Getting ready for Stan's 70th Birthday 5-14-2010

Stan Kropewnicki - 19 months in this photo - November 1941



John Kropewnicki and his son Stan - about 1941 or so


Stan Kropewnicki - 4 years old - 1944 - In Navy sailor suit just like his daddy who was off to war.

We were getting ready for Stan's 70th birthday party. His birthday is on 5-14-2010. The party is on Saturday 5-15-2010.

I needed to send out some invitations and wanted to put on some old photos.

Stan reluctantly brought out a photo or two, which I started to scan in. Then the flood gates opened. I have over 30 photos to scan. He still held back some though for another day.

Here is a list of photos and tidbits Stan shared.

1) Maternal grand mother Helen Jackowski is 3rd from L to R.



2) Aug 1971 Cousin Richie Shuber getting married to Cathy.


Richard was an accountant. We met him a few years back in Boulder as he was visiting his son who was attending college at CU. We went to the Boulder fair grounds to hear some polka music. Stan had just renewed his interest in polka music and dancing. We thought surely Richie and Cathy would be interested also. They were polite, but mostly bored. Polkas had not filtered into their heritage as they had with Stan.

3) Sept 1971 Stan's neice - Mary Anne pictured in the middle. She is riding on her Grandmother Alice Kropewnicki's boat. Along with her is Eleanor and Chrystina (whoever they are?)



4) Alice Kropewnicki - Stan's mom She always spent a lot of time decorating their home for Christmas holidays




5) Stan's maternal Grandparents - Helen and Leopold Jackowski



6) Alice Kropewnicki - Mitch Poplaski Sept 1971



Stan's dad died July 2, 1969. After a few years of grief Alice, Stan's mom met an interesting man, Mitch Poplaski. He was a big deal with the window washer's union in New York city. He belonged to the local Yacht club and was president for a long time. Alice fell in love and they bought a boat together. Alice enjoyed dolling up the boat with colorful cushions and going out for a ride through New York harbor. One of the thrills for Mitch was seeing the tall ships gathered around the Statue of Liberty in 1976 during the country's 200 year celebration.


7) Pat Kropewnicki and her brother-in-law Tony Szeluga



Tony married Stan's oldest sister Irene and had a boy - Robert Szeluga.

Pat, Stan's other sister married Richard O'Neill and had a girl - Mary Anne O'Neill.

8) Jamela Swanson and Stan Kropewnicki - Summer 1969


Stan was concerned about the first time he met Jamela, Joyce's daughter. Stan was an outdoors kind of guy: fishing, hunting and getting right into things. Here was this little two year old kid that had trouble walking on pebbles as she crossed the path to the fishing hole in the Colorado mountains. It has been an interesting experience for him and her the 40 some years they have known each other when they learned to call each other Dad and Jamie.

9 Stan Kropewnicki and little baby - could be his neice Mary Anne O'Neill.



Some of these photos are very old and were stuck together from some moisture which created a partial image. Still a picture is worth a thousand words and holding a new baby is worth the look.

10 Richard Shuber - Stan's Uncle Richard has a son named Richard also that came visit Colorado photo # 2.
Richard was his mother's Brother-in-law. His wife was Frances Jackowski, Alice's sister.




Must have been someone's wedding as Richie is wearing a flower in his lapel.

11) Helen and Leopold Jackowski (Stan's maternal grandparents) Aunt Loretta (Jackowski)Gatz and John Kropewnicki (Stan's dad).




12 Stan Kropewnicki and sister Irene Kropewnicki (Szeluga - Muse - Rodway - Miller)



13 Maternal Grandmother - Helen Jackowski and her brother ..Terlik


14 Aunt Loretta (Jackowski - Alice's sister) Gatz Grandmother Helen Jackowski Aunt Ruth Jackowski (married Stanley Stan's Uncle) mother Alice Kropewnicki



15 Stan Kropewnicki - taken in Mespheth New York in living room



16 Stan Kropewnicki - Beauty (his dog's tail in photo) In front of Stan's house in Mespeth NY looking north. Late 1940's his dad had a Chevy. Stan is about age 10-12 in the photo which makes this about 1950 - 1952.




17 Alice Jackowski (Kropewnicki then Poplaski) Graduation from Grammer School. Stan didn't think his mother graduated from High School as she had to go to work. The photo was on a postcard with no date. A. Klimas Phot Studio 98 Grand Ave. Maspeth, L.I.



18 Loretta Gatz Stan Kropewnicki (little boy in front) Stan's parent John Kropewnicki and Alice Kropewnicki

New Years Eve in Boston 2009

Visited our grand daughter Anya and her parents, John and Rachel. She is so cute and happy all the time.

We watched and played for hours with little Anya, 14 months old. She is such a delight. She is cheery and happily sports a contagious smile. She looks through her stacks of books and brings one right over, crawls into your lap to hear a good story from Grandma and Grandpa.

She has a surprisingly long attention span. It is interesting to watch children learn. Anya spent quite a while putting little square blocks down the tube from long spent Christmas wrapping paper. She figured out the five blocks could easily be retrieved from the other end when they slide down the tube. She picked them up one at a time and replaced them in the tube for a big slide. After many repetitions she had figured out how to hold 4 blocks in her little hands and slipped them in the tube.

Another time she was learning to get in and out of a Christmas sleigh. This foot here and that hand there and pretty soon she tumbled out. Up again to crawl in and work at getting out.

What a delight to spend the New Years weekend with her and her parents, John and Rachel. By the time we said good-by she had her Grandpa's number with her little flirty eyes and smile. She says lots of words some are understandable. Grandma was "ammow" and Grandpa sounded like Grandpa or our ears were playing tricks on us.

She has a Nana nearby who loves to visit and play with her. When we went to Diane's (Nana) for dinner, Anya played with Nana putting different shapes into an elephant. She learned quickly that you could just put them in the elephant's big trunks also. The ultimate in work around technology.




On New Year's Day 2010 Frog Park at Boston Common downtown and later we all went to visit Anya's other Grandma (Nana), Diane in Salem, MA.

2009 Christmas stockings

Many of my co-workers decorated and filled Christmas stockings for needy children during the holidays.

Irene's 80th Birthday

We took a brief trip down to Albuquerque, New Mexico for Stan's sister Irene's 80th Birthday.

She had just married her 4th husband, Ben Miller two months ago. He is a quiet easy going guy. It is interesting to see older people engage in life together after both have had rich full lives.

He is polite and clearly answers questions when asked, but doesn't ask any of his own or pry into anything about you.

He was a crane operator for 17 or so years and lived in Danville, Illinois. We talked a little about how scary it must be to perch a top the crane as the boom maneuvers around moving equipment and building materials. I asked how he got up to the top of the crane. "Just climb up," was his reply. There is a cage that encompasses the metal rungs of the ladder, but still you are climbing up there with only safety rope. He also was a car mechanic for years.

Irene was thrilled when she opened the quilt and loved the colors. I know she would as she has many of the mauve rose colors decorating her home. Ben was so appreciative of the gift and knew first hand the work that goes into making a quilt. He said his wife (I assume first wife - probably deceased) made many quilts. When she finished them she wrapped them in a pillow case and put them in a dresser drawer. He said it as if she were still alive and you could just go over to the dresser drawer, open it and take a look at her handy work. He is 82 and life's experience intersect with the new life he is making with Irene.

Irene is happy once again - driven by guidance from the Lord who told her in a dream that she would be married to a wonderful man a year before it happened. Whatever people believe evidently comes true.

They showed us a photo video of their wedding. It was well done with heartfelt music and fade in snapshots of the beautiful day. Bob gave his mom away to Ben in a touching scene. Irene was dressed in a full length cream-colored wedding gown. She carried herself in the same elegant way that I have known from years past. The four tier wedding cake fed the many friends she has at their church.

Ben grew up on a farm in Danville, Illinois. One time a rival minister was looking for place for his tent. Ben's dad offered him a place in a field on their 80 acres. Ben got to know this man and his son Joel over the years that he would set up his tent. Joel became Ben's foster son (not legally) and is still referred to in those terms today. Joel is the minister of the mega Four-Square church where Irene participates.

Somehow Joel has taken over a 16,000 square foot partially built home, I should say mansion (castle). I guess the neighbors were delighted when Joel bought this place and started to fix it up as it had been an unfinished haven for drugs groups and other assortment of low life.

Well Ben meet Irene, they fell in love and got married. Now both have a companion to share they waining years.

On Saturday, November 28, 2009, we decided to head back to Danver as we heard these might be snow storm. Its no fun making a 7-8 hours drive in the snow. The snow never materialized.

Before we left we stopped at Old Town Albuquerque for a walk through the area on a brisk morning. Stan was feeling under the weather so mostly he waited in the car while I chatted with the Native Americans lining the sidewalk on their blankets in front of a building. They had jewelry for sale all laid out in front of them that sparkled in the chill. Their faces lite up early in the morning to talk with the few of us tourists out looking at their wares.

One guy saw my Black Dog sweatshirt and was reminded of his yellow lab that he dearly loved. We talked about the meaning of various fetishes of jewelry that he had carved. Arrow heads for direction and protection. Bears for courage, good luck, and protection. They were interesting as was the guy selling them. So I parted with some money and put them in my pocket. Waiting for some good luck to come my way.

One the way back to Denver, we listened to rock and roll then some polka music. The road goes on and on through long expanses of grass land.


Colorado has much the same terrain until you arrive at Pueblo with more rolling hills, trees and mountains to the west. By the time we went through Colorado Springs dusk had come and gone and there was nothing but night with the red tailights glaring as the traffic packed in with fellow returning vacationers.

It was a good trip to see Irene, her new husband Ben and her son Bob to spend a slice of time with their family.

9/11 Memorial climb in Denver

Some 343 firefighters from throughout Colorado and Wyoming will participate
in a memorial stair climb Friday, Sept. 11, at 1801 California. The
memorial will be from 9 to 11 a.m.

Participants will climb the building's 52 flights of stairs twice to pay
tribute to the 343 firefighters who were killed when the World Trade Center
collapsed due to terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Started by Denver Fire District Chief Dave McGrail in 2004, the memorial at
1801 California is thought to be the only one of its kind in the nation.

Gene and Sylvia Swanson's 50th Anniversary

Gene explains my Grandmother Anna Swanson's frustration in trying to put on a girdle in hot humid Kansas City weather at their wedding 50 years ago.



Jodi Cyphers Wendi Swanson Shelli Kelly and Christy Freemyer singing How Great Thou Art. They are Gene and Sylvia's daughters


Jodi Cyphers Wendi Swanson Shelli Kelly and Christy Freemyer singing Children of the Heavenly Father


Gene and Sylvia wove together love and affection for their family and touched people in their lives with kindness.

I wanted to give them a remembrance for the occasion. Here is a sample of the quilt which came from fabric from my mother, their Aunt Frances.

Green Bay Wisconsin 7-22-09