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FM:LORE—WHITE PIONEER,
Miss ffie Cowan,P.W.
joLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
REFERENCE.
interview with wr Louis Bartula, Bremond,Texas.
NO. Of Words /5-0o
Pile NO. 240.
Page NO.1.
"The first Polish settler in the Bremond community was my anoestor,Josepty
Bartula who was in the habit of putting down in writing all the eTy
/14,4-r e
of historical interesto w4.04,41 he keptAup until the lose -of-his-right
band. he following are a few of his notations;
As a cart-wright I left iy home town.). Pilzenski, (alacia, in al873,
and together with my wife and five children,we landed at GAlveston and
proceeded to New Waverly where we lived for w time,f3nd two years later
Te came to the community of 3remond whereye have lived since. In the
course of this time we lost three sons and all the “)ssessions we had.
l'Besides .ttre=family elL-1117eelf there AT, the family of 3.Bojanski, in
The town was larger at that time. 600n after us came fletrzysk-
oski with three daughters and a son, wife and two children.They were fol-
-lowed by the families of 4aytin Matysiak, ichae1 2Asket, 21oryan Bach-
inowski, 2'rank not and Joseph Bojerowski, 4 Or Uatysiak was the first
of these settlers to buy land. He bought fifty acres for which he n?id
.500..-)0 The first -olish child born in 3remond was my son Joseph. ;'our
times a year we enjoyed the coming of 2ather Biusant, a renchman who
held services for us at the Roberts home.
In 1877, 2Ather „losiewicz was appointed the pastor at ..;arlin, Texas,where
there were some sixty 1-olish families living. Iather Mosiewicz visited us
once a month and held services in our homes. Two years later when our
colony began to make rapid gains in aopulation we built our own church.
FOLKLORM--WRITM PIONEER?
Miss Effie Cowan,
mIoLennan County, Texas,
District S.
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 2.
r( By that time we bad fifty families, namely; Fr. Bojanski, Fl. Bojanski,
J.Balmanski, A. Baranski, J. Bojerewski, F. Bielanowicz. J.Balozerek,
J. Cierlewski, J.Chplewiak, M. Owikul, J.Drajas, J.Dogut, A. Grabowski,
F.Golosinski, S. Knokik, A. Kazmierowski, A.Kreinaki, F.A.Konofy, M.Maty-
siak, A.Miller, J.Ochydalski, M.Pieniazek, W.Piertrykowski, M.Paszyiet,
K.Rybaoki, F.Ruminaki, E.Schepert, M. Szalc, A.Standera, J.Staohowiak, A.
Stragnla, J.Sachowiak, IL, Surma, W.Urbanski, W.Zucholski, J.ZapaPacz,
owski, F.Kempinski, A.Adaglik, W.Wisniewsli, M.Szturemsk, J.Kazmierowski
and L.Starzewski.
q Large as our congregation was we were only able to collect $115.00.1418
doubtful if the building which cost us $1200.00 would have ever been blilt
had it not been ofor_the assistance of our American friends. J.S.Roberts
gave 250.00 and other large sums came from over the county. The first ser-
vices in the new church were held by Fnther Mosiewiez on Rentecost Sunday.
Soon after this Father Polalanski came to help as. In this time the Parish
became divided. Then Father Mosiewicz resigned, and this state of affairs
existed until the arrival of Father Litwora.
From the beginning we were so poor that we gave the pastor but little
of the produce which we ralsed in the fields. 4.ather Mosiewicz planted a
few acres and the parish children helped himrheavy were the times. But better
times followed. "Today", wrote S.Nesterowicz in 19011there are three -hundred
and twenty-five families in the parish and the people have been repaid
a -hundred fold for their failures in the beginning".
FOLKLORE --WRITE PIONEER
Miss Mffie,Oowan,P.W.
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
(240-: C4. -d\ 132
4renronda-Cattroite-Gtaarat, Parish of 6t LAary's, Galveston Diocese, was
File NO.240
Page NO.3.
established in 1876. A$ has been told,..,. in the beginning it was attended by
ather Uosiewicz of Jarlin. For some time Father Casimer Polalanski was sta-
tioned at tremond. He was resident pastor of Parish of -'=•t 4ary4s Church
and in 1888, Father Peter Litwora became pastor. He was owdained in Poland)
and had his trip from urope and expenses connected with it,paid by the col-
-onist of -dremond. His brother/2elix,was organist. In January 1904 2ather
Litwora was moved to Anderson Texas, bqt continued to help at 45remond.
Following him -four years later/Father Francis lohan, an ax8 Franciscan
Czech served until June 1904; Then came the assistant from Bryan, Pather
Anthony Krimajtis, a Lutheran who remained in service until his death inn
November 1907; New Years eve, 1908, the present pastor,Pather I.J.Szymanski
was arpotnted During his continued years of service the church has wrouet
out a far-reaching and consecrated destiny.
Father Szymanski came -to America when a boy from Poznan, Poland. He stud
led in Nanticoke,' Pennsylvania, in the patriot 6eminary, and in the 6emihary
of Cincinnatit'hio. His ordination took place in Cleveland and his first
appointment as pastor was in trenhqm, where he remained five and a half years
before coming to -6remond. Through his inspiration ana labor the present
Parish of St ,dary's (March of liremond was built,in his first year as pastor.
It is a spacious and beautiful brick building one hundred and twenty-five
feet long and fift.i- two feet wide, a credit to his ability and a token of
esteem in which he is held 13,7 his parishioners. such of the labor and a great
deal of the material was donated by the people. The old church was converted
into a parochial school with an attendance of forty children when it opened.
?OLELORE-WHITIL' PICITER
Miss 3ffie Cowan,P.W.
McLennan County, Texas,
District IS.
Me NO. -240
Page NO.4
"The year 1936 marked another forward era of leadership under 2athet
Szymanski. the present beautiful new school building came into
existence. The community had outgrown its earlier facilities and parishioners
pledged the necessary finances. 2nrollment exceeds 260 students. anther Szy-
lianski celebrated his sacredotal jubilee in 1927 for which occaskon the tiost
Reverend 3ishop Byrne and numerous clergy were present.
iive years later (1932) the pastor commemorated the silver jubilee of his
pastorate in the rarishlanother solemn occasion Of much rejoicing.
pi July, 1935, 14ost ,ieverend Joseph Gavlina, 3ishop of Poland's army who
visited all the Polish colinies in the state, ',resented 2ather Szymanski
with a golden edal of ,lerit from the Polish nation. Father Szymanski and
Fnther St. trnyborowski of Cestochowa were the only two in Texas to receive
this recognition. St Mary's parish of -6remond has the unusual honor of hav-
ing seventeen d' ughters of the religious life. Deven girls entered the St
Josephs Oonvent of Stevens ioint, disconsin.Two are members of the Incar-
nate Word of 6hiner/and eight are Asters of the ?elician Order of Chicago.
Considering the large number in the parish it is a source of wonderment
that there are few, if any, mixed marriages among these reo le.
"As in'the :olish parishes of 6an -.ntonio Diocese, many of the younger fam-
ilies as the population became too thick for the limited territory,have
moved to the larger cities. -,Inny from 'remond found homes in aouston, 2t.
dorth, lieaumont, and Waco, Texas. 13esides the societies of exclusively
religion nature, there are in the parish the zolish National Union, inder
the patronage of St. Joseph and the Catholic anion, both enjoying large
memPerships.
POLKLORE,--WHITE PIONEER,
Mls Effie Cowan, P.W.
Mcennan wounty, Texas,
Di5trict 8.
?40
lags IO. O.
esides the custom's and practices peculiar to the Poles in the San
Antonio Diocese, the parishioners still observe the "OplAtki" (wafers).
This is just before Uristmas, usually the organist distributes wafers
resembling those used for Holy Mass, and at this distribution each patieb-
loner givesa small offering to the organist or alter boys who bring the
wafers. '.1hese are sent to relatives and friends in Europe and the latter
do not forget those in America. On Christmns eve the family gathers to
partkke of the wafer first of all)in token of continued love, mended
friendship and good will to men.
And now a word of the American school system as it stands today
under the guidance of 8.3.Hall superintendent; B.S., LLB., M.A.
Mrs W.T.Whaley B.A. principal; Hiss Katherine Goodwin,B.A. Adron
Elizabeth Averyt, B.A. Mrs Seth Brantner, B.A. Miss aldred Hearne, Ads
iiinttie Bennett, SPM Hardy, coach, and lass Aline Collier,West End school
Instructor.
"The colored faculty contains Charlie Love, Erincipal. .lary dwards,
Oddie Shaw, Norris Bette, and Charles Giddings. John Baker serves as
janitor of the system.and five citizens of the district or neighboring
districts own and operate busses for transportation 6f lalpils inside the
districtrom neiptboring districts into the Jremond high ochtol, namely
Stanley Stachowiak, eddie Pruitt, .412. Heggie, dwin Bienski 7/2c1 Cleo Bielo-
mowiez. The board of trustees are L.V. Holbert, chairman;B.D. Troyanowski
secretary, George Abraham, George aolland, ,Ass Lottie .iay Walker, Louis
13artula and John Klotz. The school system is in excellent condition and
has a financial budget of around ,P.1.000 and an increasing enroll ent.
20IKLORE--WHIT7, PIONTTR,
iss ffie Cowan,P.W.
'McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 64
Thus from a little l'g school house in the sixties and a board one
in the 70's the school's of 5remond hs ddvanced to the present Independ"
ent chool'istrict which comprises the old 3remond school Dist'ict
and the former iootan dells Common iichool District an area of 35 square
miles. 2here are at present six public school buildings and one jt Mary's
Parochial 3cbool within the boundaries of the -'remond District The rolls
contain 731 for 1938— with 75 transfers from eleven neighboring
districts. -L'his gives a total of 826 scholastics for which the ,)tate will
pay apportionment for 1938-39.
It
Bremond was recently. incorporsted since August 22, 1938, and the
peo le voted to match the 90.000 W.P.A. fund with which to build a city
water works and sewer system. Joe Rumple, son of the early pioneer set-
-tier was elected ma.yor'and the alderman were eorge Abrahad, B.A. Ttny-
anowski, H.C.Walker, F.J.McCall and .Ray Hearn Jr.: S.C.Hall being City
secretary and also superintendent of the -Iremond ,-;'uhlic schools. Bill
Pack, a new comer, is city marshall and deputy sheriff tbf Robertson
County
''As before mentioned B2emond is known 7Thr its rai terminus, its population
of Anglo- American anu lolish ilierican families, its red sandy soil of
the 3rAzos and i4ttle 13razos its Parish of St Mary's Catholic Church,
and parochial school, Galveston Diocese and its huge congregation, mostly
Polish its fine public school system and its friendly co -Operative
pligtt- spirit of its eoile.