Side Tracked: Eulogy for Anna

Happy Holidays Gentle Readers,

No doubt all of my loyal friends, neighbors, and family members are aware that Mrs. Anna Elisabeth Lewis, my mother, passed away in early October.

The Goldsboro News-Argus recently ran an obituary recently. We chose not to have a funeral in Phoenix as she was new to Phoenix and mostly bed ridden the entire time. She only knew family members while in Phoenix. We were waiting for a date from Arlington National Cemetery, the cemetary where her husband and my father Frank Lewis is buried, a process that actually took 2 ½ months.

Even though the graveside service was lovely and very fitting, the priest made things somewhat personal but really didn’t catch the essence of this stern but loving German woman. No real eulogy was spoken graveside so I’ve embellished the obituary originally pubished in the Goldsboror newspaper to create a eulogy for mom. Today is my mom and dad's wedding anniversary, they would have been mmarried 60 years, so posting this eulodgy is fitting. Really, trying to capture not just facts but who mom was at least in my eyes.

Anna Elisabeth Lewis, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother passed away peacefully on Monday, October 7, 2019 at her home in Phoenix, Arizona.

December 16th, the day was cold and rainy, the December service at Arlington National Cemetery wasn’t exactly graveside, rather just very near where my father is interred. The priest said a few kind words and managed a few prayers. Mom’s wish was to be buried in Arlington, she was always very proud of my father’s service in the Air Force and I’m sure felt it is a great honor to join him in the National Cemetery.

Anna Elisabeth was born in Hochheim, Germany on January 17, 1931. She married young and had a daughter in 1952. The marriage did not last, and Anna did what very few women of the time did, she divorced her abusive husband, her daughter and her moved back with her mother.

Soon after, while working as a server in the Mainz Airforce Base NCO club, she met Master Sergeant Francis (Frank) J. Lewis and the two were married on December 23, 1959. Almost immediately following the wedding, Francis was stationed stateside and this new family moved to Charleston, South Carolina. The family expanded to include another daughter, and two sons.

Living in the United States during these early years with four children was not easy for Anna. Frank was often away with the military and the task of raising the children fell primarily to Anna. She spoke very little English and navigating American society wasn’t easy. Our family stories includes multiple mix ups regarding switching ammonia with vinegar on one almost fatal occasion and a bevy of other comical mishaps. The family stories include a hint of the poverty this young family endured, tales of sacrifice and tough decisions.

These experiences forced a self-reliance and a tenacity on Anna. She was tough and stern, but always loving. These are characteristics also thrust upon her children from a young age.

After several different duty stations, Francis retired from the military in 1973 and moved Anna and the four children to Ventura, California.

Anna was an avid bowler and spent much of her time shuttling kids to and from soccer and softball games. During this time, Anna was also a big LA Dodger’s fan and enjoyed going to Dodger’s Stadium to watch the games. These hobbies were always secondary to raising a family and working part time to ensure that the mortgage was paid every month.

After over thirty years in this city by the sea, Frank retired again, this time from the US Post Office, and they moved to Goldsboro, North Carolina. Frank passed away in 2007, but Anna remained in Goldsboro until the spring of 2019. By this time Anna was living with her youngest son Billy, when all decided to move to Phoenix Arizona. Soon after this move, Anna passed away peacefully at the home of Billy and Rick.

Anna is preceded in death by her husband Francis Lewis, her daughter Diana Lewis, and her granddaughter Karissa Lewis.

Anna is survived by her son William Lewis and his husband Rick Cassidy, son Walter Lewis and his husband Rusty Harris-Bishop, daughter Issy Dion and her husband Francis Dion, five grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. Anna is also survived by her sister Rodeginda Maerten and husband Guenter Maerten, still residing in Anna’s hometown of Hochheim, Germany.

My personal relationship with mom wasn’'t always an easy one. She was not the type of mom that easily showed affection. Did she love each of us? Of course, but the expression of that love was not always readily evident.

She showed love by making sure we were strong, independent, self-reliant children. She also made sure we all could accomplish domestic tasks incredibly well and instilled a strong work ethic and professional integrity.

This woman survived horrible atrocities growing up during World War II in a small town in Germany. She didn’t speak of it often, but she did tell of needing to move their high school graduation because the church where it was traditionally held was bombed. She also tells of her mother, my Oma, telling her that if the Russians came through the town to blow out the pilot light in the stove and stick her head in the oven, as it was better to endure death than raping and killing by the Russians.

Scarcity and fear was a way of life for Anna for many of her formative years. These types of incidents had a strong impact on Anna. It’s no wonder that she was stubborn, often uncompromising, and very hard on her family. If you lived through an apocalypse once, it’s bound to color how you view the world.

But still, she often showed her love in many different ways. She showed her love by bragging about our accomplishments to others. I particularly remember a time I was a student at University and she got a letter from CSU Chico saying I was on the Dean’s list. At first not understanding what a Dean’s list was, she assumed I was in trouble. The only contact with a dean she had was when one of my siblings got in trouble in high school. When she found out it was because I had great grades and was doing well, she carried the letter and showed everyone.

Mom also cried every time we had to fly back to our homes, or drive back to our families. Good bye’s were emotional affairs, especially for a woman that showed very little emotion.

Anna really loved Christmas. It is truly fitting that Anna would be interred so close to not only Christmas but also very close to her wedding anniversary (Dec. 23). Before passing away, Anna often said that she was ready to see her husband Frank. In her passing, we know they are together once again. Anna was truly the matriarch of the Lewis family and will be missed by the entire family. So, in honor of Anna, have some Entemenann's Danish pastry, a strong cup of coffee, and play Ava Maria or Edelweiss, her two favortie songs.