THE HISTORY OF THE
MIŁOSZEWSKI AND RAFALĄT FAMILIES
10. RAFALĄT FAMILY
Franciszek Rafaląt (or Rafalont) was born on 25 October 1918 in the small town of Stryj, some 70 kms south of Lwów, in what is now Ukraine. Franciszek was born barely a month before the declaration of an independent Poland on 11 November 1918. Stryj at the time of Franciszek's birth was in Galicia, part of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
Franciszek was the youngest child in the family and had two older sisters, Kasia and Marysia. We do not know very much about the origins of the Rafaląt name, although the family admitted to French roots. In the newly independent Poland living conditions were not easy but the Rafaląt family was a close-knit, loving family. We do know that grandfather Rafaląt was the head church warden at the main Catholic Church in Stryj. The family could not afford further education for their children and we know that Franciszek was apprenticed to a local butcher at a young age. The economic conditions in this part of the newly formed Poland were very difficult and many people were forced to emigrate.
Members of the Rafaląt family are known to have emigrated to the US, where their names are registered in the Ellis Island archives.
We know from Franciszek's stories that he enjoyed growing up in Stryj and visits to the nearby city of Lwów.