My name is Krzysztof Biega, Canadian citizen, born in Dębna, Poland in 1944. In 1961, I graduated from the Sanok High School and went to Warsaw to study at the Agriculture University, at the Wood Technology Faculty. I received my diploma in 1966. I regret that, like so many others in Poland at that time, i joined the so-called "Peoples' Party" as this was the only way to reach the university and to get administrative jobs. Later I became mayor of the town Zagórz, a few kilometers south-east of Sanok. In 1981 I joined the "Solidarity" movement, as a result I was denied a passport. Fortunately, as a result of the thaw following the "Round-table" talks in 1989 (see Solidarity page) I was able to get a passport and emigrated with my wife Ala and settled in Toronto, Canada.
I revisited the family village Dębna again in 1992, then once more in 1999 for my mother's 80th birthday.

Here are some pictures. Then there will be more about my family.

The first picture shows the village Dębna, taken from the hill above it in 1992. The second is of my First Communion at the church of Mrzygłód in 1952.
And here I am with friends at the Sanok High School in 1960. In 1986 we celebrated the 25th anniverary of our matura at Sanok Liceum. Here I am with the Director of the school
Grandaughter Kasia graduates from High-school in 2005. And here is a recent picture of me with my daughter Ela and grand-daughter Caroline.
Ala with Krzysztof and his mother on her 80th birthday in 1999. Kryzsztof and Ala in 1999 with daughter Jolanta and grandsons in Sanok

Here is some of my family history.
Our family lives in the lower village. There are other Biega families in the "upper village" of Dębna.
My grandfather, Jan Biega, was born about 1880. He had five daughters and three sons. Two daughters, Waleria i Katarzyna, emigrated to France and one, Karolka, to Canada. Franciszka and Hanka stayed in Dębna. One son, Wojciech, was for many years commander of the county fire brigade in Sanok. In 1933 Franciszek married Apolonia, the daughter of a neighbor.
Ten years later Jan's youngest son Karol married Stanisława, the sister of Apolonia. They are my parents. I was their only child, see photo. Therefore I considered my close cousins as brothers and sisters, especially Eugeniusz, son of aunt Franciszka, as well as Danuta and Irena, daughters of uncle Franciszek. You see Eugeniusz and Irena standing behind us in the photo of the wedding of me and my beloved Ala in 1965. I was 21, still a student at Warsaw Agriculture University, and Ala 18.

We have two daughters, Ela (Elzbieta) and Jolanta.
Ela followed in her mother's footsteps and got married at 18, to her first cousin Marek Kilar, son of Danuta, grandson of uncle Franciszek. The young couple followed us to Canada and have two daughters - Kasia who just graduated from High School this year (2005) and five-year old Caroline, see photos above.
Our younger daughter married Mariusz Malek and stayed in Poland and lives in Sanok with two boys, Mateusz, now 14 and Tomasz, now 8 (in (2005).