My grandparents, Antonia Liro and Charles Jakiela met in Palmer Massachusetts most likely while working at one of the textile mills in the area.
Antonia arrived in the United States in 1910 and heading directly to Massachusetts to the home of her sister, Angela and brother in law Joseph Mikula.
Charles arrived in 1906 but his original destination was to Southington Connecticut (South Kingston on his ship manifest) to his uncle, Jan Jakiela. The only record for a Jan Jakiela I could find in Southington was for one who had been arrested for theft. Whatever the case, he ended up in Palmer Massachusetts, perhaps for work.
They were not there for long after that, as their first son Steven was born on May 11, 1913 in Southington Connecticut. Southington was home to hardware and silver factories and had a large Polish population.
They lived in a variety of different rentals in the South Center Street area. He likely worked at the Southington Hardware Company on South Center Street. This is where they were living when Antonia died from complications of pregnancy with her sixth child a few months before their fifteenth wedding anniversary.
There are so many unanswered stories and questions. How did they meet and fall in love? What did they say when they talked about their future? Why did they move to Southington? What would she have said about her five children as they grew up and raised children of their own? How did Charles handle June 24, 1927 such a short time after she passed away and now he, a widower, with 5 children to raise ages 14, 12, 7, 5, and 3 and every anniversary after that until he died in 1935.
It's All About Family 
Sadly, when we’re young we don’t ask enough questions about our history, until most the witnesses are gone. 🙂
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