Wes Hakanen writes:

Here are some photos from native Nanty Gloer Tony Kupchella's 80th birthday celebration. It was a surprise celebration held in the suburbs of Cleveland. The first photo shows Tony (on the left) and his brother, John Kupchella, who was Mayor of Nanty Glo in the 1960s.

The third photo, below, is Tony dancing with his wife, Doris Whitsell Kupchella, also a native of Nanty Glo.

The final two photos show Tony as he entered the ballroom of the motel where the party was held. I tried to get his surprised look.

Over a hundred persons attended the birthday celebration. Tony was born in Nanty Glo February 27, 1922, the son of Mary Kauslaskas Kupchella and Martin Kupchella, both deceased. The family lived on Johnson Street in Nanty Glo. Mary and Martin had six sons: Bernard, who lived in New Jersey and is deceased; Charles and Martin, who lived in Nanty Glo (also deceased); William who lives in Barnesboro; John who lives in Nanty Glo, and Tony who resides in Cleveland.

Tony married Doris, daughter of Sara and Pearl Whitsell, who lived on Fourth Street in Nanty Glo, on January 26, 1947. They moved to Cleveland not long afterward, where Tony worked for the railroad, from which he retired as an engineer. Tony and Doris have four children: Diana Kupchella of Virginia; David from Cleveland; Allen, now living in Massachusetts, and Marcy Stimmel of New Mexico. They have eight grandchildren.