.cynlee

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On the left is my maternal grandmother, Agata. She came to the U.S. in 1911 from Poland when she was 17. She married my grandfather who was 19 in 1911 and they had 14 children. My grandfather died at 38 and my grandmother, Agata died of TB after drinking the milk of a neighbor's cow when she was 40. My mom, the 13th child and her siblings were raised by their oldest sister. Life was hard then.

I thought that this picture on her wedding day and my second grade picture had some things in common. I never met my grandmother, but I sure do wish I could have.

In answer to some questions, my grandfather came to the U.S. from Poland at 17 in 1909 to find a job. He found work in a textile company where he succombed to throat cancer believed to have been caused by chemicals used in the factory.

My mom, 82 and the sister who raised them are the only two of the fourteen children still with us.