Anna Grabiec was an amazing Polish woman born in 1920 who triumphed over a multitude of hardships and desperate circumstances. She was a courier for the Polish underground during WWII and worked in the kitchens serving the slave laborers in her town of Niwiska that was occupied by the Nazis. The Germans had evacuated most of the villagers. Some villagers such as Anna who had skills were forced to work for the benefit of the German officers and soldiers. After the war, Anna studied to become a teacher and writer. She received the Gold Cross of Merit which recognized her heroic activities in her village during WWII.

I was introduced to the letters of Anna Grabiec by Larry Bender, a distant cousin who wrote a wonderful family history book titled “The Michael Grabiec Story.” Michael, born in 1850, had three wives and twenty-one children. Larry gifted a copy of his book to me when we first met in 2015, and it contains so much history and wonderful genealogical information that I felt it was important to share their letters with all who might be interested. Larry has enthusiastically granted me permission to “do anything I want with it, ” and my intention is to honor Anna, Larry and all of their ancestors from the area of Niwiska.

I am posting her letters on my website to share her remarkable story with readers.  Her nieces are working with me to translate the many letters she wrote to her sister, Stacia who immigrated to America after WWII.