Chaja was born in Wielovisz, a town on the road halfway between Tarnobjet and Sandomiersz. Chaja's family was very religious (as was Mayer's), and Chaja's house contained the synogogue for the town.
One uncle was in the United States before the war, and called for one of the sisters to come live in the states. Chaja was chosen. This would have been her ticket out of Poland. Instead, she chose to stay with her mother (who was not well?), and gave the passage up to her sister Betty who made a life pre-war in Philidalphia. After Chaja finally came to North America, the two sisters were very close as that was never forgotten.
From Ariel:
Chaja was very reluctant to talk about her experiences during the war. When we went back to Poland to find their homes, we brought her back photos, and the memories that triggered opened the floodgate of her story.
Apparently, the elders of Sandomiersz, the town up the rode, had been gathered in the square. News travelled to all the towns. Her brothers ran into the house, and announced what was going on.
At some point, the (Germans? SS?) stormed into their home. She was cornered with 2 of her brothers and her mother in the synogogue in the home. They were threatened at gun point. The officer picked on Chaja. They hit her over the head with the butt of his gun, and she crumpled to the floor bleeding. She was left for dead. She was thankful that she was left for dead and credits that for saving her life.
For her entire life, she had blinding headaches that she dealt with while being an amazing mother and home maker, devoted wife and grandmother.
She had an extraordinary sense of humor. She would always be joking. I remember even when she was over 90 and unable to speak, she caught my father's necklace in her mouth to joke and make him laugh, even without words.