Joyce's Search Tip - January 2008
Do You Know that you can search  the site by using the Partitioned search engine at the bottom of the Current What's New Page? Family pages are listed on the Family list but also on the individual Township pages in the Photo, Bible, and other sections.
PRZYGODA, Francis A. There is a tremendous lack of Polish names in this website. 222 Garden Street,Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, 201 420 7557, FAX 201 973 3398, e-mail FAPHOBOKEN@AOL.COM, FAPHOBOKEN@JUNO.COM, Let me introduce myself. I am Francis A. Przygoda, retired Federal Bank Examiner, currently an art student at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. I could go on but the thing I have currently gotten involved with, is the tracing of my roots, at least the Przygoda ones for starters. I thought it would be nice to find out what and where the Przygoda name came from. To this point I have only contacted two Przygoda families. One is from the Detroit area and they are related to Father Jacek Przygoda ( he passed away in 1991). He was born in Poland and was ordained in Sandomierz, Galicia in 1933. Father Jacek was a rather flamboyant Jesuit priest, at least during the last years of his life. He was a professor of Economics at Loyola in Los Angeles. I am told that he drove,( perhaps tooled around would be a better phrase) around the Hollywood area in a Mercedes Benz convertible. Jacek was also a friend of Leon Jawarski of Watergate fame. My contact on the Internet, Jan Avery-Przygoda advertised on the Polish Web Pages for information. She is really the one who got me started on this. The thing that is interesting is that she tells me the same story, that six brothers came to the U.S. from Poland and they all went their separate ways and went their separate ways. This is the same story that my father used to tell me. Her brother Chet Przygoda has sent me some interesting Przygoda stories. A Peter Przygoda in the Movie Industry in Hollywood. A Rabbi he met in Canada over 25 years ago. Fathers name Chester born 12/20/22 died 9/1976. Other family names: Paternal - Grandfather Adam Przygoda Grandmother Stefanik Maternal Grandfather John Falandysz, Januw, Poland Grandmother Mary Grodecki Wegrewov, Poland

The second Przygoda family is completely German, tracing their roots back to Dusseldorf, Germany. They appear to be completely German. They were farmers in Germany and Gottlieb Przygoda born 12/2/1895 died Oct 1969 was a coal miner in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. He was born in Germany .and passed on in NJ in 1969. A daughter Lorraine Przygoda lives in Hoboken NJ. Gaunter Przygoda (b 8/9/1928 died 7/22/89) son of Gottlieb Przygoda and Mary (Maria) Przygoda Pedum (Mary Przygoda-Sharkey’s married to Gaunter)

Let me tell you about my Przygodas: Wojciech Przygoda (George) (my great grandfather) came from somewhere in Poland (possibly near Poznan), died in 1910. I cant find a birth date, but he was probable born around 1835 - 1840 because of the age of his son.. (Where are the other four children?) He is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Blossburg, Penna. His son John W. Przygoda, born 1867 Poland, married 1889, died 1951. He worked in the mines in Blossburg Pa. and at the General Electric Foundry in Elmira NY. He is buried in St. Mary’s. John W. Przygoda sometimes went by the name Price. Among other things he played a tuba in the Morris Run Polish Band in 1886 on. He had a brother Joseph Price (Przygoda) who lived in McKeesport Pa. I am currently working on finding out about him. His daughter Rose Marie broke into Broadway and New York City TV in the 50s, 60s etc. My father’s name is Albert (given name Adalbertus) Przygoda, born in Blossburg Pa. 3/27/1901 died 11/22/1992. He worked in the mines and subsequently the General Electric Foundry in Elmira. There is also a half-sister or half-brother to John somewhere. Other names: Paternal- Walentina Witucki, grandmother, born 1872 married 1889 died 1921 Great grandfather Walenty Witucki, born in Poland buried Blossburg Pennsylvania great grandmother Mary Witucki died in the 1920s Maternal grandfather Frank Pawlak, Warsaw Poland (parents operated a bakery in Poland) grandmother Josefa (Josephine) Geniene Pawlak-Wosicka, Poznan, lived on a farm and raised sheep. Great grandmother Mary (?) Pawlak died in South Bend Indiana daughter of Mary, my great aunt Mary Kendziora-Pawlak, South Bend Indiana

Other: A grandson of John W. Przygoda, Theodore Rehwinkel (Przygoda) and great grandson Robert Przygoda look like John. The genes tell the story.

I would eventually like to set up a World Wide Web Site with the history of the Przygoda name. However, I am just as much interested in documenting each individuals daily life as it was at the turn of the Century or my aunts and uncles growing up as a teenager in the 20s. What they ate, how they shopped, what they did for fun, who they dated, what were their concerns, etc. etc. What was the political climate. How they may have reacted to wars, were they involved? Somehow there may be a common beginning . I am having the greatest difficulty getting back to a place in Poland . . Do you have a family historian?. Please pass this letter on to them if you are unable to spare the time. If you are interested in turn of the century photos of my Przygodas to compare facial characteristics. I will be happy to supply photos. I would certainly like to receive photos of your Przygoda ancestors.

Joyce Tip Box -- December 2007 -
If you are not navigating this Tri-Counties Site via the left and right sidebars of the Current What's New page you are doing yourself a disservice. You can get to any place on the site easily by making yourself familiar with these subject and place topics. Try them all to be as familiar with the site's 16,000 plus pages as you can. Stop groping in the dark and take the lighted path. That's also the only way you'll find the search engines for the site or have access to the necessary messages I may leave for you. Make it easy on yourself. 
.