Anthony Raczkiewicz Jr. is Born (Uncle Tony!)

My “Uncle Tony,” Anthony Raczkiewicz Jr was born Nov. 11, 1925 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He went by the nicknames “Junior” or “Jinky.” He went to St. Adalbert School when he was young. He attended Union high school, where he was a cheerleader. Anthony graduated in 1943 and served in the Navy. He attended Grand Rapids Junior College and received an Associate degree. He married Cecilia Zalewski July 1949 at Sacred Heart Church. Both of them worked at St. Mary’s Hospital, Anthony as a credit manager and Cecilia as a registered surgical nurse. After 10 years he moved to American Seating as a production control analyst. For many of the early years of their marriage, Anthony Jr. and Cecilia were next door neighbors with his sister and her husband, John and Lorraine Dykstra on Pine Street. Another neighbor, Richard Szymanski, was a lifelong friend. Their daughter Yvonne was born in May 1953 and Eileen was born in June 1956. I remember a lot of Sunday visits at either their home or ours and seeing them often for holidays at our grandparent’s house. I thought it was cool that he bought a new car every few years. He had a lot of energy and walked and talked fast. I have enjoyed sharing the family history I am learning with his daughter Eileen. We have been amazed by some of the stories. I have learned things that I ignored as a child--like what her parents did for a living and other simple things like that.