My great-aunt, Franciszka E. Jacobs, was born at home in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on December 20, 1893.  She was the 2nd child and oldest daughter of Anastazja and Johann Jakubowski.  Her first name was pronounced Fran-sheesh-ka and she was named after her mother's mother.  Her family and friends called her Francis for short and she went by both Jacobs and Jakubowski for her last name before her marriage.

     She married Joseph Timothy Stashak on March 19, 1924 in Wilkes-Barre.  He was born on December 23, 1891 and was a chiropodist, or foot doctor.  They had no children that I know of.

     Franciszka graduated from Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre and was a piano teacher.  Her obituary said she was "well known as a linguist".  She could speak five languages fluently(English, German, Polish, Russian, and Italian).

     Her husband was a World War I veteran.  He suffered schrapnel and gas wounds during the war.  He decided to use body building to recover.  He went to the Lionel Strongfort Bodybuilding School in Newark, New Jersey, and was featured in an advertisement for the school called 'Shot To Pieces in the World War' in the July 1924 edition of "Physical Culture" magazine.  The advertisement said he was a "truly extraordinary expression of American manhood".

     Franciszka was a member of the Auxiliary to Stegmaier Post 50 V.F.W..  She was also in the wedding party of her cousin John Kruczkowski when he married Angela (Nellie) Churnetski.  She and her husband were listed at 18 South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre for a number of years.  He is listed as "physical culture" for his profession in one directory, which is the name of the magazine he was featured in.

     Franciszka died at 9:15 a.m. on November 16, 1952 at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre.  She had been ill for a few days before her death.  She is buried in St. Adalbert's Cemetery in Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania.  Her husband died on August 10, 1962 and is also buried at the cemetery in Glen Lyon.