Forefathers Traces Tours Blog

Jeleśnia Old Inn

May 21st, 2013

Pictures source: http://www.starakarczma.eu/
(click on pictures to enlarge them)

Years ago, in rural Poland, roadside inns had played an important role in everyday life. They were the places to meet, dance, and celebrate, or even to make business transactions. In addition to this, the roadside inns also provided accommodations for travelers, and a place to store their carts and have their animals fed and cared for. Many roadside inns were situated along the main roads and trade routes, and almost every village had its own inn.

In the Beskidy Mountains region, two original roadside inns have survived; Rzym Inn in Sucha Beskidzka and Stara Karczma (Old Inn) in Jeleśnia. Stara Karczma is a beautiful wooden building with a huge gable roof and an interior with many traditional decorations, but the most important feature here is the local cuisine! Of course you can taste kwaśnica: a sour soup from the mountain region made from sauerkraut and a meat base of spareribs or bacon. They also have many different kinds of pierogi’s, and meats and a local specialty called ‘prażucha’, which is a kind of dumpling made from scorched flour with gravy. Prażucha is usually enjoyed by those who are brave lovers of tradition. Formerly, prażucha was the daily meal for poor people.

One thing is for sure, and that is that Jelesnia’s Stara Karczma is full of history, and by following the traditional recipes, it serves delicious food.

Tags: Tastes of Poland
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Tastes of Poland – introduction

May 21st, 2013

We would love to show you Poland that we personally know. The best way would be to introduce you to the local traditions and habits. For us, the taste is one of the most important part of each journey. During our tours we will do our best to show you Polish cuisine – such as your ancestors used to have in their everyday life. Here you can see some local meals, restaurants or cooking events that we recommend. If you have any suggestions of tastes you remember or some that you would like to know; please write us in comment or in our forum. We will try to add it here!

View Taste of Poland in a larger map

Tags: Tastes of Poland
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PolishOrigins Galicia Tour

April 11th, 2013

PolishOrigins Galicia Tour

Experience the world your ancestors had to leave.

Based on our many years of experience in providing you genealogy tours, learning about your fascinations and witnessing your spontaneous reactions, we have developed the PolishOrigins Galicia Tour.

We want to show you traces of the old life which have survived the centuries and tell you stories about the life of your ancestors. We will also show you the present-day life in Poland in which you can still notice many signs of the older times, in authentic architecture and traditional customs, cherished by warm and open people in their everyday life.

Our goal is to enrich your understanding of your forefathers’ life. So many of these brave people had to leave their small villages in hope of ensuring a better life for themselves and their offspring. You probably know already a lot about them. You may have managed to collect copies of church records of your grandparents. Perhaps you have read history book about your grandfather?s village. Or maybe you even remember family stories told by your grandma when you were a child.

But visiting their Old Country gives you something more meaningful and moving.

This is experiencing it deeply by being here, seeing, touching, tasting, breathing and talking about all of it.

Itinerary of PolishOrigins Galicia Tour

Day 1. Arrival at the Rzeszów Airport. We will meet you there and provide airport pickup between 12.00 PM (noon) and 6.00 PM and take to the hotel in the countryside. After a little rest you willl be invited to a horse carriage ride with beautiful nature and mountains views. In the evening you will be invited to a dinner with real, natural Polish country food (which will accompany your throuought the whole tour). Read more about how you can fly directly to Rzeszow and about the place where we will be staying ‘Janczar’.

Day 2. The 2nd day is dedicated to the very old, historic town of Sanok. We will visit a famous ethnographic open-air museum where you will see the rural architecture of the region and the representation of a 19th century Galicia town. We will have everything explained by a guide. After museum we will go to the old town in Sanok. In the late afternoon on our way back we will have dinner in an old manor house. Read and see more…

Day 3. This is the Polish nobility day. First, we will visit Łańcut Castle constructed in the style of a grand aristocratic palace-residence. Next, we will go to a museum of nobility culture located in an old manor house. In the afternoon we will come back for the last night in this hotel and have dinner with attractions. Read and see more…

Day 4. After breakfast we will leave the hotel and head for the Tatra mountains. En route we will visit Carpathian Troy or Magura National Park Museum (depending on the group preferences). Our route to Podhale region will lead through places with many traces of Galicia history: Biecz – Łużna (cemetery from the WWI) – Bobowa (Jewish culture traces, bobbin lace handicraft) – lunch in spa in Krynica – ride through Slovakia and we will reach our hotel in the evening. Read and see more about:

Day 5. Tatra Mountains and Zakopane day. We will travel up to Gubalowka mountain by trail carriages, visit Tatra Museum, visit the old cemetery in which almost all tombs are unique works of art, made ??of wood, metal or stone. You will have free time and a great opportunity to do shopping in the outdoor market. In the late afternoon we will have dinner in one of the Zakopane restaurants with live Gorals band music. Read and see more…

Day 6. Niedzica and Czorsztyn. We will visit Dunajec Castle, an important centre of Polish-Hungarian relations since the 14th century. Next, we will take you to a boat or a raft on Czorsztyn lake. We will have dinner in the hotel. Read and see more…

Day 7. Krakow. After breakfast we will leave for Krakow. We will stay in a hotel in a walking distance to the old town. As you know, there are plenty of places to see in Krakow. For all the most important and interesting places we will hire licensed Krakow guides. Read and see more…

Day 8. Wieliczka Salt Mines. This day you will see wonderful underground world of salt chambers and sculptures. Dinner in one of the charming old town restaurants in Krakow. Read and see more…

Day 9. Krakow. Continuation of visiting Krakow attractions. For those of you who are willing to see Concentration Camp Museum in Auschwitz we will organize tour there. Free time in Krakow. In the evening we will have farewell dinner.

Day 10. After last common breakfast in the hotel we will transfer you to the Krakow Airport. For people interested in flying back from Rzeszow we can organize travel to the Rzeszow Airport. More…

Our Tour here.

More details

Unlike traditional tours, we are not going to visit too many places in a short amount of time. We will also not spend too much time on the road. Instead, we will give you time to immerse yourself deeper in the atmosphere of the country and give you the chance to better understand the stories behind the places we will be visiting. We will invite knowleadgable people who will share with you the history and traditions of the area. Also, because you will be spending time with people who have similar genealogy interests, you will have the opportunity of sharing your family research adventures with others on the Tour.

Throughout the whole Tour you will be accompanied by, at least one, of our licensed tour guides who will do everything to create a comfortable atmosphere and reply to all the questions you may have about organization of the trip as well as Polish history. In all the places with attractions we will have hired specialized guides.

Bonus: At any time during the Tour you will have the opportunity of consulting with our experienced experts ask their advice about direction your genealogy research should take to overcome “brick walls” you might run into.

Hotels
We will stay in high standard hotels in twin bed rooms in the countryside with picteresque views and many attractions and activities like horse carriage rides, campfires or spa treatments, and we will also stay in a hotel in historic Krakow, in the Old Town.

To learn even more formal and practical details open this pdf document: Galicia Tour Booklet.

Cost

Total cost of PO Galicia Tour is 5900 Polish zlotys. (We operate in Poland as a licensed Polish business entity and we accept payments in Polish zlotys (PLN). For you to have an orientation about value of your payment in US$ click here to check current average currency exchange rate between US Dollar and Polish zloty USD/PLN. This is an average currency exchange rate and it is usually distorted by commissions charged by all the financial intermediary institutions (so-called spread between currency buy and sell rates)).

If you are a returning Forefathers Traces Tours client, you are entitled to a 10% discount (600 PLN).

Tour cost includes: accommodations in first class hotels with private bath or shower, two meals daily: breakfast, lunch or dinner, transportation between cities by air-conditioned, comfortable mini bus, sightseeing tours as specified in the tour itinerary, baggage handling of one suitcase per person, services of an English speaking guide throughout the whole Tour, hotel taxes and service charges, transfers on arrival and departure from and to the airports.

Not included in the tour cost are: items of personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, mini-bar, gratuity to guides and drivers, air transportation to and from Poland.

Here are planned dates for PO Galicia Tours for 2013:

May 6 – 15, 2013 (reservations closed)
June 2 -11, 2013
July 15 – 24, 2013
September 1-10, 2013
October 6-15, 2013

Reservation

For reservation make a deposit of 500 Polish zlotys and provide your chosen dates by filling the reservation form:

The remaining amount of payment is due 32 days before planned date of starting the Tour.

IMPORTANT: If a tour has less than 6 persons who have made reservations 35 days before planned date of starting the Tour, we reserve the right to cancel the whole Tour. In that case all deposits for that Tour date will be refunded.

We invite you to contact us by email: tours@polishorigins.com or by phone: +48 602 842 168 (6.00 AM – 4.00 PM EST).

Check also http://galicia.polishorigins.com for future updates in the PO Galicia Tour offer.

Zenon & PolishOrigins Team

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Road shrines in Poland

April 4th, 2013

fot. Aga P.

When travelling throughout Poland with foreign guests, they often look at the small structures built along the roads with great curiosity and ask about them.

They are made of concrete or wood. They are separate constructions or attached to trees. They are small like bird feeders or as big as a chapel. They have figures of saints or they are just crucifixes. They are road shrines.

Road shrines are something very common in Poland and we often do not pay much attention to them. They were always just part of the landscape. Only after visiting the Polish countryside with our guests do we realize that this is something that is not so usual.

fot. Aga P.

Where and why were they built?

Road shrines were built at the crossroads, at the village or town boundaries, at all places claimed to be inhabited by the evil forces or demons, for example where the murder was committed, or hangman was buried. At the crossroads, as per folk tradition and imagination, strange things may happen. These are places of evil spirits and lost souls.

Road shrines helped to familiarize the dangerous, uncertain territory. But they were also erected out of gratitude for some miraculous recovery from illness, coming back from war, end of a famine or epidemic. They were supposed to prevent natural disasters or were the penance for serious sins. And finally shrines were also a symbol of social status, so rich land owners or farmers have been founding them to show their status in the local society. That is why often there is a founders name and intention written on the shrine base.

No matter the reason they were constructed, they are always the silent signs and witnesses of people’s faith.

fot. Aga P.

How do they look?

There are a few types of shrines that are very common, and you will see them more than others. First of all, there are just crosses: roman catholic or orthodox, with the third crossbeam; they are common in the eastern part of Poland. On such crosses there is often the date when they were built and sometimes their intention. Many of them were erected after the abolition of serfdom or after an epidemic.

Another type of shrine is the small roofed boxes hanging on the trees. They might also have columns with a little cross or figure at the top. And finally there are small buildings, like little chapels with some painting or sculpture inside. Road shrines can be very simple but they can be very sophisticated as well, following the trends of art from the period they were created. There are certain regional workshops or schools where the famous shrines were created, for example in Orawa historical region, on Polish Slovakian border or Bartne famous for its masons. All shrines in these regions are in homogeneous, common style and were probably created by the same workshop and master.

One of the most important elements of road shrines are the statues of saints. They can be wooden, chipped in stone or cast in concrete. Very often the figures are very simple, coarse and in irregular shape. It is not always easy to guess which saint is in a certain shrine. Quite often the only clue might be the element of costume or the saint’s attribute; an object that identifies a figure, most commonly referring to objects held by saints. In example St. Barbara is always presented with tower.

There is one saint who is very popular in Polish villages: St. Florian. He is a patron of fireman and his sculpture is supposed to protect the area from fire. It’s easy to guess why he was so popular in 19th century and earlier, when almost all of the buildings were wooden and fires were a plague, destroying huge areas. St Florian is presented as a Roman knight holding a red banner and a pitcher of water. Often at his feet there is a burning house presented.

Another important saint is St. John of Nepomuk. His effigy is often located on the riverside, near the bridges, footbridges and fountains and is protecting from floods and drowning. His life story is amazing: he is a national saint of the Czech Republic, who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional. In remembrance of these events he is presented with the index finger on his lips or accompanied with angels holding a tongue, as a symbol that he kept the secrets assigned to him. There is a great website where you can find the database of road shrines of St John of Nepomuk (it is in Polish only, but there are some amazing pictures and a database of over 6000 shrines located in Poland, Czech, Germany and other countries: http://nepomuki.pl/nepomuk/

fot. Aga P.

Although we often are passing them with indifference, road shrines are still a living tradition. During the springtime most of them are whitened with fresh paint. They may have colorful ribbons fluttering in the wind and flowers which are regularly changed with the invisible hand of local hostess. In May, there is a beautiful tradition of gathering near the local road shrines, especially those devoted to Holy Mary, and singing the litany of Loreto. This custom is still popular in the villages and can easily be seen when travelling through Poland in May.

Painted cross in Zalipie, fot. NancyM

There are a lot of mysteries and disappearing customs connected with road shrines. Sometimes they are hidden or forgotten, but they are still a beautiful element of Polish landscape and a precious source of information about the lives of the people in the area. It’s really worth the time to stop near them for a while, and to find and read the inscriptions, or just to put some wild flowers on it to make it a living place.

At the end, my latest discovery from the Internet, there is an interesting article about road shrines erected in Central Wisconsin by Polish immigrants. You can find it here: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20148442

fot. Aga P.

Text: Aga Pawlus

Proofreading: James Cybulski, NancyM

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Postcard WWII. Amazing discovery of Darek and Louis

March 20th, 2013

Louis D. Welna:

When sorting through my parents’ memorabilia, I found the above postal card, which indicated that a package, (# 216817 or # U6817), was sent on 12 September 1946 by my father, Louis J. Wilne. (“Wilne” is misspelled. It should have been “Welna”. The package was received and signed for by Josef (I could not decipher the surname) on November 15, 1946. The post mark is Lomza, Poland. Since I was just 5 and a half at the time, I have only a vague memory of my mother, Freda Philipsek Welna, packing such a box. I think peanut butter was one of the items. I knew this was not my dad’s handwriting on the card.

While I had done considerable research on my four families, the town of Lomza was unknown to me. Still, I puzzled over why my parents had kept the card. I wondered if there might be a family connection. I posted a photograph of the card on PolishOrigins, a website created by Zenon Znamirowski with whom I spent two wonderful weeks visiting the ancestral homes of my grandparents in 2008. (see my story: “Sitting down in my GGGrandfather’s house“)

First, Ute Wyatt responded: The name could be Józef Lemanski. The name of the town or village is hard to read, but it could be Konitz (now Konarzyce) pow. Łomza, Poland. (pow. = powiat = county or district, Łomza with a line through the L that makes it sound like a “w”).

Then Elzbieta Porteneuve replied: Expéditeur/ Sender is Jozef Lemanski (o with ‘; n with ‘), from Szczepankowo near Uznik (z with ‘); powiat Lomza (L with /; z with dot .). Interesting to see the mixture of French, Polish and English on this international postal ACK. On first document Expéditeur is in French, Carte Postale as well, but second document is in Polish/English.

A few weeks later, I received an e-mail!

Louis

Darek Lemanski:

After nearly a two-year break in search of information about my ancestors and specifically my grandfather, Josef Lemanski, who disappeared after World War II, I decided to do another Google search. I entered the name, surname and village, Szczepankowo, pow. Lomza, because it was here that my grandfather, and my father, Jaroslaw Lemanski, were born. My mother, Teresa Lemanska, my aunt, Marianna Zebrowska, and my uncle, Miroslaw Zebrowski were teachers in Szczepankowo.

I saw the postcard image and the link to PolishOrigins. At first, I could not believe it! More than 30 years of research by my dad and until his death in 1979, had yielded no results. I was nine years old, an did not understand much, but I remember that it was very important for our family to find any trace of my grandfather. I was told that before the war, Josef was a carpenter and worked worked for the community in Szczepankowo.

In disbelief, I clicked on the query on PolishsOrigins, in which Louie asked for help in deciphering the data on the postcard. I immediately translated the card, as it was written in Polish. The towns are well known to me and, there was the name and signature of someone named Josef Lemanski!

Immediately, I felt tears in my eyes and thought, yes, it has to be the signature of my grandfather, Josef. Impossible! It’s probably not true. When I compared the signature on the postcard with this signature on his marriage certificate, I knew it was my grandfather! While the war ended in 1945, I now had proof that he existed in 1946. This could be our new “last trace”.

I could not find a place to sit quietly and think. I didn’t know where to start. With tears in my eyes, I shut myself in a room and tried to regain my balance. After half an hour, my first thought was, now what to do? Where to start? I looked at and analyzed the postcard. I wanted a thousand things at once! Alternately, there was hope and happiness, hope and happiness. I had hope that my grandfather had survived, somewhere abroad or could not return home.

I believe this postcard was probably part of the Marshall Plan, officially known as the European Recovery Plan for Europe. In Poland it was called United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). It lasted until 1947, when it was blocked by Russia. This postcard was discharged by the postmaster and signed by my grandfather as the receiver and “expediteur” to America. My grandfather received this postal parcel for the community of Szczepankowo pow. Lomza, because he had been the Officer for Accounts and Taxes.

It is amazing that Louie’s parents kept this postcard; Louie, after 66 years, sent it to PolishOrigins and I was the “someone” who was waiting for it. The postcard is back in Szczpankowo, pow.Lomza, Poland where it will be treasured by my family. The circle is complete.

Darek

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My Borek Family 7 Discoveries. So Far!

January 19th, 2013

From as far back as I can remember I knew that my fathers family emigrated from Poland but that is the extent of the information I had. As with most kids I was curious but did not actively pursue additional information from my grandparents. When we did ask Grandpa about his family he and Grandma were quick to change the subject. I have never discovered why! Grandpa would, on occasion, speak to someone in Polish but that is the extent of my exposure. The chance to pursue getting information from him is gone as he passed in 2003.

My Grandfather was born in Hoquiam, Washington on 6 May 1906 (I always though he was born in Poland – Discovery #1). He moved his family to Spokane, Washington in 1946. The only other relative that I knew of from Hoquiam was my Grandfathers sister Mary and she passed in 1994. Mary was born in Sanok, Poland in 1903 and emigrated to the United States with her mother Agatha in 1905 when she was just 2 years old. Her father John had emigrated in 1903 and sohe likely had never seen his first born child until they arrived in Hoquiam. My early research discovered that my Grandfather had 6 siblings and many of their families appeared to still be living in or near Hoquiam. As part of my research I contacted the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society and requested materials (obituaries etc…) on Boreks from Hoquiam.

About 3 weeks later I get a call from Bonnie J. and she is bubbling with excitement. She had found numerous articles in the local newspapers and burial information from the funeral homes in the area. She went on to ask if I knew Mary Borek (It turns out that she personally knew Mary). Then she asked if I knew of a Rose Borek(Discovery #3). That name had not come up in any of my research so I was immediately interested in seeing the information she had found about her. It was then that she sprung the surprise….Rose Borek was alive(Discovery #4) and living in Hoquiam. As exciting as that was I still had no clue as to how or if we were related. She gave me Rose’s phone number and we were able to arrange a meeting. When we showed up at her house in Hoquiam the house was filled with her relatives. Sons, daughters, grandchildren…….and her older sister Annie(Discovery #5). After spending the better part of the day sharing stories we determined that Rose and Annie are my Grandfathers youngest cousins. The youngest children of Felix Borek, my Great-grandfathers brother. They produced numerous treasures including pictures of all of my Grandfathers siblings and their father’s baptismal certificate from Poland(Discovery #6). Now I know where my family originated from (Lubatowa). Also listed on the baptismal certificate were parents and grandparents(Discovery #7)! They also had copies of letters from Poland written to my Aunt Mary with names and addresses of living relatives (as of about 1985 anyway).

This has been an exciting and emotional journey for me so far and I look forward to continuing the search. I have begun to learn Polish and am tentatively planning a trip to Poland in the summer of 2013. I have friended numerous Boreks on Facebook that currently live in Lubatowa. Communication so far has been sketchy but I am slowly collecting information that I can use while I am there. I have learned that there are over 30 families of Boreks currently in Lubatowa, a small town of about 5,000, and I am hoping we can find some solid connections while we are there.

Stay tuned for part 2 after I return from Poland

Richard Borek

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Wigilia with my great-grandmother

December 20th, 2012

(The story was sent by email to Tad Wysocki and Zenon. Kathy plans to arrive in Poland in 2013 and she agreed to publish her earliest childhood memories as an introduction to her travel blog.)

Tekla came to the US around 1909. She was still alive when I was a little girl, and I actually met her once. I thought you might like to know a little more about what happened to Tekla after she emigrated, especially since it involves a Christmas story.

After her arrival here, Tekla continued to live a life of many joys and sorrows. Teklas’ husband Jan came first and worked as a smelter and goldsmith in Newark, New Jersey, a small industrial city. Within two years he was able to pay for the passage of his wife and three children who each arrived with $25 in their pocket, the equivalent of over $500 today. Jan and Tekla had one more ‘American’ child after they reunited, a daughter Irene.. However, they lost their 17 year old son Waclaw to pneumonia, probably at the start of the Great Flu Pandemic. The two older daughters, Bronislawa and Eleanora married and started families of their own. Jan died sometime in the 1920s from lung problems related to his work. Their lives were centered around St. Casimir’s, an important Polish American parish in Newark..

The 1930 census shows Tekla remarried to a Mr. Alex Caplicky and living in North Hempstead, Long Island., New York. Mr. Caplicky was also a widower, with two older daughters married and out of the house and a younger daughter the same age as Tekla’s daughter Irene. We don’t know how Tekla met Mr. Caplicky. In those days, North Hempstead was probably a three to four hour train trip from Newark. They may have been introduced through networks of family and friends who were matchmaking for two middle aged widowers with children. I saw an Alexander Czaplicki in the Dzerzgowo records and I wondered if perhaps, they knew each other from back home. Another mystery.

Alex Capikcy worked as the head gardener on the estate of a wealthy family. Tekla and Alex lived on what seems to have been a small farm. This was a happy marriage. My father remembers the family making trips to the ‘country’ for weekend picnics. He spent several weeks of the summer each year with his grandmother while his parents worked. He was very fond of Tekla and thought of Mr. Caplicky as another grandfather.

Tekla lived to about age 85 and in her elder years, had a secure life in the home of her daughter Irene..

Meeting Tekla has always been one of my earliest childhood memories. I was four or five years old. At that time the families weren’t traveling so often with very young children and elderly parents. But that year, Irene and her husband brought Tekla to my grandmother’s apartment in Newark for Wigilia with the entire family. Tekla seemed to be in good health, but she was getting on in years and probably enjoyed the family reunion while she could still travel. It seems that the highlight of that evening was for great-grandmother to meet her first great-granddaughter. I remember my mother preparing me for what a special visit this would be and explaining what a ‘great’ grandmother was.

Tekla arrived after the whole family was gathered, maybe 14 adult, children and grandchildren and some babies. She was a very small and thin woman, not much bigger than a child, but with a very large personality. (This was a surprise because her daughters were tall and quiet women) There was so much excitement when she arrived, like a movie star on a red carpet! I was brought forward to greet her. She was quite happy and insisted that I have the seat of honor next to her at the center of the table for dinner. I remember her small hands as she helped me to cut my pierogis. Even though we didn’t speak the same language, I felt very connected to her. I’m sure that she is somewhere smiling now to know that her little great granddaughter has found her birthplace and family records, which we assumed were forever lost.

Like many new immigrant families, ours continued to struggle for many years, but I know that Tekla and Jan fulfilled their dream of a better life for their descendants. While they lost their own four sons before adulthood, their four grandsons fought in WWII and survived to raise their own families. It was amazing to read the birth record for her last son Wladyslaw and to imagine Tekla, described as illiterate, giving birth in a farmhouse , her husband thousands of miles away, her mother acting as the midwife and then facing the loss of the baby. Could she have imagined that less than 70 years later, all four great-grand-daughters would have university degrees and healthy children?

Finally, while this family information is wonderful for everyone to have, it has a special meaning for me. My apartment building in NYC is on the west side of the World Trade Center site and also visible from Ellis Island. On September 11 our building was hit by the fall of the south tower, our home was seriously damaged, and our view was of the recovery of the dead. As I tried to find some strength to deal with this event, I found inspiration from past generations of my family who had to overcome difficult circumstances. I knew that when I could I would try to look a little more deeply into what I could find out about their lives.

I can’t begin to tell you how much this information means to me and to my family. I’m sure that many of your clients have a similar reaction. Our Polish American parents and grandparents took great pride in their heritage and tried very hard to celebrate and preserve it for future generations. But until recently, no one ever imagined that we could one day return to Poland, or that records were actually kept in those days or that we would ever be able to access any information if it existed.. There was always a missing connection in our lives and I’m so pleased to close the gap and to be able to pass this knowledge on to the next generation of my family. I think it’s a great tribute to the people of Poland that they preserved their cultural heritage through so much economic hardship, two world wars, and outside occupations. We look forward to a trip next year to visit the places where the earlier generations of our family were born, lived and worked.

Our family was delighted to receive your translation of the birth record for my great-grandmother Tekla Jaroch. The place, people and other details are consistent with the record of her marriage to Jan Majewski, found for us last year by Tadeusz Wysocki at Roots Poland. Together you have given us two very special Christmas gifts..

Best wishes for the Christmas holiday and the New Year.

Kathy Zaborowski

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3. Trip of a Lifetime.

November 29th, 2012

Our next stop was Zakopane. On our way we stopped at Niedzica Castle, an amazing structure built in the 1300′s. We marveled at what it took to construct this place with the limited tools they must have had. Certainly something we’d never see at home!

Niedzica Castle

Then we approached Zakopane. I was unprepared for the majesty of this area. The way of life of the Highlanders is simple and beautiful. We watched as the towns people brought their cows home from pasture through the streets. Cars pull off to the side and the cows definitely have the right of way! It was a wonderful sight.

Rush hours. Cows have right the of way!

When we arrived at our hotel, The Redyk, I opened our balcony door and was overwhelmed by what I saw before me. The view was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. It is something which has to be experienced. Words just cannot do it justice.

Zakopane

We took the tram with Zenon to the top of the mountain the next day. Even more spectacular views. Then into town for great shopping, toured the local cemetery, which was one of the most unusual I have ever seen, watched a wedding party go by in horse drawn carriages and enjoyed the singing of a local Gorale group. It was an amazing departure from our typical American lifestyle. If you have the opportunity to go to Zakopane do not hesitate to go. It’s a truly rich and cultural experience.

Zakopane wedding procession

We were then on our way to the city of Krakow. It is a city that doesn’t disappoint. Having never been to Europe I had a picture in my mind of what it would be like. Krakow is definitely that city–winding cobblestone streets, beautifully colored buildings, architecture and art beyond compare, wonderful shops and a terrific town square. We wandered the city with Zenon and had dinner at an outdoor cafe. It was so enjoyable to watch people strolling, listening to musicians and the Trumpeter of Krakow. It is so different from our hectic way of life.

One of the charming streets in Kraków

The next day was bittersweet. It was our last day with Zenon. I truly didn’t want to say goodbye to him. But I knew he had accomplished everything he had set out to do… and more. He even offered to stay one more day just in case there was something else we wanted to see that we had not gotten to. I was teary eyed when we said our goodbyes. I felt as if I were saying goodbye to a friend (or more like an adopted son) that I had known forever. I was elated that this trip had been so successful in what we learned about the family and what we learned about Poland. And so we parted ways, me pledging to come back someday and realizing this is one of THE BEST things I have ever done!

The next few days my husband and I spent roaming Krakow. Taking tours at Wawel Castle, going to Kazimierz and Schindler’s factory (which was very moving) and taking a golf cart tour around the city with a crazy driver named Robert (picture riding in a golf cart with a guy blasting “Who let the dogs out”!!) Wish I had a video of that!

All in all it was a spectacular trip. But, clearly the reason for that is Zenon Znamirowski. He is so accomplished at what he does. He is extremely professional and has a wonderful knowledge of the area and historic facts. The data he gives to you at the end of The Forefather’s Tour is very well organized. I enjoyed his sense of humor and found him to be a very comfortable person with which to travel. So much so that it feels as if he becomes part of your family! And he always has his guests interests at heart. It seems his greatest joy is seeing the joy and smiles on YOUR face. If anyone is contemplating Your Forefather’s Tour you will not be disappointed. I don’t think you will find a better person as your guide. Zenon without doubt exceeded my expectations. Thanks to him this has truly been a trip of a lifetime!

Michelle Piech Hickok
USA

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2. Trip of a Lifetime.

November 28th, 2012

During one of these trips we stopped at a tiny village store in Chotowa and Zenon asked the store owner if she knew of the Piech name. She became very excited and was talking faster than Zenon could translate as she drew a map of property lines.

As it turned out the Piech family she was speaking of wasn’t more than 4 or 5 houses away! With much excitement we jumped into the car and off we went. The woman at the house was very gracious but couldn’t give us a lot of detail, as this was her husband’s family. She asked if we could come back the next day at 3pm when he would be home. Needless to say we were happy to do so.

And the next day we were introduced to Wladyslaw and Irena Piech. What a wonderful couple. I was so touched when he took my hand, kissed it three times and told me he was so happy family from the United States was looking for them. My heart was full! We are not quite sure yet how it all fits together but suspect his great grandfather, who we think is Wojciech, and my great grandfather, Stanislaus, were brothers.

Wladyslaw remembers letters coming from Chicago but wasn’t able to find them while we were there. Hopefully, he will be successful in his search and we can verify the connection. We left Chotowa feeling incredibly grateful, amazingly happy and astounded that Zenon had indeed topped himself from the previous days, which also led to a discussion of how at times it feels as if our ancestors guide us in our search.

Irena, Wladyslaw, Michelle and Walt

After our days of intense research it was time to be tourists and Zenon accompanied us as tour guide and historian extraordinaire! We toured Lancut Castle, which was as fascinating as it was beautiful (click here: http://www.zamek-lancut.pl/en/ to see English version of Łańcut Castle website).

Zenon took this time to organize the large amount of data he had compiled. One of his suggestions was to visit the open air museum in Sanok for a better idea of how our ancestors lived. He arranged for a private hour and a half tour of the museum. Our tour guide spoke excellent English and was able to explain life as it would have been in the mid 1800′s for our ancestors. The structures were amazing and we were given access to buildings that were closed to the public. What an education. If anyone has the opportunity to do this it is well worth your time. (And now you can take virtual stroll through the old Galician market square: http://skansen.sanok.pl/wirtualny-spacer-rynek-galicyjski.html)

Skansen in Sanok

Michelle

Click for part 3

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1. Trip of a Lifetime.

November 27th, 2012

I had the pleasure of finding the PolishOrigins site about a year ago. While I haven’t been able to establish a family connection with anyone with the same Piech surname, I have truly enjoyed others stories and connections.

After years of searching records for my great grandfather,Stanislaus Piech, I only had the very vague answer of his origin as ” Poland”. I knew the family had come from Poland to Chicago in 1880. The one clue I did have was my great grandmother’s death certificate. On it her daughter listed her mother’s birthplace as Sedziszow, Poland. In reviewing LDS films it was clear Stanislaus was not from the immediate area. But, surely he must be from a village somewhere close. There were a few clues of other family members from the US on Ancestry and Family Search, but, nothing to help with my mystery man, Stanislaus. I felt I had exhausted my research in the United States.

I had previously hired a researcher in Poland to help me find the ancestral village of my great grandfather some time ago. This turned out to be greatly disappointing. Whether it was a lack of understanding because of the language barrier or lack of research experience I am not sure.

So, to say I was a little hesitant to hire yet another researcher was an understatement. But, after reading testimonials and spending time reading PolishOrigins I became convinced Zenon was the right person for the job. After much communication and being very clear about my expectations I asked him to research my family.

In May 2012 Zenon and I agreed on a course of action for the research and he had Marek check the archives in Tarnow. After just a couple of weeks I had my answer! Stanislaus was from Chotowa in Straszecin parish!! Not terribly far from Sedziszow. And included were the names of six siblings, marriages, deaths, names of his parents and grandparents…all with documentation. I was overwhelmed!

I had promised myself that if I were ever lucky enough to find Stanislaus I was going to Poland to see the villages of my ancestors. By October my husband and I boarded a plane and were on our way! Ten days in Poland!! I couldn’t believe this day had finally arrived.

Zenon was amazing! He helped us with every detail of our trip. He offered ideas of sites to visit but makes it very clear that this is your trip and is willing to do whatever you’d like to make it special. My husband and I did not speak a word of Polish and I was a little hesitant about how we would handle everything. There was no need to worry as Zenon made sure everything was perfect. From hotel rooms to ordering dinner to buying things in the market squares he paid attention to every detail.

We spent three days at the archives in Tarnow. As a researcher Zenon is extraordinary. With the three of us looking through records, the information, at times, seemed to be coming so quickly I don’t know how Zenon kept track of it all. We had such great success at the archives I laughed and told Zenon I wasn’t sure how he could possibly top this!

Zenon and Michelle in Tarnow Archives

During this time we also went to Sedziszow , Chotowa and to Straszecin and visited the parishes and the cemeteries. We found evidence of the Piech family but we’re not sure exactly how they fit in.