Meet Eileen!
In this series, we'll delve into the humorous and heartwarming stories from the life of my mother, Eileen. She was the oldest of six children, born in New York to second-generation immigrant parents. Her father was a dock worker, while her mother was a rollerskating telephone operator.
Despite growing up with modest means, Eileen's childhood was full of adventures and antics with her siblings. One of the tales she often shared was how her mother would give her and each of her siblings a dime to go watch the double feature movies on Saturdays, costing a nickel each. With the remaining change, she would indulge in a two-cent pickle and a 3 cents worth of candy.
Eileen was always in charge of her siblings and would lead them into funeral parlors during wakes for strangers to pray, much to the amusement of her mischievous brothers. Summers were spent upstate on her grandparents' dairy farm, where they had to use a bucket for nighttime bathroom trips, no one wanted to go first! The kids all liked to swim in the creek nearby. One time when they all got out of the water they were all covered in leeches! For bath time, they all had to share a big metal washing tub, my mom was always first! She had the privilege of hot fresh clean water, but by the time her five siblings were done, and it was her dads turn, the water was cold and BLACK! It was quite a summer!
Despite these challenges, Eileen cherished these memories and often spoke fondly of her grandfather, who only spoke German and would entertain himself by squirting milk at stray cats while milking the cows! Instead of the usual methods, her grandmother had a more direct approach. She would just grab a chicken by the neck and spin it around like a lasso until its neck broke. The chickens, in their confusion, would often run around the yard for several minutes before realizing what had happened. This method may seem harsh to those unfamiliar with farm life, but for her grandma, it was a practical and necessary part of farm-to-table living. It was a stark reminder of the realities of where our food comes from and the hard work that goes into putting a meal on the table.
As Eileen grew older, she developed a wild obsession with shoes, wearing a size 5 which allowed her to buy sample shoes with every paycheck. She met my father in 1954, married him in February 1955, and went on to have five daughters, including me.
Join me as I recount these hilarious and heartwarming tales from Eileen's life, filled with laughter, love, and unforgettable moments. We miss her dearly every day, but through these stories, her spirit lives on.