Obituary for Antonia Moskal (Muzykin)
Antonia Moskal died on June 10, 2021 at the age of 99 with her daughter by her side and holding her hand.
Antonia was born on Easter Saturday in 1922 in the village of Rokytne in the county of Kremenchukh, in the Poltava region of eastern Ukraine. She was the daughter of Serhij Muzykin and Palashka Bohomol. She finished the 10th grade and started studies at the university in Kharkiv with the encouragement of her mother who strongly believed in education, but that was cut short in 1943 by WWII. Although her childhood was happy for the most part, it was also very difficult because she had to live through the horror of the 1932-33 Holodomor (famine) and its aftermath. At age 21, on July 7, 1943, she surrendered herself to the Germans in exchange for her mother who had been taken as a hostage. With her mother free, she was transported to Nurnberg, Germany via a 70-car cattle train packed with 60 prisoners per car. The trip lasted 13 days. She was forced to work in a munitions factory during the height of the war and during the relentless bombings by the allies. On April 17, 1945 she was liberated by the Americans and their allies. Following liberation, she, her husband, Nikolai Moskal, (whom she met during her imprisonment), and their infant daughter fled to Belgium to avoid forced deportation back to the Ukraine and possible death on the way. They returned to Germany when they felt it was safe to do so and subsequently lived in several displaced persons camps until 1950 when they were awarded their own apartment in Waldgirmes. With the help of their daughter's Godfather they emigrated to the United States arriving in New York on August 9, 1955 and finally settling in Hartford.
Antonia was a conscientious employee and a caring wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a communicant at St. Michael Ukrainian Church in Hartford and was a member of the Ukrainian Club. She worked at Arrow Hart & Hegeman, and Hartford Hospital’s central sterile supply until her retirement in 1988. Following her retirement, she devoted herself to her ailing husband, Nikolai, and after his death in 1989, to her daughter, Nadia, and her three grandchildren.
Along with her parents, Antonia was also predeceased by her sister and brother and her only nephew. She is survived by her daughter Nadia Slover (William), and her three grandchildren, Peter Greca of Darien, Carla Viens (Glenn) of Manchester, and Gina Greca of Rocky Hill. She also leaves behind her great grandchildren, Devon Viens, and Rachel and Jason Greca.
Visitation will be available on Wednesday, June 16 at Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home at 34 Beaver Rd., in Wethersfield from 10-11 am during which a Panachyda service will be performed. This will be followed immediately by a church service at St. Michael Ukrainian Church 125-135 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford for those wishing to attend. Burial will be private for family only. Please respect the covid protocols in place at both of these establishments. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Antonia's name to St. Michael Ukrainian Church for the cemetery fund. To send condolences, or for more information, please visit farleysullivan.com.
Antonia was born on Easter Saturday in 1922 in the village of Rokytne in the county of Kremenchukh, in the Poltava region of eastern Ukraine. She was the daughter of Serhij Muzykin and Palashka Bohomol. She finished the 10th grade and started studies at the university in Kharkiv with the encouragement of her mother who strongly believed in education, but that was cut short in 1943 by WWII. Although her childhood was happy for the most part, it was also very difficult because she had to live through the horror of the 1932-33 Holodomor (famine) and its aftermath. At age 21, on July 7, 1943, she surrendered herself to the Germans in exchange for her mother who had been taken as a hostage. With her mother free, she was transported to Nurnberg, Germany via a 70-car cattle train packed with 60 prisoners per car. The trip lasted 13 days. She was forced to work in a munitions factory during the height of the war and during the relentless bombings by the allies. On April 17, 1945 she was liberated by the Americans and their allies. Following liberation, she, her husband, Nikolai Moskal, (whom she met during her imprisonment), and their infant daughter fled to Belgium to avoid forced deportation back to the Ukraine and possible death on the way. They returned to Germany when they felt it was safe to do so and subsequently lived in several displaced persons camps until 1950 when they were awarded their own apartment in Waldgirmes. With the help of their daughter's Godfather they emigrated to the United States arriving in New York on August 9, 1955 and finally settling in Hartford.
Antonia was a conscientious employee and a caring wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a communicant at St. Michael Ukrainian Church in Hartford and was a member of the Ukrainian Club. She worked at Arrow Hart & Hegeman, and Hartford Hospital’s central sterile supply until her retirement in 1988. Following her retirement, she devoted herself to her ailing husband, Nikolai, and after his death in 1989, to her daughter, Nadia, and her three grandchildren.
Along with her parents, Antonia was also predeceased by her sister and brother and her only nephew. She is survived by her daughter Nadia Slover (William), and her three grandchildren, Peter Greca of Darien, Carla Viens (Glenn) of Manchester, and Gina Greca of Rocky Hill. She also leaves behind her great grandchildren, Devon Viens, and Rachel and Jason Greca.
Visitation will be available on Wednesday, June 16 at Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home at 34 Beaver Rd., in Wethersfield from 10-11 am during which a Panachyda service will be performed. This will be followed immediately by a church service at St. Michael Ukrainian Church 125-135 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford for those wishing to attend. Burial will be private for family only. Please respect the covid protocols in place at both of these establishments. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Antonia's name to St. Michael Ukrainian Church for the cemetery fund. To send condolences, or for more information, please visit farleysullivan.com.