Now, before I even begin to go into the impact this job had on me over the past year, I think it's important to tell you a little bit about her. Elfriede Duynstee, or "Fritzi" as everyone called her, was 92 years old when I met her. She was born in Berlin, Germany, where she lived until she was in her later 20's. So, she was in Berlin throughout World War II. I can't even begin to tell you about some of the stories she told me. To say she has experienced it all would still be an understatement. She moved to America with her first husband, who was an officer in the Army. She had one son with him and then they divorced. She was married and divorced one more time shortly after that. On June 23, 2015, at the age of 93, after having outlived all of her family including her son, she passed away.
But, that's enough about the hardships of her life. To truly understand her charisma, you would have to meet her. No words of mine could ever do her justice. Throughout her life she was always a ray of sunshine in the lives of everyone around her. She cooked for everyone, and taught so many others how to cook as well. She was always the life of the party and her energy was so contagious. The whole town of Blacksburg knew her for her incredible work as a seamstress. Whenever there was an important event, all of the women would go to her to have their gowns made. Her work was incredible.
From day one, she treated me with such kindness. I remember walking up to her house on that first day, nervous, with so many thoughts racing through my head: Had a made the right decision? What was I getting myself into? Am I really cut out for this type of work? The second I walked through the door, all of my worries were put to ease. The very first thing she did was ask me my name, my full name. She asked me where I was from, what I was studying in school, if I had a boyfriend, about my family, and the list goes on. She was so genuinely interested. Not only did she always check to make sure I was happy and healthy, she was always checking to make sure others in my life were as well. Every day she would ask me about Cody. How he was doing in school, how his work was, how his family was. She would ask about my family, how they were. She always wanted to make sure others were being taken care of.
From the beginning, she assured me that we could cook together often. That was a promise she more than lived up to. I will always cherish the moments we spent together cooking and the many wonderful recipes she shared with me. My fondest cooking memories are from the many time we made her famous cheesecake. After we were all done, and it was in the oven, she always insisted on sitting there and licking every speck of the mix out of the bowl. Most of the time she would end up getting it everywhere. And when it was finished baking, she always made sure all of her neighbors got a piece of the cheesecake.
While it's still hard at times, I know my life is better because I had the pleasure of knowing her. It just goes to show that sometimes things happen, people come into your life, and it changes your life in ways you can never imagine. It's amazing how paths cross and how much one person can impact your life unexpectedly. I can't really explain how something that was supposed to be "just a job" came to be so much more than that. For now, all I can do is remember her fondly and maintain my gratitude for all she was able to teach me.
We cooked. We baked. We took walks. We went swimming. We got our nails done. We talked. We laughed. Sometimes, we cried. She shared stories from her past, and always encouraged me to live the fullest life I could. She had one of the most beautiful souls out there. I only wish you all could have had the pleasure of meeting her.
May your soul rest in paradise, my sweet Fritzi. You are, and always will be, missed.
Glad you were able to have such a person in your life. I can't wait to see the creations you make with the goodies she left you. The times you shared with her will be remembered in every stitch. ;)
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