Bernie's Taste of Poland
By Bernie Sadowski
Reference: My visit to Poland in June 2001.
"Setting Foot on the Homeland"
Hi Friends,
During the first part of my June 2001 trip to Poland I was hosted by my
cousin, Romana Chmielewska-Sadowska, who resides in Mlawa. This is my
paternal branch of the ancestral tree. When they met me
in the Warsaw Airport and whisked me out of the building - I viewed the
Polish landscape for the first time it was exhilarating. "Wow! I said...I am
here, actually here in my ancestral land. Unbelievable!"
She and her two children drove me to every possible location in the region
where SADOWSKI relatives lived and died. I now know where the burials took
place and the locations of the cemeteries. I have photographs of
the graves of my grandfather Michael's sibs all personally taken and witnessed. We also
visited many family members from these original Sadowskis. My grandpa was the
only sibling to immigrate and remain in the USA.
My origins spring from a beautiful village area called Bogucin. In this
village we located the lush farmland where grandpa Michael Sadowski and his
sibs were born. The wheat was five feet high as far as the eye could see.
Orchards of tree-forests can be seen in the distances. Only an old barn is
left on the property today. A newer home has been rebuilt. The Church in
Gralewo where they must have worshipped was visited and the Pastor consulted.
He searched the existing records in his collection with no success regarding
the births or Baptisms of any of the family. This was not a surprise since it
is well documented that this region of Poland was under Russian control
during the Partition Years.
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The Wladyslaw SADOWSCY Family was new to me! Emily, my mother, wrote to a
Lucyna Krasniewska for years but I never knew to whom this person was
related. I learned who she was on this research trip. Lucyna has died;
however, her daughter, Alicja Chalenska, is alive and I met her and several
members of her family. We had a great evening visiting and eating in her flat.
Janina Sadowska married Jozef Konopka - I was taken to several places where
descendants of Janina are living - Plock/Plonsk region. One in-law of this
branch is a retired chemistry teacher from a military school who took a
liking to me. He and his wife gave me a beautiful photographic souvenir album
on our Pope. They, like Romana had done in Mlawa, cooked up a batch of
golabkis - Poland style which everyone dined on. Seventeen people were
present. I don't believe my USA family knew much about this branch of
Sadowski relatives. I had now prior knowledge of this flowering branch of our
tree.
The descendants from Jan Sadowski's marriage to Helena Potwardowska is better
known to us in the USA. However, I had never personally met Edward
Potwardowski until last month in the Metro Airport! Sister has known and
seen him for many years. Our Flint Sadowskis met with him in 1979 when he
brought Romana Sadowska, granddaughter of Jan Sadowski, to visit Michael's
progeny. Emily, my mother, and family members used to correspond with
Kazimierz Sadowski, the father of Romana.
That's the brief summary of my Sadowski family branches in the Homeland. I am
very happy and very content knowing that the ancestors of our SADOWSCY
Rodzini - Family have been located and identified. My descendants now can
refer to this documented material and build upon it.
__________
Czesc,
Bernie
Bernie's Menu:
Introduction: Hi, I'm Bernie
Decision and Planning
Setting Foot on the Homeland
Polish Hospitality and Cuisine
Inside Poland
I'm Glad I Went
To Bernie, from Poland
Related links:
Family biographies:
Louis SADOWSKI
Emily URBANIC
This story is presented here with permission of the author. -
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