A Tale of Three Sisters

Today I’d like to tell you a story about three sisters, Mary, Anna, and Filomena.  They are the daughters of Jozef and Antonina (nee Nowicka) Inda, my great grandparents.  Much of this information was told to me by my mother, Loretta Kolodzinski (nee Szostek).

Mary, my grandmother, the 3^rd child and oldest of the girls, was born in March of 1894.  Anna, the 5^th and middle child, was born in 1897.  Philomena (later called Minnie), the 8^th child and youngest daughter, was born in 1906.

As all young girls of that era, the Inda daughters were taught “woman’s work” by their mother.  Mary was taught to crochet.  Anna learned the delicate art of tatting.  Minnie was taught how to knit.  They all were shown how to do embroidery.  Antonina herself knew how to do all of these things.

The three sisters were also different in looks. Mary had beautiful auburn hair (her daughter, Loretta, had found a braid of Mary’s hair in a cedar chest).  Anna, I’m told, was a darker blonde in her early years, while Minnie had warm brown hair.  Later in life all three sister’s hair turned a light silvery gray.

Anna, Minnie and Mary

Mary fell in love with a very handsome man, John Bochyniak, when she was just 18. The couple married in November of 1913 at St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Chicago. What a wonderful day for the happy couple! Their joy continued and in October of 1915, a baby boy, Edward, entered their life. The happiness of this couple was not to last.  In January of 1917, John was killed by a train. Mary was left alone with a young son to raise. The family had many relatives, friends and coworkers who tried to help during this terrible time. One of them, Stanley Szostek, had loved Mary but had never said or done anything, knowing she was married. I don’t know if Mary did fall in love with Stanley or not, but he did love her. The couple married in September of 1918.  Stanley pledged to Mary that he would raise Edward as his son.  He loved the child and soon adopted him as his own. The couple added three more children to their now happy family. Monica (called Phyllis), was born in 1919, Loretta, my mother, born in 1921, and Helen, born in 1928. 

Anna did not marry as quite as young as her sister, Mary. She fell in love with John Bross. They married when Anna was 22, about 1929. The couple never had children but spent many happy times with Mary and Stanley’s family.  Anna and John had many happy years before John died at the young age of 55. Anna lived in their same apartment they had shared for the rest of her life. She enjoyed playing bingo at various Church carnivals and functions. I think of her independence and how forward thinking she must have been. She is fondly remembered attending all of our family events.  

Minnie was the youngest sister. Minnie grew up on her parents “farm” in Franklin Park, IL.  She married Stanley Jagielski when they were both 18. The couple waited a couple of years to enlarge their family. In 1930, a daughter, Dolores (called Dolly), was born. Two years later their son, Donald (called Sonny) was born. The couple eventually moved to Elmwood Park, a Chicago suburb.  I will always remember the squirrel monkeys and other animals they kept as pets! They enjoyed many happy years together until Stanley died at the young age of 51. It was some years later that Minnie moved to Arkansas with Dolly, Sonny and both of their families.

Minnie Jagelski, Mary Szostek, Anna Bross 1949