Emilia Hadler

Another Angel earned her wings on July 23, 2017. Emilia was born March 12, 1925 in Dylagowka, Poland to Antoni and Zofia Palac. At the age of 17 while walking home she was taken as a labor prisoner of war by the Germans and worked on a farm in Germany until the Americans liberated her. Working with the Americans was Waclaw Tomasz “Tom” Hadler who had been a prisoner of war until the Americans had liberated him. He helped her on the truck and gave her his jacket as they rode back to Hohenfels, Germany where they were placed in a Polish Displaced Persons Camp. Tom and Emilia were married in the camp on September 29, 1946 and their daughter, Helen, was born there in 1947. Tom continued working for the American Army until a family from Billings, Montana sponsored them through the Red Cross to come to America. They rode on the USATS General Harry Taylor from Germany to New York and then a train from New York to Billings, Montana in May 1949. The sponsor family gave them a corner of a garage to live in on the south side of Billings until they could get on their feet. It was a very difficult time; they did not speak English, they had no restroom or running water and only sheets to partition a corner of the garage where they slept and ate. They found other Polish families that had moved to the area, becoming a close knit group of friends that spent holidays and special occasions together. They worked hard and were able to build their own house not far from the garage that they once called home. Their son, Stanislaw “Stan”, was born in 1952. They became a Foster Family and their son, Robert, joined the family in 1960. Tom and Emilia sponsored her youngest sister, Wanda, and her family to come to Billings from Poland in 1965. Tom worked days as a cabinet builder and Emilia worked nights as a custodian for Montana Power, retiring in 1987. In later years she looked forward to taking care of her great-grandchildren while their parents worked, forming a close bond with Makayla, Taylor and Brassar. She loved to cook and when the kids got sick, they always wanted her chicken noodle soup because they said it had healing powers. Her great-granddaughter, Taylor, loved to cook with her and even started a cookbook with recipes and pictures of them cooking together. Emilia would tell us all the time that she was proud of what we had accomplished and that it was worth it. She meant that the suffering she endured was worth it to give her family a better life. Her life centered around her family and friends. She was a gentle, loving soul that loved everyone. There was never any anger or resentment over anything that happened in her life – she knew she was on God's path. All the family friends knew her as Babcia, which means Grandma in Polish. She was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers and four sisters in Poland, and her husband, Tom. She is survived by her sister, Wanda Blonski, and family; Children: Helen (Craig) LaRango, Stan (Laura) Hadler and Robert (Claudia) Curtis; Grandchildren: Robyn (Donald) McCabe, Jason LaRango and Airika (Joe) Aviles; Great-Grandchildren: Makayla LaRango, Taylor and Brassar McCabe and Sebastian, Dylan and Daniel Aviles. She was the center of our world. We cherish the 92 years we had with her but know she is finally back in the loving arms of her husband. In lieu of flowers, we feel the best tribute to this caring, giving woman, would be to do something nice for someone in need or donate to a charity of your choice. A vigil will be held at Dahl Funeral Chapel on Thursday, July 27 at 6:30 pm and funeral services will be held at St. Bernard Catholic Church on Friday, July 28 at 11 am.