Remembering Luba and Eva

By Elaine Schultz

Lubah was the first born to Samuel and Eva Pecker. In 1903 she entered the world of restless Russia in the Kiev area of the Ukraine. At the age of four she was on her first "cruise" from Liverpool to Philadelphia, and then to her grandparents home in Baltimore with her brothers Julius and Morris and her father and mother, who at the time was pregnant with Willie. Being the oldest, Lubah helped Eva with the children and the daily house chores. Later she worked to help with family finances with a few dollars left for her personal needs. -- Forward by Shelly

Mom worked in a department store and a candy shop. She helped Grandma Beber raise the brothers and sisters when Grandpa died. She did not talk much about the early years; it must have been hard. In fact she had to have a small wedding since Grandpa was killed around the time she was suppose to get married.

Mom met dad at Tollchester Beach. She told us that he knocked her off of the diving board so he could meet her. They moved to Philadelphia where dad worked at the General Electric plant. Dad struggled to make a living, but Shelly and I were very happy. Our parents were wonderful and they made us feel rich. We would have picnics in the park, tend our Victory Garden, and do special:events with our family every weekend. Shelly became an Eagle Scout and went camping a lot with Dad .They were both very special parents which made Shelly and I feel not just like brother and sister, but best friends also.

We went to Baltimore almost every weekend to be with Grandma and Grandpa Beber. On Broadway Avenue, they had white marble steps. She use to let me scrub them with her. That was very special, because she liked them to shine. When they moved to Springdale Avenue, Grandpa Beber would take us to Lombard Street where all the Deli's were. Barrels would be lined up in front of the stores, and we would get pickles out of them. Then we'd go in the deli's to get lox, whitefish etc. I can smell all those wonderful things now, as I write these memories.

Passover was a holiday I can never forget. Everyone would go to Grandma's and she would have a table stretched out from dining room to living room. Grandpa Beber would start the prayers and there was no stopping him; the kids would be crying because they were hungry but he went on and on. Grandma Beber was known for her gefilte fish. So delicous -- only Aunt Sylvia could make it like hers. Grandma was a wonderful cook and we always loved to visit her.

Not only did mom and dad take Gail and Mike to be their children, but Uncle Dave, Dad's brother, came to live with us for a while, and Uncle Willie too. When we first moved to Portsmouth all the Uncles lived with us until they found homes for their wives. Lubah and Howard were very generous and their home was open to everyone.