tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43062197478088633092024-03-13T17:49:41.207-05:00Ancestors and CousinsKathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-56289622232254205432024-02-11T15:55:00.000-06:002024-02-11T15:55:35.244-06:00<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>A Tale of Three Sisters</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I’d like
to tell you a story about three sisters, Mary, Anna, and Filomena. They are the daughters of Jozef and Antonina
(nee Nowicka) Inda, my great grandparents.
Much of this information was told to me by my mother, Loretta Kolodzinski
(nee Szostek).<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Mary, my
grandmother, the 3<sup>rd</sup> child and oldest of the girls, was born in March
of 1894. Anna, the 5<sup>th</sup> and
middle child, was born in 1897.
Philomena (later called Minnie), the 8<sup>th</sup> child and youngest
daughter, was born in 1906.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">As all young
girls of that era, the Inda daughters were taught “woman’s work” by their
mother. Mary was taught to crochet. Anna learned the delicate art of
tatting. Minnie was taught how to
knit. They all were shown how to do
embroidery. Antonina herself knew how to
do all of these things.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The three
sisters were also different in looks. Mary had beautiful auburn hair (her
daughter, Loretta, had found a braid of Mary’s hair in a cedar chest). Anna, I’m told, was a darker blonde in her
early years, while Minnie had warm brown hair.
Later in life all three sister’s hair turned a light silvery gray.<o:p></o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDHp-anhzdPV0grBc8Sk-lwKrc-phAWezFxMyxHso97ZclyMxflcFSrKPoTHVwrOs7cwGS5OfLBatyJEYsXcixMJYQOlcDlhSOmBRg6aR30s9qdAj9rE_8waCk71jAOn6xH7aXMv_1C3rqTgB52hr-_bZOfLhs6TiG0mlyhMNs8ZCJHfpC7CIgjulZ-A/s767/1%20INDA,%20Anna,%20Minnie%20and%20Mary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="767" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDHp-anhzdPV0grBc8Sk-lwKrc-phAWezFxMyxHso97ZclyMxflcFSrKPoTHVwrOs7cwGS5OfLBatyJEYsXcixMJYQOlcDlhSOmBRg6aR30s9qdAj9rE_8waCk71jAOn6xH7aXMv_1C3rqTgB52hr-_bZOfLhs6TiG0mlyhMNs8ZCJHfpC7CIgjulZ-A/w640-h302/1%20INDA,%20Anna,%20Minnie%20and%20Mary.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna, Minnie and Mary</td></tr></tbody></table></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Mary fell in
love with a very handsome man, John Bochyniak, when she was just 18. The couple married in November of 1913 at St.
Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Chicago. What a wonderful day for the happy couple! Their joy continued and in October of 1915, a
baby boy, Edward, entered their life. The happiness of this couple was not to last. In January of 1917, John was killed by a
train. Mary was left alone with a young
son to raise. The family had many relatives,
friends and coworkers who tried to help during this terrible time. One of them, Stanley Szostek, had loved Mary
but had never said or done anything, knowing she was married. I don’t know if Mary did fall in love with
Stanley or not, but he did love her. The couple married in September of 1918. Stanley pledged to Mary that he would raise
Edward as his son. He loved the child
and soon adopted him as his own. The couple added three more children to their
now happy family. Monica (called
Phyllis), was born in 1919, Loretta, my mother, born in 1921, and Helen, born
in 1928. <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Anna did not
marry as quite as young as her sister, Mary. She fell in love with John Bross. They married when Anna was 22, about 1929. The couple never had children but spent many
happy times with Mary and Stanley’s family.
Anna and John had many happy years before John died at the young age of
55. Anna lived in their same apartment they had shared for the rest of her life. She enjoyed playing bingo at various Church carnivals
and functions. I think of her independence and how forward thinking she must have been. She
is fondly remembered attending all of our family events. <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Minnie was the
youngest sister. Minnie grew up on her
parents “farm” in Franklin Park, IL. She
married Stanley Jagielski when they were both 18. The couple waited a couple of years to
enlarge their family. In 1930, a
daughter, Dolores (called Dolly), was born. Two years later their son, Donald (called Sonny) was born. The couple eventually moved to Elmwood Park,
a Chicago suburb. I will always remember the squirrel monkeys and other animals they kept as pets! They enjoyed
many happy years together until Stanley died at the young age of 51. It was some years later that Minnie moved to
Arkansas with Dolly, Sonny and both of their families.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="801" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFSqJr9bj1bL5aOLYVur0iVPSMqb_UcgKkUSCVjKErrF_CjULXSXafew1ZWfr3OsLrbHFVZAmN4tXAcchcurIbo4wkBSmKIU_CmN9Cm07hgJw_z1G1ptdUkrwQ2um8YWdZNrDV5qe1yZP6Y7pmjmJk0Yd1WaYeDak6zQMVJmHroXIi-faAbVo2QQVNvw/w479-h318/2%20JAGIELSKI,%20Phyllis%20(Inda),%20Mary%20(Inda)%20Szostek,%20Anna%20(Inda)%20Bross%201949%20Sep%2016.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="479" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minnie Jagelski, Mary Szostek, Anna Bross 1949</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFSqJr9bj1bL5aOLYVur0iVPSMqb_UcgKkUSCVjKErrF_CjULXSXafew1ZWfr3OsLrbHFVZAmN4tXAcchcurIbo4wkBSmKIU_CmN9Cm07hgJw_z1G1ptdUkrwQ2um8YWdZNrDV5qe1yZP6Y7pmjmJk0Yd1WaYeDak6zQMVJmHroXIi-faAbVo2QQVNvw/s801/2%20JAGIELSKI,%20Phyllis%20(Inda),%20Mary%20(Inda)%20Szostek,%20Anna%20(Inda)%20Bross%201949%20Sep%2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07730829907735924131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-85039854468665796162021-02-11T16:31:00.000-06:002021-02-11T16:31:03.863-06:00DNA: What Does It Mean For Your Research<h2 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">DNA: What Does It Mean For Your
Research</span></span></b></h2>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Having your DNA tested can help further researching your family tree but it is necessary to find out what you are hoping it will tell you. Testing DNA does not take the place of a thoroughly researched family tree. You will be disappointed if this is what you expect to find. There are three types of DNA tests you can have run, so decided beforehand what you are looking to find. Some companies do just one type of test, others do all of them.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><i>Our DNA is stored in our chromosomes. We inherit 50% of our DNA from our each of our parents, they in turn inherited 50% from each of their parents. This goes back in time to the origins of man. One thing, just because we have inherited 50% of our father or mother’s DNA does not mean we inherited 25% of each grandparents’ DNA. We may inherit 10% our out maternal grandfather’s DNA and 40% of our maternal grandmother’s DNA. The inheritance does not have to be equal which is why siblings will have different DNA results and why, when we go back to 3rd cousins or further, we may not show any match. As an example, I have a confirmed 3rd cousin who does not show in my DNA matches.</i></i></span></div>
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<i>There is something we find in DNA results which has been termed NPE, short for Non-Parental Event. It does happen, adoptions are not always told to children and sometimes, well, two unmarried people develop an attraction with the results that a child believes his father is his biological father but finds this is not true. Be aware of this result just in case the results are not what is expected.</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now we should talk about the various types of DNA testing which can be run. Autosomal DNA testing will give you information pertaining to the DNA you inherited from ALL your direct ancestors. It is the broadest of all the types of DNA tests. One caution, once you receive results for cousins, those who rank further back than a 4th cousin (someone who shares a 5x great grandfather with you) may be a couple of generation matches one way or the other. In other words, someone who shows up as being a 5th cousin could really be a 4th or 6th. This is one reason having a thoroughly researched tree is necessary. Also, double check the connection when you find it, be sure the other person’s tree has been reached and not just assumed or copied from a third or fourth party. This is a great test and can connect you with cousins who are will to share information, family stories and pictures. If your results show many matches without a tree they may be adoptees searching for their biological families. Some companies will also provide health information which shows up on DNA results. There are also companies who will give you (for a nominal fee) this information if you upload your raw DNA results to their website.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another type of DNA test is the y-DNA test. Fewer companies do this type of testing. It will give you information on your direct paternal line. Only males can do this type of DNA test, females do not have y-DNA. It will show a man’s father, his father, his father on back to the direct paternal line’s haplogroup (the male clan or ancestral connection and migration).</span></i></div>
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<i><div style="display: inline !important;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another type of DNA test is the Mitochondrial DNA or mt-DNA test. Fewer companies do this type of testing. It will give you information on your direct maternal line. It will show your mother, her mother, her mother on back to the “Daughters of Eve” which shows how this direct maternal line’s haplogroup (your female clan or ancestral connection and migration). Mt-DNA is only pasted done through females to their offspring. Men inherit their mother’s mitrocondrial DNA but cannot pass it down to their children.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is very basic information on what the various DNA tests do for you. Check out the various company websites for more information but remember their objective is to sell their test. I encourage to check out various genetic genealogy blogs online and/or groups on Facebook.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After you receive the DNA test results the analyzing will need to begin before you add the information to your tree. You may need to set up your own system for adding the information to your genealogy program. I did and will explain my system for keeping track of new DNA cousins in a future post.</span></i></div>
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Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07730829907735924131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-25867798028560161762018-12-22T13:51:00.003-06:002018-12-22T13:51:48.665-06:00Holiday Memories<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHzo1IWNXXr-_nLTufKW_ryHuw5MwiEG9pDll2qzFU3XfoEvdqdhwKpQFV-9z5K7SKZc22JEYt-Bxp2iR-bysyg0E-yOnhlNcJ_F5lRB3kxPNDJnHAertT78W3XhS3ex2HbTrI8KwVeg/s1600/2018+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHzo1IWNXXr-_nLTufKW_ryHuw5MwiEG9pDll2qzFU3XfoEvdqdhwKpQFV-9z5K7SKZc22JEYt-Bxp2iR-bysyg0E-yOnhlNcJ_F5lRB3kxPNDJnHAertT78W3XhS3ex2HbTrI8KwVeg/s200/2018+Christmas.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It has been quite a while since I last posted. Research
into my family tree and that of friends has continued but there is something
about the Holidays and the many memories shared with my family which is helping
me to get back to writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Love of family and love of Holidays seem to go hand in hand.
The memories help carry us through times, both good and bad. As an only child,
my cousins were surrogate siblings in my heart. We share many fond memories of
growing up in the Chicago area. I was born in raised in what is called the “Little
Warsaw” area of Chicago. It was in the northwestern area of the city,
consisting of Bucktown, Logan Square, Albany Park and many other surrounding neighborhoods.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My immigrant ancestors originally settled in the Bucktown area
which received its name from the goats owned by the Polish families of the
neighborhood (a male goat is called a buck). It is the descendants of these
immigrants, my aunts, uncles, cousins and me who moved our families to other
areas but the “Little Warsaw” area remains predominately Polish. As late as
1994, when I attended my Aunt and Uncle Mitchell Wegrzyn’s 50<sup>th</sup>
Anniversary, some store clerk only spoke Polish. I remember shopping in a local
delicatessen (wędlinę which stands for meat in Polish) and the cashier having
to call all around the store to find someone to translate the cost of my
purchase from Polish to English. Alas, I never learned my ancestors mother
tongue, a regret I have to this day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My paternal grandparents died well before my parents
married. My maternal grandfather died when I was 5 years old. I still remember
his joy and excitement when the Holidays approached. I will carry his love for
family and Holidays in my heart forever. My maternal grandmother died when I
was 26. When this happened our families no longer celebrated the Holidays together,
but the memories will always be with all my cousins and with me. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25lWSwT131L2sTFq-ZojNxRy_NLDRUngqRzICgwd6OlGclHdWWHkCdqw7Cw9BjQto0tB3gWe5yC6iSzC7HhfiPnKVPmmAOOTuG3WR9Ev220UPn6AiS8Di5pHeL5rHe2YAieyYD2cmpwc/s1600/KOLODZINSKI%252C+Ed+and+Loretta+Szostek+1947+engagement+party+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="817" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25lWSwT131L2sTFq-ZojNxRy_NLDRUngqRzICgwd6OlGclHdWWHkCdqw7Cw9BjQto0tB3gWe5yC6iSzC7HhfiPnKVPmmAOOTuG3WR9Ev220UPn6AiS8Di5pHeL5rHe2YAieyYD2cmpwc/s400/KOLODZINSKI%252C+Ed+and+Loretta+Szostek+1947+engagement+party+%25286%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Szostek & Kolodzinski Family Gathering</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">My only regret
is not having their stories to share with future generations. Oh, sure I
remember some of them, but time has passed and the sharpness of memories fade.
I wish I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">would have recorded some of
what my grandparents and parents shared, either by writing them down or
recording their voices as they reminisced about their parents and life in
Poland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This Holiday Season, along with creating new memories be
sure to share family memories of days past. Treasure the stories of those in
your family who have enjoyed more Holiday memories than you have. Write down or
record (with their permission, of course) the stories for those too young or
not yet born. In this way their love will never be forgotten. Don’t forget to
share your memories, too, you are an important part of the Holidays!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07730829907735924131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-72517441695569042322014-12-29T13:18:00.003-06:002014-12-29T13:21:25.908-06:00The First Inda Immigrants - Settling in Arkansas and Oklahoma<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Ten branches of the Inda families have been identified emigrating
from Poland to the United States. All
had lived within 40 miles of each other while living in Poland. All seemed to have left family, parents,
siblings and cousins, behind in the old country. They had lived in an area of Poland that was
part of Prussian Empire. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The first to group to immigrate did so in 1868. They were Peter, Frances (Peter’s wife), and
Josepha (Peter’s sister). Peter was
about 29 years old. He had married his
wife in Grylewo, Poland in 1866. Their marriage record shows Peter was living
in Golancz and Frances in Rybowo.
Frances was about 5 years younger than Peter. The following is a copy of their marriage register (top of page).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sailing across the vast Atlantic Ocean on the S.S. Marco
Polo, they arrived at the Castle Garden Immigration Center in New York City on
the 1<sup>st</sup> of June in 1868.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5cf-HNvktpc/VKGnA_BX3YI/AAAAAAABaa0/_zkzcqZ7gpI/s1600/SS%2BMarco%2BPolo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5cf-HNvktpc/VKGnA_BX3YI/AAAAAAABaa0/_zkzcqZ7gpI/s1600/SS%2BMarco%2BPolo.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></div>
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What
brave souls they were, arriving in a new country, not believed to know anyone there. They came to find a better life, to find freedom, freedom for themselves, freedom for their children and freedom for their grandchildren. The USA ended the Civil War three years
previously. President Johnson had been impeached
and Ulysses S. Grant was new President. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Peter and Frances first settled in Michigan. The couple had five children born to them there,
sons Joseph Stanley in 1870, Michael Lawrence in 1872, John Andrew in 1873 and
Valentine in 1878 Their first daughter,
Johanna, was also born in Michigan but her birth is recorded in Wyandotte in 1876. The next record found on the family is in
Arkansas in 1880, it is the birth of their son, Casmier Nickolas who was later
known as Jasper. The couple also had a
daughter, Pauline, born about 1884. It
is possible there were more children but no records have been found at this
time. Peter believed in his new county and became a US citizen in 1872.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YmBDci695bQ/VKGnxn7b8UI/AAAAAAABaa8/oIibyPSNTrU/s1600/Peter%2BInda%2B-%2B1872%2BDeclaration%2Bof%2BIntent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YmBDci695bQ/VKGnxn7b8UI/AAAAAAABaa8/oIibyPSNTrU/s1600/Peter%2BInda%2B-%2B1872%2BDeclaration%2Bof%2BIntent.JPG" height="320" width="217" /></a></div>
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It is with their daughter Pauline’s
family, that Peter and Frances spent the rest of their lives. They are buried in the Immaculate Heart of
Mary Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E915rpSGDTQ/VKGmrlWTALI/AAAAAAABaas/v1SunYFpnBs/s1600/Peter%2BPiotr%2BInda%2B-%2Bheadstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E915rpSGDTQ/VKGmrlWTALI/AAAAAAABaas/v1SunYFpnBs/s1600/Peter%2BPiotr%2BInda%2B-%2Bheadstone.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
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Joseph would marry Catherine Ang Blockowiak in 1899. They would give birth to two daughters,
Frances and Louise. They raised their
children and grew old together in Pulaski County, Arkansas. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Michael would marry Bridget M. Masham about 1909. Mihael would be found living in Colorado
before 1918 but by 1930 the couple would be living in Grant, Custer,
Oklahoma. Here they would settle. Both are buried in the Anthon Cemetery in
Custer County, Oklahoma.<o:p></o:p></div>
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John would marry Agnes Victoria Makowski in 1900. They would
live with Agnes’ parents for a short time prior to moving to Oklahoma. In 1910 they live in Bales but by 1920 they
would have placed roots in Guthrie. This
is where the couple raised their three children, Frank, Floyd and Margaret. John and Agnes are buried in Saint Theresa's
Catholic Cemetery in Harrah, Oklahoma. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Johanna would marry John J. Yanniger in 1893. They would continue to live and raise their
three children, Joseph, George and Louise, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Johanna, who also went by Jane, and her
husband are buried there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Valentine or Vall, died at age 28. It is believed he had not married.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jasper would be living in Oklahoma by 1905. It is here we find his marriage to Louise C.
Drew. The couple have five children,
Theodore, Louis, Cecelia, Constance and Josephine before Louise died in
1942. In 1944, Jasper married Katie B.
Whittington in Arkansas. It was here he
would live until his death in 1965.
Jasper was well loved by both of his wives. He is buried next to Katie in the Memorial
Park Cemetery in Pine Bluff, Arkansas but he also has a headstone next to
Louise in Calvary Cemetery in Shawnee, Oklahoma.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pauline married Michael Peter Wilkiewicz. The couple stayed in Arkansas and had five
children, Thaddeus, Frances, Louise, Constance and Sylvester. Pauline and Michael are buried in Calvary
Cemetery in Little Rock. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So far, no further record has been found of Peter’s sister, Josepha
Inda. She was born about 1847.<o:p></o:p></div>
Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-16757171645809302502014-12-22T16:44:00.000-06:002014-12-22T16:44:44.889-06:00Tales of Christmas Past<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Prior
to my grandfather’s death in 1955, my family would gather at my grandparents,
Stanley and Mary Szostek (nee Inda), home at Springfield in Chicago. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">It was here we would celebrate Christmas. The tree
would have been lovingly trimmed by my dziadek (grandfather in Polish). The picture below was taken on my first Christmas at dziadek and grandma's home.</span></div>
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The
wonderful smells of Holiday cooking and baking would fill the air. All of my maternal uncles, aunts and cousins would
arrive, bundled up on this cold Chicago day. The atmosphere would be warm with the joy of
another joyous Holiday together. <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">After
some talk, we would all sit down at the table and share the opłatki. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Opłatki is the first food of the Christmas vigil. It is a wafer normally rectangular in
shape. The wafer is similar in texture,
thickness and taste to a Communion Wafer.
They are about 4” by 6”. Each has
an different embossed picture on it, such as the Nativity or the Three Kings. The opłatki is normally blessed by a Priest
prior to bringing it home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QNp9DjXsSNU/VJiZlRNzd-I/AAAAAAABaZc/AR2v_oUVGto/s1600/Oplatki.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QNp9DjXsSNU/VJiZlRNzd-I/AAAAAAABaZc/AR2v_oUVGto/s1600/Oplatki.JPG" height="171" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the Christmas dinner, the eldest person offers the
opłatki to the next oldest, wishing them good health and the fulfillment of
their heart’s desires. If there is any
strain between these two people, forgiveness is also asked for now. At the conclusion of the eldest person’s
wishes, the next oldest
person expresses their thanks and breaks off a corner of the opłatki. The
eldest person then repeats this offering with each individual at the table in
the same manner. After the eldest has
shared the opłatki and wished with the youngest person, the second eldest repeats
the process starting with the eldest and ending with the youngest. This continues, each having their turn, until
the youngest has offered wishes and shares the opłatki with everyone present in
the same manner. Everyone has an
opportunity to say a few words and share wishes since each person in turn
offers the opłatki to the others present. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After everyone shares the opłatki, the dinner begins.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Wine was served, usually a sweet one by Mogen David. The first course was homemade chicken soup with kluski noodles. After that was finished the rest of the meal would be placed one the table. Food was shared family style. It was passed on huge platters or in large bowls. Included would be chicken, beef, polish sausage with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and gravy, browned potatoes, at least two vegetables a selection of breads. We would eat and eat and then eat some
more! Seconds, thirds and sometimes
fourths! Do not forget the dessert! Pies, cookies and ice cream would be following soon. It was a wonder anyone could rise from the table!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the wonderful dinner was finished, everyone moved into the living room where the Christmas tree was shining brightly. Of course, this was the time my cousins and I were waiting for, time to open the presents!
They were all so beautifully wrapped!
My Aunt Phyllis always had the prettiest bows on the packages her family
gave to others. She would use yards and
yards of curling ribbon that was done in a big poof of curls! Someone was usually chosen as the "mailman", the one who pulled the present out from under the tree and delivered it to the proper person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Afterwards
my dziadek would bring play his concertina and we would
sing Christmas carols. (Below is a picture of my dziadek's concertina)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvvPNS_23x4/VJiZnh1WW3I/AAAAAAABaZo/6c8iiDLBY_I/s1600/Grandpa%2BSzostek%2Bconcertina%2B(4)%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvvPNS_23x4/VJiZnh1WW3I/AAAAAAABaZo/6c8iiDLBY_I/s1600/Grandpa%2BSzostek%2Bconcertina%2B(4)%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We would visit with each other for a time then head home with bellies stuffed with food, arms laden with gifts and memories to carry with us throughout our lives.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-86463945576279981122014-12-15T14:45:00.000-06:002014-12-15T14:45:00.981-06:00My Paternal Grandfather<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Michael Kolodzinski was my paternal grandfather. Everything I know about him came from stories told by my dad and aunts. I never met him. He died in Chicago, Illinois on 21 Dec 1940, many years before I was born, years before my parents were even married. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KEAgyIIyDIQ/VI87Y_zh98I/AAAAAAABaZA/9oWnmrqSKY8/s1600/Michael%2BKolodzinski%2BSr%2B-%2B1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KEAgyIIyDIQ/VI87Y_zh98I/AAAAAAABaZA/9oWnmrqSKY8/s1600/Michael%2BKolodzinski%2BSr%2B-%2B1944.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For many years, this was the only picture I had of Michael.<br /><br />It was taken in 1938 at the wedding of his daughter, Mary, to Theodore Porebski. His look is stern for this day. Maybe I am a romantic but I believe he missed sharing this day with his wife, my grandmother Mary, who died two years before.<br /><br />Stories, so many stories, inter-sprinkled with facts I have proved through research. My dad's side of the family is a brick wall for me. Hopefully over time I will be able to scale that wall through genealogical DNA.<br /><br />Michael was born in an November 1877. He claimed to have been born in Lithuania but was Polish. Both were true since the area where he was born had been part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. When he was born the area was part of the Russian Partition. Is it any wonder he spoke 7 different languages, none of which were English. The area he was born is now part of Belarus.<br /><br />Michael told he served with the Cossacks. No doubt he was in the Russian military since all men were expected to serve when they came of age. In all probability he took care of the Cossack horses since he had a wonderful way with animals.<br /><br />He arrived in the USA on 18 January 1908 at Ellis Island in New York. According to the passenger list his residence was Dykshuy, Russia. He had paid for his own ticket and had $10.00 in his pocket. He was traveling to Chicago to his brother Nikodum, who lived on Avery Avenue. No brother has been found.<br /><br />He adopted my grandmother's two children, they would have four more of their own. Two of the four died in infancy, one of the adopted children died in her 20's. This left my father, Edward and his two sisters, Anna and Mary. To support his family Michael worked as a laborer for many different employers. He also worked for himself as a junk man, driving a horse and wagon through the streets of "Buck Town" in Chicago.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yfZo9Sifaro/VI87aN6LmFI/AAAAAAABaZI/ovz4T6DWz2k/s1600/Michael%2Band%2BMaryanna%2B(nee%2BCzmur)%2BKolodzinski%2B-%2B1929%2BJun%2B19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yfZo9Sifaro/VI87aN6LmFI/AAAAAAABaZI/ovz4T6DWz2k/s1600/Michael%2Band%2BMaryanna%2B(nee%2BCzmur)%2BKolodzinski%2B-%2B1929%2BJun%2B19.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a picture of my grandparents taken in Buck Town. My grandparents moved many times and owned their own home several times. As a matter of fact, my maternal grandparents rented and apartment from them in the 1920's. Everything changed during the depression. They lost their home and even the children looked to find work just so the family could survive. Michael had a pet rabbit who followed him around like a dog. The family had no food and the decision was made to kill the rabbit so they could eat. It was done and the family had food to eat that day, well, all except Michael. He could not eat. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />My grandfather was a strict man with his children. He was also a hard drinking man, an alcoholic. It is for this reason my dad never drank. After my grandmother died, Michael lost himself in the bottle. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 21 Dec 1940 and is buried in Saint Adalberts Cemetery in Niles, Illinois.</span></div>
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Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-26049169235451582062014-11-06T14:24:00.002-06:002014-11-06T14:26:29.007-06:00My Dziazek, Stanley Szostek<div style="text-align: center;">
My grandpa, dziadek in Polish, was Stanley Szostek. I never remember calling him grandpa, he was
always dziadgie to me. He was not in my
life for very long, dying when I was only 5, but his love and warmth has stayed
with me my entire life. He was the only
grandfather I would know.</div>
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Stanislaus Szostek was born 10 Oct 1884 in Gromiec,
Poland. At the time of his birth,
Gromiec was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and located in Austrian
Partition of Poland. Poland would not
exist again as a country until 1918.
Stanislaus was the second of six children born to Wawrzyniec and Maria
Bronislawa Szostek. The family’s life in
Poland was not easy, as soon as he was old enough, Stanislaus went to work in the
nearby coal mines.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lZo8NCf-C18/VFvPy6rCnbI/AAAAAAABaUs/pDNefPqf4Nk/s1600/Gromiec%2C%2BPoland%2B(Google%2Bmaps).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lZo8NCf-C18/VFvPy6rCnbI/AAAAAAABaUs/pDNefPqf4Nk/s1600/Gromiec%2C%2BPoland%2B(Google%2Bmaps).JPG" height="230" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gromiec, Poland (courtesy Google Maps)</td></tr>
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When he and his older brother, Frank, saved enough money
they immigated to America. They arrived
at Ellis Island on 27 Apr 1907 having sailed from Bremen, Germany on the
S.S.Main. Both were surprised at finding
the streets were not paved with the gold they had been told they would
find. Franc had $12.00 in his pocket,
Stash had $20.00. According to the ship
manifest found, Franc was married. The
brothers were traveling to Chicago, Illinois to stay with Franc’s
brother-in-law, Stash Rebek. Frank was 5”4”
tall and Stash 5’6”, both were stated to be blond with blue eyes although in
1918 Stash is said to have brown hair and grey eyes. </div>
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Stash or Stanley, would stay in Chicago working as a Box
maker in 1910 and a moulder for Illinois Mallabel Iron Works in 1918. During the time he worked at Illinois Mallabel
Iron Works, he befriended John Bochyniak.
John and Stash would sometimes get together at John’s home. It was here Stash met John’s wife, Mary, and
his son, Eddie. Stash became close to the whole family. Mary became a widow in January of 1917. She was left alone to raise her small son and
moved back to Franklin Park with her parents.
Stash kept in touch and when Mary’s mourning period was over he asked
her to marry him telling her how much he loved Eddie and that he would take
care of both of them for the rest of their lives. The couple married in Franklin Park at Saint
Gertrude’s Catholic Church on 24 Sep 1918.
Over the next 10 years they would add 3 daughters to their family,
Phyllis, Loretta and Helen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hhASkxCMFWk/VFvYnzVIqUI/AAAAAAABaVk/vIMSHnV3654/s1600/Szostek%2C%2BStanley%2C%2BLoretta%2C%2BMary%2C%2BPhyllis%2B%26%2BEd%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hhASkxCMFWk/VFvYnzVIqUI/AAAAAAABaVk/vIMSHnV3654/s1600/Szostek%2C%2BStanley%2C%2BLoretta%2C%2BMary%2C%2BPhyllis%2B%26%2BEd%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" height="320" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stanley, holding Loretta, and Mary Szostek with Phyllis and Eddie right front c1922</span></td></tr>
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Stanley worked hard in a foundry over the years, money was not abundant but the family was a happy one. It was expensive but Stanley became a US citizen in 1936. Stanley loved to cook and made most of the meals teaching his daughters how to make wonderful pies along with other great Polish foods. It was not all work and no play, Stanley would bring out his concertina and sing the songs he learned in Poland. Christmas was his favorite time of the year as he would decorate the house and while the delicious smell of his baked goods filled the air. </div>
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Loretta Szostek, Leroy and Mary Porebski, Helen, Mary, and Stanley Szostek, Mitchell and Phyllis Wegrzyn, Emily, Holding Diane, and Edward Szostek c1946</div>
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Most of what I have written was told to me by my mom, Loretta, and my aunts but I remember so much.... </div>
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My dziadgie would pull me up into his arms and hug me whenever we went to visit. Even though he would never learn to speak English and I did not know Polish, we understood what the other was saying... </div>
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Every time we visited he would bring out the cards for a game of Canasta with my dad. I would sit on dziadgie's lap as he play and talked to me, asking me which of the pretty cards he should play next...</div>
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He rolled his own cigarettes and I remember tiny pieces of tobacco falling out and settling on his chest. The Bull Durham bags the tobacco came in were precious gifts he would give to me....</div>
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I remember the sound of his concertina and his singing kolędy (Polish carols)...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OHOMvz-IyQI/VFvYMyzoEUI/AAAAAAABaVc/Ga2jIJR6hkk/s1600/Szostek%2C%2BStanley%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OHOMvz-IyQI/VFvYMyzoEUI/AAAAAAABaVc/Ga2jIJR6hkk/s1600/Szostek%2C%2BStanley%2B(2).jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanley Szostek (1984-1955)</td></tr>
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I cry as I write this, still missing his warmth and love all these years since.</div>
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Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-73832470573867659952013-10-01T15:43:00.000-05:002013-10-01T15:43:50.027-05:00Poland: The Land of Our Ancestors<div align="center">
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>The land we currently call Poland is one of contrasts. The country’s total area is slightly over 120,700 square miles, a bit smaller than the combined areas of the states Wisconsin and Illinois. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c9ACHvAsfQk/UkswH9Xe1wI/AAAAAAABWfQ/KGSpw6ksWEM/s1600/Poland+b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c9ACHvAsfQk/UkswH9Xe1wI/AAAAAAABWfQ/KGSpw6ksWEM/s1600/Poland+b.JPG" width="297" /></a>Forests cover almost 29% of the land. More than 1% of the land is classified as a national park, therefore protected by the government.</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #010101;"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On the northern border one finds the Brackish Baltic Sea. Along this area you will find many long sandy beaches, impressive cliffs and unusual geological formations. Dense forests can also be found here. There are many islands in the Baltic Sea; many under the flag of Poland. Some of these are under government protection due to the varied protected wildlife such as eagles, wild boar and other protected species. There is also a small bison preserve on one of the islands. Others contain resorts which are enjoyed in the summer months. These are major tourist attractions for the Poles and other nationalities. Also found are the remains of one of the oldest Slav settlements that had been built during the 9</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>th</sup></span> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">and 10</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>th</sup></span> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">centuries. At one point in the history of the land, this area had been a Viking stronghold. This event continues to be celebrated in an annual Viking Festival held in Wolin.</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101;"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The land along the Baltic shoreline also holds its charm. Here one finds beaches and sand dunes, lakes and flooded meadows. Spas, resorts and many historic buildings also tempt the tourist who journeys to the coast. Scattered among the resorts one finds many fishing villages. Even a 14</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>th</sup></span> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">century castle once occupied by the Pomeranian Duke Eryk I who had also ruled Denmark, Sweden and Norway can be seen in the area. </span></span></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>It is along the shoreline that one finds Poland’s fourth largest city, Gdansk. It has long been Poland’s major port and trading center. Here one finds many historic buildings some dating back to the 10th century. There are fine examples of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture much of which was destroyed during World War II but beautifully restored by a people proud of their heritage.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>Now we travel to the contrasting southern border of Poland. Here we find the Tatra Mountains, part of the Carpathian Mountain range. The Tatras contain some of the highest mountain peaks of this range. Winter sports abound in this beautiful area as tourists flock to resorts scattered around the Tatras. This area has well earned the title “Winter Capital of Poland”</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>Since World War I, the small town of Zakopane at the foot of the mountains has been known as a refuge for well-known artists, a place to relax and enjoy the rustic beauty of the area. It continues to be known today as a Bohemian town attracting many artist, writers and composers. Zakopane also hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics and both the 2011 and 2013 Alpine World Ski Championships.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>Even so it is the mountain peaks that attract most of the three million tourists that visit annually. The area is enjoyed by both the Poles and many other Western Europeans for skiing and various other mountain sports. The entire mountain area is part of the Tatra National Park which was created in 1954. The park holds a wide variety of both indigenous and Alpine plants and animals which are protected by the park system. The area is one of the Poland’s last refuges for the Golden Eagle. You will also find bears, Marmot and chamois, to name a few.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>Previous to the creation of the park, the area was inhabited by the Polish peoples called Gorale or mountain highlanders. Here they could have been seen grazing goats, sheep, and cows in the summer pastures of the Tatras. The language of the Gorale is a mixture having Polish as the base language. Their original culture is preserved in stories told by the highlanders who still live in the area. </em></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>The central region of Poland is the largest. On the west it extends to Germany and the Czech Republic and on the east to Lithuania, Belarus and the Ukraine. It consists of flat plains interspersed with lakes and ice-aged rivers. The geography of this area allowed Poland to become a natural roadway between foes; usable for other counties during various European conflicts. </em></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcuS59GXgro/Ukswt3bsQkI/AAAAAAABWfY/Z2TmIU_Q2Wg/s1600/Poznan+city++-+1890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcuS59GXgro/Ukswt3bsQkI/AAAAAAABWfY/Z2TmIU_Q2Wg/s400/Poznan+city++-+1890.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="color: #010101; font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">City of Poznan circa 1890. </span></span></em></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #010101;"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here is the agricultural belt of Poland. Fields with wheat, rye and potatoes along with other crops are planted on narrow strips of land. It is an area of contrasts; large, mechanized private farms bordering small farms being worked in the way of the 19</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>th</sup></span> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">century farmer.</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The towns can be bustling cities like Warsaw, Krakow or Posen or small, quaint villages containing thatched wooden cottages. Nobles’ castles are preserved and war torn cities have been rebuilt. Most Polish cities have retained their medieval layouts containing a town square with markets, a town hall and burgher’s houses. The architecture can range from Romanesque to Gothic, Renaissance to baroque or neoclassical. In the large cities one also sees the bland apartments built during the 45 years of communist control.</span></em> </span></span></div>
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Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-72331329449372952412013-03-28T12:17:00.000-05:002013-03-28T12:17:20.583-05:00Dyngus Day Fun<div style="text-align: center;">
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<em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The celebration of Dyngus Day is a very ancient Polish custom is
preformed on Easter Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
known writings on dyngus date back to the Middle Ages. Some tie this celebration to the 966 AD baptizing of Prince Mieszko and his court on Easter Monday. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This custom is well documented in the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Poznan</st1:place></st1:city> region of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Poland</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </span>It is a celebration of the end of Lent, a rejoicing about the end of the Lenten restrictions.</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Men would pour water on the heads of an
unsuspecting female friend or lover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dyngus began about 5 in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The house where the unsuspecting female lived would be secretly invaded,
sometimes with the collusion of the males of that household, and the females of
the house were doused liberally with water while some were still in bed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></em></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dsUtDqBMK8/UVR3C1LnO2I/AAAAAAAA7B0/ZSwprVYDQAA/s1600/Dyngus+Day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dsUtDqBMK8/UVR3C1LnO2I/AAAAAAAA7B0/ZSwprVYDQAA/s1600/Dyngus+Day.JPG" width="320" /></span></em></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Even though there was much screaming
and shouting by the girls, Dyngus was and still is considered a popularity contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more times in a day that a girl had to
change her dress, the more popular she was!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
Reilly, the celebration is a strange type of courtship ritual! </span>It was well known that the girl who was not dumped with water would not
be married in the next year.</span></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">When our ancestors came to the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
switches from willows were used on the girls’ legs instead of or in addition to water, but the
basic idea of the custom remains the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></em></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--iBbpdaYADQ/UVR3lknsaEI/AAAAAAAA7B8/hTCA_uRWaS0/s1600/Pussy+willow+branches.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--iBbpdaYADQ/UVR3lknsaEI/AAAAAAAA7B8/hTCA_uRWaS0/s1600/Pussy+willow+branches.JPG" width="320" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">My mom, Loretta Szostek Kolodzinski, told me of celebrating Dyngus Day when she was a child in Chicago. There would be a knock on the door and her sister, Phyllis, and her would run yelling and squeaking into the bedroom. They would crawl under the bed for protection but it would not last. Their father, Stanley Szostek, </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">would show the boys the bedroom, lift the dust ruffle and point to his daughters hiding under the bed.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even though this custom seems one sided, the women and girls had their days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From Easter Tuesday until Pentecost, this period of time was called the Green holidays, the women doused the men!<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><br /></i></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dyngus Day is celebrated today in many locations in the USA, mostly where there are large Polish communities such as Buffalo, NY (the consider themselves the capital of Dyngus Day in America!), South Bend, IN, Chicago, IL, Elizabeth, NJ, Bristol, CT, and Pittsburgh, PA.</span></span> </i></span></div>
Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-30153923731883079782013-03-26T12:12:00.003-05:002013-03-26T12:12:44.350-05:00Polish Easter Eggs<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Eggs have been decorated for centuries. The early Christians of Mesopotamia were already coloring eggs by staining them. It was in 1610 A.D. that the Christian Church officially adopted the custom. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What did they do prior to the availability of food coloring? </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In today's world Easter eggs are largely decorated by children with the help of a parent. We purchased "fizzy" coloring which is a tablet that is placed in cold water. We add the boiled egg and after a while take it out and the shell is colored. Prior to this there were tablets which were place in extremely hot water with a teaspoon of vinegar. Again we added the boiled egg, waited a bit and soon had a beautifully colored egg. When I was a child we just used bottled food coloring, a messy alternative but we obtained the same results.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Prior to the food coloring we know today, eggs were colored with natural dyes. Red wine results in a violet blue egg, blueberries a blue one of course. Would you like a green egg? Try boiled spinach leaves. Yellow? Boiled orange ore lemon peels should do the trick. Boiled yellow onion skins will give you a shade of orange or peach. Like pink eggs, try beets. The list goes on and it is fun to try different and unique natural dyes. Even strong coffee will dye eggs a brown! Think of what will stain your clothes and you know of something that will dye eggs naturally.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I did title this the Easter Eggs of Poland. In our ancestors time the coloring of eggs would use many of the same dyes we term natural today. It is all they had but they used dyes, wax, paper and sometimes straw in different ways.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Poland</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
the decorating of Easter eggs was mainly the task of the girls and women. It was done in great secrecy on Holy Thursday
or Good Friday. Men and boys were not
allowed to see how the eggs were decorated.
If a man happened to enter the room where the eggs were being decorated,
he was chased away and the women would have to throw a pinch of salt over their
shoulders to cleanse themselves!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>The Easter eggs of Poland usually fall into five types:</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Kraszanki</b>
– hard boiled and made for eating, these are dyed one color only (these are our basic Easter eggs)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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– blown egg with a colored design painted on the top (this type is also made in Russia but I am sure they have a different name)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Pisanki</b>
– blown egg made by applying various wax patterns (sometimes known as the
Ukrainian Easter egg)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Okeljane
or nalepianki</b> – blown egg decorated with paper or straw<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Skrobanki</b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> – blown egg that is scratch carved</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-45867218987583149392013-03-25T10:10:00.000-05:002013-03-26T10:45:31.626-05:00Easter Sunday<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>A vast majority of Polish peoples are members of the Catholic faith. Some who originally lived in the German Partition of Poland were encouraged to follow teachings of the Lutheran religion. There were also many members of the Jewish faith.</em></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em><br /></em></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">With the typical Polish families, Easter Sunday began with a High Mass, a celebration of the Resurrection. </em></span></span><em style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">After Mass the family shares Swieconka, foods Blessed on Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In my family my mom would slice the ham and Polish sausage and place them in a pan to fry in a light amount of butter, basically just to heat them. While they were heating she would remove the shells from the eggs and slice the eggs. Later she would crumble the shells and bury them in the plants (the shells had also been blessed so they could not be thrown out but in the potted plants the would add nourishment to the soil). When the ham and sausage were heated they would be moved to the side of the pan and the egg slices would be added to fry a bit and heat. Frying of boiled eggs may sound strange but on Easter Sunday they were delicious. The eggs, ham and sausage would be served along with the rye bread, butter lamb, horseradish and other items which had been blessed.</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>In some households the water in which
the Polish sausage was cooked on Saturday was used to make a white borscht.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following recipes was shared with me by my Aunt Emily Dul Szostek. The recipes was given to her by her mother, Catherine Zuba Dul. Both women served this to their families on Easter.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">½ cup flour<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">1 1/4 cup milk<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">¼ cup vinegar (or to taste)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Smoked Polish Sausage – cooked<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">5 to 6 eggs – hard boiled<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Touch of horseradish<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Tiny crisp pieces of bacon - optional<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">In a small bowl mix together flour and ¾ cup milk (mixture should be fluid, not paste).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour ½ gallon (8 cups) of water into a large pot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring to a boil and immediately add the remaining ½ cup milk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour in flour/milk mixture and stir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simmer over a lowered flame for a few minutes (mixture may rise).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Remove from flame. Add bacon pieces, if desired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Serve pieces of sausage and eggs in the soup bowls along with the borscz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Horseradish can be added as an optional seasoning.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> Others just added sour cream, flour and horseradish to this water and heated to make this soup which is shared along with the rest of the items from the basket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many would added their kielbasa and eggs to the borscht. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>In Poland, husbands and wives
share their decorated eggs with each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many children play a game called “wybitki”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two children each take an egg in their right
hand and hit one against the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whoever’s egg does not break wins the other child’s egg.</i></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>In my maternal side of the family it was traditional to celebrate both Easter and my Grandma, Mary Inda Szostek's, birthday together. She was born on 30 Mar 1894 so her children, Edward Szostek, Phyllis Szostk Wegrzyn, Loretta Szostek Kolodzinski and Helen Szostek Huffman, decided it was better to all get together on Easter to celebrate no matter which date Easter fell on. After my Grandpa, Stanley Szostek, died in 1955, we normally got together at whichever sibling my Grandma was living with at the time. Many times this was at the Wegrzyns, home of the my Aunt Phyllis and her family.</i></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJJhbxtg_5o/UVBnraZdt7I/AAAAAAAA6_A/rpe3x-aSEqU/s1600/Easter+ham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJJhbxtg_5o/UVBnraZdt7I/AAAAAAAA6_A/rpe3x-aSEqU/s320/Easter+ham.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>After visiting for a while we would sit down for a huge Easter dinner! This normally started out with homemade chicken noodle soup and continued with ham, chicken, mashed potatoes and gray and many vegetables. Dinner was finished off with a birthday cake and other desserts. After dinner the men would get together for pinochle while the women would clear the tables and head to the kitchen to wash and dry the dishes. Both of these were great times to get together and share stories and great conversation. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Just wait until you hear about Easter Monday!</i></span></div>
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Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-81838184668071130472013-03-23T13:14:00.000-05:002015-02-24T12:21:59.946-06:00Święconka - Easter Baskets<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>A
major part of any Polish Easter tradition is the Święconka or the blessed foods
of the Easter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The Blessing occurred on Saturday, the day before Easter. Saturday mornings were busy days for a Polish housewife, not only was she making her home ready for visitors she would have the next day but she would be busy preparing the foods to be eaten on Easter Sunday. Normally this is when the children of the house decorated Easter eggs. The Blessing would take place at church in the mid-afternoon In my father, Edward Kolodzinski, parents' home the family would fast from noon on Saturday until after Mass on Easter Sunday morning. Easter breakfast was the end of the Lenten fast.</span></i></span><br />
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decorated to carry the blessed foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span></span>he baskets were decorated especially for this coming time of celebration, the Resurrection of Jesus.t. The cloth had been previously beautifully embroidered, possibly even an heirloom from her mother, to line the basket and cover the foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes
a crocheted cover was made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These items
were special and used only for this occasion.</i></div>
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<i>The foods that were placed in the basket had a religious meaning. I have listed the foods with both their Polish and English names. Although not all Polish families could afford all of the items listed but the
basket contained many foods that were only purchased for the Easter
celebration:</i><br />
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<i> A carved or molded maslo or butter lamb represents the goodness of
Christ</i><br />
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<i>Jajka or eggs are the symbol of Christ’s tomb and resurrection</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>A
special Easter rye chleb or bread which would have a cross cut in it before it was baked
symbolizing Christ, our true Bread (in later years the rye would have a purple paper sticker with a white cross attached)<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Fresh kielbasa or Polish
sausage indicative of God’s favor and generosity (the water one cooked the sausage in would be saved for Easter morning for white borscht, I will include my Aunt Emily Dul Szostek's recipe which she generously shared with me, in my next post for Easter)<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Szynka or ham
which is symbolic of the joy and abundance of Easter<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Sol or salt
which is symbolic of prosperity and justice<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Chrzan or horseradish
symbolizing the bitter sufferings of Christ<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>A
candle to symbolize the power of light over the darkness<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sometimes, slonina or smoked bacon (to symbolize the over abundance of God's mercy and generosity) and ser or cheese (to symbolize the moderation Christians should always have) were also added.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When everything was prepared, the
basket is taken to Church for the Blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many times the whole family would attend this event</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, children carrying their own
baskets of food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This tradition is still celebrated in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Poland</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bulgaria</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bohemia</st1:place></st1:state>, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region> and other Slavic countries along with many areas of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>In my household we
would include jellybeans and candy eggs in the basket, in later years would also include a
biscuit for our special feline or dog member of the family and birdseed for our feathered friends. My materal Grandfather, Stanley Szostek would include his favorite Babka in his basket (he was the cook in the house). I have included a recipe for Babka at the end of this post. I have also seen people bring bottles of wine in their baskets for Blessing. Yes, the baskets could get really large!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Babka is a traditional Polish cake made for special occasions, especially Easter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Babka also means old woman or grandmother in Polish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cake was baked in a fancy pan that looked like a grandmother’s skirt and that is how it received its name babka.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><strong>Babka Wielkanocna Lukrowana</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">(Easter Babka with Icing)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 envelope dry yeast<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">½ cup half and half – room temperature<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2 cups flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">3 eggs – room temperature<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 teas vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1/2 teas rum extract<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 teas grated lemon rind<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1/3 cup raisins (mixed light and dark)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">ICING<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">½ cup confectioners sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 tablespoon rum (you can use lemon juice instead)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Dissolve the yeast in the cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Combine this with 1 cup flour and half the sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let rise until double in size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add all the remaining ingredients except the raisins and knead until smooth (this may be very sticky and will be kneaded in bowl).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add raisins and knead into dough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grease and flour babka pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Place dough in pan, cover with cloth, and let rise in a warm place until double in size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake at 350° for 35 to 45 minutes or until a tester is inserted and comes out clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When cool remove from pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix icing ingredients and drizzle over cooled babka.</span></div>
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Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-58670158256542119872013-02-27T12:51:00.003-06:002014-11-06T11:53:18.569-06:00My American Grandmother, Mary Inda Szostek<div align="center">
Mary was the third child and first daughter born to Jozef and Antonina (nee Nowicki) Inda. She was born in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois in 1894. Since she was my only grandparent born in the USA, I had always thought of her as my American Grandmother. She completed 8 years of school in Chicago and was fluent in both English and Polish. Her daughter, Loretta (my mother), told me of finding a long braid of auburn hair in a trunk in her parents' home. She was told this was Mary's hair which she had cut about in the sometime after her marriage.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_trtlFo7kdA/VFu1NHJSrBI/AAAAAAABaUI/ufPYDZdFLTM/s1600/Inda%2C%2BMary%2B-%2B1907%2B-%2BHoly%2BCommunion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_trtlFo7kdA/VFu1NHJSrBI/AAAAAAABaUI/ufPYDZdFLTM/s1600/Inda%2C%2BMary%2B-%2B1907%2B-%2BHoly%2BCommunion.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Inda 1907 First Communion</td></tr>
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In the 1910 US Census, Mary is living with her parents and eight siblings at 1736 Wood Street, Chicago, which is part of the area known as Bucktown. She was already working as a seamstress in a tailor shop and would eventually do piecework for a company called Smoler Brothers. Sewing was a skill she was taught by her mother along with crocheting and embroidery.</div>
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Her uncle, Sylwester Inda, was living with his family at 2124 Berlin Street. Living in the same building was a man by the name of John Bochyniak. In all probability this is were Mary met John. He was a very handsome man, tall with blond hair. The couple would fall in love and marry on 26 November 1913 in St Hedwigs Catholic Church. On 3 October 1915, Mary would give birth to their first child, Edward. There happiness would not last. John was what is called a "ladies man". He was not a faithful husband and because of this tragedy would befall the once happy couple. John was diagnosed with syphilis and was being treated. He told Mary that both she and their infant son would need to be treated also. The shame he felt lead john to despair. On 8 January 1917 John threw himself under a train in Franklin Park and died at the age of 30 years, 11 months.</div>
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Mary's sorrow knew no bounds but she had a child to raise. She moved back in with her parents who now lived at 3344 Edgington in Franklin Park. She would not be a single parent long. John had been a moulder in Chicago. He had a friend by the name of Stanley Szostek. Stanley had also immigrated from Poland and now worked with John. He was often invited to the Bochyniak home. Over time he fell in love with Mary but had never let her know since she was married to his friend. After allowing for a time of morning, Stanley approached marry. He told her of his love. He then asked her to marry him and told her he also loved her son and would adopt him legally and raise him as his own. Mary and Stanley wed at St Gertrude Catholic Church in Franklin Park on 24 September 1918.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yxUjIVYBb6k/US5Ej1F4qAI/AAAAAAAA2ao/xGkSnj7msgY/s1600/Szostek,+Mary+(nee+Inda+%5BBohiniak%5D)+&+Stanley+-+1918+Sep+24+-+wedding+b+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yxUjIVYBb6k/US5Ej1F4qAI/AAAAAAAA2ao/xGkSnj7msgY/s320/Szostek,+Mary+(nee+Inda+%5BBohiniak%5D)+&+Stanley+-+1918+Sep+24+-+wedding+b+(2).jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></div>
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On 5 July 1919, Mary would give birth to the couple's first child, Monica Phyllis Mary. Their daughter, Loretta Mary, would follow on 21 November 1921. Their last child was also a daughter. Helen was born on 16 September 1928. Stanley did legally adopt Edward. The family lived at various addresses prior to their purchasing their own home in the early 1940's at 2535 North Springfield Avenue in Chicago. It is interesting to note one of the homes rented by the Szostek's about 1928 was owned by Michael and Maryanna Kolodzinski, my paternal grandparents. That is a story for another day.<br />
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Mary was a wonderful sewer and never used a pattern just cutting the material and creating clothing for her children. She would dress Phyllis and Loretta as twins since they were so close in age. She did not have patience to teach her daughters how to sew feeling she could always do it faster. Her daughters were taught embroidery and Phyllis learned crocheting.<br />
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Mary and Stanley's happiness continued as their children married and they would enjoy the arrive of their grandchildren. Then on 20 September 1955, tragedy again struck Mary as the husband she grew to love died of a stroke. Now Mary would move into the home of her daughter, Phyllis Szostek Wegrzyn. At various times she would be living with each of her three daughters' families. The following picture was taken in 1959 outside of my parents home at 2866 North Woodard in Chicago. We lived near a neighborhood shopping district and Mary did enjoy shopping.<br />
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Mary enjoyed spending time with her family. As her children grew they would visit many times during the year. Some days were very special and would mean all of the families would gather. These would include Christmas Day and one day in the summer for a family picnic also every Easter we would celebrate both Easter and her birthday even though the day of this event would in reality change yearly. <br />
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My grandmother carried on the tradition of teaching needlework. I fondly remember sitting by her when I was about six and learning how to embroider. Yes, it was simple embroidery stitches but she taught me and instilled my love of the needle arts by doing so. The first piece I embroidered was a quilted potholder with Humpty Dumpty on it. Mary continued to sew and altered both her clothes and that of her daughters if they asked. She enjoyed her soap operas especially All My Children and As the World Turns. You were not allowed to interrupt her during her favorite soaps! As far as she was concerned there were no commercials. She assumed they were just a part of the show so you needed to save conversation until they had finished, commercials and all.<br />
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Mary Inda Szostek died in Chicago on 10 February 1977. She is buried next to Stanley at St Josephs Catholic Cemetery in River Grove. </div>
Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-39942519259666294502013-02-22T15:50:00.001-06:002013-02-22T15:50:58.146-06:00My Elusive Babcia, Maryanna Kolodzinski<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">In Polish, babcia means grandma, Maryanna was my paternal grandmother. She died in 1936, eleven years before my parents were married. Growing up I believed the stories all to be true. First the s</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0039062);">tories told to me by my father, Edward Kolodzinski and aunts, Anna Drozek and Mary Porebski:</span></span></div>
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<em><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0039062);"></span></em> </div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0039062);">I was told Maryanna was born in Austria about 1883. My grandmother spoke Polish exclusively. She did not know how to read or write Polish or English. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0039062);">Both of my aunts, her daughters Anna and Mary, remembered writing letters back to the "old country" for their mother. They were addressed simply as SMULSKA (everyone also believed this to have been my grandmother's maiden name also) in Vienna, Austria. The letters were sent to Marianna's mother and after a time replies would be received. Our family understood Maryanna's maiden name was SMULSKA. When asked if this was the right spelling of her surname Maryanna would say it looks like it.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0039062);"> </span></span></em></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0039062); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My cousins and I heard tales of my grandmother coming to the United States as a young girl, working as a servant to a rich family aboard a ship to obtain passage. My father and my aunts never told us what brought her to Chicago where she began her new life. It is quite probable even they did not know. In the late 1800's and early 1900's it was common for immigrants not to talk about life in their homeland. They were afraid word would get back to the authorities there and bad things would happen to the immigrant's family which was left behind.</span> </em></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> </em></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Maryana </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Picture taken soon after she arrived in Chicago.</em></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0039062);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Maryanna married Michael KOŁODZINSKI<o:p></o:p>
in Chicago. Anna, born in 1909 was the oldest child, Edward was born in 1914 and Mary in 1916. Two other children, Genevieve and Michael, died in infancy. The family lived in an area of Chicago called "bucktown". Bucktown was an area on the northwest side of Chicago. At the time it was predominantly Polish.</em> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0039062); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maryanna owned a candy store in the area. My father told me stories of her sitting on the front stoop of the store after closing on the 4th of July and enjoying herself shooting off all of the fireworks she had not sold. She closed or lost the store at one time but would once again reopen it in the same neighborhood. I would ask how she handled the store and the paperwork involved and all my dad would say is she had no problem. She loved to cook and the family would always have good food and delicious desserts even during the lean times.</span> </em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></em> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Maryanna and Michael Kolodzinski - 1929</em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">She was the buffer between her husband who was an alcoholic and her children. When Maryanna died in January of 1936 the family was devastated. Today lumbar pneumonia would be treated, in the 1930's it meant death for Maryanna. She is buried in St Adalbert's Catholic Cemetery in Niles, Illinois, the same cemetery where her children Genevieve and Michael were buried.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It would have been wonderful to have known my babcia or at least to know more about her. It was her untold story which started my interest in researching my family tree. As I had written in a previous, I was in my mid 30's when I found out my babcia had been married previously and my Aunt Anna was born from that union. My cousins had also been in the dark about this part of our history. Little did I know this was just the beginning.......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The records found so far place Maryanna's birth as occurring between 1882 and 1884 but the location is not always stated as being Austria let alone Vienna. Yes, Austria is named but at the time she was born much of the area was part of the Austrian Empire. Her death certificate states she was born in Czechoslavakia and the passenger list from her arrival (27 Jan 1901) states she had been living in Zapolocz, Hungary (I have not been able to find this location). She may have moved there to work. Other than her location prior to arrival the passenger list bears out the story of her working as a servant to gain passage to the USA. The passenger list was difficult to locate due to the name she traveled under, Maria Czmar. Not quite the surname Smulska she told her daughters her name looked similar to when they wrote letters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When we were told about the two marriages we found out her first husband had been a man by the name of Andrew Opalenik. Maryanna and Andrew had four children, Helen born about 1903 (she died sometime in the 1920's), Paul born 1905 (he died the same year), Dmitron born 1906 (he died in 1912) and Anna born 1909, before Maryanna filed for divorce in 1913. The 1910 US Census confirms Mary having given birth to 4 children 3 of which survived.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It is thanks to the dedication of my aunt Mary that the divorce documents had been located. According to the document, the couple had married on or about 1 Aug 1906. When did they really marry? After sending for a copy of a marriage certificate for Andrew Opalenik and Maryanna Smulska and being unsuccessful I asked the Cook County clerk to look for various spellings (they must have had an interesting time with the variety). Almost giving up Itried just using Andrew Opalenik's name. Success! This is were Maryanna's name was found to be Mary Czmur! Paul's birth register states his mother's maiden name was Murzat, Dimitron states Zuner. The error in the spelling Czmur to Murzat or Smulska is no doubt due the inability to read or write or hearing a name pronounced by someone who does not speak English. Since the letters were sent to Austria with the name Smulska could Maryanna's mother have remarried and Smulska was his surname?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Maryanna and Michael's first born was Edward in 1914. Since their marriage certificate has not yet been located the question which comes up is did they formalize their marriage? Why would Mary have gone through a divorce, hiring a lawyer and appearing in court, if they did not intend to marry. Once again spelling may hold a clue in finding the record.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes, she did own at least one candy store. The proof is in the 1920 US Census which states the fact and a Chicago City Directory showing a Mary Kolodzinski having a candy store in the 1920. From the record found of Paul's birth in 1905 until she died in 1936, Maryanna lived at thirteen different addresses, all in Bucktown. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Her love of family lived on after she was gone and is still shown by the closeness we all feel to our elusive babcia.</span></div>
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Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-55856035562064910122013-01-22T13:06:00.000-06:002013-01-22T13:06:17.761-06:00How We Relate to History<div style="text-align: center;">
Yesterday I watched the Inauguration of President Barack Obama on television and thought about the other Inaugurations I had lived through. Each of of lives and destinies are formed by our families and the land we live in, its government and relationship to the world. I was born during the middle of President Harry Truman's term in office, yes, I am dating myself. I was a toddler during the first Inauguration of Dwight D Eisenhower. The Inauguration of John F Kennedy was the first I truly remember. These men have influenced me and how I live as have the men who followed them in office.</div>
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This made me think of my ancestors. They immigrated from Europe and did not experience a democracy until they arrived in the USA. Who were the Presidents when they arrived? What was happening in the United States? This would have influenced the lives they lived in, they would be part of this history. What other historical events happened the year they arrived?</div>
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My paternal grandfather, Michael Kolodzinski, arrived in the USA in January of 1908. Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the USA (William Howard Taft was elected to succeed him in 1909). Henry Ford produced his first Model "T". Wilbur Wright flies 30 miles in 40 minutes. Yes, his history continues to influence my world and life.</div>
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My maternal grandmother was Mary Czmur (we thought her maiden name was Smulski but that is a story for another day) immigrated in January, 1901. William McKinley was the 25th President of the USA when she arrived but in September of that year he was assassinated to be replaced by Theodore Roosevelt. Queen Victoria of England had died and was succeeded by her son, King Edward IV. Cuba becomes a US protectorate. The first Nobel Prize ceremony is held in Stockholm, Sweden. </div>
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My maternal grandfather, Stanley Szostek, immigrated in April of 1907. Theodore Roosevelt was President. The RMS Lusitania makes its maiden voyage from Liverpool, England to New York. Marconi initiates the first commercial transatlantic radio communications.</div>
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My maternal grandmother, Mary Inda, was born in Chicago, IL. Her parents, Jozef and Antonina Inda arrived in April of 1891 and her grandparents, Jan and Anna (nee Schleichert) Inda arrived in May of 1892. Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the USA. In 1891, the first escalator is patented, Wrigley Company is founded, Edison unveils the kinescope (a precursor to our motion picture camera), and the first Sherlock Holmes story is published. In 1892 Ellis Island opens its doors to immigrants, the first official basketball game is played, Thomas Edison receives a patent for a two way telegraph and the University of Chicago holds its first class.</div>
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For my cousins I would also like to add some of their ancestors years of immigration and a bit of history. </div>
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Albert Schleichert (my half brother of Anna Schleichert) immigrated in 1882 and </div>
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Catherine Inda Manicki (sister of Jan Inda) immigrated in June of 1882. Chester A Arthur was the 21st President of the USA. </div>
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Valentine Inda (cousin of Jan Inda) immigrated in July of 1872. Ulysses S Grant was the 18th President of the USA. The Great Chicago Fire was the previous year (no wonder Valentine settled with his family in LaSalle, IL)</div>
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Julius Drozek immigrated about 1889. Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the USA succeeding Grover Cleveland in March of 1889. North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington become States. The Coco-Cola Company is incorporated in Atlanta, GA. </div>
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Paul Porebski immigrated about 1910. William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the USA. The Boy Scouts of America are founded. The first filmed version of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein comes out. The Mexican Revolution begins.</div>
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For my Inda cousins having ancestors settling in Waushara County, WI:</div>
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Frank Inda immigrated about 1881. His sister, Josepha Inda Korleski, immigrated in April of 1883. When Josepha Korleski immigrated with her family Chester A Arthur was President. Not knowing when in 1881 Frank Inda and his wife arrived it is hard to know who was the President. Rutherford B Hayes was the President until March of 1881. He was succeeded by James A Garfield who was then assassinated on 19 Sept 1881. Chester A Arthur succeeded him.</div>
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For my Inda cousins having ancestors being in Michigan and before settling in Arkansas:</div>
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Peter Inda immigrated in June of 1868. Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the USA. He was sworn into office upon the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War had ended and it was time of Reconstruction.</div>
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For my Inda cousins in who had ancestors settling in Branch County, MI with many moving to Nebraska: Anthony A Inda immigrated between 1870-1880, his sister, Anna Inda, immigrated about 1873, and brother, Martin Inde, immigrated about 1874. Ulysses S Grant was the President.</div>
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For my Inda cousins having ancestors settling in Huron County, MI: Jacob Inda immigrated about 1884. Chester A Arthur was President of the USA. The first eight hour work day is proclaimed by Federation of Organized Trades and Unions in the USA. May 1st is called May Day or Labor Day.</div>
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For my Inda cousins in who had ancestors settling in Buffalo, NY:</div>
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Peter and his brother, Wojciech (Albert or George) Inda immigrated in 1890. Benjamin Harrison was President of the USA. Idaho is admitted as the 43rd State, Wyoming as the 44th. The Wounded Knee Massacre happens in South Dakota.</div>
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For my Inda cousins in who had ancestors settling in Milwaukee, WI and Cheektowaga, NY: Anthony Inda immigrated in 1887 and his brother, Jacob Inda, in 1893. Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States serving between 1883-1889 and then again from 1893-1897. Benjamin Harrison was the 23ed President between 1893-1897.</div>
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For my Inda cousins in who had ancestors settling in Milwaukee, WI: Valentine, Michael and Catherine Inda immigrated about 1874. Their father, Anton Inda, immigrated in 1879. Ulysses S Grant was President until 1877 when Rutherford B Hayes was sworn into Office.</div>
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History was never one of my favorite subjects in school, it was just memorization of dates and events. When I see how it relates to my family it becomes enthralling!</div>
Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-52227947928516158622013-01-05T13:46:00.000-06:002014-11-06T11:59:51.277-06:00Stories and Spoons<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As children many of us are told stories about our ancestors. The stories may only be about our parents or grandparents but we feel they are the history of our family. Many things are also left out of stories as I found out when I was in my early thirties.</span></em><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My father, Ed</span></em></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, had two sisters, Anna and Mary. There were two other siblings, Genevieve and Michael, both of whom died in early childhood. Aunt Anna was older than my dad. She had married William "Bill" Drozek and they had three sons. Aunt Mary was the youngest in the family. She had married Thaddeus "Ted" Porebski and they had one son. Yes, we were a small family but we were close.</span></em></span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were many fun visits throughout the year and Thanksgiving traditionally spent at the Drozek's home and New Years Day at the Porebski's.</span></em></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> There was one Thanksgiving I will never forget. </span></em></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It had been a fun day as usual and our stomachs were all filled with wonderful food. We had just finished a game of "Spoons"* and the conversation turned to my grandmother, Maryanna. One of my Aunts mentioned something about Maryanna's first husband. Well, my jaw dropped and when I looked at my cousins, who were older, and they looked equally surprised. </span></em></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We seemed to ask as one, </span></em></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>"What do you mean first husband?"</strong></span></em></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It seems Maryanna had first married a man named Andrew Opalenik and Anna was born from this marriage. The couple also had another child who survived to adulthood. Her name was Helena! She had married and had two stepsons before she died sometime in the 1920's. No one remembered the year of her death or her married name. There were more cousins out there!!!</span></em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Then one of my cousins asked when Andrew died and we were told it was sometime in the 1920's. Well, my father was born in 1914 from the marriage of Maryanna to Michael Kolodzinski. How??? Then we were told Maryanna had divorced Andrew sometime between the time Anna was born in 1909 and Ed in 1914.</span></span></em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ue-n8WoZmg/VFu21UMfJbI/AAAAAAABaUc/wJuertXlju8/s1600/Kolodzinski%2C%2BHelen%2B(Opalenik)%2Bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ue-n8WoZmg/VFu21UMfJbI/AAAAAAABaUc/wJuertXlju8/s1600/Kolodzinski%2C%2BHelen%2B(Opalenik)%2Bb.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helen Opalenik (eldest daught of Maryanna Czmur and Andrew Opalenik)</td></tr>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When my family returned to my parents home I was still reeling. When I commented once again on the fact that Maryanna was married twice, my mother, Loretta (née Szostek) told me that my other grandmother, Mary (née Inda), had also been married twice! That is a story for another day since there is more to this story.</span></span></em></div>
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;">A year or so later I started again asking my dad about his siblings. He then told me there was another Michael plus another child but he was not sure of the name. Both of the children died as infants or toddlers. Over the last few years I have found records confirming these two children born to Maryanna. They were from her marriage to Andrew. Michael was called Mike but Baptized as Dmitron. The other child was also a son. Paul was 7 months old when he died.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We seem to believe divorce is something new to our lifetimes but it is not. My grandmother, Maryanna, divorced her husband Andrew in 1913. Thanks to the persistence of my Aunt Mary in looking for the paperwork, I have a copy of the divorce decree and the court records.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;">* * * * * * * * * * *</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana;">*SPOONS is an easy game which can be played by many different age groups, children and adults at the same table. All you need is a deck of cards and one spoon less than the number of people playing (eg 10 people playing = 9 spoons, etc). Remove the jokers from the deck of cards. If you have 8 people playing you use 8 sets (a set consisting of 4 common cards) ignoring the suits (eg 4 twos, 4 threes, 4 fours, etc until you have the needed amount). Everyone sits by a table and the spoons are laid down the middle. Shuffle the cards and deal each person 4 cards face down. People can look at them but not let others know what they have in their hand. Each person passes one card, again face down, to their left and adds the card from their right which has been passed to them to their hand. This continues until the first person obtains 4 of a kind. They then take a spoon out of the center of the table (most people do it as silently as possible). It is up to the others to notice a spoon is taken and the scramble for spoons begins. Whoever does not have a spoon is out of the next round and one spoon is removed from the table. This continues until there is one person left and they are the winner!</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana;">We played this game at family gatherings with both sides of my family. There is another variation to this game called "NOSE". You do not use spoons in this version, just the cards. Everything else is the same but when the first person collects 4 of a kind they place their finger next to their nose and everyone else must do the same. The last person to do such is out of the game. This is a much tamer version and personally I do not believe to be as much fun as the original game.</span></em></div>
Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-23568747759876399892013-01-04T13:52:00.002-06:002014-11-06T11:54:57.256-06:00Am I Really Polish American?<div style="text-align: center;">
My family lived in Chicago but we were of Polish descent. I grew up in an area of the city that would be dubbed "Little Warsaw". It was so named since it had as many Polish people living there as Warsaw, Poland. Many people spoke Polish as a first and sometimes only language. My parents, Ed and Loretta (née Szostek) Kolodzinski were born in Chicago but were fluent in Polish. <br />
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Both of my father's parents, Michael and Mary Kolodzinski, were immigrants and only spoke their native tongue at home. Michael spoke 9 languages in all but did not care to learn English. He did not want his children speaking English in his home until his wife, Mary, stated, "how can I learn English if they do not speak it at home?" My dad first learned to speak English when he attended school. Neither of my paternal grandparents ever learned to speak English before they died. Loretta's parents were Stanley and Mary (née Inda) Szostek. Stanley was an immigrant from Poland. Eventually he would learn to understand English but never to speak it. Mary was born in the USA and fluent in Polish.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-58P9b5ztGS0/VFu16bsDzmI/AAAAAAABaUQ/NKZ7HcYUuss/s1600/Poland%2Bb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-58P9b5ztGS0/VFu16bsDzmI/AAAAAAABaUQ/NKZ7HcYUuss/s1600/Poland%2Bb.JPG" height="320" width="298" /></a></div>
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One would think all of my grandparents immigrated from Poland but this is not true. Even though Michael Kolodzinski spoke Polish he stated he was born in Lithuania. During research this was found to be partially true. When he immigrated to the USA in 1908 the area he lived was part of Russian Empire (between bout 1795 until the Treaty of Versailles in 1918, the country we call Lithuania did not exist). After finding the passenger of his immigration I found he had lived in Dykshuy (<span style="background-color: white;">Dokshytsy)</span>, Russia which is now part of Belarus! </div>
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My paternal grandmother, Mary Kolodzinski, could not read or write. Her two daughters would write letters for her and send them to the family in, no, not Poland but Vienna, Austria! When Mary immigrated to the USA in 1901 the passenger list stated she had been living in Zapolocz, Hungary. When she died in 1936, my grandfather gave Czechoslovakia as the place of her birth. Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia were all part of the Austrian Partition between about 1795 until the Treaty of Versailles in 1918. The countries no longer appeared on maps.</div>
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Stanley Szostek immigrated to the USA in 1907. The passenger list states he had lived in Gromiec, Galicia prior to immigration. Galicia was an area in the Austrian Partition and today is part of Poland.</div>
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My maternal grandmother, Mary Szostek, was born to Jozef and Antonina (nee Nowicki) Inda, both immigrants. Mary knew her parents were from Posen. At the time Jozef and Antonina immigrated (1892) Posen was part of the German Partition, the Polish spelling is Poznan. At times this area was called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preu%C3%9Fen" title="Preußen"><span class="searchmatch">Preußen</span></a> or Prussia. Also, my Inda ancestors did not come from the city of Posen but from the Province of Posen. Currently this area is part of the Wielkopolska Province also called Greater Poland.<br />
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The map below shows the various partitions of the region. The first occured about 1792. Some countries disappeared off of the world map but most remained in the hearts of their citizens. If you are interested in learning more about the various Partitions of Poland I would suggested reading the following website <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitions_of_Poland">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitions_of_Poland</a> Here you will also be able to see a larger and better view of this map which was on the site.</div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Partitions_of_Poland.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Partitions_of_Poland.png" height="311" width="400" /></a></div>
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Even though the boundaries of the lands changed and they owed allegiances to different monarchs, my ancestors considered themselves Polish Americans and so do I. </div>
Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-23609484585085580732012-07-14T16:50:00.001-05:002013-01-04T14:30:58.585-06:00Why?<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">We live our lives, possibly marry and have children and grandchildren. We pass on our DNA which is a melding of the DNA of our ancestors and are told we have our father's eyes or our grandmother's nose but what do we know of them as a person? </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">When I started to trace my family tree I looked for names of my relatives, dates of their births, marriages and deaths but I felt like there was something missing. What else was there to find? The person my ancestor had been, that is what was left! The following writing was posted on a genealogy mailing list. It was written anonymously but shares my feelings of what genealogy is about, filling in my ancestors dash!</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;">SPENDING
YOUR DASH?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: #783f04;"> </span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">I read of a man who
stood to speak<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">At the funeral of a
friend.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">He referred to the
dates on her tombstone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">From the beginning
... to the end.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">He noted that first
came her date of birth<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">And spoke the
following date with tears,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">But he said what
mattered most of all<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">Was the dash between
those years. (1930 - 1998)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">For that dash
represents all the time<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">That she spent alive
on earth....<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">And now only those
who loved her<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">Know what that little
line is worth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">For it matters not,
how much we own;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">The cars...the
house...the cash.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">What matters is how
we live and love<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">And how we spend our
dash.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">So think about this
long and hard...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">Are there things
you'd like to change?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">For you never know
how much time is left.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">That can still be
rearranged.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">If we could just slow
down enough<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">To consider what's
true and real,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">And always try to
understand<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">The way other people
feel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">And be less quick to
anger,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">And show appreciation
more<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">And love the people
in our lives<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">Like we've never
loved before.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">If we treat each
other with respect,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">And more often wear a
smile...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">Remembering that this
special dash<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">Might only last a
little while.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">So, when your
eulogy's being read<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">With your life's
action's to rehash...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #783f04;">Would you be proud of
the things they say<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #783f04;">About how you spent
your dash?</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306219747808863309.post-71578085513529212822012-07-14T16:20:00.001-05:002013-01-04T14:31:48.694-06:00The Quest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">My aunt and godmother, Mary Kolodzinski Porebski, had always been interested in finding information about her ancestors. She had spent hours in the Cook County Courthouse (Illinois) looking for records. Frustrated since neither my father, her older brother, Edward, nor their older sister, Anna Kolodzinski Drozek, would tell her anything about their parents lives in Europe. </span></em></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kJwX5EAKgMU/ULEQ5PXdpeI/AAAAAAAAQ2s/14Qijlfeaqg/s1600/Mary+Porebski+-+1947+June+wedding+of+Edward+Kolodzinski+and+Loretta+Szostek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kJwX5EAKgMU/ULEQ5PXdpeI/AAAAAAAAQ2s/14Qijlfeaqg/s320/Mary+Porebski+-+1947+June+wedding+of+Edward+Kolodzinski+and+Loretta+Szostek.jpg" width="270" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></em></span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Her research always intrigued me. I had researched the history of a building and found it fascinating and informative. This made me decide to research the history of my family sine it would no doubt be fascinating and informative, too. The quest began!</span></em></span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Both my paternal grandparents were born in Europe and immigrated to the USA in the early 1900's. My grandmother, Marianna Smulska Kolodzinski, died of pneumonia in 1936 at the age of 53. My grandfather, Michael Kolodzinski, died from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1940at the age of 61. Both had been laid to rest at St Adalberts Catholic Cemetery before my parents married.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> </span></em></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_F4M-GRDyck/ULER7d0V0XI/AAAAAAAAQ20/cOLb9ql9ZlA/s1600/Michael+and+Marianna+Czmur+Kolodzinski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_F4M-GRDyck/ULER7d0V0XI/AAAAAAAAQ20/cOLb9ql9ZlA/s1600/Michael+and+Marianna+Czmur+Kolodzinski.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I was never to meet them but remember many of the stories my dad would tell me. They were fascinating tales to a young child and I will tell you some of them in future posts.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">My maternal grandparents were slightly easier,or at least my grandmother side was easier. Her maiden name was Mary Inda. She was born in Chicago, IL, in the mid 1890's. Mary married my grandfather, Stanley Szostek, in Chicago. He had been born in Poland, immigrating in the early 1900's and finally settling in Chicago. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Her parents and grandparents immigrated from Poland in the early 1890's. She was not told much about her family's life in Poland but records found in Illinois filled in much of the tree branch prior to immigration. </span></em></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wEGnaZ1rNd4/ULEVaH5SZiI/AAAAAAAAQ3M/c6twHNCHKbQ/s1600/Phyllis+Szostek+Wegrzyn+-+1947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wEGnaZ1rNd4/ULEVaH5SZiI/AAAAAAAAQ3M/c6twHNCHKbQ/s1600/Phyllis+Szostek+Wegrzyn+-+1947.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was my mother's older sister, Phyllis Szostek </span></em><em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Wegrzyn, who helped fill in many gaps in my materal branch. </span></em></span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">If you are starting to trace your family's history start with what you know. Then remember to ask your oldest living relatives what they can tell you about your family. They won't always be around to relay their knowledge, write it down while they are still there to tell you the family stories.....</span></em></div>
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Kathleen Kolodzinski Laprisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17303116951845209168noreply@blogger.com0