All in a Lifetime - Softcover

Howington, Helen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1452067643 ISBN 13: 9781452067643

Publisher: AuthorHouse, 2010

Synopsis

Join Helen in her family's exploits as they travel to a new life in America as Immigrants leaving their old way of life behind. You will share their family's passion for freedom as they fulfill their aspirations and dreams to enjoy a better life in their new country America.

She continues her true story for almost a century sharing their achievements as well as the hard ships that followed. Read on and share her adventures and points of interest as she travels along visiting places such as London, England, Istanbul, Turkey, Barcelona, Spain, and the Mediterranean, and ride along the Orient Express. This is a true story that will make you cry at times and feel the difficulties, and at other times you will find yourself laughing. It's a book that's hard to put down as you feel the challenges they faced each day. It is written so that others could believe in themselves, and they, too, could accomplish their goals and enjoy all that life has to offer.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

All in a Lifetime

By Helen Howington

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Helen Howington
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-6764-3

Chapter One

All in a Lifetime

Life deals the cards, and you can play the game of chance in a world full of many opportunities and struggles. Everyone wants to come out on top and be a winner as he or she participates in the events of a lifetime. Come along and enjoy the ride of your life, with heartwarming experiences as we travel past time in this poignant story. You will be sure to find lots of true courage, undying love, hearty laughter, and bitter tears in a life on the lam from the immigration police. The ride may sometimes appear to be bumpy, but it's well known that, with the love and trust in God, hard work, determination, and a great deal of patience, sweet success and lots of happiness is available to all who seek out the best life has to offer. How true are the words heard many times—"Only in America."

Frank and Eva's true and heartwarming life saga begins in 1915, continues over the twentieth century, and tells of their children's lives. The adventure begins in the southeastern corner of Poland, just twenty miles from the Ukrainian border in the very quaint villages of Szkary and Sanok. This is close to the Carpathian Mountains and the Ukraine. Frank was born in 1899, and Eva was born in 1903.

Climb Aboard and Enjoy the Ride as You Turn the Pages

In the mornings when Eva lived with Helen in Miami, as they were enjoying their coffee, she would tell her daughter stories about her childhood experiences in Europe. Helen was an attentive listener as Eva shared stories about her past life in the Ukraine, Poland, and, later, America.

Traveling back in time, you can picture Eva as a young lady of twelve with long blonde hair, bright rosy cheeks, and soft hazel eyes. She lived comfortably on a small farm with her family. You almost feel chilled when you think about the long, cold winters with the heavy, icy snowstorms. Many times, they were trapped in their homes as the heavy snow covered the windows and piled heavily high above the rooftops.

Her family lived in a little cottage with a dirt floor on a small farm in Sanoku, and they had to go out into the cold night air to use the outside toilet. One evening as Eva stepped out the door, she spotted an animal with bright, shining, green eyes that looked like a dog. The animal sat very still, watching her every movement, and she quickly ran into the house to tell her mother about the beautiful dog she had just seen. Speeding out the front door, her mom gave a quick look and spotted the wolf as he made a speedy getaway into the nearby woods. Her mom told her how lucky she was not to have been attacked or eaten by the hungry wolf. It was a close call for Eva, and she was reminded to be more careful going outdoors day or night in the winter, as the wolves were very hungry and always busy searching for food. They were ready to pounce on their prey, even small children.

Many times, it was necessary for Eva to go down to a nearby stream and use the rocks to wash some of her clothes, and sometimes the current was so strong that it carried her clothes downstream. It was a hard life, but they were strong-willed and took each day with stride in their desire to enjoy life and survive.

On one occasion, Eva talked about the time when some soldiers came over to her house looking for food during a time of war. The soldiers took all their animals except some of the sheep that were hidden in a small shed farther out back of the home. After a great deal of pleading by Eva's mom, they left without her favorite milk cow, and the family was unharmed. Eva talked to her grandchildren about her many experiences as she reminisced about her days gone past. She had loved to ride bareback on her beautiful horse, and you could almost picture her flying bareback through the woods at great speeds.

Eva mentioned that, when she was a young girl, she would walk into the woods and pick giant strawberries. The family's vegetables grew big and sweet, as the land was covered with rich, black dirt. Eva would collect the eggs from the hens, taking them along with the strawberries to town with her brother Andrew. At the market, she would trade their wares for much needed items.

One day, Eva and Andrew had a most chilling experience when they went to the city to trade off some of their tasty strawberries. In the town square, some of the villagers were being lined up in full view, waiting to be shot by invading soldiers. Sadly, some of the townspeople were standing in the line of fire and were being killed. Evan and Andrew fearfully watched as the soldiers began to run out of bullets, quickly turning to their bayonets. The siblings were the last in line, and they waited for the sound of the bullets. As they stood in terror, they begged to stay alive, and their prayers were answered. As the soldiers ran out of firepower, they felt a bit of compassion and decided to spare the young brother and sister, letting the pair go free.

In 1918, the plague (influenza) followed the war, killing approximately forty million people. Much of the population left their homes and went in uncovered wagon trains to stay in Russia. Frank's father had been away on a short trip and, upon his return, found his family had also gone to Russia. It was too late to leave with the others, so he stayed home alone to take care of the farm. As conditions improved three years later, the people were encouraged to return home to their villages.

An important part of the family history of interest was that Eva's mom's first husband had hurt his leg. The leg had later become infected and, as a result, it had been amputated. He'd died a short time later, since his leg did not heal properly as a result of an infection. After Eva's mom remarried, she found her new husband acting irresponsibly, and she was then forced to care for the farm and family. Her new husband would go back and forth to America to seek his good fortune. When he made money, he would not consider the needs of the household but spent it foolishly or just gave it away.

Eva worked hard on the farm, always helping her mother by milking the cows, planting vegetables, feeding the animals, and herding the sheep. There were many times when Eva's sisters were spiteful and showed their jealousy because of the special attention their mother had shown to their sister. They found joy in hiding Eva's pretty headscarves when she wanted to go anywhere and many times caused her to stay at home. By the time Eva reached twenty-one she was considered an old maid, as most young ladies of her time were married with families of their own by that age. There was no doubt she could turn a lot of heads with her good looks and a gift to talk, and it seemed like she always had such interesting stories to tell. There was no big hurry for her to leave her mother because she knew she was needed at home. Eva's sisters were not helpful and left most of the work for her to do.

Meanwhile, Frank was in the military in the Polish Army, where he found the going was rough. It was difficult for the soldiers as they were wet and cold, poorly fed, and in need of warm clothes on the battlefield.

It later became necessary for Frank to move on. He joined the Russian Army, where he found the conditions were greatly improved.

While on a short army leave, he attended a wedding next door to Eva's farm, which enabled them to meet for the first time. Frank looked tall and handsome in his army uniform with his light brown, wavy hair and shining, brown eyes. The magic spell was in their eyes, and it was love at first sight for Eva and Frank. Very shortly after Frank came home from the army, the couple was married and became sweethearts and loving partners for a lifetime. Their wedding feast was a happy occasion lasting for three days, with good food, dancing, singing, and lots of celebrating.

After the wedding, Frank's parents invited the couple to come live with them and take over the family farm. Ownership of the little farm was signed over to Frank, and this was a real honor. The farm was a family's livelihood and means of survival, as the precious land was handed down from family to family.

Frank and Eva's first child, Mary, was born in October 1926. The trio lived on the farm with Frank's family for three years, barely getting by. Making ends meet was difficult, and the little farm was unable to sustain the whole family.

In 1928, Frank decided to sell his interest in the farm to his brother, Wasil; unkind words had been said between the brothers because his brother wanted to run the farm his way. Frank sold the farm for four hundred dollars, enabling his family to leave the country. Doubtful times were on the horizon, and the economic situation did not look good in America.

It would be a tough time to leave Poland, but Frank and Eva were in search of their golden opportunity, as they joined the many immigrants on their way to unknown territory into a world filled with uncertainty. In 1929, America was in a great depression. Significant drops in the stock markets had caused many people to lose all their money. The people were badly frightened, and everywhere, there was a run on the banks. There were many men who were out of work and in need of relief as they stood in bread lines to feed their families. The timing was not right for immigrants to come to America. Many immigrants had been led to believe that the streets in America were paved with gold.

With their four hundred dollars in hand, Frank, Eva, and little Mary started on their journey to America but would go to Canada first. The family endured heavy seas that made Eva seasick most of the time; it was a trip she would not easily forget. She would remember the long days and nights on the ship, as the boat kept rocking from side to side with the oncoming waves, in the cold, turbulent waters. You could also hear the sounds of discomfort from the other passengers who were suffering seasickness.

Eva realized that it would be difficult to leave her mother behind in Europe as she traveled to another world, so many miles away that it might as well have been on another planet. As the days quickly passed, Eva slept with her mother's picture under her pillow, and three years later, it was difficult for her to accept word of her mother's death. Oh, if only she could just see her and hold her for one more time. It was sad that her mother had passed away, ending their close mother-daughter relationship.

Many years later, Wasil, who was still in Poland, wrote Frank and said, "You won, and I lost," meaning that Frank had made the right choice to give up the farm and move ahead with his family to a foreign country on their voyage across the sea.

In spite of all the extreme hardships, Frank and Eva made a good team and were very happy together for a lifetime.

Canadian Country: Crystal Cold and Snowing

Traveling via a ship named The Baltic-Americana, Frank, Eva, and Mary arrived in Saskatchewan, a prairie province in Canada. They found a beautiful land, crystal clean and frozen with ice, very similar to the homeland they'd left behind in Poland. Immediately, they were able to find work on a gentleman's farm, as the owner's wife had left him and he needed lots of help. Eva cooked for three other men, and among one of her many duties, milked five cows each day.

Eva gave birth to another daughter, Justina (Tina), in Saskatchewan in May 1928. One morning, Eva was preparing a bath for baby Tina, and in the distance, she could hear a loud commotion made by one of the cows, who seemed to be in a lot of trouble in the field. She hesitated for a few seconds and then made a mad dash to see what was wrong. As she immediately raced back, she began to hear baby Tina screaming and found her next to the little tub on the floor. It seems Mary had wanted to bathe her little baby sister, and luckily, Tina had not fallen in the water but outside the tub on the floor. Eva was badly shaken, as it was really a close call.

The family stayed in Saskatchewan for about two years, and during that time, Frank found work in a lumber mill in Kapustasing, Ontario, (pronounced Kapustation). As he was getting very lonely and missed his family, he made arrangements to have Eva join him. They made a mistake and went a day earlier than they had planned, and soon Eva arrived with her cousin and her two girls. They thought it was strange that there was no one waiting for them at the train depot. After waiting a long time, a nice young man from the mill spoke to the ladies, and they told him they were waiting for Frank. After he understood the situation, the young man hurried to the lumber mill with his exciting news. Frank listened as the excited gentleman spoke about a very beautiful lady, her two girls, and cousin waiting all day for someone at the train station. Soon he was on his way to fetch his family, as somehow he knew it was Eva and the girls waiting for him.

Since they found it very difficult living in Kapustasing, they moved again to be closer to the lumber mill where Frank worked. Again, Eva was assigned to washing dishes and doing ladies' work to help out. This enabled her to work while taking care of the two girls, Mary and Tina. Frank was chopping down trees for the mill and was also busy clearing highways full of deep snow.

Sometime during this time, someone was kind enough to give Eva an oversized pink dress. The dress was so large that she needed to tie a string to keep it closed. In the boarding house where she stayed and worked, the owner threw an in-house party for all the tenants. For some unknown reason, he would not allow Eva to attend, and she felt very badly with that left-out feeling. She had really wanted to wear her nice pink dress, with the string holding it closed around her tiny waist.

When Eva's brother, Andrew, arrived from Europe, he asked them to meet him in Montreal, where they could work and stay together. They subsequently rented a home, and to their surprise, found that almost all of the people living in that area spoke French, except for Eva and Frank. After renting a home from a French man, she worked for thirteen men. The times were not easy, and the family had many new hardships to face. Eva needed to wash clothes by hand, and she lifted big, heavy pots and cooked breakfast and dinner for such a large group of people. In the quiet of night, the sounds of the men boarders would get louder and louder. After a lot of heavy drinking, they became a troublesome lot, making lots of noise, as well as throwing glasses at each other. Weary at night, Frank and Eva would just close their door and go to bed as they shut the world out. Inasmuch as it proved to be too much work for Eva, they were only able to stay there for about a year. Luckily, Frank was finally able to get a job in a shop that worked with iron. He had been persistent, returning over and over to ask for the job, and the shop owner finally gave in, putting Frank to work.

On one occasion, two of their guests were visiting, and for some unknown reason, they grew louder and louder and came to physical blows. Not knowing what to do as the fight continued, Eva stood up on a chair to attract their attention. Since that didn't work, she got down from the chair and grabbed one of the men by his shirt and demanded that the fighting stop immediately. Otherwise, they would have to leave and be on their way. As the noise quieted down, the pair was allowed to stay for the rest of the evening. Some of their so-called friends were a bit jealous, and they had to be careful. They always were in fear that the next knock on the door could be the immigration police come to send them back to Europe.

In October 1929, a third daughter, Anna, was born in Quebec. She would later marry a family friend named John, whom she had met in Pennsylvania when she was a little girl. Their children would be John Jr., Frank, and Susan.

A year later, Eva became pregnant, and she had a tough time when she suffered a miscarriage, losing her baby boy in the bathroom. The pain must have been so intense that she passed out and woke up three hours later. Eva, always the great lady, was soon back at work, helping Frank with never a complaint about the many hardships they faced daily.

Frank and Eva were deeply in love and happy to share their life's adventure, though, many times, they wondered what would it be like if they had stayed back home in Europe. Being far away from Poland, they missed their family and ethnic lifestyle. Over a period of time, Frank and Eva felt farther and farther away, but they always believed that with hard work, determination, and faith in God, they would achieve their dreams in America.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from All in a Lifetimeby Helen Howington Copyright © 2010 by Helen Howington. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1452067643
• ISBN 13: 9781452067643
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160