 'walking picture' was taken. As my wife said, both coats and shoes might be in a fashion nowadays.