Babcia was born in Dziemiany Kascierayna, Poland in 1942. Dziemiany is a small village in northern Poland, just southwest of Gdansk. It is part of the Pomeranian province. I guess you could say we’re Pomeranian… which explains a lot. Pomeranian puppies are known to be fiesty and lively, and they are also smart animals. They originated in this region of northern Poland which how they got their name. Babcia is absolutely smart, and definitely fiesty. I’m not sure what it is about this region that it produces those characteristics, but there’s definitely a correlation.

The Early Years in Poland

Babcia doesn’t remember much of her earlier years, as she was so young when her life encountered upheaval. In 1944, when she was only two years old, her family was forced out of their home by the Nazis. They were taken to a waiting train where they were met by family members, who decided that they surely wouldn’t survive what ever was coming. So they took two of the children with them – Babcia and one of her brothers – in an effort to save part of the family. It would be thirteen years before Babcia would see her family again.

The rest of the family was forced to board a boxcar and were taken to Germany. After a few years of turmoil, they ended up in a camp for displaced persons (run by the United Nations) where they would eventually be able to get out of the region on a ship headed for the United States in 1949. In 1955, my grandfather relocated his family from Virginia to Chicago and had saved enough money to buy what would be their family home for many years. Babcia and her brother were finally brought to join them in 1957.

Growing Up in Czersk

From the time she was two until she was fifteen, Babcia and her brother lived in Poland with their aunts. These aunts were school teachers, and Babcia often refers to them as spinsters. At some point, they ended up living in Czersk, Poland. Babcia remembers them being very strict. There were lessons, and lots of church as the family was devoutly Catholic. Disrespect or insubordinance got you a slap on your open palm with a ruler. Like any child, Babcia did occasionally get into trouble. She recalls once when she was sent with money to the market to get some staples like milk and eggs. She decided instead to use all of the money to buy candy, and she was swiftly punished for that. She does have some good memories too. Babcia has fond memories of having a best friend in Poland when she was young; she said they went every where together. Babcia’s friend’s name was Anita Liegman. She also had a close relationship with her grandparents. Babcia’s grandparents cried when she left Poland; they knew they would never see her again.

Sailing to a New Home

In 1957 Babcia and her brother Alojzy boarded the MS Stockholm in Bremerhaven Germany, headed for the United States. The Stockholm was a Swedish ship. In fact, it was still sailing until October 2020, when it made it’s last voyage. It had been bought and sold and rebuilt many times over the years, and was even involved in the sinking of another ship (the Andrea Doria) in 1956. It retired as the MV Astoria.

Babcia’s memories of the voyage are scarce. In her words, “that was a very long time ago”. She does remember that there were lots of sweets and pastries served on board. (She has always had a sweet tooth.) They ate very well on their trip across the ocean. She also remembers being seasick for most of the trip, while her brother was not. She says it was a hard trip for her. They sailed into New York, New York on October 12, 1957. Babcia knew where she was because she saw the Statue of Liberty in the distance. She had made it to America.

Arriving in New York

Upon arrival in New York, Babcia and Alojzy were processed and then greeted by some of their family. One sister, and two other brothers drove to New York to fetch them and bring them back to Chicago. They were of course, dressed in the clothing that they left Germany in. They were dressed for colder weather, and in clothing that wasn’t quite in style in the United States. In an effort to help fifteen year old Babcia feel more comfortable, her sister Luta brought some clothes for her to change into. Babcia recalls that Luta immediately took her into the restroom and attempted to help her change into the more Americanized outfit. However, all of Babcia’s underclothing was made of heavy flannel and the fresh clothes would not fit her overtop of the flannel. She would have to remain in her traveling clothes for the trip home.

Life Starts Anew

Her trip to Chicago to pick up with her lost family would be the end of her travels for the time being. (There would be more travels later in her life.) From here Babcia would learn U.S. history, learn a new language, and begin working and assimilating into the culture. She had to reinvent herself, and rebuild relationships with the family that she had shared a hasty goodbye with years ago. I’m sure this was all quite overwhelming, as it was a monumental life change for her, and at such a tender age. At each turn she faced uncertainty and mountains of change looming in the distance. All of the obstacles she faced helped her to become the strong, independent woman that we know and love today. I am proud to say that this story is about my mama. Babcia is and always has been my hero.