The descendants of Ignatius and Stella Witowski have a long-tradition of staying connected that spans over two decades, many miles, and six generations. 

 Sometime after the Drzewiecki and Witowski families came from Poland to the United States, Stella and Ignatius met and then married. in 1905. They lived in the Export, Pennsylvania area for several years until moving to Chicago. They lived at 5010 South Racine, and Ignatius had a popular blacksmith shop next door. They had seven children who lived to adulthood:  Sophie, Edward, Stelle, Frances, Helen, Bernice, and Eleanore.  Catherine died as a teenager, and Gertrude as a toddler. 

The reunions began as informal gatherings hosted by the oldest of Igantius and Stella’s children on the farm of Sophie and Joe Bigora near Hamlet, Indiana.  The “city cousins” would visit the farm and celebrate together each summer.  Later Joe and Sophie’s son, Richard and his wife, Joan, continued the tradition on their farm just across the road.  Many cousins today still remember the country swimming pool, Rich and Joan created with plastic on a sandy hillside. 

Chicago 2019

After a brief hiatus, the tradition reemerged when Helen and Bill Bower hosted a rustic reunion in 1981 on their farm in Southern Indiana.  Relatives camped in tents and the “banquet” featured a hog that was butchered and cooked on-site.  Highlights of this reunion were riding in the back of a pick-up truck and jumping off a bridge to swim in the creek. 

The reunions became a bit more formalized beginning in 1989, although they still were not being held at  regular intervals.  Some patterns started to emerge following the 1998 family gathering in St. Louis:  a different family would play host each reunion, reunions would be held in different cities chosen by the host family, and a regular interval was established at 4 years.  Other fun traditions that started emerging included a golf outing, reunion t-shirts, and a banquet. 

Constant since the days back on the farm are the love of family, appreciation for our Polish heritage, the desire to stay connected, and lots of laughs and good times.