Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
UNWLA 100
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
THEY JUST FADE AWAY by ANNA KRAWCZUK October. It was a beautiful autumn diay with the trees half filled with leaves, some already scattered on the ground in a rainbow of earth colors — orange, brown, dark green, dark red and gold. The sun rays shone between the tree branches and played with the fall hues of the leaves, making them translucent, magnificent. A small, hundred year old brick chapel on the hill, encircled by tall oaks and maple trees which stood guard, protecting against the weather and the years. A scene of serenity, peace and the majestic beauty of God’s creation. A small procession of family and friends filed into the chapel to say their last farewell to a family legend — the matriarch. Her grandsons carried the coffin ever so gently up the stairs and inside the chapel for the reli gious ceremony. I followed, but my thoughts were far away from this place. I questioned — is that all there is? A whole life struggle for this? 89 years of life ending — ended. Ended for a person who was survival in herself. The long journey of life had taken her away from her country of origin. She had accepted her fate, widow hood at 35 years of age at the worst time of the second world war. The determination to survive was her goal no matter how hard or rocky the road. This she had accomplished. She was able to instill in her daughters the love for her homeland, Ukraine. To them this land seemed far away and mysterious, but they loved it. She taught them to love their adoptive country, for only the United States of America gave them a new start in life by accepting and protecting them. She instilled in them the respect for an elective democratic government guided by the Constitution of the USA. She was, in a way, always a rebel, starting in 1925 when she left her hometown of Kolomyja for the univer sity in Warsaw, Poland. Prior to that, she had been very active in Plast, reaching the rank of colonel. It was with pride that she told her daughters that a woman univer sity student in those days raised eyebrows. She did it anyway and her determination paid off. She graduated. She could not foresee the horrors of World War II and the life struggle that would eventually take her across the Atlantic to a new country. She thought that in a couple of years her homeland would be free from bon dage and she would take her family home^She never did return. As the years passed, she accepted the real ity. But she carried the love and memories of her youth deep in her heart and in her mind. And they returned with full force when she was at the sunset of her life. She reminded her daughters to remember their fore fathers, to never forget the land of their ancestors — Ukraine. She reminded them how their father and her brothers had fought to free their homeland but were defeated or died in the struggle with the enemy. Their graves are scattered throughout the world — in Poland, Germany, England, Canada and the United States. “Don’t let them be forgotten heroes,” she pleaded. She was a good soyuzanka, always devoted to the organization. In her prime she was very active, accept ing many positions in her Branch, serving as president of her Regional Council and as a member of the National Board. At the UNWLA Convention in 1978, she was awarded UNWLA Honorary Membership. In her accep tance speech, she said, ”My legacy to the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America is my three daughters who are present here today — all members of Soyuz Ukrainok Ameryky.” When her daughters were not that keen about fol lowing in her footsteps, she emphasized the importance of keeping their cultural heritage alive, which in turn, would keep Ukraine visible at a time when she was ens laved and erased from the world map. She devoted most of her active free time to the organization and to her ideals. It worked. Her daughters learned by watching, listening and maybe subconsciously imitating. On this day, saying their last farewell to their grandmother, were her three granddaughters — also soyuzanky. She had been so proud of them! After the religious ceremony, the procession of cars slowly made its way to the final resting place. Only fam ily members and a small group of friends were there. And where were her compatriots, her peers? Most of them had crossed the bridge to eternity before her and surely must have given her a huge welcome on the other side. But her loved ones, who remembered her as a pillar of strength and wisdom, were there. On this glorious autumn day only the colorful leaves whispered as they fell from the trees to the ground. “We are only fading away. Come spring and we shall be reborn.” She was my mother — NATALIA STEFANIW OSINSKA CHAPLENKO. ’НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЖОВТЕНЬ 1995 21
Page load link
Go to Top
1 
2-3 
4-5 
6-7 
8-9 
10-11 
12-13 
14-15 
16-17 
18-19 
20-21 
22-23 
24-25 
26-27 
28-29 
30-31 
32-33 
34-35 
36-37 
38-39 
40 
