The sisters had a pact that if one of them died unexpectedly, the other would assume care of the children.

New Jersey.

My paternal grandparents were both immigrants from Poland in the early 20^th century. My grandfather Frank immigrated first, and established a vegetable farm on Shades of Death Road in north-west New Jersey.  Soon after, in quasi-arranged proceedings, his young bride Josie and her sister arrived in the US.

Her sister settled in Conneticut and married and had one daughter.

My grandparents had 4 children including my father.

The sisters had a pact that if one of them died unexpectedly, the other would assume care of the children.

In 1918,  my grandfather died of the flu,  as did my grandmother’s sister in Connecticut.

In keeping with the pact, my grandmother’s brother-in-law and her niece from Connecticut moved to the farm in NJ, so that my grandmother could care for her niece (Stella), in addition to her own children (my father Anthony, as well as Jean, John, and Sophia.)

My grandmother and her brother in law (Gus) developed a relationship and married, and had one child together (Lottie).

It was sort of an early 20^th century Brady Bunch…my father growing up with his mother and 3 full siblings, a cousin from Connecticut who became a step sister, his prior uncle by marriage who now became his step dad, and a half sister (Lottie). 

It was a hard life.  After my grandfather passed away due to the flu, my grandmother- who barely spoke English- got railroaded into some bad business decisions by the bank, and lost a lot of the property on Shades of Death Road.  They were forced to move to a much smaller and more humble farm on theother side of the mountain, where the aforementioned crazy mixed up family established a home.   I continued to work on the farm during summers until after graduating from college.  By then, the surviving owners of the farm were my father, his full sister Sophia, his cousin/step sister Stella, and his half sister Lottie.  After their deaths the farm was sold.

Contributed by David M. Kietrys, Grandson of Frank Kietrys.