Fonds 279 Wozniak family fonds

135 photographs

27 video recordings

Date: 1930 -2015 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of a published account of the family’s history from 1922 to 2014; the memoirs of Maria, written in Polish and translated into English by her son Mathew; letters written to Maria and Antoni by their children Bill, Mathew, Merlin, Cecile, Edward and Roman; and correspondence from friends and extended family in Poland, the United States, and Canada.

Physical description: 16 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: 2015 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of a book titled “From Poland to Canada: the Journey of Antoni and Maria Wozniak 1922 to 2014”. It was written by Roman Wozniak and printed in 2015. The book includes photographs of the family.

Physical description: 1 book

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: 1968-2015 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of a copy of Antoni’s Last Will and Testament and a list of the awards he received during his lifetime for his work with the Polish community, including the Silver Star from the Polish Prime Minister in 1969, an award from the Prime Minister of Canada in 1968, a certificate from Peace Area Settlement in 1991, a Diploma from Polonia in 1995, and the Gold Star from the Polish Embassy in 2003. There are also two copies of articles about the Polish community in the south Peace and plans for a memorial to the Polish community which was eventually erected in the Grande Prairie Museum Heritage Village. A 2020 transfer from the Provincial Archives of Alberta consists of 1 Caniaga price list of food parcels to the USSR for 1963/1964.

Physical description: 0.1 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: 1930 -[2010] (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of a typed transcript of the memoirs of Maria (Parachin) Wozniak, written in Polish in 1958; an English transcript of the memoirs translated by her son, Mathew; a postcard addressed to family back in Poland in June, 1930, showing the Red Star Line ship that carried the family to Canada; her original diary of their trip back to Poland in 1986 and a typed transcript of that diary; her letters to Roman, also written in Polish, when he was away from home in the late 1950s; and a story about Maria written by Mathew ca. 2010.

Physical description: 2 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: 1942-1943 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The subseries consists of four letters written to Maria and Antoni Wozniak by Bill Wozniak from December 1942 to July 1943 while he was in the Army during World War II.

Physical description: 0.1 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: 1942-[2015] (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of a copy of Mathew’s separation paper, filed with the National Selective Service, showing that he worked for Law Construction Ltd. in Toronto in 1942; three letters written to his parents in 1964-1965; and a collection of stories and articles (mostly 1-2 pages long, with a few longer ones) written by Mathew Wozniak. A 2020 transfer of records from the Provincial Archives of Alberta consists of the last receipts issued for the South Eaglesham Mutual Telephone Company Limited, (Mathew was the secretary).

Many of articles/stories are memoir-type pieces of writing. However, there are several (mostly unlisted) items that are editorials on political matters and current events, or articles about scientific topics.

Physical description: 6 cm textual records

Note:

Content warning: Some materials in this subseries contain racist and violent content.

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Arrangement:

The stories are not numbered in the file, nor are they necessarily in the order represented in the finding aid. Not all stories are listed here.

Describes the conditions in the Ukraine and why the family immigrated to Canada.

Story of the two grandmothers left behind when the family immigrated.

What happened to Poland during and after World War I.

What happened to Mathew’s paternal grandmother and her children during World War II.

Story of Mathew’s maternal grandfather, taken mainly from Maria Wozniak’s diary

Story of Maria Wozniak’s brother, Janek Parachin, who died in an internment camp in Canada

Story of Barbara Wozniak’s creative genius.

Story of the transferring of the farm from the elder Wozniak’s to Mathew and Barbara.

Transcript of Maria Wozniak’s diary of their trip to Poland.

Biographical account of the life of Barbara Wozniak’s father.

Explanation why the monument is at the museum. Text is visible in the photograph.

Story of Frank and Stanley Majewski, Polish immigrants at Codesa.

Story of the Hrishuk family, Polish immigrants at Fox Creek.

Stories about Ted McDaid, who homesteaded at Eaglesham.

Story about the Rahab (later Codesa) Post Office.

Story about John and Peter Noga, who had a trucking company at Codesa and sponsored the Codesa Baseball Team in the 1950s.

Story about the Sanocki family, Polish immigrants who settled near

Story of a home-made sawmill manufactured by Benny Houser.

Story of Mazurkewich, a Polish settler at Codesa.

Hand-written story repeated from Herman Klukas about the burial at Bezanson of a woman who had died in childbirth.

Story of Theophile Legault, from Tangent, who married Agnes Laurin, a widow with 8 children. They had seven more children at Tangent. Included is a 50 page genealogy of the Shank family from whom Agnes Laurin descended.

Two stories about the difficulty of finding good water and digging wells in the Eaglesham area.

Wozniak family experience of making socks from raw wool.

Article about the wide use of wood as a fuel before natural gas was harnessed.

About the common practice of supplementing farm income by shipping cream.

Changes in doing laundry since the 1930s.

Preserving ice in the winter for summer use.

Early radios and radio stations in the Peace.

Making moonshine liquor during the Great Depression.

Logging with horses.

Story about Barbara raising sheep and using wool.

Mathew’s experience working on the airport runways when they were expanding during World War II.

Mathew’s experience with a reluctant cow.

How you lit your cigarette before matches were common.

History of the Fox Creek Hall near Eaglesham, built ca. 1942.

History of the Fox Creek Catholic Church, known as “the Little Red Church”.

History of Fox Creek School near Eaglesham, which was established in 1919, and information on “The Joe Bilinski School Van”, a horse-drawn van which took the students to school from 1947 to 1950.

The organization and development of the local co-operative which ran the phone lines from 1958-1965.

Experiences of the Wozniak children at South Slope School, Wanham.

Story of as “How Eaglesham Got Its Golf Course” in 1969. Shorter version published in “Telling Our Stories” Volume 1 Issue 1. This version includes a list of the volunteers involved in building it, and a financial statement of the costs of operating the course in 1991.

The experience of the Wozniak family during the Wanham-Codesa Forest Fire on October 22, 1942, taken from Maria Wozniak’s diary.

History of Rahab, established as a siding on the ED & BC Railway in 1916 and re-named Codesa in 1938.

Building the Rahab Catholic Church in the early 1930s.

Building of the Midland and Pacific Grain elevator at Rahab in 1938.

Opening of the Watino Bridge at Smoky River Crossing in 1941.

Date: 1948-1958 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of letters written by Merlin Wozniak back to his parents in Codesa after he had left home for University and work. Letters are written in Polish and signed “Marian”, which was Merlin’s Polish name.

Physical description: 1 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: [1953-1971] (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of letters written by Cecile Bailey to her parents, Antoni and Maria Wozniak from from 1953 to about 1971. There is also a 1969 news clipping with a photo of her four children—Patricia (7), David (9), Stephen (11), and Richard (13) Bailey playing for a Piano Seminar at St. Agnes Academy in Houston, Texas. A 2020 transfer of records from the Provincial Archives of Alberta consists of a letter from Cecile to Edward written in 1955.

Physical description: 3 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: 1955-[1970] (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of an application for Edward Wozniak to attend St. Joseph’s High School in Edmonton in 1955, and letters written by Edward and his wife Sharon to his parents, Antoni and Maria Wozniak, from 1957 to about 1970.

Physical description: 1 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: 1958-1970 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of letters written by Roman to his parents, Antoni and Maria Wozniak from 1958-1970.

Physical description: 1 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: [1955-1970] (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of letters from extended family or friends, mostly written in Polish. They include two letters from Father Michelowski, the Catholic priest stationed at Webster and serving the Fox Creek church, after he had moved to Vancouver; Nellie, a niece of Maria’s who lived in New York and later Connecticut; and a neighbour from Codesa, Mike Gruner. A 2020 transfer of records from the Provincial Archives of Alberta includes a 1966-67 Program for the Eaglesham Stitches Clothing Club.

Physical description: 1 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: [1900]-2010 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of family photographs of Antoni and Barbara Wozniak, of Katrina Wozniak, the Klukas family, some of Eaglesham’s buildings and their ball team, and photographs of Barbara’s quilts and handicrafts.

Physical description: 133 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Copy of a photograph of Antoni & Maria Wozniak with their two oldest children, Boleslaw (Bill) and Mathew, at the time of their immigration to Canada in 1930. Twins Marian (Merlin) and Cecilia were infants at the time and are not in the photograph.

Katrina Wozniak, paternal grandmother of Mathew Wozniak.

Paper copies of a photograph of Antoni Wozniak and his children, taken in the farm yard of their home in the summer of 1939. From left to right, Edward (4), Merlin (12), Antoni (37), Cecilia (12) holding Roman (2), and Mathew (14). Bill, age 17, is not in the photo which was taken by mother Maria on a box camera on 6/16 film. One copy has identification information written and typed directly on the image.

Conditions governing use:

Poor quality copy not suitable for reproduction.

Mrs. Lucas was the first teacher at Codesa School which was held in the Catholic Church at Codesa.

Teacher J.P. LeBlanc, from Codesa School, with Claudette and Father Girard.

Teacher J.P. LeBlanc, from Codesa School, with Antoni Wozniak and an unidentified man.

The Fox Creek homemade school van was pulled by a tractor driven by Joe Bilinski. His route was down what is now Highway 49 about seven miles. If it rained and was too muddy for the tractor, he hitched his horses to the van.

Two photographs of the Lady of Czestochowa Church congregation posing in a group beside the church.

Antony Wozniak standing with his cattle beside a straw stack. Spelling of Antony taken from the back of the photograph (more often spelled Antoni).

Group of people gathered for Cecilia Wozniak and James Wyatt Bailey’s wedding beside the Antoni Wozniak farmhouse.

Copy of a photograph showing Cecilia Wozniak and James Bailey’s wedding party in front of Antoni and Maria Wozniak’s home. From left to right: Antoni, Maria, Wyatt Bailey, Cecilia, Mathew, Josie Balinski, and Bill Wozniak.

Copy of a photograph showing an unidentified Catholic Father with five children dressed for first communion beside Our Lady of Czestochowa Catholic Church in the Fox Creek district west of Eaglesham.

Eaglesham Ball Team: Back Row: ? Trudel, M. Wozniak, ? , ? Socha, ?, S. Piebiak, T. Piebiak, ?,Front Row: M Fisher, ?, ?, G. Knutson

Copy of a photograph showing Maria and Antoni Wozniak with their children and grandchildren. Back row: Roman Wozniak holding Richard, Diana Wozniak (Bill’s daughter), Mathew Wozniak, Barbara Wozniak, J.W. Bailey, Jean Wozniak, Patrick Wozniak, Cecelia Bailey, Merlin Wozniak, Steffy Wozniak (Bill’s first wife), Bill Wozniak, Paul Wozniak (Merlin’s son), Murray Wozniak (Merlin’s son), Alair Wozniak (Merlin’s wife), Edward Wozniak holding Tony. Middle Row: Maria and Antony Wozniak (grandparents), Bonny Wozniak (Roman’s wife) holding Lizibeth, Sharon Wozniak (Edward’s wife) holding Genevieve, Steven Bailey. Front Row: Richard Bailey, Murray Wozniak?, Patricia Bailey, Susan Bailey, Robert Bailey, Cathy Bailey, Steven Bailey.

Copy of a photograph showing Maria and Antoni Wozniak surrounded by their grandchildren.

Official Opening of the New Clubhouse at Eaglesham. Shown are Jean LeGault and Mathew Wozniak standing on either side of Marvin Moore, MLA.

Marie and Antoni Wozniak in their retirement years.

Anthony and Maria Wozniak with their adult children: Mathew, Bill, Cecilia, Roman, Edward. (Merlin is missing)

Copy of a portrait of Antoni and Maria Wozniak.

Copy of a photograph showing Antoni Wozniak with Cardinal Wojtyla (who later became Pope Jean Paul II) when he visited Edmonton in 1984.

Roman Wozniak at the Polish memorial in the Grande Prairie Museum Heritage Village. The text reads, in part, “This monument is dedicated to the early settlers of the Peace River Country who came from Poland. Most of them arrived just prior to the Great Depression of the early 1930s. They and their families endured numerous hardships in this new country, including no employment, language barrier, humble dwellings, harsh winters, and often long distances from schools and towns…. Faith in the Catholic Church remained central to the Polish settlers. Father Joachim Michalowski, who arrived in Webster in 1937, served as parish priest for the Polish community throughout the central and north Peace area until 1951. A highlight each year was a pilgrimage to the grotto in Webster…. For the generosity offered to them and the freedom in their new land, the Polish community is forever grateful to the people of Canada.”

Barbara Wozniak was very talented in a variety of handcrafts: crocheting, quilting, cross stitch, hardanger, cutwork, ceramics, knitting, and painting Ukrainian Easter eggs. One photograph shows examples of numerous different types of handcrafts, the other photograph shows several dozen decorated eggs.

Barbara Wozniak was very talented in a variety of hand crafts including piecing and hand quilting many quilts, crochet and needle work, painting, and mukluk making. Most of these photographs show quilts, but there are also examples of painting, embroidery and mukluks.

These photographs depict building Mathew and Barbara Wozniak’s home in three stages: cutting the logs, the house partially built, and the finished house sometime in the 1980s. “This is truly a do it yourself home. From the standing tree to the septic tank, my wife Barbara and I we did it all.”

Date: 1939-1999 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of land records, income records (cattle and grain), and expense records for the Wozniak farm when it was under the care of Antoni and Maria Wozniak; a 1981 appraisal report for the Wozniak farm, then called Barnaby Farms, when it was under the care of Mathew and Barbara Wozniak; a map showing the extent of Barnaby Farm when it was sold in 1999; and a story written by Mathew Wozniak about farming from the time he filed on his homestead in 1945, until 1998 when they decided to sell the farm. There are also 16 photographs of Barnaby Farm ca. 1990, and 20 photographs of the farm machinery being cleared out for auction after the farm was sold in 1999. A 2020 transfer of records from the Alberta Provincial Archives contains farm records consisting of Assessment slips for 1955; Tax notices for 1958; official Tax receipts for 1954 and 1955; Reassessment papers for 1951; 2 Farmer’s Pocket Ledgers, 1951 and 1956; 1 check from Antoni; 1 Weiller & Williams Compnay Ltd. livestock report; and a set of incomplete Weiller & Williams “Market Review” for 1962 and 1964.

Physical description: 6 cm textual records

36 photographs

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Mathew and Barbara’s daughter, Elizabeth Jean, and her husband, Andre Legault, in the driveway of Mathew and Barbara’s new home in Grande Prairie.

A new sports car in the Eaglesham Parade.

The Wozniak Family Farm as it appeared ca. 1990 after Mathew and Barbara had moved into Grande Prairie and left the farming to their son and daughter-in-law, Patrick and Hilda Wozniak.

Mathew and Barbara Wozniak, Patrick and Hilda Wozniak, and Elizabeth Jean Legault in front of the farm home as the machinery is being cleared out for auction.

Tractors, augers and grain dryer being removed from the Wozniak Farm for auction at Ritchie Bros Auction near Grande Prairie.

Wozniak Farm machinery in the Richie Bros. Auction yard near Grande Prairie.

Date: [1960-1980] (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 26 reels of 8 mm film and digital copies of the film, originally on 3 DVD discs, taken by Mathew Wozniak to document family activities and trips. The films show Eaglesham and Wozniak family events, and includes travel footage on the digital copies.

Physical description: 27 video recordings

Note [generalNote]:

The digital copies also include transfers of films (particularly vacation films) not accessioned by the Archives.

Access points:

•                Moving images (documentary form)

The film shows a family gathering for Christmas 1962 with gifts, a tree, and Santa Claus, a 40th Anniversary celebration including dancing, and family gatherings for Christmas 1964 with gifts, a tree, and building a model train set.

The film shows work on the farm including loading and stacking bales, swathing, and equipment, the town of Eaglesham, a family gathering, a 4H show at the Central Peace Market, a trip to the mountains with people feeding the wildlife, children playing outside in a tub, and kids on horseback.

The film shows Eaglesham parades (including the centennial parade in 1967), farm equipment, skiing, a prom, boating and fishing, a family gathering, birthday parties, kids playing outside and with animals, and cattle.

The film shows kids playing indoors, a family on the steps of a house, and flowering trees.

The film shows one of the Wozniak daughter’s first birthday, a family gathering for Christmas including a tree, card playing, gifts, and dinner, horses and a covered wagon, and activities at the farm including equipment, a bulldozer, and plowing.

The film shows a Christmas celebration with kids, a tree, gifts, and a model car set and an unidentified cityscape.

The film shows a wedding reception at the Ramada Inn, a puppy, and a very short segment with people waiting outside for a wedding.

The film shows family scenes outside the house and on a motorcycle, cattle, playing with a dog, and water well drilling.

The film shows several weddings including scenes of bride’s arrival, confetti and departure, the reception, cake cutting, guests, and gift opening, and a 1968 Edmonton parade.

The film shows Mathew Wozniak dressed up as Santa at the Co-op store and a family Christmas.

The film shows a family camping trip including wildlife, views while driving, cooking over a fire, boating, mountain scenery, and feeding a deer.

The film shows a herd of cattle and various vehicles (car, truck, snowmobile) in winter.

The film shows camping by a house, outside a church, and an unidentified river with a bridge.

The film shows men setting up a roof antenna in winter, a family with a dog and vehicle by the house, Canada geese in the yard, kids outside the house, kids moving bales with a tractor through the mud, and cattle.

The film shows farm activities including combining, a grain auger moving grain to a granary, eggs in a nest, and a cat eating, and a golf tournament including playing and awarding trophies.

The film shows a baby (possibly Jacy) in a crib with gifts, the baby being held, travel scenes (in Singapore and Hong Kong) including a cargo ship with equipment, views while driving and flying, and dock scenes, and the farm in winter.

The film shows several snowmobile races, likely in Eaglesham.

The film shows scenes of travel in Florida including Disneyworld and the Kennedy Space Centre, a girl and dog playing in the snow, combining, and Jacy’s birthday party including cake and gifts.

The film shows views from an airplane and landing at an airport (possibly Montreal) and farm scenes including a new tractor and a family walking in a field.

The film shows people walking at the Tangent Canyon and a group of people gathered for Bob’s wedding at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Grande Prairie.

The film shows a group (family?) gathered in a yard for a barbeque/picnic.

The film shows a wedding at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Grande Prairie and children playing indoors.

The film shows city buildings (location unknown), a Christmas celebration with a tree and gifts, and kids riding motor trikes.

The film shows breaking with a ST310 and kids playing in a Jolly Jumper.

The film shows Jacy’s (4th?) birthday party including blowing out the candles, cake, visiting, and gifts.

The film shows a boy (Jacy?) riding a bike and an Eaglesham parade.

A digital transfer of the 8 mm and Super 8mm films in this collection (279.04.01-.26), as well as those reels not accessioned by the Archives. Originally on 3 DVDs retained by the donor.

A book produced for the Polish Centennial of settlement in Alberta including essays and interviews from 41 authors and over 200 photographs documenting the Polish community in Alberta from 1895 to 1995.