Meet HVPS 2019-2020
Citizen Of The Year
- PostEagle
- August 15, 2019
- Uncategorized
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It’s with great pleasure we are announcing our 2019-2020 Citizen of the Year! Hudson Valley Polonaise Society President, Barbara Marie Ewanciw will represent the Polonaise Society at the annual Montgomery Day Parade in Montgomery, NY on Sept. 7th and the New York City Pulaski Day Parade on Oct. 6th. She has been a member of the Hudson Valley Polonaise Society since 1996. Barbara is very active, and has given her time and energy to many areas.
Born on May 10th at St. Francis Hospital in Port Jervis, she now resides in Greenville, NY. She is the daughter of Roland and Gertrude Schofield and has two brothers, Roland Jr. and James (deceased). Barbara was married to Mike Ewanciw for 49 years before he passed away in 2002. They had five sons… Michael, Peter, Teddy, Mark, Walter… and one daughter, Cynthia (David) Morse. She also has ten grandchildren.
Barbara graduated from Port Jervis High School and Mt. St. Mary College and did graduate work at East Stroudsburg University.
Although she is retired, you would never know…Barbara is not one to be idle. During the days of motherhood raising her children, she worked with her family milking cows and tending to their farm. Eventually she became a math teacher and taught 34 years at Minisink High School. She is a past President of the Ten County Math Educators Assn.
This busy lady is a key member of the Kiwanis Club of Minisink Valley. Barbara was their first female President, and also held the position of Lt. Governor of the Hudson River West Division. Her dedication to the Kiwanis organization is to be commended due to her unending participation in their annual events. Barbara is a member of Holy Cross Parish in South Centerville, NY.
Barbara commented, “My father didn’t live to see me be a Kiwanian…perhaps he was my inspiration.” She recalls many years ago her uncle was out of work. Her father gave him half of everything her family had and they didn’t have much. When she realized her father gave her uncle half of their butter, Barbara said “You’re giving them the butter?” Her aunt always used oleo and told her it was the same. In later years Barbara felt guilty, but she also felt the incident made her more aware of the needs of others. And her many unselfish deeds are evidence of her caring nature.
Barbara likes dancing to polka music and she loves “good” country music, especially sung by Alan Jackson. She loves baking and used to make wedding cakes. Barbara also enjoys traveling, and discovering new roads she has never been on. She is also a very creative seamstress, and demonstrated her skills by making numerous costumes for various Orange County festivals. Barbara, as well as her children and grandchildren also danced in the 1989 festivals. In 1995 she volunteered to be the costume chairman, and also served on the 1999 Festival’s Executive Committee. Barbara is a one-of-a-kind individual whose talents abound.
