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

Mrs. Urszula lived through the war, raised her grandchildren, and to this day cannot imagine a morning without coffee with cream. Mrs. Marianna still dreams of traveling, while Mrs. Regina eagerly awaits traditional Sunday dinners with her loved ones. Urszula Urban, Marianna Twaróg, and Regina Kuczyńska are now celebrating their 100th birthdays. On this occasion, they were honored with the Marshal’s Unitas Durat Palatinatus Cuiaviano-Pomeraniensis medals. Vice-Marshal of the Region Zbigniew Ostrowski visited Urszula Urban and Marianna Twaróg, while Regional Executive Board Member Marek Wojtkowski presented birthday wishes to Regina Kuczyńska.

 

“May the kindness you share with others return to you strengthened by the care, warmth, and attention of your loved ones. May each day bring joy, love, and support,” conveyed Marshal Piotr Całbecki in his special wishes.

 

Marianna Twaróg (née Lubońska) was born on August 8, 1925, in Sobótka near Ostrów Wielkopolski. At the age of three, she moved with her family to Bydgoszcz, where her father found work at an estate in nearby Bielice. She spent the war years there, working physically on the farm.

 

At the age of 22, she married railwayman Edward Twaróg. Together they raised seven children—three daughters and four sons. Mrs. Marianna worked for Polish State Railways and the State Insurance Institution (PZU). Her great passion was traveling, especially to the Baltic Sea. “I would most like to return to the beach once more,” says the centenarian. She has 14 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

 

Regina Kuczyńska was born the same day, August 8, 1925, in Starachowice (Świętokrzyskie Region). Her father, Robert Tylicki, worked in the timber industry, while her mother, Anna, ran the household. Before the outbreak of the war, the family moved to Września (Wielkopolskie Region), where her father ran a sawmill and lumber yard.

 

In 1940, at just 15 years old, Regina was arrested by the Germans for possessing and distributing patriotic materials. She was sent to a transit camp in Łódź, and later—together with her mother and sister—to a labor camp in southern Germany. After liberation, she attended high school for Polish children in Germany, returning to the country in 1948.

 

She worked at the sugar factory in Mełno (Grudziądz County) and, in 1949, married Stanisław Kuczyński. They raised two children—a daughter, Aleksandra, and a son, Paweł. In 1970, the family moved to Toruń. Mrs. Regina worked in the hotel industry and as a German language translator until her retirement. Today, she lives with her son and daughter-in-law, enjoys handicrafts, crosswords, and the company of her cat. She gladly takes part in Sunday family dinners, cherishing time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

 

Two days after her peers, on August 10, 1925, in Bydgoszcz, Urszula Urban (née Królikowska) was born. Her father worked for the railway, and her mother was a homemaker. During the occupation, the Germans forced her to work—first on a farm, then in a canteen on Śniadeckich Street, and as a nanny for the children of a German officer.

 

After the war, she married Jan Urban. Together they raised two children. Mrs. Urszula spent most of her professional career at the Bydgoszcz branch of Cefarm. She loved to travel—every year she went to the mountains, to Szklarska Poręba or Karpacz.

 

Today, she starts each day with coffee and cream. She spends her free time on her flower-filled balcony or watching TV. She is a happy grandmother to four grandchildren and great-grandmother to three great-grandchildren.

 

Since 2018, the regional self-government has honored centenarians living in the region. Families of residents who will soon turn 100—or older—are encouraged to contact us at +48 56 62 18 344 or by email at stulatkowie@kujawsko-pomorskie.pl.

 

Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office

August 13, 2025