Eulogy for Dziadek
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Stephanie Cousens, and I am
Henryk Hojka’s granddaughter. My mother asked me to speak today for our family
because she is afraid she would be too emotional to speak of her beloved Father.
On behalf of our family, I would like to thank all of you for being here today. It was
nice to see so many people who loved my Grandpa and cared for members of his
family.
My Dziadek or Grandfather in English was born on December 23rd, 1925 and he
was born in Kozlowa Gora, Poland. He was predeceased by his parents Lukasz
Hojka and Jozefa Hanzel-Hojka and his younger sister Maria Hojka. He is survived
by his younger brother Franciszek Hojka. Although his family was poor, he always
found creative ways to problem solve and survive any challenge he was faced with,
such as waking up early in the morning on a school day and walking to his cousin’s
house to complete his homework with the required textbooks that his family could not afford.
At the age of 17, my Grandfather was drafted into the German Army. During the war,
his fluency in the German language saved his life. Although he was forced to fight for
Germany for approximately a year, he managed to find a telephone wire under a
Christmas tree where he slept for the night. He followed that wire and it took him to a group of soldiers from the British Army. This event led to his role in fighting alongside the Allies. He shared many wartime stories with us. Some of them were about his role as a Corporal and how proud he was about finishing first in his class. He also told stories about his role in the artillery unit and how he accidentally blew up a barn.
After the war, Dziadek lived in England for over 6 years and he worked in a variety of
jobs, such as labouring in coal mines. Eventually, in 1952, he moved to Canada to
seek out a better life and less rain. Once he was settled, he went back to Poland to
find a wife and he met my grandmother, Emilia. She too moved to Canada while 8
months pregnant with my aunt Krystyna and three years later, my amazing mother,
Anna, was born. My Grandfather was also dedicated to his job at McDonnell Douglas
Canada Ltd., later Boeing, where he proudly made the wings and tails for airplanes
for 24.3 years as a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machinist. He worked very
hard to provide for his family and he celebrated his many successes (for example,
purchasing a house, the farm, his truck and other vehicles). Dziadek was also very
religious. He had the unique and exciting opportunity to see Pope John Paul the
Second in 1984. This was a significant event in his life because of his strong faith.
My Grandfather was known to be an honest and hard working man, and he liked
order; however, it is his compassion and love during the most difficult of times that
he is most remembered for.
Eventually, his two daughters grew up and got married. My aunt Krystyna married
Brian Dupuis from Montreal and my mom married my dad, Marek Czernecki who
was also from Kozlowa Gora, Poland. My Grandfather welcomed both of these men
into his life as sons. Dziadek became a proud Grandfather to myself, Michael, and
Danielle. Furthermore, nine and a half years ago, he welcomed my husband
Matthew Cousens into the family and then with the arrival of our three children
William, Emily, and Anastasia he became a Great-Grandfather. Over the years, my
grandparents celebrated many anniversaries and this past September, they
celebrated their 61st anniversary. It is amazing how many great memories have
come from my grandparents’ many years together.
Although Dziadek did not have the opportunity for higher education for himself, he
immensely valued education and he encouraged his daughters to make something
of themselves by obtaining a post-secondary education. Afterwards, he went on to
encourage my siblings and I to achieve university degrees and to Dziadek's delight,
we all did.
As kids, Michael, Danielle, and I had the pleasure of going to the farm on a regular
basis. Dziadek loved the farm and we learned how to drive a tractor, with the help of
our dad. We also took many walks in the forest and along the old railroad tracks
while trying to avoid annoying mosquitoes, branches, and mysterious forest
creatures.
As a Great-Grandfather, he didn't have the same kind of energy as when he was
younger, but the delight on his face was evident with each interaction with my
children. When William, Emily, and Anastasia did something silly, he was quick to
join them in the act. He especially loved watching the kids learn how to walk, run,
and eat. However, his extremely loud and prolonged sneezing sessions brought
babies to tears.
Throughout his life, my Grandfather had many hobbies. Some of these included,
reading, taking care of his pet canaries, raising pigeons, and fixing things around the
house. He also loved watching television, especially, Star Trek, Bonanza, Planet of
the Apes, Old Western movies, and of course the news.
My Grandfather lived a long life that was full of joy, happiness, and love, as well as
illness and hardship. Whenever I think about him, I remember how humourous and
smart he was. Most of my memories of Dziadek include laughter, love,Turtles
chocolates, Zoladkowa, stories about World War 2, his nicknames for us, silly songs,
and his fluency in a number of different languages such as English, Polish, German,
Italian and a little French, even though he despised French and told us that every
single time. In closing, please raise your glasses in celebration of Henryk Hojka's life.
And as Dziadek always said, "Na zdrowie.
