Category: People

Childhood is probably the most carefree and happy period in everyone's life. Looking at my younger sister, I can say it with all firmness. I like to look at photos from my childhood. Recently, looking at family photos, I came across a photo of my grandfather. The photo was taken at our school in Netta on February 11, 2008. It was another anniversary commemorating the deportation of the inhabitants of the village of Netta Folwark to Siberia. Grandfather stood proudly in a middle and was holding the banner of the Association of Siberian Deportees, Augustów Division. I know that my grandfather was a Siberian Deportee and always took an active part in all commemorations of all those who stayed in this inhuman land. I decided to learn more about my grandfather and his childhood spent in distant Siberia. Unfortunately, my grandfather died on June 6, 2014, when I was nine years old. So, the most reliable source of information was my grandmother Jadwiga - my grandfather's wife, as well as my mother.

My grandfather - Edward Orbik was born on May 30, 1935 in Bargłów. He was the youngest child of Józef and Józefa Orbik. His mother, Józefa, died in 1938. Józef, who had to reconcile all duties with farming, took care of the children. They lived very modestly, but peacefully. Grandfather had older siblings - sister Helena, who got married and lived in the neighborhood, brothers Stanisław, Czesław and Mieczysław, and sister Jadwiga, two years older than grandfather.

The outbreak of war caused great confusion and poverty, and the entry of the Soviet Army did not improve the lives of the poor and large families of the local population. At the beginning of the war, the Germans took Helena's husband to work in East Prussia, and she returned with her son Jasio to her family home to help her father look after the siblings.

The first guerrilla organizations began to form and wanted to face the occupiers. Two of grandfather's older brothers - Stanisław and Czesław belonged to the local guerilla group. Both were young and wanted to defend their homeland. Stanisław fell in love with the girl from the neighborhood, Irena, who was very pretty and reciprocated his feelings. Irena also liked another boy who could not stand the fact that she chose Stanisław. Wanting to take revenge on the competitor, he reported to the NKVD that Stanisław and Czesław were in the resistance organization. In May, 1941, the NKVD arrested grandfather's brothers hiding in the barn - Stanisław (21 years old) and Czesław (20 years old) ¹Great-grandfather Józef tried to buy them out of the hands of the NKVD, but it was too late. They were transported to Mińsk and there they weren't heard from again. Grandfather Edward, after 1989 tried to find them by writing numerous letters to the Polish Red Cross and NKVD Archives in Moscow, but to no avail. The answer was: disappeared on the territory of the USSR.

In June 1941, the NKVD knocked on the door at night and told everyone without exception to pack. Great-grandfather Józef packed the most important things: provisions, clothes and a rosary. Together with the children: Edward, Jadwiga, Mieczysław, Helena and her seven-year-old son Jasio, they were transported to the station in Augustów. That's how the grandfather and his family's Gehenna [biblical reference to hell] began. Perhaps if it wasn't for any of Stanisław's ardent feelings, my grandfather would never have been deported to the USSR, but we can't be sure. The fact is that the consequences for the guerilla activity were borne by the whole family.

Completing the entire transport took several days. People were placed in cattle cars, with virtually no windows, and the door was locked tightly. There were several dozen people crammed in the car without water, food, or fresh air. It is hard for me to imagine a six-year-old child who, instead of playing with his peers, sits squeezed into the corner of the wagon, unable to move. In the afternoon the exiles reached Grodno, where other cars were attached. German planes came and the bombing of Grodno and the surrounding area began. There were shots and screams of people everywhere. After crossing the Nieman River, the bridge was destroyed and that ended the deportation of exiles. The cars were shelled from planes, many of the convicts were wounded and killed. It was all terrible, my grandfather as a small child did not understand much of what was happening, but he remembered constant prayers, pious songs, lack of food and water to drink. They got a bucket of water regularly, but food was rare.

The first mountains that my grandfather saw in his life were not the Polish Tatras but the Urals. Years later, he remembered sitting on a bunk and looking through the small barred window to the snowy peaks of the Urals. Finally, after almost three weeks of onerous journey, they arrived. This was their new home - Krasnoyarsk Krai, Khakassia District, thousands of kilometers from home and Poland. They were accommodated in a barrack, where they could at least stretch their legs and sit comfortably on the ground. Then the trucks arrived and the journey continued. Grandfather's family ended up in the kolkhoz [collective farm]. They were accommodated with the Chakas family in a small mud hut. The hosts were not delighted with the new tenants. On the next day, all who could work went to work. Grandfather's father - Józef cut the grass, older brother Mietek also tried with a scythe. My grandfather Edek and his older sister Jadwiga, who was two years older, and nephew Jan remained in the care of their sister Helena. Everyone who worked received a bread allocation of 300-400 g, those who did not work - 150 g per day. They were hungry portions, too much to die, not enough to live. Somehow in the summer something could be collected, and these were mushrooms, some forest fruits or other vegetation that could be cooked. The landlady, who taught them a little about living in these difficult conditions, turned out to be very helpful. Grandfather's sister - Helena went out with her and collected various plants that saved the lives of the exiles more than once. Nettle was the most popular. Soups were cooked from it and dried. During the harvest, everyone went to work without exception. As part of the fun, my grandfather Edek collected ears of grain and hid them carefully in his pants. He brought home and there, in a primitive mill, it was ground into flour and they baked pies on a cast iron stove. In the summer water had to be brought from the stream, and in the winter the snow was scooped up, it was melted then and there was plenty of water. The worst were insects, which gnawed mercilessly in the summer, and in the mud huts, lice and bedbugs teased throughout the year. In the fall there were potato outcrops. Everyone worked without exception to collect as many as possible, because you could get some potatoes home. Some potatoes were buried underground in such small mounds, and under the cover of night, they were taken from the field to have winter supplies. It was theft, but you had to do it to survive. The summer in Siberia was hot and lasted for three months, and then it snowed immediately, which lasted until spring. In winter, temperatures dropped to -50 °C [-58 °F] or even lower. There were snow storms that completely covered the dugout's door and you couldn't go outside. You first had to clear away a mountain of snow to get out of the mud hut. Grandfather Edek did not have shoes, so in the winter he did not go outside, but when he got tired of sitting in the mud hut, he jumped outside and ran barefoot on the snow. Days and weeks went by in hunger and cold. After a year, the whole family moved to the neighboring Biei kolkhoz. Here they lived in a dugout after a family who moved to Abakan. It was a real luxury; they were on their own. Grandfather's father Józef got a job at the mill, brother Mieczysław was thirteen years old and he also became a miller's assistant. It was a real happiness, the work was hard, but you could always bring something home. Grandpa's brother Mieczysław smuggled some flour or cereal in his trouser pockets, and that was something. Grandpa Edek also tried to be very helpful. In the summer, he accumulated fuel for winter with his sister Jadwiga. They collected cow pies called kiziaki and dried them out in the sun so that in winter you can burn them in the stove. They collected brushwood in the forest. It was their job. But happiness did not last long. Helena's son, Jaś, who was eight years old, fell ill. The disease proved fatal. Later, my grandfather's father, Józef, fell ill. He could not go to work anymore and the whole obligation to support his family fell on Mieczysław. Sister Helena could not shake off after the death of her son, only her father's illness caused her to pull herself together and got a job milking cows. This work proved to be beneficial because she could bring a small cup of milk home. Father Józef was slowly recovering. Everything seemed to be all right, but Józef's condition suddenly worsened and the man died early in that year. The winter was so terrible then that it was not possible to bury him, it was only done at the end of May, when the thaw began. In this way my grandfather became an orphan.

Weeks and months passed, and the Orbiks were stuck in this gloomy reality, with no prospects for the future. They lived with the hope of returning home. Grandfather Edward went to work with his brother Mieczysław. He got old felt boots from him, so he already had shoes and could leave the house in the winter. My grandfather's job was cleaning and sweeping the mill. During this activity, you could earn something extra and bring back a bit of groats and flour. After the death of his father, the chairman of the collective farm wanted to take my grandfather and his sister Jadwiga to the orphanage, but sister Helena did not agree. She applied for their adoption, giving them her surname - Jasiński. This saved them, they were still Poles. Completing formalities took a while, but it was already a year when the Poles could move freely. Sister Helena walked several dozen kilometers on foot to arrange all the documents. This proved to be very helpful when returning to Poland.

Grandfather remembered the end of the war. Then there was a great holiday in the kolkhoz, the deportees had a day off from work. Everyone was hugging and crying. Poles counted on a quick return home - Poland. The repatriation campaign lasted a long time, because all the necessary documents had to be collected. Grandfather came to Siberia in the name of Orbik, and he left as Jasiński, and the authorities did not like it much. Sister Helena was running around the offices to settle everything and somehow it worked out. Her grandfather was grateful to her for the rest of her life for not leaving them in this inhuman land. In May, 1946, they boarded a train and returned to their homeland. Grandpa said it was the happiest day of his life. After five years of captivity and anguish, they returned home. Grandfather left Poland as a six-year-old boy, and he came back so experienced that many adults could not bear the weight of what he experienced.

Grandpa once wanted to write down everything he had lived through, but the memories were too painful. Experiences meant that he had his "remains" of Siberia: he never ate sorrel soup, saying that he had eaten this vegetable for life, he always had a supply of fuel and flour for the winter, and the bread he worshiped as much as possible.

Grandfather's childhood was tragic. I am glad that I could get to know his interesting fate. One thing I am sure is that we, modern children, bloated and nurtured, could not cope with all this. I am proud that I had such a grandfather. For me he is and will be a hero. He will stay forever in my memory and heart.

Praca uzyskała wyróżnienie 2. stopnia w konkursie “Historia jednej fotografii” zorganizowanym przez Muzeum Pamięci Sybiru w Białymstoku. Rozstrzygnięcie konkursu odbyło się 8 lutego 2018 r.

Translation and footnotes by Jay M. Orbik

1. An underground organization named "Samoobrona" [Self Defense] was established in the Bargłów gmina, which issued the order to create "piątki" [a team of five]. Each trusted member of the movement was to choose four. At that time, the inquisitors mainly caught teachers, officers, and non-commissioned officers, [plus] peasants suspected of having contact with the partisans. In response to the arrests, young Poles, out of revenge, began to set fire to the buildings of those who agreed to join the kolkhoz [collective farm]. "Every Sunday, the buildings at the next one burned, and after the harvest, the fire consumed heaps of grain from the kolkhoz. The Soviets once again used the informers and arrested, among others, two Orbik brothers ... They also wanted to intimidate the young with conscription. They took those who were 20 years old but not over 50 years old.” "We, together with Kowalczyk, stood on the commission in Augustów. One of the doctors turned out to be friends, so a quiet agreement was enough and we were declared 75 unable to join the army. "

   J. Poziemski: Bohaterowie i zdrajcy, Kurier Podlaski. Nr 177 (1841), 12 IX 1990. Also in: Adam Sudoł, Stalin wobec kresów wschodnich II Rzeczypospolitej (jesień 1939) ZESZYTY NAUKOWE WYŻSZEJ SZKOŁY PEDAGOGICZNEJ W BYDGOSZCZY, Studia Historyczne z. 6. p. 68.[↩]

Discovery

Almost exactly 13 years ago, in March 2007, being a ranger in Napiwoda, I found human remains with military equipment in the forest near Moczysko. Among the items I also found a silver cross that believers wear around their necks. Orthodox cross. The site of the find is a place where on the last day of the battle of Tannenberg, on August 30, 1914, the remains of 3 corps withdrew to Russia through the forests between Nidzica and Zimna Woda, in disarray and mostly on their own.

If you look at the maps of East Prussia before the First World War, then not far south from Nidzica was the border between tsarist Russia and imperial Germany. Polish Kingdom - if it is written there, it is only lowercase. To freedom, to live - to the Russian border - the Kingdom of Poland - this soldier only had a few kilometers left, an hour of walking!

A small Orthodox cross, a soldier's mother, somewhere far from here, hung her son going to war, with the blessing and hope that he would bring his son home. It happened differently. The cross lay here in former East Prussia, on foreign land, for over 90 years.

Meaning

Description of the meaning of the symbolism contained on this Cross obtained from Museum of the Icon in Supraśl, a branch of the Podlasie Museum in Bialystok:

It is an Orthodox cross, with arms ended with a three-note leaf. It was probably decorated with enamel. Inside is a smaller cross with eight ends, characteristic of Orthodoxy. The lower diagonal bar refers to the scene of the Crucifixion from the Gospel according to St. Łukasz, where two rogues were crucified next to Jesus. One end is raised, it points to the sky, which is the place where the Good Thief goes. The other end points to hell, or the place where the other villain, full of pride, goes.

Letters in Cyrillic, which are on the shoulders in the Polish alphabet, mean: IS (Jesus), XS (Christ), letters at the top CS (King of Glory).

The letters at the bottom are GA (Adam's Tomb or Golgotha). According to apocryphal sources, the first man Adam was buried in this place and Jesus was crucified in this place to redeem his and our sins. The motif under the cross is Adam's skull.

Unfortunately, the lower part of the cross is very blurred and it is difficult to say what else is there. Punches, which are on the back of the cross, can tell which city in Russia he came from. Unfortunately, which place in Russia is difficult to say.

signed by Maciej Ćwiklewski.

Information on the origin of the cross received from Bogusław Perzyk read from the signatures on the reverse:

1. The object was manufactured in the studio of Wasilij Nikolajewicz Czułkow (WNCz)
2. The manufacturer was registered at the Assay Office of the Kostroma Governorate.
3. The object was made of silver "84"

Commemoration

Near my find is the village of Zimna Woda. On the edge of this village is one of the many battle cemeteries of this war, where 37 Russian soldiers were buried. Closer to the village, at the stone monument, there is a grave of 7 German soldiers. They all died on August 30, 1914.

The church in Zimna Woda, built among forests, is a good place for this cross - souvenir after young people from 100 years ago - soldiers for whom our forests were home in their last days of life. A cross was solemnly suspended in this church against the background of a carved, enlarged copy of it.

In 1882, the local community was shaken by the assault of a group of thugs on the presbytery in Jaminy and the severe beating of the local priest, Fr. Józef Bacewicz. Fr. Bacewicz was born in 1836 in the town of Pejlany, and administered the Jaminy parish from 1874. He was a pastor valued by the community, as evidenced by the description of his job published in the newspaper by one of the faithful:

"He was a good man and a priest who, despite his poor health, but worked as much as he could to moralize the people and help anyone in need, both with advice and donation. It was his and the then head of the village, the late Mr. Ostapowicz, effort who gathered donations and the church was renovated, its interior was repainted with oil paint; three altars were renovated and gilded: a stone wall was built around the church and a burial cemetery after which non-cattle stopped roaming today opposite to the past, a new presbytery was built, and the roofs and all presbytery buildings were improved"[1]

One of the newspapers of the time reported in 1882 about the robbery: "In the village of Jaminy, Augustów pov., on the night of 8 to 9 this month. z dozen villains attacked the presbytery, tied up the sleeping priest and threw him into the hall and took the robbery themselves. When, however, the host closest to the presbytery informed about the assault by the priest's hostess, an old woman who managed to slip away, hurried to help the priest with a pitchfork, at the sight the bodyguard fired a few shots from a revolver, on the sound of which the whole band got out of the presbytery quickly and escaped."[2]

The assault was an indirect cause of the premature death of Fr. Bacewicz. He died at the age of 50, on October 3, 1886, and his grave is still today in the Jaminy cemetery and is probably one of the last gravestones cast in the declining Huta Sztabińska.

The entire description of the villains' trial was published in "Kurier Poranny" No. 104 of 4/16 April 1883 in the following article:

From the Court Room

The three peasants of the Suwałki Governorate Ostrowski, Wolf Szwartz and Tomasz Trzciański were accused. The first two of robbery assault on Father Bacewicz's house and the last of them of hiding things from this crime. On 28 January at night, the criminals in the village of Jaminy together with other people, in order to rob the property, broke off the entrance door of the house of priest B. attacked his apartment and beating and tying him with a rope, openly robbed various things and money belonging to B. One of the accomplices of the crime at the time of the robbery had a revolver, from which two shots were given to people who came to help Father B. This crime refers to art. 1629 of P.C. This case in the first instance was tried by the Suwałki regional court.

... None of the accused pleaded guilty.

Father Bacewicz, questioned at a court hearing, testified that on the night of January 28, at about midnight, he was suddenly awakened by a stab to the entrance door. When the candle was lit, the witness wanted to investigate the reason for this patter, but at the moment the louder patter could be heard from the back entrance to the kitchen. Under strong pressure from the outside, the door opened and the witness heard several people burst into the kitchen with terrible abuse and hurried toward his bedroom. Guessing that they were robbers, the witness wanted to escape through the front door, but in the hall he was attacked by three unknown people who began to beat him on the face, back and whole body with wooden clubs brought with them. The witness began to shout, Jesus, Mother of God, two more villains came in from the inner rooms and all five pushed him out into the corridor, tied up with ropes. and tied to the door handle so that his face hung to the ground and the hands for which he was tied were stretched up, in this position they asked him where the money and papers were, but he replied that he had nothing. The robbery lasted about a quarter of an hour, until the arrival of the neighbors Joka and Kunda who forced the villains to move away with those things and money they managed to rob. Looking around, the witness noticed the theft of a silver watch and snuffbox, various papers and money for the sum of over rubles 1,000 of which rubles 50 were church money. Money and papers were in drawers of the dresser and in two chests in the closet. The locks on these drawers and trunks were broken, somehow with a chisel-like tool.

Some papers lay on the floor and had traces of blood left behind by one of the villains. From the number of villains the witness saw only five. Four of them had beards, they could be between 30 and 40 years old, and were Jews due to the fact that although they abused and spoke in Russian, the Jewish accent was clearly heard in the pronouncement, especially in the word "papiry". These people are completely unknown to the witness and he can't remember them now because he was very scared. The fifth was apparently a Catholic because he had no beard. He had a mask on his face that covered half his face. From the height, composition of the head and general impression, the fifth one strongly resembles the accused Ostrowski, but whether he was him, the witness can not say firmly, because he did not know Ostrowski personally. The villains left a glove amongst others, which the witness recognizes in the number of material evidence.

A month after this crime, the witness received from the head of the Szczuczyn poviat the documents that were in the drawer of the dresser and were probably stolen during the robbery along with other papers and money. Besides, the witness had not seen them in his home for many years, because he did not need them.

Służąca Sobolewska i Fedrowska po­znały Ostrowskiego i Szwartza a O. był w masce, lecz widać, było oczy, czoło i dolną część twarzy. Szwartza zaś za­uważyły dobrze dlatego że on trzymał Sobolewską, kiedy inni podbiegli za Bacewiczem. Sobolewska słyszała w ‘domu księdza strzały. Świadek Kunda i Soha zeznali, że kiedy dążyli do domu księdza, na kilkadziesiąt kroków od domu spostrzegli jakiegoś człowieka, który strzelał do nich dwa razy, ale bez rezultatu.  Kiedy Sobolewska i Fedrowska mówiły, że poznały w liczbie innych złoczyńców Ostrowskiego ze wsi Czarnego Lasu, zaraz posłano do owego sołtysa, lecz nie zastał on go w domu.

The head of village, Mr. Ostapowicz, when received information about the robbery, arrived at the priest at 3 am, whom he found in the bed sick and beaten, then, when learned from his servants that in the number of villains they had met Ostrowski, he went straight to him and found him at home still asleep. On his bed lay a gray capote with metal buttons of steel color (in such capote Sobolewska had just seen him at the time of the robbery), and on his shoes he had traces of not yet melted snow. Ostrowski explained that he was coming back from the tavern Wozgał, where he went to buy wool, and when a witness brought him to the village of Jaminy, he asked if he was arrested for a robbery of the priest. The witness found traces of several people in the snow by the priest's kitchen, and two clubs by the fence. A few days later, the witness again searched the house of O. and found two iron nails, which later the investigating judge matched to holes made when breaking drawers and found that they completely fit. Ostrowski's job was nothing more than theft and he was in prison more than once.

Witness Nowicki testified that the day before the robbery in Jaminy, a Jew from the city of Suchowola, named Wolfko, whom the witness recognizes in the accused Szwartz arrived to him.

This Wolfko came to him, said that he wanted to buy hay, and in the past he never came to Czarniewo. Not buying, he went to Czarny Las for the same thing, and returned home from there in two hours. Witness Kunda also saw a Jew with a little boy, he was at her father's to buy hay the day before the robbery. The witness did not look at this Jew, but when the Jew asked for a bucket to water his horse, she followed him with a bucket onto the road and they talked to each other at the well.

Returning to the room O. quickly called for a supper, and then declared that he has to go to purchase oxen and maybe he would not be back in three or four days. Late at night, O. returned and entered the room and called out: "Oh, let the damn kill you" and when his daughter Anna asked him what had happened, he said: "He has robbed the priest in Jaminy, morover they killed him, they almost killed him." Asked quietly if he was not recognized, he said that he could not be recognized because he had a mask on his face. Shortly afterwards, the head of the village arrived and arrested Ostrowski.

Against Trzciański, there is a circumstantial evidence that he was hiding the items of Fr. B, however this has not been proven by the court. The fact that one and a half verst from his apartment papers of no value belonging to Father B. were found, is no evidence against him when there is no evidence that he put them under the bridge; the more that this place is very busy, and it could have been someone to mislead the police with proper traces of the crime.

After hearing the entire investigation, the District Court found Ostrowski and Szwartz guilty and sentenced them to deprive them of all rights and to send them to heavy labor in fortresses for 10 years each, and after that time to settle in Siberia. Trzciański was completely released from punishment.

Since that judgment, Ostrowski and Szwartz have appellated to the Warsaw court chamber which heard with the lawsuit yesterday. The court chamber, after hearing the course of the case in the first instance, followed by prosecutor Kowalewski and for weapons. after Ostrowski, sworn lawyer Wagner and behind Szwartz, adv. Gluksberg, decided that the judgment of the Łomża District Court was quite properly issued and approved, thus dismissing the defendand's appellate. Defender of Szwartz adv. Gluksberg intends to submit a cassation complaint to the Senate regarding his client because of an improper investigation of the case by the investigating judge.

(Original spelling retained)

Tekst ukazał się również w numerze 3/2020 miesięcznika “Nasz Sztabiński Dom”

[1] "Gazeta Świąteczna”, 1887, no 229-330, p. 6.

[2] „Wiek, Gazeta polityczna, literacka i społeczna”, Warszawa 1882, no 38, p. 3

11 Listopada 1918 roku Rada Regencyjna Królestwa Polskiego przekazała zwierzchnią władzę wojskową oraz naczelne dowództwo nad wojskiem polskim w ręce Józefa Piłsudskiego. Chociaż powstała w wrześniu 1917 roku Rada Regencyjna, ogłosiła niepodległość Polski 7 października 1918 roku, to dzień 11 listopada uważany jest umownie za początek suwerenności Polski. Niestety, tereny Augustowszczyzny i Suwalszczyzny, na niepodległość musiały czekać jeszcze ponad 8 miesięcy, do dnia 26 lipca 1919 roku. Wtedy to do Augustowa wkroczyło witane uroczyście Wojsko Polskie. Nie było by niepodległości naszych terenów bez przelanej krwi bojowników POW-u.

Oto lista i krótkie notki biograficzne peowiaków z terenu Sztabina, Jamin i okolic:

• Michał Łazarski, ur. 29 września 1896 roku, syn Józefa i Teofili z Górskich, szkołę powszechną ukończył w 1910 roku w Sztabinie. Wstąpił do POW, brał udział w działalności wywiadowczej, dywersyjnej i walkach partyzanckich z Niemcami, następnie zaciągnął się do 41. Suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty. Za zasługi i czyny męstwa wojennego odznaczony Orderem Virtuti Militari, Krzyżem Niepodległości, Krzyżem Walecznych, Orderem Odrodzenia Polski. W okresie międzywojennym organizator Związku Strzeleckiego, Związku Rezerwistów, kółek rolniczych i spółdzielni mleczarskich. Założył w Sztabinie Straż Ogniową, członek Rady Gminy, Wydziału Powiatowego w Augustowie i Rady Wojewódzkiej w Białymstoku, członek zarządu i radca Izby Rolniczej w Białymstoku, prezes Okręgowego Towarzystwa Rolniczego i Straży Pożarnej. W latach 1928–1938 był posłem na sejm II, III i IV kadencji z listy Bezpartyjnego Bloku Współpracy z Rządem i senatorem V kadencji z listy Obozu Zjednoczenia Narodowego. Wiceprzewodniczący Okręgu Białostockiego OZN. W czasie II wojny światowej pod nazwiskiem Czesław Tkaczyk w konspiracji w Warszawie, w Armii Krajowej pod pseudonimem „Burza”, w stopniu porucznika był dowódcą plutonu w obwodzie Praga, brał udział w przygotowaniach do powstania na Pradze, zginął 1 sierpnia 1944 roku w czasie ataku na „Monopol”. 22 sierpnia 1944 roku odznaczony Orderem Virtuti Militari, pochowany na Cmentarzu Bródnowskim.
• Jakub Rółkowski ur. 30 lipca 1864 roku w Jeziorkach, syn Marcina i Józefy z Dębskich. Po ukończeniu gimnazjum w Suwałkach wstąpił do Seminarium Duchownego w Sejnach, został wyświęcony 10 czerwca 1888 roku. Był wikariuszem w Nowogrodzie, Kuczynie, a od 1901 roku proboszczem w Sztabinie. Za przekonania niepodległościowe internowany przez Niemców. Zginął 22 czerwca 1941 roku w Sztabinie w trakcie bombardowania lotniczego.
• Józef Kryszyn ur. 23 listopada 1895 roku we wsi Pogorzałe, syn Jana i Franciszki z Radziwonowiczów, nauczyciel w Kolnicy, członek POW. 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości
• Józef Szyc, ur. 19 kwietnia 1895 roku w Sztabinie, członek POW, żołnierz Wojska Polskiego, odznaczony Krzyżem Walecznych i 9 listopada 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości Kazimierz Lotkowski, ur. 15 grudnia 1897 roku w Sztabinie, syn Jana i Marcjanny z Sobolewskich. Odznaczony Krzyżem Walecznych i 24 maja 1932 roku Medalem Niepodległości.
• Aleksander Wierzbicki, ur. 26 lutego 1896 roku w Jaminach, syn Antoniego i Anny z Mrozowskich, ukończył szkołę powszechną, zatrudnił się jako robotnik leśny. Od marca 1917 roku w POW pod pseudonimem „Podbipięta”, aresztowany przez Niemców, bity w trakcie przesłuchań, zbiegł. Wziął udział w wojnie polsko-bolszewickiej 1920 roku, ciężko ranny w brzuch. Po demobilizacji zamieszkał w Augustowie, robotnik. 16 marca 1937 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości
• Antoni Murawski, ur. 13 października 1895 roku w Sztabinie, syn Stanisława i Marianny Rusiewicz. Członek POW od lutego 1917 roku, żołnierz 41. Suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty, walczył pod Kijowem, Lidą, Grodnem, Sejnami i Borkowem, wyróżnił się 22 czerwca 1920 roku w ataku na Skorodno, w lutym 1921 roku zwolniony do rezerwy w stopniu sierżanta. Był odznaczony Orderem Virtuti Militari, Medalem Niepodległości (24 maja 1932 roku), a także Krzyżem Niepodległości z Mieczami. Prowadził sklep tytoniowy w Sztabinie. Po 17 września 1939 roku poszukiwany przez NKWD. W 1943 roku aresztowany przez gestapo i rozstrzelany.
• Bolesław Zagórski, ur. w 1887 roku w Janówku, rolnik. Członek POW wykonujący zadania łącznikowe i wywiadowcze, przechowywał broń, przerzucał ochotników. Odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości. Wprowadzał nowe metody uprawy roli, sołtys w Janówku, członek Rady Powiatowej w Augustowie. Zmarł w 1938 roku.
• Feliks Zagórski, ur. 18 lipca 1898 roku w Janówku, syn Karola i Michaliny z Karpów. Od listopada 1918 roku w POW, potem w Wojsku Polskim, 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości. Aleksander Ostapowicz, ur. 20 października 1894 roku w Janówku, syn Jana i Marianny z Wisinskich. 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Michał Błażyński, ur. 22 listopada 1895 roku w Sztabinie, syn Antoniego i Konstancji z Marciszewskich, ukończył szkołę powszechną. Członek POW, od grudnia 1918 roku w 1. Suwalskim Pułku Strzelców (41. pp), ranny, zdemobilizowany 26 maja 1922 roku w stopniu kaprala, inwalida. W 1936 roku na emigracji we Francji. 29 grudnia 1933 roku odznaczony Krzyżem Niepodległości.
• Stanisław Błażyński, ur. 8 stycznia 1900 roku, ukończył cztery oddziały szkoły powszechnej. Od 1917 roku w POW, w 1918 roku aresztowany, po ucieczce i mobilizacji w 36. pułku piechoty, następnie w 41. Suwalskim Pułku Piechoty. 23 grudnia 1933 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości, sierżant zawodowy 41. Suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty.
• Ludwik Orłowski, z Fiedorowizny (urodzony w Hucie), ukończył szkołę powszechną. Członek POW, od listopada 1918 roku w Wojsku Polskim. 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Antoni Andraka, ur. 30 września 1896 roku w Czarniewie, syn Jana i Anny z Usnarskich. Członek POW, żołnierz 10. kompanii 41. Suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty, uczestniczył w operacji kijowskiej i bitwie warszawskiej, otrzymał Krzyż Walecznych. Był plutonowym zawodowym, służył przez 13 lat w Straży Granicznej na pograniczu z Prusami, po demobilizacji w latach 1935–1938 przebywał we Francji. 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Wacław Lewoc, ur. 30 marca 1898 roku w Jaminach, syn Ignacego i Ludwiki z Haraburdów, rolnik. Członek POW, żołnierz 41. Suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty, wziął udział w wojnie polsko-bolszewickiej 1920 roku, zdemobilizowany w stopniu kaprala. Był odznaczony Krzyżem Niepodległości oraz Medalem Dziesięciolecia Odzyskanej Niepodległości (w 1928 roku). Aresztowany przez NKWD 19 lutego 1941 roku, więziony w Grodnie, skazany na 8 lat łagrów. Po agresji Niemiec powrócił do rodzinnej wsi, aresztowany ponownie 18 listopada 1944 roku i wywieziony do ZSRR, do obozów w Ostaszkowie i Riazaniu. Zwolniony 7 października 1947 roku, powrócił do Polski.
• Kazimierz Szmygiel, ur. 24 października 1899 roku w Czarniewie, syn Józefa i Franciszki z domu Joka. Członek POW, od 1919 roku w 41. Suwalskim Pułku Piechoty. Za czyny w bitwie warszawskiej otrzymał Krzyż Walecznych. Po 17 września 1939 roku ukrywał się, w 1940 roku wraz z rodziną deportowany na Syberię, aresztowany za odmowę przyjęcia obywatelstwa ZSRR. Zginął w więzieniu w sierpniu 1943 roku, pochowany w zbiorowej mogile w Kurganie.
• Kazimierz Ćmielewski, syn Ludwika, ur. w 1896 roku w Czarniewie. Członek POW, żołnierz 41. Suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty, walczył w wojnie polsko-bolszewickiej 1920 roku, odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości i Medalem Dziesięciolecia Odzyskanej Niepodległości. W 1939 roku wstąpił do Polskiej Armii Wyzwoleńczej, konserwował karabiny maszynowe ukryte na Pobojnej Górze. 7 sierpnia 1940 roku aresztowany przez NKWD, 31 stycznia 1941 roku skazany na rozstrzelanie, wyrok wykonano 17 lutego 1941 roku.
• Władysław Chodorowski, ur. 17 lutego 1898 roku w Czarniewie, syn Wincentego i Anny z Aplukowskich, 3 czerwca 1933 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości. Piotr Siebiedziński, ur. 25 maja 1895 roku w Sztabinie, syn Antoniego i Anny z Marczyszewskich, 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Stefan Staranowicz, ur. 26 października 1896 roku syn Aleksandra i Ludwiki z Drążków. 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości, urzędnik Sądu Grodzkiego w Bielsku Podlaskim.
• Robert Sadowski, ur. 18 października 1890 roku w Sztabinie, syn Piotra i Teofili z Błażyńskich. 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości, nauczyciel w Rygałówce.
• Leon Sadowski, członek POW, żołnierz wojny polsko-bolszewickiej 1920 roku, odznaczony Krzyżem Walecznych, 17 marca 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Mieczysław Szwerkowski, ur. 10 maja 1896 roku w Hucie, członek POW, 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Antoni Borowski, ur. 19 marca 1893 roku w Podcisówku, członek POW, 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Józef Haraburda, ur. 5 maja 1895 roku w Kamieniu, syn Wincentego i Weroniki z Bujnowskich, ukończył trzy oddziały szkoły powszechnej. Członek POW, brał udział w walkach pod Sztabinem, Czarniewem, Sosnowem, Tajnem, Barszczami, prowadził działalność wywiadowczą, następnie w Wojsku Polskim w stopniu plutonowego. Odznaczony Krzyżem Walecznych i Medalem Niepodległości (17 września 1932 roku).
• Mieczysław Bernatowicz, ur. w 1895 roku w Krasnoborkach, ukończył cztery oddziały szkoły powszechnej. Od 1918 roku w POW, następnie w Wojsku Polskim. 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Franciszek Dzieniszewski, ur. 16 lipca 1896 roku we wsi Żmojdak. Członek POW od 12 czerwca 1918 roku, następnie do 9 maja 1921 roku w 41. Suwalskim Pułku Piechoty, w 1919 roku ranny nad Wigrami.
• Kazimierz Nejfeld, ur. 3 marca 1895 roku, rolnik z Lebiedzina, członek POW, 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Józef Andruszkiewicz, ur. 23 marca 1898 roku, syn Józefa Pawła i Franciszki z Krysztopów, szkołę powszechną ukończył w 1911 roku, pracował przy rodzicach na gospodarstwie. Komendant komendy lokalnej w Jaminach. W listopadzie 1918 roku rozbrajał Niemców, następnie żołnierz 33. pułku piechoty do 16 stycznia 1919 roku. Od 2 lutego do 31 lipca 1922 roku służył w Policji Państwowej w Augustowie, od 13 listopada 1922 roku do 20 lutego 1925 roku służył w komisariacie Straży Celnej w Lipówce, od 21 lutego 1925 roku w Korpusie Ochrony Pogranicza w 26. baonie KOP w Żytyniu, od 17 stycznia 1929 roku w batalionie KOP „Sejny” w stopniu starszego sierżanta. 16 marca 1937 roku otrzymał Medal Niepodległości. Był odznaczony Brązowym Krzyżem Zasługi, Medalem Dziesięciolecia Odzyskanej Niepodległości.
• Leonard Suchwałko, ur. 25 lutego 1898 roku w Mogilnicach, syn Wincentego i Aleksandry z Andraków. W POW od 1 października 1918 roku do 1 czerwca 1919 roku. Wiosną 1919 roku rozbrajał Niemców w Sosnowie, Czarniewie, Tajnie i Jaziewie. Od 10 czerwca 1919 roku w 10. kompanii 41. Suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty, ranny w brzuch pod Owruczem. W grudniu 1920 roku dostał się do niewoli litewskiej, 19 stycznia 1923 roku zdemobilizowany. 27 czerwca 1938 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Albin Andraka, ur. 15 sierpnia 1898 roku w Mogilnicach, syn Franciszka i Anny z Talkowskich, członek POW, 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Teofil Chilicki, ur. 16 sierpnia 1896 roku w Jaminach, ukończył trzy oddziały szkoły powszechnej. Od 1917 roku w POW, sekcyjny pierwszej sekcji, rozbrajał Niemców w Solistówce, Pomianach, Netcie i Bargłowie w listopadzie 1918 roku, żołnierz 41. Suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty, odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości.
• Ignacy Andracki, ur. 15 stycznia 1896 roku w Jaziewie, rolnik. Członek POW, rozbrajał Niemców w listopadzie 1918 roku, następnie w Wojsku Polskim, ukończył szkołę podoficerską w stopniu plutonowego. Działacz PSL “Wyzwolenie” i SL. W 1941 roku organizator Batalionów Chłopskich, zastępca komendanta obwodu. Zginął 12 września 1943 roku koło Kamienia.
• Antoni Andracki, ur. w 1895 roku w Jaziewie, ukończył dwa oddziały szkoły powszechnej. Od 1916 roku w POW, potem w Wojsku Polskim. 17 września 1932 roku odznaczony Medalem Niepodległości. Zygmunt Szumski, ur. w 1898 roku w Mogilnicach. Członek POW, od 1919 roku w Wojsku Polskim, żołnierz 41. suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty, uczestnik wojny polsko-bolszewickiej 1920 roku, odznaczony Orderem Virtuti Militari. Prowadził wraz z ojcem gospodarstwo rolne. W czasie okupacji członek Armii Krajowej, aresztowany 13 lipca 1945 roku przez NKWD w obławie augustowskiej, zaginął bez wieści.
• Zygmunt Stożyński, ur. w 1902 roku w Jaminach, członek POW, żołnierz 41. Suwalskiego Pułku Piechoty, zginął pod Lidą w 1920 roku.
• Kazimiera Murawska, ur. 16 marca 1895 roku. Od 15 października 1917 roku w POW, łączniczka, ps. „Sikorka”, 16 marca 1937 roku odznaczona Medalem Niepodległości. Pelagia Wierzbicka, ur. 3 sierpnia 1900 roku w Jaminach, łączniczka POW.
• Ignacy Suchwałko, ur. 31 stycznia 1852 w Mogilnicach, wspólpracował z POW, gromadził broń.
• Wacław Putyński, ur. 19 stycznia 1895 roku w Jaziewie, ps. „Sztylet”
• Kazimierz Haraburda, ur. 14 listopada 1895 roku w Mogilnicach.
• Klemens Panasewicz, ur. 21 listopada 1900 roku w Jaminach.