Today my heart is in Phoenixville Pensylvania

11 Th October 2014

Today 114 years ago ( 11th October 1900) my paternal grandfather was born. George Conday was American born and spent about 10 or 12 years in  Phoenixville Pennsylvania.




My great grandparents had ran the inn for the immigrants there. Personally I don't know so much about my grandfather because I was born when he was over seventy and I am the youngest granddaughter. I was a little girl when he died in 1979) and I remember him as short, red hairy man who didn't like kids. But at that time I didn't know he had experienced too much in his life. When he returned to Poland he was 15. Why did he return I don't know?. His father stayed all his life in US but his  wife returned. So that is a secret I can't solve it now.
Was my grandfather happy in Poland.? I believe no. He survive WWI and WWII and what's more communist regime in Poland. He was an American citizen because he refused to accept Polish nationality. So during 1940 and 1950s and 1960s he couldn't find any work and my grandma had a lot problem with it , too. My grandparents had 5 children so the question is  how to survive. ? So the ran a small farm. He was offered to come back to US but he could leave Poland with children but wife had to stay. Because he was Polish nationality so grandfather decided to stay. It was very difficult time in Poland under communist regime. In 1970 George accept Polish nationality.
My father was the youngest so he doesn't know so much about his father's childhood. What a pity. My cousins should have known more but they don't know almost nothing because they were not interested . Now they are over 60 so it means older about 20 years than me. As I know their life was not so easy. I have know a lot because I like family history and I was always very ambitious and hard working person.
My grandfather was baptized in St. Mary's Church in Phoenixville Pensylvania on 14 th October in 1900.

I don't have any photos of my grandfather but my dad has one. But I have Polish - English dictionary published in 1911 in Chicago. It has survived long time and now it belongs to me. It was my grandfather's and I got it as a gift from his brother. Sometimes in the evenings especially in the autumn I look at it and the I am thinking about George.

My grandfather got married on 25th January in 1925 to Katarzyna Danczak -French born woman - my grandmother. The wedding was in Ustrobna - the small village in Subcarpathian Region.

In this church George had his funeral service on 17 th April in 1979.
Looking back at his life he was not ordinary man I can say hero.

Be continue..