Pilch Family

Korzenie rodziny Pilchów znajdują się w Zagórzu Podkarpackim, w pobliżu Przeworska. Za czasów moich dziadków i pradziadków, Polska stanowiła cześcią Austro-Węgry. Na metryce dziadka oznaczono Austrię, jako miejsce urodzenia. Urodził się jednak w Zagórzu Podkarpackim, blisko Manasterza. Większe miasta w pobliżu: Rzeszów, Łańcut, Przeworsk, i Jarosław.

Feliks Pilch (pradziadek) mieszkał na góry w Zagórzu. Ożenił się z wdowạ Zofiạ Skurạ (nazwiska panieṅskiego nie znam). Mieszkali w domu blisko rodziny Skurów. Z małżeństwem z Panem Skura porodziła troje dzieci: Leon, Franek, i Marcin. Leon odjechał do Ameryki, gdzie trworzył wielkạ rodzinę, bo aż dwanaście (12) dzieci. Franek i Marcin zostali w Zagórzu. Ich domy jeszcze tam istniejḁ.

Feliks Pilch i Zofia Skura Pilch porodzili troje dzieci:
    1. Wiktoria i
    2. Jakób, (bliźnniaki ?), i
    3. Wacław, mój dziadek.

Wiktoria Pilch (ur. 1880, zm. 24.3.1962) została w Zagórzu. Pobrała siẹ z Feliksem Potocznym (ur. 1877, zm. 29.12.1948), który został pierwszym wójtem Zagórza. W lipcu, 2000 r. szukajạc ślady rdzeństwa odnalazłem pomnika w cmentarzu w Manasterzu.

Rodzina: (na zdjeciu brakuje Alojzego i Stanisława).
1. Jan Potoczny (Pomnik - ur. 13.04.1906 r. - zm. 0 2.10.1949 r.). Dzieci: Maria Potoczna Morawska i Danuta Potoczna Fudali z Rączyny.

    2. Józefa Potoczna (zm. ??.11.1989 r,) pobrała siȩ z Józefem Zawadạ (ur. 1898 r. - zm. 23.06.1970). Cȯrka, Maria Zawada (ur. 20.07.1928 r. - zm. 23.05.2006 r.) pobrała siȩ z Tadeuszem Kukułkạ (ur. 29.03.1924 r.; zm. 09.11.1984 r.). Ich córka, Ewa Wiktoria Kukułka pobrała siȩ z Andrzejem Bułdys, obecny Sołtys Zagórza. Ona poprawiła moje wiadomości o rodzinie: ewabuldys@interia.pl

    3. Alojzy Potoczny (zm. ??.01.1977 r.) ożenił się z Idạ. Mieszkali w Szwajcarji. Dzieci: Grażyna Potoczna Mielonka; i Wiesław Potoczny.
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    4. Janina Potoczna (ur. 24.09.1921 r.; zm. 21.12.1934 r.).

5. Stanisław Potoczny (ur. 12.04.1912 r.; zm. 30.04.1984 r.). Wstạpił do zakonu Bernardynów chyba w 1929 r. lub 1930 r. Podano mu na imiȩ Serafin, jednak rodzina zawsze wołała na niego: Stasiek. Uczęszczał do gimnazjum we Lwowie. W 1929 r., jego klasa V przenosiła się z calạ szkołạ do Sokale (teraz w Ukrainie). Zostaŀ wyświęcony na księdza 19.06.1938 r.. Dalsze studia w sztuce brał na uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim. Po wojnie, słuźył polakom w U.K (od 1967 r do 1974 r.). Wrócił wtedy do Polski po ataku serca. Jest pochowany w Przeworsku. Zrobiłem to zdjẹcie w grudniu, 2003 r.

6. Felicja ("Fela") Potoczna ( zm. ?.12.2003 r.) pobrała siȩ z Eugeniuszem (Gienek) Kielar. Po wojnie, został szefem straży pożarnej w Rzeszowie, gdzie mieszkali do smierci. Fela umarła w tym samym miesiạcu, kiedy przyjechalem do Przeworska szukajạc ślady rodziny za pomocḁ wspołbraci O. Serafina w klasztorze tam.

7. Maria Potoczna (ur. 07.07.1924 r. zm. 27.08.2001 r.) pobrała siȩ z Kazimierzem Basiak (ur. 1914 r.). Jeszcze żyje w Zagórzu. Ich dzieci: Andrzej, Ala (Aleksandra), Eugeniusz, Małgorzata, i Jan (ur. 27.03.1950 r.; zm. 04.09.1985 r.).

Jakób Pilch [bliźniak Wiktorii (?)] (ur. 1886; zm. 1944) przyjechał do Ameryki. Pobrała się z Agatą (ur. 1887; zm. 13.12.1943). Mieszkali w Amsterdam, Nowy York, i pracowali przy wyrobiu dywanów (Mohawk Carpet Mills). Dzieci nie mieli. Jakób byŀ chrzestnym ojcem mego Ojca.

Wacław Pilch (dziadek - ur. 02.02.1888 r.; zm. 17.04.1951 r.). Przybył do Ameryki 2 1906 r. Zapoznał i pobrała się z Karoliną Staszowską (Rzeszów Błażowa; lub Przewrotne; ur. ?.12.1888 r.; zm. ?.10.1918 r.). Wzięli ślub w parafii M.B. Czętochowskie, w Brooklynie, NY, w styczniu, 1910 r.

Siostra Karoliny [imię?] pobrała siȩ z Juliuszem Butkowskim. Mieszkali w Cheektowaga, N.Y.

Not long after the birth of Joseph (Sept 5, 1918), Karolina died in the flu epidemic (October, 1918)

When my father, John, was six years old, the family lived on 23rd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues (Brooklyn, NY), near Genia Młynarska Falencka. This was the year Karolina died. After her death, my grandfather hired nannies. This did not turn out to be successful. One nearly burned the house died after she fell asleep smoking a cigarette. Another nearly drowned the infant, Joseph, while bathing him. So the boys were placed in an orphanage on Atlantic Avenue. From there, they were sent to Poland In July, 1920, grandfather Waclaw sent the four sons to his sister Wiktoria in Poland to look after and raise them. The boys traveled by ship to Liverpool, UK, and then on a smaller ship across the North Sea to Danzig (Gdańsk), Poland. They must have traveled by train from there to Zagórze, a good six to eight hour ride today, perhaps longer then. Quite likely, a government official (like a social worker?) escorted the young boys. He also regularly visited Wiktoria to check on their living conditions My father, John, and Wiktoria's son, Serafin Stanisław, were born in the same year (1912). They must have bonded well because my father selected Stanisław (after St. Stanislaus Kostka) as his confirmation name (he was likely confirmed in Poland). My middle brother was also named Stanisław (Stanley). Since the four boys knew no Polish, a public school teacher was hired to tutor them (Jerendowna). When she discovered they were "cursing" in English (probably just using less than elegant language), they received a spanking.

When Jakób and Wacław came to America, that marked the end of Pilch presence in Zagórze. The Pilch ancestors are buried in Pantalowice. The grave markers have been eroded so only the general location is known. The parish here, Immaculate Mother of God (Niepokalanej Bogarodzicy), is where the residents of Zagórze came for instruction, Mass, and all liturgical and parish functions. It is well over ten miles from Zagórze. This may have been the Pastor who suggested that my father go to the gimnazjum in Chyrów (see below).

In 1922, my grandfather Waclaw visited Poland and married Wanda Potoczna (distant cousins to Wiktoria's husband, Feliks Potoczny). Wanda was the daughter of Katarzyna and Józef Potoczny, the second wójt of Manasterz. Their children were:
    Kazimierz (who attended gimnazjum in Jarosław, which Joseph Pilch also attended)
    Wanda (Wacław's wife)
    Władyslawa (Władzia) who married a man named Dziad, and
    Emilja ("Milka," Emily) who married Władysław Puć. They had five children, the eldest daughter was Kazimiera. Also Zbigniew Puć whose first wife, Janina died in an auto accident leaving four children.
    Ewa Bułdys (see above) added these names to the one's my father gave me:
    Stanisław
    Mieczysław
    Józka

On March 6, 1922, Wanda returned with Waclaw to America on the ship America, departing from Bremen, Germany. They had no children. After their marriage, Waclaw's four sons moved from Wiktoria's modest home to live with Wanda's family, the Potoczny's, but still in Zagórze.

It was in 1923 that my father was sent to a Jesuit school in Chyrów (at that time Poland, now Chyriv, Ukraine: more precisely it is Bąkowice pod Chyrowem). The address was Konwikt św. Józefa, Chyrów, wojewódzstwo Lwowskie. A postcard forwarded from the school to him in 1930 was addressed to my father in c/o Józef Potoczny, Zagórze, near Manasterz, by way of Przeworsk. As indicated just above, this is where the boys lived after 1922 when grandfather Wacŀaw married Wanda Potoczna. The local pastor at St. Catherine's church in Manasterz (not clear whether his name is Mroczka or Piechucki, or both of these are his name and surname) recommended that my father attend this prestigious school. Its enrollment was about 550 students, and dad loved it. ( My father said the parish was named Our Lady of Consolation, but it was St. Catherine's.)

Concerning the school and its location, my father said seventy-five percent of the population of Chyrów was Jewish. Three fifths of the students were externs, that is, day students. Among the teachers that he remembered are Wojtuń for gardening, art, engineering; Józef Navratil (Czech) for music. Dad took piano lessons. He had Tarczyński for gymnastics. Dad always wanted to play the violin but his father didn't agree. So my dad traded the Waterman fountain pen Dziadzia sent him for a trumpet. My dad's great thrill was to play the hejnał as a wake up for the boys on "surprise" holidays from school. I still have his trumpet and have played it.

Charles Pilch (born July 23, 1910, died March 8, 1990) married Anna Krasoń.

They had four children:
    1. Dorothea Pilch Fedoryszyn;
    2. Charles Pilch, Jr.,
    2. Dolores Pilch Alberghini, and
    4. Loretta Pilch Kmech

John Pilch, Sr (my father, born September 21, 1912, died October 10, 1995) married Anna Mary Wypych on September 1, 1935 at Our Lady of Częstochowa Parish, Brooklyn, NY. Anna Mary Wypych was born July 24, 1917 and died October 21, 1969.

They had three children:
    1. John J. Pilch, Jr., (myself)
    2. Stanley Richard Pilch, and
    3. Stephen Paul Pilch.

Edward Pilch (born January 25, 1916) married Maryanne Żółtowski (born 1918; married: February, 1937).

They had two children:
1. Carolyn Pilch Petrucci (born April 10,1940; died March, 2005), and
2. Florence Pilch Callahan

For further information about Edward Pilch, contact Christine Callahan Grimm, daughter of Florence: SEAGRIMM77@OPTONLINE.NET

Joseph Pilch (born in Brooklyn, NY: September 5, 1918, died in Chicago, IL: October 21, 1992) never married. He spent most of his life in the military (The Royal Air Force -- Polish Division; then the U.S. Air Force).

Rodzina Pilchów w Polsce