Genealogy /
Zelem family - Southeast poland [73]
Hi Viddanuy....................Stephen I'm more than interested in what you have said, even though we cirtainly don't share the same grandad Zelem.
My Granfather was called Tadeusz born C1895 and Grandma was called Paraskiewia, both now lie in a Wroclaw cemetry. My mother is the last remaining of four sons and two daughters. Two of my uncles landed in Canada after WW11, one uncle and my aunt along with my Grandparents were relocated in Wroclaw district during Operation Vistula in 1947. My mother who was taken for forced labour to Hungary at the age of 17, eventualy resetled here in England.
The eldest sibling managed somehow to remain in Bodaki and the homestead still remains. I was there in late October last year and managed to find my cousin who runs the farm along with his wife and daughter, his two sons now work as haulage drivers in Germany, one is about to build a new house on the farm, so it seems that Chata Zelem has a future in the Gorlice district. There is another daughter who I didn't meet that has lived in the US for about fifteen years.
My Mother did mention in the past that Grandad Zelem did travel to the US on two occations but cannnot remember what the purpouse of these visits were. Also she said that she has a cousin who has lived in America for as long as she can remember, but sadly she do's not have contact with her. I shall go to see Mother this afternoon as usual and see if she can remember more details, She's 84 now and gets annoyed with too many questions.
On the Lemko issue I have recieved mixed opinions, Mother and Father spoke Polish and I was brought up as Polish. My uncles in Canada fell out with each other over the issue, one being Polish and married a Polish girl, the other was Lemko and proud of it and married a Ukrainian girl aparently some bitterness involved between the two ladies fueling the issue even more. My cousin in Bodaki when I asked say he's Lemko but speakes Polish and goes to a Roman Catholic church, as did his Father before him.(this is the old wooden built one in Ropica. )
The family in Wroclaw I haven't met as yet, but I shall make a visit this year and meet the rest of the Zelem Family and perhaps piece together more family history......
So Stephen any information you are willing to share I shall be glad of, and will gladly run it over with my Mother to see if she reconises any of the facts........... Genek.....
