I hope someone can help me find relatives in Leman - Nicewicz, Szczesny, Pycia, Findrick.
My grandfather is Alexsander Szczesni, son of Frank Szczesny and Paulina Findrick. My grandmother is Veronica Nicewicz, daughter of Leopold Nicewicz and Zuzanna Pycia.
None of those specific names ring a bell. What is important, is that they were on the Polish/Russian border, Kresy! Try using that as a key word, when looking things up.
I can only tell you that most people who could fled the Russians, and came here or the EU, it was a horrible and sad time, as you well know.
Julie, Yes, I have heard the stories. Rape and death also in my own family. One uncle killed in a 'work camp' for being 'too Polish'. He was believed to be in the Polish Underground. Another hung on the village common to set an example. I am so proud of these people.
Only my grandfather came to America. He had siblings in Poland but the letters stopped in the 1960's. Similar case with my grandmother, she corresponded with a woman she called 'sister' but was actually her first cousin.
I so want to establish a relationship with my 'Polish' relatives.
Yes, they were very strong people, all of them. I wish I'd known my family left behind in Poland, only met Alka, or Elka, on my grandmother's side. Very bitter that we had it so much better. We did send many shipments of good clothes, though, for 20 years.
Lorr42no, my grandmother (Apolonia Szczesna) comes from Przerosl, near Suwalki town (Kresy). If you think that might be it just let me know and I can ask her about more family details.
ohhh... I forgot - my email address is: krzych_m@o2.pl :)
NICEWICZ: probably variant spelling of patronymic nick Micewicz from Micek, Micuś -- hypocoristic form of Mikołaj (Nicholas); Eng. equivalent Nicholson.
SZCZĘSNY: from first name meaning happy, gay, joyous (Eng. equiavlent Felix)
PYCIA: possibly derived from pyta (cat-o'-nine-tails, whip); or individual hypocoristic form of any first name starting with a 'p', eg Pylyp (form of Filip), Paweł, Pakosław, etc.
FINDRICK: un-Polish spelling; no Fyndryk in Poland either; possibly misspelt version of Fydrych (form of Fryderyk)
