|
Lucyna Gmiterek - As a child I remember vividly
the name Lucyna
- her surname was never mentioned. I knew she was connected with
Ockenden Venture [now Ockenden International] a charity
Reverend Pat Ashe was connected with prior to Project Vietnam Orphans
and subsequently the Daily Mail airlift of refugees.
My late father as a converted Evangelical Christian, and in the
early days
struggled with his smoking habit. In the late 1950's he felt led
to donate
the money saved from resisting smoking should be used for charitable
purposes and encouraged others at Otley Parish Church to follow
suit.
They found Lucyna Gmiterek a new home in Oxfordshire under the auspices
of Ockenden Venutre Charity and then continued
to do the same for her
sister, Beleslau.
When I found a press cutting in my fathers effects, in the summer
of 2009, which quoted an article from 1959 about Otley Parish Church
raising funds to bring a Polish girl to EnglandI felt compelled
to contact the Ashe family who had lived at the Vicarage on Burras
Lane, Otley until the mid 1960's. No one knows where she is now.
Then an article "Across the Years" appeared
in the Airedale & Wharfedale
Observer on 5th November 2009 - I replied explaining I knew her
name & had tried to trace her in the summer of 2009.
Jim Jack, at the Wharfedale Observer then wrote another article
on 10th December1 If you click on this link you can read Jim's article
Whatever
happened to refugee Lucyna? I would estimate Lucyna Gmiterek
will be in her early 60's.
If anyone has any information I would love to make contact.
email: louise@leelou.co.uk
or phone 07748 271 965
|
|
