Klementyna Was Buried April 6, 1918

“Here rests in peace, Klementyna Raczkiewicz, born 23 November 1897, died 4 April 1918, She asks for Hail Marys.” Klementyna (Golabiowska) Raczkiewicz (my Grandpa’s 1rst wife) was buried April 6, 1918 in the Polish Catholic Cemetery, which later became Holy Cross Cemetery. They had been married for four years. She died 12 days after her 21rst birthday,

Signs of Spring?

In Michigan, we think of the return of the robin as a sign of Spring though I read an article recently that disputes that. (GR Press 4.4.2021) Apparently it is the return of the red-winged blackbirds, sandhill cranes, killdeer, song sparrows, turkey vultures, bald eagles and American woodcocks that signal the Spring in Michigan with their return. While I might see several of these in my daily life, the bald eagles and turkey vultures, while not unknown within a few miles of my house, are rarely seen. I am not sure if this is the case for the return of the storks to Poland. 25% of the world's storks live there but I don’t know if that means that people see them all the time, all over, like we soon will with the robin. In any case, Happy Spring! Image credit: Frank Vassen, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons ***** https://www.facebook.com/groups/959629200718699/permalink/4451524068195844

DYNGUS DAY OR SMIGUS DYNGUS DAY

DYNGUS DAY OR SMIGUS DYNGUS DAY! Thanks to Andrzej Dubiel for mentioning it. I never heard of it being celebrated around here but this article says some Polish American communities do it! https://polishshirtstore.com/blogs/blog/dyngus-day-or-smigus-dyngus-day?fbclid=IwAR3KNBChUb2vN9o78pEv6RAiSqdVgwvFPMHr4PZseb3HMWiFaBbMJo6KHBQ

Shirley Longwell EASTER food traditions

Holiday meals are very important for family traditions. On Shirley Longwell’s (my mother) Easter menu are all foods that can be made ahead and everyone can eat when they get to her house. She remembers when a basket of food was brought to church to be blessed but that is no longer a tradition. Meat figures prominently in the menu. She buys nine pounds of ham with some of it thinly sliced, kielbasa for $4.00 per pound (2011 prices) from Ralph’s Market on Leonard Street. Other years the kielbaska has been purchased from 20th Century Meat Market, Levandoski’s Meat or Frank’s Market on Fulton St. She starts the kielbasa in a large pan at 11:00 a.m. after returning from church. It will come to a boil after 20 to 25 minutes and then she will let it cook another 20 minutes before browning it in an electric fry pan. We used to have thinly sliced rye bread from American Bakery, but since they closed it is a challenge every year to get just the right bread. Roy (my father) normally would have peeled all the potatoes for the potato salad but at some point Lori and Marissa (my sister and niece) started coming over to do it. Grandma Raczkiewicz (Pauline) always thought the potato salad needed more salt and often Shirley will think something is lacking -- maybe mustard?--or that there is too much onion. But it is hard to tell until it has been chilled, she said, “It’s got to get cold, it’s not good until it is cold.” Mom’s Potato Salad Recipe Potatoes, peeled and chopped (6) Hard cooked eggs (8) Celery, finely chopped (1 ½ cups) Radishes (a few) Onion, finely chopped (one, very small) Green pepper, finely chopped (two strips) Mayonnaise (one cup) Sugar (1 Tablespoon) Mustard A lot of salt and pepper Cook potatoes in boiling water until a fork can go in easily. Remove from the water and cool. After cool, cube the potatoes. Add the celery, radishes, onion and green pepper and mix. Mix the mayonnaise, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper and fold into the ingredients. Chill before serving. Other items on the menu include hard boiled eggs, horseradish and lamb shaped butter. Shirley always bought the butter from one of the nuns that made it who were connected with St. Adalbert Church. Desserts vary a little year to year. One year my sister LInda made a decorated bunny cake. A homemade apple pie might be baked for the occasion. Often she will make something sweet the day before with granddaughter Marissa and have her help put on the table cloth and set the table. What Easter foods are part of your celebration?

Easter Pictures & How to Say Happy Easter in Polish

How to Say Happy Easter in Polish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9lNPI3FgZU More pictures on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Polish-Family-History-102520648303884

Franciszek Raczkiewicz’s Name Day

Franciszek Raczkiewicz (my great uncle) was named for St. Francis Xavier, according to his birth and baptismal record. St. Francis Xavier was known for being a missionary. When I first learned of this sibling of my grandfather who was killed in the Rotunda in Zamosc in 1943, I didn’t know his birth date so I looked up his name day in order to have a day to tell you more about him. On March 6, Andrzej Dubiel sent me his birth record. I sent it in for translation on March 7. The record is in Russian so it usually takes a few days before a volunteer will do it. I found out he was born on June 16. On that day I will share his birth record with you. Francis was the 8th of nine siblings. In the records of three of the four youngest children, it states who they are named after: King Boleslaw, St. Francis Xavier and St. Mary Cleophas. It is possible the other children were named after specific saints but it wasn’t noted in the record. Josephgeogeorge, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Ancestral Mathematics

I am researching 1 of 4 grandparents (mainly Anthony Raczkiewicz.) I have found two great grandparents, four 2x great grandparents, eight 3x great grandparents, sixteen 4x great grandparents and 14/32 5x great grandparents. This fun picture was shared by Dan Bobo.