Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Sophie was my Mother, but she was also Mother to three others: Helen, Sophie, and Ken.
Sophie was born December 28, 1929 to Polish immigrants in Pine Island, where she grew up on her family's onion farm. She married in 1949 to her husband Lee and they settled here in Goshen where she devoted herself then on to loving and raising us. Sadly to say she bore the grief of seeing her daughter Helen pass from MS. As a Nurses' Aide at Orange Farms Nursing Home she cared for others as well with compassion, as I can attest to, from hearing the stories she brought home about how she spent hours at elderly patients bedsides, many without families, comforting them at risk of being yelled at by staff, in addition to completing her late night rounds.
Sophie was an unassuming, kind and forgiving woman but yet had an underlying strength and sharp wit about her. She kept a beautiful cedar hope chest, and while going through it with my brother Ken just yesterday, as she wished, we came across a thin white scrap book filled with the beginnings of Lee’s and hers relationship (something only a young woman would keep). Most were personal small hand written letters from Lee and memorabilia such as ticket stubs to the movie theater (invisible man I believe was one of them at the cost of 60 cents) first date type items. There was a story handwritten written by Lee to her describing humorously of how they first met at a picnic dance that neither of them were going to attend but fate have it they both came and caught each other’s eye even though Sophie was engaged. Ohhhhh ahha. Her fiancé stood her up and she was there with one of her brothers. Lee had not met Sophie before this time, but knowing the man she was engaged to, Lee did not mix words and asked her directly why she was marring such a bum? In another letter, he wrote the words “ I love you” about 100 times on a single sheet of paper, you know the way they used to make you do it in school when you did something wrong or misspelled a word. Well I guess the punishment paid off and he won her over. The point is, you never really think of your parents as having a past love life. All of a sudden a family is started and the focus is shifted. Well the two of them endured, it was not easy, and not without a struggle. Sophie cared for and loved us and for those around her.
It’s the simple things……..
Her trying to guess which box of cereal I wanted each morning while I only pointed to the many on the shelf while I shook my head in the yes or no fashion without saying a word.
Making me wear rubber boots to the school bus (not cool) where I would only ditch them on the side and pick them up later after school on the way back home. ( I think she knew)
Making us a bagged lunch and saving up for the milks that cost 2 cents.
Speaking polish to her mother and learning words like; Yak-shey-mash, Stody Jadi (called Lee that), Yed-no peevo pro-shuh ..these are phonetic spellings by the way.
Being very adamant about us attending mass each Sunday, and well you know as kids it is not easy. (Later you truly understand)
Her love of reading and was always looking forward to the next Steven King novel. Goshen Public Librarians knew her well.
The crossword puzzle wizard. While sitting at her hospital bedside and working crossword puzzles aloud amongst ourselves, an unexpected response came from her with the correct word.
Love her Chihuahuas, need I say more?
Learning to drive and deal with used…used…used cars.
To her grandchildren she will be forever remembered as "Bapchi".
Though Sophie was small in stature, her capacity for love and kindness to others was infinite. You will be missed but I know you will be truly in Gods loving arms.
