Congratulations to French historian, Chrystian Michal Orpel, for his outstanding genealogical research into the family of Blessed Bishop Michal Kozal and for his February 2018 publication in More Maiorum ~ Genealogical Monthly!
Martyr of Dachau Blessed Michał Kozal and His Wielkopolska Roots
A Rough Translation in English
On the one hand, he was a descendant of the mayors, on the other hand, simple peasants, and among his ancestors, one can find Protestants. During the German occupation, he was repeatedly prosecuted by the Gestapo, transported to the camp in Dachau, tortured to death; starving, exhausted, he got a syringe with phenol, hearing the words In Ewigkeit (For eternity) ...
When in August 2004 I was in a museum in Krotoszyn, I noticed a brochure about Bl. Michał Kozal. This figure was not known to me before, but I associated the surname with the Rozdrażew parish. Having read the information about the bishop, I learned that he was born in Nowy Folwark, but his family was connected with Ligota and the parish in Koryta - and from Koryta to Rozdrażew is not far.
Being there, I decided to verify my suspicions at the source - I had already visited the parish in Koryta many times, a friend of mine, a priest named Wojciech Pachciarz, greeted me. As with previous visits, the priest now welcomed me very warmly - I was able to look for myself, sitting right next to the closet, in which all the parish registers were gathered.
Finding the lost book
Only after returning to France, I could confront the newly acquired data in Korytach with those I already had at home - arranged in four thick binders. After the initial analysis, it turned out that it was possible to combine the Kozals from Ligota with the Kozals, who in the eighteenth century belonged to the parish in Prażrażewo, and came from the village of Trzemeszno. However, there was one problem - the books of the Koryta parish contained a large gap, and baptism records from 1801-1818 were not preserved. However, despite this obstacle, I still worked on the genealogy of Bl. Michał Kozal.
I knew well the books from the parish of the ancestors of the blessed - now it was enough for me to find as many people as possible connected with "these" Kozals. The genealogy of the martyr from Dachau led through Koryta, Rozdrażew, and Krotoszyn, while the mother's family was associated with the parish in Benice and Mokronos.
Each of the parishes offered other exploratory opportunities - the most difficult was in Benice, from which 18th-century parish registers were not preserved. However, during this genealogical marathon, there was no shortage of time when my heart began to beat harder and faster.
Being there, I decided to verify my suspicions at the source - I had already visited the parish in Koryta many times, a friend of mine, a priest named Wojciech Pachciarz, greeted me. As with previous visits, the priest now welcomed me very warmly - I was able to look for myself, sitting right next to the closet, in which all the parish registers were gathered.
Finding the lost book
Only after returning to France, I could confront the newly acquired data in Korytach with those I already had at home - arranged in four thick binders. After the initial analysis, it turned out that it was possible to combine the Kozals from Ligota with the Kozals, who in the eighteenth century belonged to the parish in Prażrażewo, and came from the village of Trzemeszno. However, there was one problem - the books of the Koryta parish contained a large gap, and baptism records from 1801-1818 were not preserved. However, despite this obstacle, I still worked on the genealogy of Bl. Michał Kozal.
I knew well the books from the parish of the ancestors of the blessed - now it was enough for me to find as many people as possible connected with "these" Kozals. The genealogy of the martyr from Dachau led through Koryta, Rozdrażew, and Krotoszyn, while the mother's family was associated with the parish in Benice and Mokronos.
Each of the parishes offered other exploratory opportunities - the most difficult was in Benice, from which 18th-century parish registers were not preserved. However, during this genealogical marathon, there was no shortage of time when my heart began to beat harder and faster.
More than 10 years later - in August 2015, I visited the parish in Koryta - I wanted to complete the information from the last search, make small corrections to the notes I made at the time. When I started the computer, I went to the closet in which the priest kept the books - in my eyes, however, he threw a loose notebook. When I opened it, I saw that it was a "lost" book of baptisms from 1801-1818! Thus, it turned out that the work is a bit more than I thought. However, this did not discourage me - just the opposite! Saying goodbye to the priest, I assured him that my search definitely reached the very end ...
Two Franciszka Marcińczaks
In this belief, I lasted several weeks. One day, using free time, I searched for information about Kozals. I found one of the genealogical pages where the grandmother of the bishop - Franciszek z Marcińczaków (Marcińczak) was mentioned. Born in Ligota in 1843 - it matched the information I had. However, the daily and monthly date of birth, as well as the names of her parents, were already significantly different.
At the same time, I decided to check the file from the Koryta parish - after a cursory analysis of the scans available in szukajwarchiwach.pl, it turned out that two girls named Franciszka with the surname Marcińczak were born in Ligota! And although I could guess which Franciszka is the grandmother of Bishop Kozal, another visit to Father Wojciech was becoming more and more real.
Two Franciszka Marcińczaks
In this belief, I lasted several weeks. One day, using free time, I searched for information about Kozals. I found one of the genealogical pages where the grandmother of the bishop - Franciszek z Marcińczaków (Marcińczak) was mentioned. Born in Ligota in 1843 - it matched the information I had. However, the daily and monthly date of birth, as well as the names of her parents, were already significantly different.
At the same time, I decided to check the file from the Koryta parish - after a cursory analysis of the scans available in szukajwarchiwach.pl, it turned out that two girls named Franciszka with the surname Marcińczak were born in Ligota! And although I could guess which Franciszka is the grandmother of Bishop Kozal, another visit to Father Wojciech was becoming more and more real.
The first Franciszka Marcińczak, daughter of Paweł and Magdalena zd. Kaczmarek, had seven siblings. None of them are listed at the baptisms of the children of Antoni Kozal and Franciszka, née Marcińczak. The second Franciszka, daughter of Franciszek and Józefa zd. Grabska, had only one brother, Valentine, who died as a bachelor, at 26 years of age. Antoni Kozal was the witness of his death. Antoni Marcińczak, brother of Franciszek, who died prematurely 31 years old, is present as a witness to the marriage of his niece. He also appears three times as the godfather of the first children of a young couple.
Józefa Grabska married for the second time to Marcin Filipiak, who also died prematurely, at 36 years of age. She had two children with Marcin. Tekla Filipiak, their daughter, got married to Mikołaj Nowicki, who twice became the godfather of two children of the Kozal/Marcińczak couple.
In April 2016, I came again to the doorstep of the Koryta parish - the research brought new facts and more surprises. The ancestors on the maternal side were from the Koryta parish, but the paternal ancestors came from the Rozdrażew parish. What's more, the great-grandfather of the bishop - Franciszek, was known as Marciniak and Marcińczak, although it happened that he was registered as Kołodziejczak - and rightly so, because his father was Gregory - a wheelwright by profession. Through Gregory's wife - Teresa Skrzypczak, or more precisely her grandparents - Szymon and Jadwiga Dworników from Nowa Wies, I am related to Bishop Kozal.
Franciszka Marcińczak's mother - Józefa Grabski, significantly expanded the genealogical and geographical map of her great-grandson - from this point on the marathon ran through the parishes: Raszków and Janków Zaleśny, to the relatively distant Myjomice in Kępiński county.
About the paternal lineage, the surname Kozal
Let my narrative begin with a Protestant couple who married in the Krotoszyn church just over 280 years ago. It is then that Johann Celler and Marianna Pietruszka promised love and loyalty for the rest of their lives. The first child of this couple was a stillborn in Krotoszyn, but there are more, in 1736, in Trzemeszno - where the family settled permanently.
Each record highlights the fact that Cellers are honest, non-Catholics, Lutherans because they have a German last name. The godparents of each of the children are also local, chosen from among the most outstanding residents - court writers, organists, economists, administrators, and also three times a priest. In 1739 Johann Celler is recorded as in Krotoszyn textor, which means nothing more than a "linen in Krotoszyn." The name does not undergo major modifications - as a rule, the Bishop's Protestant ancestors are recorded as Cel (l) erowie (Celler/Celer), although for a few years they are mentioned as Lidzbów. The priests also mention that they were "hołderni".
Professor Krystyna Długosz-Kurczabowa from the University of Warsaw, with whom I corresponded in 2003, wrote about this term hołderni:
In search of the word hołderny, I came across the Warsaw Dictionary (1902) for the fishing term hołdernia rybacki «the place where they breed fish; fishpond » together with holdernik « dozorca hołderni » a fishpond caretaker. Formally there is no certified adjective hołderny, but both hołdernia and holdernik unequivocally indicate its existence. Of course, such an adjective could also function as a noun (see the words motormat, on duty, janitor - appearing in the function of adjectives and nouns). Hołderny, which comes from the nouns hołdernia and hołdernik are associated with the German: Halter which means "Holder".
Józefa Grabska married for the second time to Marcin Filipiak, who also died prematurely, at 36 years of age. She had two children with Marcin. Tekla Filipiak, their daughter, got married to Mikołaj Nowicki, who twice became the godfather of two children of the Kozal/Marcińczak couple.
In April 2016, I came again to the doorstep of the Koryta parish - the research brought new facts and more surprises. The ancestors on the maternal side were from the Koryta parish, but the paternal ancestors came from the Rozdrażew parish. What's more, the great-grandfather of the bishop - Franciszek, was known as Marciniak and Marcińczak, although it happened that he was registered as Kołodziejczak - and rightly so, because his father was Gregory - a wheelwright by profession. Through Gregory's wife - Teresa Skrzypczak, or more precisely her grandparents - Szymon and Jadwiga Dworników from Nowa Wies, I am related to Bishop Kozal.
Franciszka Marcińczak's mother - Józefa Grabski, significantly expanded the genealogical and geographical map of her great-grandson - from this point on the marathon ran through the parishes: Raszków and Janków Zaleśny, to the relatively distant Myjomice in Kępiński county.
About the paternal lineage, the surname Kozal
Let my narrative begin with a Protestant couple who married in the Krotoszyn church just over 280 years ago. It is then that Johann Celler and Marianna Pietruszka promised love and loyalty for the rest of their lives. The first child of this couple was a stillborn in Krotoszyn, but there are more, in 1736, in Trzemeszno - where the family settled permanently.
Each record highlights the fact that Cellers are honest, non-Catholics, Lutherans because they have a German last name. The godparents of each of the children are also local, chosen from among the most outstanding residents - court writers, organists, economists, administrators, and also three times a priest. In 1739 Johann Celler is recorded as in Krotoszyn textor, which means nothing more than a "linen in Krotoszyn." The name does not undergo major modifications - as a rule, the Bishop's Protestant ancestors are recorded as Cel (l) erowie (Celler/Celer), although for a few years they are mentioned as Lidzbów. The priests also mention that they were "hołderni".
Professor Krystyna Długosz-Kurczabowa from the University of Warsaw, with whom I corresponded in 2003, wrote about this term hołderni:
In search of the word hołderny, I came across the Warsaw Dictionary (1902) for the fishing term hołdernia rybacki «the place where they breed fish; fishpond » together with holdernik « dozorca hołderni » a fishpond caretaker. Formally there is no certified adjective hołderny, but both hołdernia and holdernik unequivocally indicate its existence. Of course, such an adjective could also function as a noun (see the words motormat, on duty, janitor - appearing in the function of adjectives and nouns). Hołderny, which comes from the nouns hołdernia and hołdernik are associated with the German: Halter which means "Holder".
How did they become Catholics?
Five out of the twelve children of Jan and Marianna Celer (Celler)/Hołderny, married in Rozdrażew. The oldest daughter - Marianna, with Jan Owoc, a native of Silesia, a miller by trade. Only she remained a Lutheran - the rest of the children converted to Catholicism.
The second daughter - Katarzyna Celer (Celler), born in 1739, at the age of 17, became a Catholic - and all thanks to the marriage - revocans ad Fidem catholicam - was recorded in the document. Her husband probably did not have a surname yet - although he was enrolled as Sebastian Grzesiak, it was probably because his father was Gregory. After the wedding, the couple performed as "Hołderni", and from 1768 they began to be registered as "Kozal".
Catherine was widowed in 1776 - she remarried. Her beloved was a widower from Trzemeszno named Grzegorz - the couple had two children and her husband took his wife's surname, Kozal. From this union, Kazimierz was born - the progenitor of these Kozals who emigrated to the United States at the end of the 19th century.
Accepting the wife's name
The adoption of a woman's name by her husband was a relatively frequent practice - the situation is repeated in the case of Katarzyna - the daughter of Sebastian and Katarzyna. After marrying Bartłomiej Kaczmarek, her husband - from the Kaczmarek family, took the surname Kozal. Four children of Bartłomiej and Katarzyna Kozal were born in Trzemeszno, but the fifth daughter, Konstancja, in 1791 was recorded in the book of baptisms in Koryta. This is how the "Ligota-Koryta" period of the Kozal family began. This does not mean, however, that there were no Kozals left in Trzemeszno - throughout the nineteenth century there were the descendants of Philip - the younger brother of Catherine.
Five children were born in Koryta - including Stefan, baptized in 1794 - the ancestor of bishop Michał Kozal. What was the Kozal status? I found only one, late mention from 1813 - it was then recorded that Bartłomiej is an inquilinus (this Latin word, as we know, is the equivalent of a Polish "bailiff", but often also a "homeworker").
Both spouses died in 1814 - the first Katarzyna, two weeks later her husband Bartłomiej. In the same year, a month after their parents died, their son, Stefan Kozal, got married. His chosen one was nineteen-year-old Jadwiga Małecka - a lady from Ligota. Interestingly, he had only two children with her - for the next 10 years, until his death, Jadwiga did not give birth to any child. Three months after her death, Stefan entered into a second marriage - this time with eighteen-year-old Marianna Osuch, coming from the wilderness with the same name (Pustkowie). The bride, both on the maternal and the paternal side, came from a family of village leaders. Stefan - from 1830 to 1847, was described as "hubowy", meaning the owner of one role of land. In the years 1830-1845, Marianna gave birth to nine children of Stefan - one of them, Antoni.
In 1847, Stefan died suddenly - from fever and headache. Marianna, then 36 years old, remained alone with seven children. However, she did not remarry - she died a widow 30 years after Stefan, in 1877.
Antoni Kozal - grandfather of the bishop
Antoni Kozal got married in 1864, at the age of 30. His beloved was Franciszka Marcińczak - a worker from the family, which was mentioned earlier. Antoni was also described in a similar way - in Latin an elaborator or operarius, and in German Tagelöhner. He was illiterate, died of consumption or tuberculosis (phtisis) in early 1891, not waiting for his sixtieth birthday.
The firstborn son of Antoni and Franciszka Kozal was Jan - born in 1865, the father of blessed Michał Kozal, today the patron of the city of Krotoszyn. At the time of his wedding, Jan Kozal was 33 years old, and the future spouse was 4 years older. Marianna Konieczna nee Płaczek was a widow of three years.
Born in 1851 Marianna had her father's roots in Ustków (parish Benice), and her mother in Suśni, Wrotków and Gościejewo, belonging to the Mokronos parish. The family did not have a high social status - they were usually referred to as serfs, farm workers, workers, as well as homeworkers or bailiffs. Marianna's first husband - Paweł Konieczny, dying of pneumonia in 1855, left Marianna eight small children. We do not quite know how to understand this record - perhaps the priest recorded only the number of minor children, because Paweł had other children from his previous marriage. Konieczny in the social ladder was at a slightly higher level than a bailiff (homeworker), as he was saved at the beginning, by being promoted to field function and steward (Latin custos agri and Vogt).
Also Jan Kozal improved his social position - as Adam Kowalik writes. "The difficult financial situation of the family improved only when my father became the owner of the farms of the affluent lessee Tomasz Bieńka, a Germanized Pole. The social advancement of the Kozals meant a chance to get an education for their two sons." Social advancement was also associated with certain Kozal mobility - Wojciech, the first son of Jan and Marianna, was born in Chwaliszewo near Sulmierzyce, and Michał, as it is known, in Nowy Folwark near Krotoszyn. And everyone knows that both brothers received education, and then much, much more ...
I would like to thank Fr. Wojciech Pachciarz for his great, repeated hospitality (and patience), Mr. Romuald Krzyżosiak for help in finding the death certificate of Jan Kozal, as well as Mr. Pepel, whose website allowed me to avoid a serious research mistake.
Author: Chrystian Michał Orpel
Antoni Kozal - grandfather of the bishop
Antoni Kozal got married in 1864, at the age of 30. His beloved was Franciszka Marcińczak - a worker from the family, which was mentioned earlier. Antoni was also described in a similar way - in Latin an elaborator or operarius, and in German Tagelöhner. He was illiterate, died of consumption or tuberculosis (phtisis) in early 1891, not waiting for his sixtieth birthday.
The firstborn son of Antoni and Franciszka Kozal was Jan - born in 1865, the father of blessed Michał Kozal, today the patron of the city of Krotoszyn. At the time of his wedding, Jan Kozal was 33 years old, and the future spouse was 4 years older. Marianna Konieczna nee Płaczek was a widow of three years.
Born in 1851 Marianna had her father's roots in Ustków (parish Benice), and her mother in Suśni, Wrotków and Gościejewo, belonging to the Mokronos parish. The family did not have a high social status - they were usually referred to as serfs, farm workers, workers, as well as homeworkers or bailiffs. Marianna's first husband - Paweł Konieczny, dying of pneumonia in 1855, left Marianna eight small children. We do not quite know how to understand this record - perhaps the priest recorded only the number of minor children, because Paweł had other children from his previous marriage. Konieczny in the social ladder was at a slightly higher level than a bailiff (homeworker), as he was saved at the beginning, by being promoted to field function and steward (Latin custos agri and Vogt).
Also Jan Kozal improved his social position - as Adam Kowalik writes. "The difficult financial situation of the family improved only when my father became the owner of the farms of the affluent lessee Tomasz Bieńka, a Germanized Pole. The social advancement of the Kozals meant a chance to get an education for their two sons." Social advancement was also associated with certain Kozal mobility - Wojciech, the first son of Jan and Marianna, was born in Chwaliszewo near Sulmierzyce, and Michał, as it is known, in Nowy Folwark near Krotoszyn. And everyone knows that both brothers received education, and then much, much more ...
I would like to thank Fr. Wojciech Pachciarz for his great, repeated hospitality (and patience), Mr. Romuald Krzyżosiak for help in finding the death certificate of Jan Kozal, as well as Mr. Pepel, whose website allowed me to avoid a serious research mistake.
Author: Chrystian Michał Orpel
Goodbye to 2017, A Year of Unexpected Loss and Family Unification
It is with sadness in our hearts that we said goodbye to three members of our Kozal family, all who left this world before their time. On May 17, 2017 the family of Michael Kozal said goodbye to Michael's wife, Julie (Syrek) Kozal, who died after an extended illness at the age of 46. Julie was a caring and loving mother to her three children: Haley Kozal, Abby Kozal, and Sarah Kozal. Julie will be missed by her husband and her daughters, her brothers-in-law Jarek (Jeff) Kozal, Nick Palmer-Kozal, and Andrew Kozal; her sister-in-law, Carol Brown; and her father- and mother-in-law Thomas and Linda Kozal.
On October 11, 2017 the family of Allyson (Kozal) Handley said goodbye to Allyson's mother, Margaret (Doctor) Kozal, who died unexpectedly at the age of 71. Margaret was an elementary school teacher of thirty years in Muskegon, Michigan. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Kozal, Jr. and will be sadly missed by her daughter and son-in-law Allyson and Scott Handley; her granddaughter, Samantha Hadley; her brother, Ken (Linda) Doctor; her sister, Linda Doctor; her in-laws, Bill Kozal, Betty (John Stott) Kurtz, Florence (Jeff Glass) Predko; and many beloved nieces and nephews.
On Decemember 31, 2017, the family of Lilly, David, Ronald Jr., and Gloria Kozal said good bye to their loving father, Ronald James Kozal Sr., who died unexpectedly at the age of 79. Ron was a veteran of the United States Navy, a retired employee of General Motors, a volunteer at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Center and St. Vincent DePaul Society, and a proud member of AA. He dedicated his life to his family, the poor, the homeless, and those on the fringes of society. He was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Mary Kozal, his brother Robert "Butch" Kozal, and his sister Mary Jane Bockheim. He will be terribly missed by his wife Sandra; his four children; his daughter-in-law, Renee Bixler, his son-in-law, David Anderson; his step-children, James D. Emmert, Michael P. Monfort, and Tina Monfort; his many grandchildren; his two brothers, Frank (Linda) Kozal and Tom (Linda) Kozal; his two aunts Florence Mikrut and Helen Salkiewicz; and his many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
ArtPrize Concert in Honor of Blessed Bishop Michal Kozal
ArtPrize is upon us, and we wanted to let you know that we have an ArtPrize entry, a musical time-based piece. We will be having a live performance on Tuesday, September 27, 2016, at 7 P.M. at the Women's City Club. Our live performance is being dedicated to Sister Sue Tracy, O.P. who passed away this past July after her sixth battle with cancer. Our piece is entitled "Octave of a Suffering Servant", and it honors all clergy who perished in the Nazi Concentration Camp at Dachau. This musical composition will highlight Blessed Bishop Michal Kozal, a relative of the Grand Rapids and Muskegon Kozal families. Our entry number is #64261 if you would like to vote. We ask for your support during our live perfomance, and we hope that you will find our entry to be both moving and enlightening. A very special thank you goes out to Nick Palmer, Christina Fong, and Michael Kornacki for sharing their gift of music and to OgreOgress Productions for the recording.
Nebraska Kozal Family Descendants of Jan (John) Kozal, Brother of Józef (Joseph) Kozal and Michigan Descendants
Członkowie rodziny Kozalów mieszkający w stanie Nebraska są potomkami Jana Kozala, który był bratem Józefa Kozala i jego potomków w Michigan
Two years ago, I was contacted by Jeff Kozal, a descendant of the Kozal family from the state of Nebraska. Not knowing if we were related, I spent time over the last two years researching his family. What a joy to discover that my great great grandfather (Józef Kozal) and his great great grandfather (Jan Kozal) were brothers! How is it possible that we did not know that we have close relatives who also immigrated to the United States from Poland? As a matter of fact, Mikołaj (Nicholas) Kozal and Antoni (Anthony) Kozal, the sons of Jan Kozal and Katarzyna Szymkowiak, made it to the United States of America in the early 1900s and settled in Nebraska. There, the two boys' families grew, and only now we are beginning to find out more about these long lost relatives. I am hoping to meet the members of our Nebraska family and learn more of their stories. I promise to keep you updated. Below you will find a photo of Mikołaj (Nicholas) Kozal, his wife Franciszka Torek - Jażwinska, and other family members.
Front Center: Franciszka Torek-Jażwinska and Husband Mikołaj Kozal
Uroczystość Wszystkich Świętych i Dzień Zaduszny
Wysyłamy naszą miłość w święto Wszystkich Świętych! We send our love on this the Feast of All Saints! Although we cannot be together with our family in Poland, we take time to celebrate the lives of all Kozals who rest in our eternal memories and in the peace of God. NIECH ODPOCZYWAJĄ W POKOJU! To view all of the photos, please double click on the main photo and a play button will appear. Click on the play button and the slideshow will begin. By obejrzeć zdjęcia kliknij dwukrotnie główne zdjęcie, pojawi się przycisk "play". Kliknij "play" - rozpocznie się pokaz zdjęć.
This photo slideshow contains scenes of the parish cemetery in Koryta, Wielkopolska, where many family members are buried. After our concert and celebration in Bugaj Palace, my father asked me to drive him to the cemetery to place the roses he received on each of the graves of his relatives. It was a very touching moment for me. To view all of the photos, please double click on the main photo and a play button will appear. Click on the play button and the slideshow will begin. By obejrzeć zdjęcia kliknij dwukrotnie główne zdjęcie, pojawi się przycisk "play". Kliknij "play" - rozpocznie się pokaz zdjęć.
The photo slideshow below contains scenes of our concert and reception at Bugaj Palace in Raszkow, Poland, on June 19, 2015. It was a lovely celebration in honor of the Kozal family and in honor of my father's 70th birthday. To view all of the photos, please double click on the main photo and a play button will appear. Click on the play button and the slideshow will begin. Enjoy! By obejrzeć zdjęcia kliknij dwukrotnie główne zdjęcie, pojawi się przycisk "play". Kliknij "play" - rozpocznie się pokaz zdjęć. Miłego oglądania!
Jarek Kozal (soloist), Nicholas Palmer (piano and organ), Christina Fong (violin), and Michael Kornacki (clarinet) will be traveling to Poland to perform one private and two public concerts in honor of Blessed Michał Kozal, Bishop and Martyr and Father Czesław Kozal, Dachau Concentration Camp survivor. Information for the public concerts can be found below. The first public concert is being held on Tuesday, July 21, 2015, at 12:15 P.M. at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Saint Mary Magdalene, and Saint Stanislaus the Bishop in Poznań. This basilica is also known as Fara Poznańska. The second public concert is being held on Thursday, July 23, 2015, at 7:30 P.M. at the Church of Saint Anna in Warsaw (Kościół Świętej Anny w Warszawie). The concerts are free and all are invited to attend.
Christmas 2014: A little gift from the American Kozal family to our relatives in Poland. Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! We love and miss you! This arrangement is performed by Nicholas Palmer at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of Robert Kenneth Kozal, son of Bert and Irene Kozal, on Friday, February 28, 2014. Robert was a wonderful, family man and served his country in the United States Navy. He will be deeply missed by his wife Connie (Sadler) Kozal; his daughters Elisabeth Kozal, Rebecca Kozal-Larsen, and Rachel Novak-Tasma; and the entire Kozal family. In keeping with Robert's wishes, there will be no funeral home visitation. A small, private family service will be held at 1 P.M. on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the United Methodist Church in Reed City, Michigan. Robert's wish upon his passing was that those who love him make donations in his name to the Wounded Warrior Project: https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org. We thank you in advance for your thoughts, prayers, and donations in Robert Kenneth Kozal's memory. Rest in peace Bob. We love you and will miss you.
Rest in Peace
Robert Kenneth Kozal
Niech Spoczywa w Pokoju!
Rest in Peace
Robert L. "Butch" Kozal
Son, Brother, Uncle, Friend
Born: December 13, 1941
Died: November 6, 2013
Niech Spoczywa w Pokoju!
Robert L. "Butch" Kozal
Son, Brother, Uncle, Friend
Born: December 13, 1941
Died: November 6, 2013
Niech Spoczywa w Pokoju!
11 November 2013 - Robert "Butch" Kozal Funeral Liturgy
22 June 2013 (22 Czerwca 2013 r.) Updated Concert Information
14 May 2013 (14 Maja 2013 r.)
Krotoszyn, Wielkopolska, Poland
Nicholas Palmer and Jarek Kozal will have the pleasure of returning to Poland on July 1, 2013 to visit family, explore towns and villages, and give a family concert at the the parish church of Saint John the Baptist in Krotoszyn. Places they will tour include Warszawa, Poznań, Gniezno, Włocławek, Torun, Krotoszyn, Ligota, Koryta, and Berlin (Germany). It is sure to be a wonderful time filled with beautiful vistas, family dinners, refreshing libations, and trips down "memory lane".
Organ at the Parish Church of Saint John the Baptist in Krotoszyn
The concert date is Saturday, July 6, 2013 at the parish church of Saint John the Baptist in Krotoszyn. The concert will begin after the 6:30 P.M. Mass has ended. The approximate time will be 7:15 P.M. Kozal families from the province of Wielkopolska and other provinces in Poland will be invited to attend. Included in Nicholas Palmer's proposed program will be organ pieces by Soler, Bach, Mendelssohn, Vierne, and Kerll. Jarek's proposed vocal program will include an African American spiritual, two Polish Marian hymns, and a contemporary American Catholic song. We are looking forward to this special event.