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By TOMHAYES

POLISH couple Joseph and Celina Sliwinska have surpassed anumberoflife milestones over the past couple of months,and they shared their story with The Express

In December 2022, Joseph and Celina celebrated their 74thwedding anniversary, which wasthe first of three celebrations.

Last month, on February 18, Joseph turned 101-years-old, celebrating with his extended family at agathering.

But, thecelebrationsdon’t end anytimesoon, as Celina turns94-years-old on March 16.

Their story begins in Poland, where they grew up, survived World War 2, got married, and had three children, all before moving to Australia for abetter life.

Joseph is known to be arelentlessly tough hard-worker.

Despite serving during the war, Joseph was quite lucky not to be anywhere near the front line.

He witnessed afew explosions nearby, but that was the worst that he witnessed in person.

He took on several jobs before and during the war, travelling across Europe, spending months upon months away from his family.

Joseph only receivedfour-years of primary schoollevel education from the age of 10 to 14, as school was an expense and non-compulsory.

He learntseveral languageswhile working abroad, such as Italian and German.

His son, Chris, believes that he learnt Italian before he learnt English, and even had to translate for Italianswho couldn’t understand their own language, when working in Italy.

While trying to meet up with hisbrother,Michal, after WW2 as they had promised, Joseph was stopped by Americans for having no papers, after cycling for what was believed to be more than 500 kilometres across Europe

He was relocated to Marseille, France to work, before being given the opportunity to move to a country of his liking.

Countries included the United States of America, Brazilorback home to his eventual selection, Poland.

Back at home, during WW2, Celina was just 10-years-old when Germany began the war.

“It was not so good,” Celina said.

“We used to live in the village, on the farm.

“You go to amarket, once aweek Ithink…when yougothere, you don’t know if you’ll come home.”

Celina spokeonhow the German soldiers patrolled the town during WW2.

“Maybe twice, three times aweek, they go from house to house,” she said.

Celina went to school for seven years before her school was burnt down due to the war.

The couple met after the war and in 1948, they got married, during abetter -yet not perfect time -for the Polish.

Poland was controlled by the Soviet Union, and things such as educationand medical services were free and there were jobs available for everyone, but criticism of the Soviet regime was not tolerated, making things like freedom of speech impossible.

Fast-forward to the mid-to-late 1950s,Joseph finallyheard from his brother Michal, via letter -from Australia.

It was discoveredthat Michael had spentseveral years in camps, both in Germany and Australia, before he was freed and moved to Gippsland.

This was the first time that Joseph had heard from his brother, since they were separated at the start of WW2.

In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t long until the young family of five would be moving to Australia, although they went separately.

Michal had to find Joseph ajob and aplace to live in order for him to move to Australia, and in April1962, Joseph was on his way, albeit alone on along plane journey, having to stop in Singapore.

It would be almost ayear and ahalf later that he would see his family again, when Celina and the three children -Krzysztof (Chris), Andrzej (Andrew) and Grazyna -arrived in September 1963 on an Italian ship called Galileo Galilei.

At the time the children were still young, Chris was 11-years-old, while Andrew was nine-years-old and Grazyna was seven-years-old.

“It was not easy,” Celina saidabout Joseph being in Australia alone.

“We were always thinking we were going to come to Australia…it was abetter abetter life here (Australia).”

The family moved to Morwell,where they got jobs and the children attended Sacred Heart Primary School.

Joseph worked in construction, as aconcreter and at asteel manufacturer -areal jack of all trades! On New Year’s Day in 1967, Joseph and Celina welcomed their fourth and final child into the world -Dianne.

Ever since movingtoMorwell in the early 1960s, Joseph and Celina haven’t left, as they celebrate their 60th year together in Australia later this year.

Fourgenerationshavefollowed Joseph and Celina; four children (as mentioned), nine grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, completingthe fifth generation.

The couple have had their fair share of ups and downs, whileintheir (nearly)195-years of compiled life, they have only endured ahandful of trips to the hospital, as they have been able to stay on top of their health.

Joseph currently has abroken arm due to a recent fall, but even that hasn’t stopped him from getting up and raking the leaves with his opposite hand, at the ripe old age of 101!

The COVID-19 pandemic was not aworry for them, as they survived unscathed, unlike countless others who suffered the wrath of the virus.

It’s fair to say that Joseph and Celina have just about seen it all.

The family hopes they are able to witness the couple’s 75th weddinganniversary, whichison December 26 this year.

Themilestone will just be another one that they cantick off the list!