Society Holds Commemoration & Grave Marker Ceremony In Honor Of World War I Polish American U.S. Army Veteran Joseph Frank Bigos
St. Hedwig Cemetery & Mausoleum, Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Sunday, July 28, 2024
This summer, the Society was extremely pleased to present an event that marked the culmination of a two-year mission spearheaded by Society’s treasurer, Ms. Barbara Misiolek Gamble. Barb set out to ensure that the veteran in question received appropriate honors, and her efforts resulted in one of the most special and heartwarming events that the Society has held.
This event coincided with the 110th anniversary of the beginning of World War I, a date that the board of directors intentionally chose. The purpose was to commemorate the long-overdue placement and blessing of a marker on the grave of Polish American U.S. Army veteran Joseph Frank Bigos. For some unknown reason, for nearly 80 years, he was buried without a marker on his grave. Thanks to Barb’s efforts, that oversight has been corrected, and we now know that this veteran is resting peacefully.
Joseph Frank Bigos lived from January 7, 1899, to June 4, 1946. He died in the VA Hospital in Allen Park, Michigan.
The event started out with a gathering at 12:30 p.m. in the Main Mausoleum of St. Hedwig Cemetery. Approximately 35 people attended this portion of the event. At 1:00 p.m., Karen Majewski, Ph.D., incoming president of the Polish American Historical Association, gave an in-depth and extremely informative PowerPoint presentation. The subject of her lecture was, “Polish Americans in Detroit in World War I.” She conducted a tremendous amount of research for the presentation, which can be viewed on the Polish Media Center’s You Tube channel via the link on the Society’s website here: https://www.detroitpolonia.org/videos/. The video and its viewing were made possible by Pan Mieczysław Oniśkiewicz (“Mietek”) of the Polish Media Center at Orchard Lake, to whom we are extremely grateful. Our director, Alina Klin, Ph.D., arranged for the videotaping of the event.
After Karen’s presentation, Barb Gamble presented the background of the acquisition of the grave marker and read veteran Bigos’ biography. Her presentation is included as an accompaniment to this article.
The attendees then processed to veteran Bigos’ grave, which the board members had reverently decorated. We were met by the Honor Guard from the Myron H. Beals American Legion Post No. 32 in Livonia. The Guard fired ceremonial salutes at veteran Bigos’ graveside and performed Taps.
Vocalist Deborah Frontczak arranged the music for the graveside service and provided the vocal accompaniment. The songs included the Mazurek Dąbroskiego (Poland Is Not Yet Lost, or the Polish National Anthem), “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Czarna Madonna (“Black Madonna”), Serdeczna Matko (“Loving Mother”), and “America the Beautiful.” Rev. Gary Michalik, President of the West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society, and the Very Rev. Canon Walter J. Ptak, Society Director and Pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Farmington, led the grave marker blessing and commemoration service.
At the end of the ceremony, the spent shell casings from the Honor Guard’s rifles were placed in a velvet pouch and presented to Ms. Linda Rzepka, great-niece of veteran Bigos, who was present along with her husband, Mr. Bill Rzepka.
As background on Linda’s relationship to our veteran, Joseph Bigos’ brother Frank was born in approximately 1901 in Michigan, making him the second oldest child of John and Agnes Bigos. Frank married Angeline Medrek in approximately 1925. They had two children, Virginia (b. 1926) and Frank Jr. (b. 1928).
Frank Jr. married Nina Bartoshuk, and they had two children, Linda and Jeffrey. Linda Rzepka, who attended our event with her husband Bill Rzepka, was Joseph Bigos’ relative. Another way of describing her relationship to veteran Bigos is that Joseph Bigos was Linda’s grandfather’s brother.
As a final tribute, the Society’s Doug Faillace, a trumpeter, performed “The Hejnał Trumpet Call of Kraków,” or Hejnał Mariacki (“St. Mary’s Trumpet Call”).
The Society will long remember this very moving event. We’re indebted to Barb for her efforts. We’re grateful to Mr. David A. Zielinski, Operations Manager of St. Hedwig Cemetery & Mausoleum, and to his assistant Jim Demski, who facilitated the event. We’re most grateful to Mr. Greg Grinnell, Production Supervisor at Inch Memorials in Northville, for his generosity. And to all who attended and contributed toward the event in any way, dziękuję! Thank you!
Photos: Barb Misiolek Gamble and Rob Gamble (Used with Permission)
