'America, such a big place, but so small:' Pals reconnect in Orange County after 60 years
In August 2020, Vincenza Miller, 76, was recuperating from surgery at St. Anthony Community Hospital, a part of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, in Warwick when she met nurse Denise Jacklitsch.
Jacklitsch asked Miller about her first name and if she was from in Italy. To their mutual surprise, after some back and forth, they discovered Jacklitsch's mother, Maria Holzhauer, 80, was from the same small town — Curinga, Italy — as Miller.
Jacklitsch got her mom on the phone with Miller, and after speaking with her, Miller couldn't get the coincidence out of her head.
The following day, she spoke with Jacklitsch again, who was also wondering about the possible connection.
"She asked me, 'were your parents married in Elmhurst, Queens?'," said Jacklitsch, who just so happened to carry a photo of her parents wedding with her. "I honestly couldn't believe any of this story, so I showed her my parents wedding photo."
Miller recognized Holzhauer and her husband George because she had gone to their wedding.
She also told Jacklitsch she had photos at home of Holzhauer's visit to Newburgh when they were children.
The two women immigrated to the United States in 1954, ending up in different parts of New York. Initially, the families stayed in touch, getting together in 1958 and then again for Holzhauer's wedding in 1964, but after that, they lost touch.
What were the odds they would both end up in Orange County?
A small town in Italy
According to Holzhauer, their grandparents were friends in Italy, and according to Miller, their fathers may have worked together, but "the moms basically knew each other."
"The town we are from has a little over 6,000 people," Miller said, "so everyone knows everybody."
Both families left Italy for the United States; Holzhauer's arrived through Ellis Island in July 1954 while Miller immigrated in December 1954, after Ellis Island had closed.
"We landed at New York Harbor and went to Newburgh. Maria had gone to Long Island," Miller said. "And, I remember coming in. It was dark when the ship pulled in and all I could see was the Statue of Liberty. My mother came over first. So, I thought I would see my mom and start a new life."
Holzhauer's family came to visit, said Miller, mentioning those photos.
"We took Maria to Downing Park in Newburgh," she said. "We took pictures there, probably had dinner and then we left. Next time I saw her was in 1964. We were invited to her wedding in Elmhurst, Queens and after that we lost track."
Reconnecting
After losing touch in the 1960s, Holzhauer, who now lives in Warwick, and Miller, who still lives in Newburgh, have quite a lot to catch up on — nearly 60 years worth of news.
The two spoke with each other over the phone during Miller's recuperation and now meet in person at the Goshen Diner once a month with Jacklitsch.
"I took the pictures that Vincenza had (of their Newburgh visit) and sent them to my cousins in Italy and my aunt, who was best friends with Caterina, Vincenza's sister," Holzhauer said. "They couldn't believe that this happened in America, such a big place, but also so small."
During their get togethers, the two talk about things old and new, including their families.
"We're both very proud of our families and our grandchildren and what they've accomplished," Holzhauer said. "I'm going to be a great-grandmother in April. That's my first and I'm over the moon. We talk about when we were little."
"It was really exciting to know that there was somebody from the hometown," Miller said. "Somebody that had come to visit us, and we went to her wedding."
Heather Clark covers business openings and closings throughout the Hudson Valley. Contact Clark via email, hclark@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Long-lost friends reconnect in Orange County after nearly 60 years
