23 Jun 1937, Poland

Wincenty BIENIECKI

23 June 1937

Dear John,

Why you don’t write?  Did you forget about us?

Here all is as always.  Finally we have vacation and we will relax.  Last time we had very hot weather.  Do you also have drought?  Here all wheat fields are burned.  Look like wheat and hay will be very expensive.  We had a light rain, so maybe we will have some potatoes to eat.

We hope that you will receive this letter in July.  Tomorrow is your name day, so we wish you all the best in your life, may all your dreams come true, enjoy your kids.  Your God-child is a good boy, he has already 5 teeth, but I’m still waiting for him to start walking.  Please send letter to us and tell us how are you doing, how is your business going, if the strikes and other protests area impacting your business?

John, I have to tell you that you gave a lot of headaches to Ms. BRZOZOWSKA – you know, that short and fat lady that was visiting me in the hospital?  You recommended her some stuff for birth-control – sponge.  She totally believed you and used it a month after you left, her husband came back from military, she was using this, but it didn’t help and she had to do abortion.  This cost 60 zlotych.  She said that you were lucky that you left already, because she would pull all your hair for this.

We had a good laugh about her reaction, and her husband as well.

We are sending your few pictures of our little one and please don’t forget about us.

We are sending hugs and kisses to you, your wife and your children.

Dusia is kissing your hand and is asking when you will visit again.

Janka and Witek

NOTES:

• The protests mentioned in paragraph three were likely labor strikes of 1937.  In Buffalo, both the steel workers and trucking workers went on strike.
• After WWI, Poland enacted compulsory education for children between 7 and 14.  By 1939, over 90% of Poland's children attended school due mostly because of the reforms enacted on the education system.  As a career educator, Wincenty BIENIECKI was a school teacher, inspector, director and superintendent.  He won a prestigious award for his life long work in education.  This is documented on his gravestone.
• Wincenty died at age 92 in 1995.

Gravstone photo from cousin Krystof S.

This letter is from the collection of Uncle Peter J. BINIEWSKI. 
Special thanks to cousin Dan B. for sharing this letter, cousin Krystof S. for sharing the photo and to my friend Ela N. for translating the letter.