May 5, 2014
Was picked up by Zenon promptly at 9am. We drove off toward Podgrodzie. The town is on a hillside overlooking the Carpathian foothills. What a beautiful part of Poland. We then drove on to Debica, stopped in the church St. Jadwiga to take pictures.
Next we stomped the cemetery and found some surnames.
Drove on to the agro-business to check in. We rested, took a short walk and left for the parish office at Sieklowka. We were told he would not help us. I kept smiling as Zenon spoke to him, and he invited us in.
He was most gracious and I so appreciate the time he spent with us.
The priest looked through the old books and found my grandfathers birth record, and more!
Had a great dinner and headed back to the B&B.
We came to this area to research my great-grandparents, Jozef Buszek and Apolonia Mastyj Buszek. Jozef Buszek was from Podgrodzie. This town is on the top of a hill. The view to the South is beyond belief. Imagine a green valley spotted with homes and farms….and beyond that the mountains. This is the view from my cousin’s backyard!!!
Apolonia Mastyj Buszek was from the rural area near Sieklowka. My great-grandmother’s niece still lives on the same farm, in a newer home. I got to meet her and her sister in one day!!
My great-grandparents met in Detroit and were married in 1901 at the Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Church. After having 2 children, they went back to Poland to visit. Apolonia was pregnant with my grandfather John Buszek. She had her baby in her parent’s home in Sieklowka and took him back to the USA as a babe in arms. As my grandmother used to say, “He was conceived in America, born in Poland”. 🙂
The first photo is from St. Jadwiga’s Church in Dębica. 100 years ago this was the only church near the village of Podgrodzie, so the parishoners walked the 7 kilometers to church every Sunday. The walk back up the hill must have been quite a challenge. That would be about 9 miles round trip!
Our first day we went to talk to the parish priest in Sieklowka. We were told that he has said in the past he had no time for genealogical questions. So, as a retired Librarian, I put on my best customer service smile as Zenon talked to him. I just kept smiling, and miracles do happen, as he invited us into the rectory! He then opened the old books and found some relatives for me. I was so grateful! Even funnier, he showed us a letter from a person in the USA who was looking for genealogical material that he had no time to research. I must confess that I have written letters to churches in Poland, and have never received a reply. 🙂
I live in Sieklowka, so good that You knew history of Your family 🙂
I hope that You come back to Sieklówka! 🙂
My grandmother, Marjanna Wietecha, also came from Sieklowka, having emigrated to Detroit, MI ca. 1906. There she met my grandfather and was married at Sweetest Heart of Mary Church. I would love to see if any relatives still reside in the area.
Michael, it is possible that you still have some relatives living in Sieklówka. Have a look at this map: https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/Wietecha, surname Wietecha is the most populr in Jasło area.