Zuzanna Mensz’ cousins Zosia and Mietek Perec

This is a photo of my dearest cousins Zoska, Zofia and Mietek, Mieczyslaw Perec, my aunt Chana’s children. The photo was taken by my uncle, their father, Aron Perec. He loved photography and always took ‘monumental’ photos, like this one. I think, it was taken in their house in Czestochowa.

The Perec family lived in Czestochowa, but we always used to spent the summer holidays in Skryhiczyn with Zosia and Mietek. You might say we were raised together, we were like brothers and sisters. I remember my sister Zlatka piano duet with Mietek, they were both very musically gifted. When my mom built a house in Skryhiczyn, Aunt Hanka came to visit us and she liked the place, and added one more room with a balcony and a large kitchen.

In 1939 Aunt Chana and Uncle Aron left all their belongings in Czestochowa and fled to Volodymir-Volyns'kyy. They later enrolled for going to up-country Russia . Zoska finished school there, she became an English teacher.

Aunt, Uncle Aron and Mietek with his wife came back to Poland after the war. Zosia stayed in Russia, because she got married there. They returned as repatriates. The repatriates from Russia were brought to the western parts of the country, where there were houses. They let me know in Katowice they were coming soon. It was a great joy to meet them. They later settled in Gliwice. Uncle was a dentist, he was given an apartment, he ran a dentist's office. Mietek, who was an engineer, got a job in a foundry. We kept in touch.

Aunt died in 1950 and Uncle in 1957. Mietek left Poland during the 1968 campaign of hate. He lived in Germany and died in 1980. Zosia emigrated to United States. She died a few weeks ago.