Osada Rokitno, where I was born, was located nine kilometres east of Grodno. My father, Józef Przygoński, former legionary, in 1920 received a plot of 24 hectares of arable land and 6 hectares of meadows.
I know from my father's stories that “Grandpa” Piłsudski in 1931 unveiled a memorial plaque on Mr. Sobierajski’s house. It stood right next to the road which led from Grodno to Jeziory via our settlement.
I must stress that I am proud of what the settlers achieved in our settlement. They built a new community centre, with a theatre hall, post office, and a grocery store. Nearby, a shooting range, volleyball and basketball courts were built.
Józef Przygoński lived in the Rokitno settlement and following his wife’s death in 1942, served in the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division and travelled the route of the 2nd Corps. After 30 years in Canada he returned to his homeland and five years later he died in Przemyśl in 1977 at the age of 79 years. Other settlers were: Pasenko, Czajczyński, Jakubowski, Ozonek, Skwarek, Martynowski, Kwiatkowski, Sobierajski, Majorczyk, Sochacki, Kieniekowski, Bartoszewicz, Natusiewicz, Szaruga, Awdziej, Ciesielski, Walczak, Sabatałowski, Różniakowski, Leksiński, Hornik, Moniak.
Their flourishing farms, the result of hard work in their younger years, were destroyed by the war in 1939, and later by the deportation to Arkhangelsk forests on 10 February 1940.
Today, in 1991, none of the original settlers is still alive, only their descendants – sons and daughters.
Full list of names of Rokitno Military Settlers listed on OSADNICY WOJSKOWI on https://kresy.genealodzy.pl and subsequently updated. Rokitno was previously named as Wiercieliszki.
T H E H I S T O R Y O F K R E S Y
Osady - Military Settlements 1921-1940
Translation from the book
Z Kresów Wschodnich R.P. Wspomnienia z Osad Wojskowych 1921-1940
(From: The Eastern Borderlands of Poland, Memories of Military Settlements 1921-1940)
Pub: Ognisko Rodzin Osadników Kresowych (OROK)
(Association of the Families of the Borderland Settlers)
London, UK. 1992 and 1998 (out of print)
ISBN 1 872286 33 X
Province (Województwo BIAŁYSTOK
WLADYSŁAW PRZYGOŃSKI
OSADA ROKITNO
District (Powiat) GRODNO