Anastasia Georgia Jirovec Felger - known as Grandma Stacy pictured with her eldest son Jim.
My grandmother passed away at the age of 88 years on September 27th at 3:30am with one of her 4 sons, my dad's second oldest brother, by her bedside. It brings tears to my eyes to be writing about her now. As my dad, youngest of the 4 boys, summed it up in his beautiful eulogy "She was simply too extraordinary of a woman to sum it all up here". And since time constrains me now, I will add that I will not even come close to giving her justice in my short post about her here. She was the most generous person I've ever known. I was SO very blessed to have been able to attend her beautiful funeral, and be surrounded by my most favorite people in the world: my family. She is pictured above with her eldest son, my Uncle Jim, in her bakery "Stacy's Pastry Shop"....where she sold her delicious Czechoslovakian pastries & breads. My father spoke at her funeral, and with permission, I post his eulogy notes here. He did not 'read' this verbatum, but spoke so elloquently with love and admiration from his heart, about this extraordinary woman, his mother.
Anastasia Geogia Jirovec was born in Bremen Township on April 25, 1920. Daughter of George and Anna Jirovec. One of seven siblings.
Stacy, as she was known by, married Theodore F. Felger of St. Paul in 1940.
Ted and Stacy baked in Josef Felger’s bakery on Randolph and View in St. Paul. Later Ted and Stacy moved up to Bremen Township settling on Grabo’s farm for a while and then onto George and Anna’s farm which they purchased.
Out of this union were born 4 sons, James, Thomas, Gary and Kenneth.
My brothers and my first memories were from this farm.
In the early fifties, Mom and Dad started a bakery business in Sandstone, first at Viggo Jensens and then at the site of the old locker plant. In 1954, Ted and Stacy built their own bakery on Main St. in Sandstone. Ultimately it would become a world renowned bakery thanks to our mother.
Six of us lived in a 2 bedroom apt. behind the bakery about the size of our living rooms today. This is the place we called home. We were comfortable because us boys knew Ma and Dad were doing the best they could. Sure we lacked a few things other kids had but we didn’t really complain because we saw how hard they both worked for us kids. Ma always provided food, clothing, shelter and most importantly love. We would have been out of place to ask for anything more.
Our mother juggled a business, kids, social life; a farm which we still operated, and she always had food on the table at the appropriate time. She worked 16 to 18 hour days and never, never skipped a beat. Looking back, she was an exceptional mother, wife, business woman and generous human.
Stacy became a widow 44 years ago in 1964 at the age of 44. She remained a widow for an additional 44 years until her passing. True to her marriage to our Dad, Stacy never remarried although she had a few courters. One exceptional man entered Ma’s life just a handful of years ago, Roy Carlson, a boyfriend Ma had before she married our Dad. Roy was a great guy and all of us loved him because he took a liking to our mother.
Stacy was a very proud woman, she accepted no charity, working for everything she had. She alone provided for her boys, daughters in law and finally grandchildren and great grand children. Her qualities were perseverance, duty to her family, charity, kindness and generosity. She often times gave free bakery to friend, relatives and those who could not pay.
Ma also could be tough. Growing up in the wilds of East Central Minnesota I can imagine she had to hold her own on a few occasions. I remember in the bakery she chased out some bum with a rolling pin. He was lucky because it was Dad’s big rolling pin. About the same time, Ma showed her gentle caring side when some guy came in crying because his wife just left him.
Summing up our mothers life is impossible. She was simply too extradinary of a woman to put it in a few words here.
Stacy touched so many lives over her years, family, friends and strangers.
Ma’s passing was not unexpected yet we still grieve. The last words she spoke to me about 6 weeks ago were: “It was just the other day I could…” Meaning there was some task or ability she could perform just the other day but could no longer perform today. That struck me, and it should strike all of us in that time is so fleeting.
It was just the other day that Ma gave me a quarter to spend at Wright’s, just the other day she taught me how to clean sunfish, just the other day she showed us how to make dumplings, just the other day she spent a vacation with us, just the other day her health started to fail. Ma could no longer speak or express herself much of recent, however I would always tell her that she was the best mother in the world. One time she smiled in response. She must be smiling now.
Until we meet again.
2 comments:
My prayers are with you and your family....
Although your grief is difficult, she does sound like the most amazing woman! Your grandmother must be such an inspiration to you....our thoughts are with you and your family.
Post a Comment