After a short period of exchanging correspondence and of preparations it was decided that the Family members, who could be contacted by telephone or e-mail, meet in Trzebieszow (Lukow county, Lublin voivodship). Trzebieszow is considered to be "the nest" of the Podlasie branch of the Family (click to read about the "History of Trzebieszow"). The date of Saturday, July 29, 2000 was selected. Barbara Miszta (nee - Wajszczuk - Director of the Primary School in Trzebieszow) undertook the task of organizing this meeting, securing the hall and a meal. The gathering took place in the school building. Original plans to meet in the open "under the ancient linden trees" (wonderful childhood memories) unfortunately did not materialize because of the rainy weather. About 50-60 family members arrived (unfortunately we forgot to count the participants), mostly descendants of the ancestors from Trzebieszow (some still live there), but also from the neighbouring Zakowola Radzynska (probably the same "main Family branch" - still under investigation) as well as from the Zamosc branch ((Sitaniec, Wysokie n/Zamosc and around). After introducing themselves and their families, they briefly reported about their past and present life and occupations. The information gathered this way served the purpose of expanding the pages of the Family Tree. Some old contacts were rene-wed and some new ones were established. After the gathering, we received several messages praising the concept and usefulness of this kind of family meetings. Perhaps in the coming year we will be able to organize a similar meeting of the "Zamosc branch" (in Zamosc?). After the main part of the gathering we were able to visit some of the relatives in their homes.
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Concluding, our special thanks to our cousine Barbara Miszta from Trzebieszow for her enthusiasm and hard work invested in the organization of this meeting and for many hours spent in the Parish Rectory studying the old records (some in foreign languages) searching for the Ancestors! Also many thanks to Jerzy Jan Wajszczuk from Warsaw for his help in contacting family members and thus contributing to the success of the meeting. And finally, our gratitude to Mr. Franciszek Jerzy Stefaniuk, Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament (Sejm) of the Republic of Poland (Wicemarszalek Sejmu III RP) for accepting our invitation to participate as a Honorary Guest and delivering a special message, in which he also recognized our relative - Rev. Karol Leonard Wajszczuk who perished during WWII in the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau as well as some other victims of persecution during the war.