INFORMATION PORTAL OF THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE OF THE KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE Region IN TORUŃ

In the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, more senior women are celebrating their 100th birthdays. These are remarkable women whose life stories testify to strength, hard work, and devotion to their families. The jubilarians were awarded the Marshal’s Medal Unitas Durat Palatinatus Cuiaviano-Pomeraniensis.

One of the centenarians is Mrs. Stefania Ciereszko, born on 7 April 1926 in Strzelce (former Kielce Region). After the war, she began working in Chełmno, where throughout her life she was actively involved in social and professional activities. She was associated with the “Społem” Consumer Cooperative, where she was responsible for social and self-government activities as well as organizing events for employees and their families. She was also engaged in trade union activities, the Women’s League, and the Society of Friends of Children. During the war, she served as a liaison officer for the Peasants’ Battalions, and her wartime experiences left a lasting mark on her life. Despite the passing years, she remains active and full of energy, and her great passion is writing poetry. Today, Mrs. Stefania is also the grandmother of two grandchildren and great-grandmother of three great-grandchildren — two boys and one girl — who are a great source of joy for her. She lives independently on a daily basis. Her two daughters and many friends visit her frequently and enjoy spending time with her. Beata Krzemińska, spokesperson for the Marshal’s Office, met with the centenarian and presented her with the Marshal’s Medal Unitas Durat.

Mrs. Helena Miszewska celebrated her 100th birthday on 10 May 2026. She comes from Pomerania and has lived in Toruń since 1956. During the Second World War, she and her family were deported to Germany for forced labour, where she worked in a brewery in Ulm on the Danube. After the war, she devoted her entire professional career to the postal service and retired from Post Office No. 2 in Toruń. Today, she remains cheerful, independent, and active, and her relatives emphasize her exceptionally positive attitude toward life. Mrs. Helena is the grandmother of two grandchildren and great-grandmother of one great-granddaughter.

Among the centenarians was also Mrs. Leokadia Sztanka, born in Zagórze near Warsaw. On 21 May, she celebrated her 100th birthday with her closest family members. During the war, she and her family were forcibly taken by the Germans to perform auxiliary work in Toruń. Fate led her to settle in Golub (today Golub-Dobrzyń) after the war, where she met her future husband. She currently lives in Skępe (Lipno County). Throughout her life, she devoted herself to her family, raising children, and managing the household. After retiring, she helped care for her grandchildren. She is known for her cheerful disposition. Mrs. Leokadia gave birth to six children and is also the grandmother of seven grandchildren and great-grandmother of two great-grandchildren. On behalf of the Marshal, the medal was presented to her by regional councillor Sławomir Kopyść.

Mrs. Zofia Obodzińska of Bydgoszcz celebrated her 100th birthday on 15 May. She was born in Piwnice (Toruń County) and spent her childhood in Dubielewo (Włocławek County), where she grew up in a farming family. The outbreak of the Second World War interrupted her education, and from a young age she helped her parents run the farm. After the war, she married Kazimierz Obodziński and moved to Bydgoszcz in the 1950s, where she spent the rest of her life. She worked at the “Budowlani” Cooperative and devoted her free time to handicrafts — crocheting and embroidery. She always found time for her loved ones, surrounding them with care, support, and unconditional kindness. Today, she is cared for by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Since 2018, the regional government has been honouring centenarian residents of the region. More than five hundred people have received the Unitas Durat Medal to date. Families of regional residents who will soon celebrate their 100th birthday, as well as those already over one hundred years old, are encouraged to contact the office at +48 56 62 18 344 or via e-mail at: stulatkowie@kujawsko-pomorskie.pl

Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson for the Marshal’s Office

22 May 2026