Today Stan and I visited with his Aunt Josephine (JO) Eich who turned age 100 in July 2013.
I really didn’t know what to expect. I can’t say I remember ever meeting her before in the forty years I have been married to Stan.
Aunt Jo always lived in Long Island, New York. She was married to Fred Eich for years. When he passed away Aunt Jo married Michael Kaczmarski. She told us today that Michael had died last week at age 97 and had been staying in a Veteran’s facility. She chuckled when she said he was younger than her. It must be difficult in later years to know your mate was in a different facility and both of you were unable to contact one another. Aunt Jo has hearing problems so calling him by phone would be out of the question.
Life goes on and after all a hundred years take their tole. After that time one has certainly seen many friends and relatives pass on. You must have great strength to keep a cheerful attitude about life to maintain a smile and bubbly personality.
Aunt Jo told us she was responsible for reading at the Mass daily. We took her photo with Stan and I checked the digital picture to see if it showed the cheery person that she is. I asked her to take another with a big smile. She flashed me that smile and I clicked the perfect photo of her. When I showed her she said “Instant pictures. How fun.” You can imagine what technology has developed over the last 100 years from the box cameras that only took black and white using silver photo negatives to these quick digital photos.
Aunt Jo proudly told us she had all her own teeth. She mentioned her father Leopold was a stickler for keeping your teeth clean all the time. It worked.
I asked her what was the secret for living 100 years. She thought a quiet moment and said “It is God’s will.”
She told us about her family. She remembered her children, grand children and great-grand children.
I told here I was learning to play saxophone. We play some polkas with Stan playing his accordion while I play saxophone. I mentioned that Stan’s accordion was mostly in the closet for 35 years until we started playing together. She had a sweet expression on her face as she remembered Stan playing as a young boy.
I asked if she had played an instrument when she was younger. She said there were too many children in the house with little money for just a luxury as a musical instrument. I wish we lived closer so we could play for her. She grew up in New York with Stan’s mom Alyce, and two other sister’s: Frances and Loretta. She had three brothers: Bill, Stanley and Eddie.
It was amazing how much she remembered and how articulate she was in her chat with us.