"WHERESOEVER SHE WAS, THERE WAS EDEN."

Ruth and her first grandchild, 1968 ENLARGE		 By 1968 Ruth was certainly on the upswing emotionally. Presented with her first granddaughter, she was beside herself with joy and fulfillment. A first grandson arrived two years later and she had a solid reason to be happier than she had for years. And then tragedy intervened again. Her beautiful grandson died in 1974 and she would never fully recover, experiencing only brief episodes of happiness until her death in 1990. She left a legacy of hard work and loving kindness. Her sadness at the losses she encountered never turned to bitterness...she hurt deeply and internalized her pain.

My mother suffered from depression for much of her life...who wouldn't, given her life experiences?

With her granddaughter, 1982 ENLARGE
With granddaughter, 1977 ENLARGE

Ruth with her husband Roland, son Bill and grandchildren Michael and Karen. Michael died in 1974. ENLARGE
My parents in better times. They could fight like mortal enemies but there is no doubt they loved each other. In today's times they would have divorced. Though both were denied a so-called "normal" upbringing, they managed to hold their family together. ENLARGE
My mother was an animal lover. Unfortunately dogs don't have a long life span and she was hurt deeply when she lost her good friends "Tiger" and later "Puppy."
"Puppy"

My mother's last year. 1990		 My mother was a tireless worker. She held her family together against long odds and hard times. She was a homemaker who didn't dress or act like June Cleever. She worked in cafeterias and stores. She loved to cook and always had big dreams and ambitions that would be dashed by episodes of depression. My warmest childhood memories involve waking on a frosty Ohio morning to the sound and smell of German goetta frying. Today I still make my own vegetarian adaptation of her recipe...it remains my comfort food of choice. I can't eat it without thinking of her. I remember being tended to while sick and I remember being allowed to stay home from school for the World Series or any other reason. She taught me the enjoyment of political debate. She loved horse racing and would send us to place bets for her at the bookie who operated on route 28 in Mulberry. I hope I learned from her to persevere in the face of adversity. And if I don't become a good and loving grandparent it won't be because I had no role model to follow. She passed away in 1990 leaving her beloved husband, sons and grandchildren to remember her as Mark Twain had Adam saying at Eve's grave: "Wheresoever she was, there was Eden."

NEXT...THE SONG OF ROLAND