My Aunt Sonya! My mother so very many times talked about what an incredible woman she was to not only leave her country an her family but to love her brother! I was always so fascinated with her craft...she could sew anything...she was so fascinating to me! I still hear her laugh! Her children are forever in my heart!

I remember well when my uncle Joe brought Sonya and Susie home from the Army. I have pondered many times about how much you would have to love a man to leave your country and family not when or if you would ever see them again.

Sonya and my mother (Nellie Adams) became very good friends. I feel that their friendship was good for both of them. Mother often commented about what a good mother Sonya was.

Sonya was an amazing seamstress. She made my daughter,Ronda's,
Wedding dress and she fitted it perfectly and it was very beautiful.
She managed to keep up with her sewing and her kids. She was a worker.

A sort of cute thing, Sonya and my granddaughter, Katie, became aquainted through Kentucky Farmers Bank where Katie works. They figured out their connection and claimed "kin" even though they weren't actually"blood"kin. But they were friends

Sonya was a rare and special person and I am so happy my mother had the privilege of having her as a friend.

We never get over missing our loved ones but we are forever blessed with precious memories.

"I knew Margaretha for a very short time but we forged an immediate bond. Introduced by her daughter, my friend and colleague Susan, we broke bread together at my house some years back. We talked about our European origins and the hurdles we faced on moving to the US. I felt the warmth and gentle glow on her face. Politeness personified honed in her beloved Austrian Alps. I looked forward to a long relationship. Unfortunately Margaretha lived several states away and the next time we met she was giving us her last goodbyes. I feel fortunate to have known this lady, even briefly, and my sincerest condolences go to her family both here and in her native Austria. I am sure she is in a better place looking over us all." ---- Dennis Xuereb 10th January 2014

She always had a smile and said hello when we passed on the sidewalk during our walks.

Mom was my everything (mother,friend, confidant). She was loving, courageous, strong and feisty. She overcame many challenges which made her the great person that she was including lung cancer. She always said that she could talk to me about anything without my getting upset with her. She loved her animals and despite grumbling about each and every stray that showed up at her door, She could never turn one away, Animals could sense and knew what a loving and caring person she was. I will always remember the last time I was with her. That last night Susan and I helped her into bed. I bent down and gave her a hug and told her how much I loved her and she reached up and touched my face and told me she loved me. I still believe that at the moment she passed she was saying goodbye to me because at that moment I was at work walking back to the office when suddenly it felt like something was squeezing my heart. It only lasted a few minutes but when I asked Susan her time of passing, it was exactly when I was having so much pain. Mom, you will always be in my thoughts and prayers. I love you

My mom was the kindest, most courageous, stubborn and loving person I have ever known. And I was lucky enough to be able to claim her as my mother. She traveled to a country she knew little about, unable to speak the language, knowing only 2 people, my dad and me (age 9 months). Her life wasn't easy, yet she managed to raise the 5 of us, made many friends, loved her animals and will be missed by many. I was blessed with being her caregiver for the last 8 months of her life. During this time she shared many stories from her childhood onward. These stories are truly remarkable and should not be lost to those that follow us. I will try to tell them as they were told to me but I would also encourage those that knew and loved my mom as we did to add to those stories with memories you have. Even the smallest anecdote will mean so much to us. Being a physician I brought new lives into the world but seldom did I witness death, yet I felt I was prepared. How wrong and naive I was. As I was holding her as she took her last breathe, I was her child begging God to give me just one more day, I had so much more I needed to say, one more 'I love you' she needed to hear. But she was ready and needed to go to be with her loved ones who had gone before. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her especially as I care for her animals she left behind. They say the pain gets easier, I hope so because her death has literally brought me to my knees.