Missing Roz

For a few years now, Alan and I have been Home/Visiting Teaching a sister in our ward by the name of Rozalia Bandish. She is currently 92 years young. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to her this past weekend because her son, Bill, came out here from Vermont to pick her up and take her back to live with him. Bill sold her house, sold most of her belongings (including her car), and they left this morning for the long drive to Vermont. I have to admit that I will miss her dearly. She has become like a family member to us. 

She has lived quite an interesting life. She was born in Hungary, but because of the war they had to leave and live in Romania. She was an orphan by the time she was 12 years old and was sent to live with an uncle who was single. He couldn't take care of her, so she was shipped to the United States to live with a couple of aunts. She traveled all those weeks on the ship alone, but made many friends because she could speak 3 languages (Hungarian, Romanian, and German). She would go around the ship translating for people.  When she arrived in the U.S., she was sent to Ellis Island and was there for three days all alone because her family didn't know she had arrived. Years later, she married and had four children and then became a widow and raised the children on her own. Life was always a struggle for her.

A few years ago, Alan and I were privileged to take her to the temple so she could receive her own endowment. That was a day that I will always remember. It was such a privilege to escort her.

Roz broke her hip a couple of years ago and now she needs a wheel chair. This photo was taken after a church activity.

I was over at her house the other day helping her to clean out her room prior to her move and she handed me this can and asked if I wanted it. I asked what it was and she told me it was for massages. My back always hurts, so I thought I could have Alan massage some into my back as therapy so I took it home. Later that day, Alan saw it on the counter and asked "what's Bag Balm". I told him what I knew about it but then he started reading the can and started laughing.  I had to see what was so funny, so I went over and read the can.  Bag Balm is not for massages, it is for a cow's udder.  Although Roz didn't really know that it wasn't for massages, I felt like the joke was on me! At least I have something to remember her by.