I had the same thought, i.e. that "Tikhovolya" might be Suchowola. However,
its location, as described by Batya, is totally opposite that of Suchowola,
which is north of Bialystok.
So, we seem to be dealing with another shtetl.
Henny
Henriette Moed Roth
Los Angeles, California
hennynow@pacbell.net