This is a story about a (married?) cockroach couple. The husband, I believe, falls into a pot of hot or boiling soup and dies. The widow cockroach grieves for her husband.
My sister read this story to me in 1st grade. I’ve been looking for the book ever since, I hope you can help
There is a Hispanic folktale along these lines, although the couple is a cockroach and a louse: http://books.google.com/books?id=4FmAamhgg0kC&pg=PA217&dq=cockroaches+married+widow&hl=en&sa=X&ei=R0jEU4WHO4eFogT65oHICg&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=cockroaches%20married%20widow&f=false
Sounds like you may be looking for a story about Martina the cockroach (or cucaracha)
Try:
Perez and Martina : a Puerto Rican folktale retold by Pura Belpre ; illustrated by Carlos Sanchez
La Cucaracha Martina : a Caribbean folktale / retold and illustrated by Daniel Moreton