my mother's early years

My mother was born in Timisoara (a city in Transylvania). At that time it was still part of Hungary - it got 'moved' to Romania in 1920.
BTW - Even though Hungarians are the ethnic minority in Transylvania the area has great historical significance for them (it was once the seat of the Hungarian monarchy). Needless to say, after having spent the better part of a millennium fighting the Turks over it they were not happy that it was simply handed over to Romania. But I digress...

The exact date of my mother's birth is uncertain (no birth certificate) and there was a rumor amongst some relatives that she was the illegitimate child of her oldest sister and a Jewish-Hungarian composer. That rumor is plausible - when my mother began her opera career in Budapest it was the 'purported father' who mentored her and opened all the necessary doors. But back in those days an illegitimate child would have been a huge scandal and her siblings always denied the rumors, so I guess it will remain a mystery. Hence I will describe my mother's family as she knew it.

Although not 'noble', the family was well connected and respected. They were descended from ethnic Germans who migrated to Transylvania during the 1700s to teach (the Turks had been driven out for the umpteenth time and there was a dire need for educators)... BTW - there's a lot of professors (and physicians) in her family...

Her father (Julius) was a Physics professor and her mother Elizabeth was (by all accounts) a wonderful and gentle woman. According to my mother, her parents had the 'perfect marriage' - moonlight walks every evening, etc. (I'm not sure I buy all of it, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt).

My mother was the youngest of 7 children. Two of her three brothers were career military officers and the third was a surgeon. Her father and brothers did not survive WWII. One of her three sisters was a Mathematics professor, one was a business exec and the third never worked because of an unspecified 'medical condition' - she only lived to be 80-something :-). None of her sisters ever married, and after WWII the three of them lived together in Germany until they passed. (I'll write more about my aunts and uncles in a separate blog entry.)

Here's some of what I remember being told about my mother's early years:

There was an incident (I don't recall all the details) involving her brother Mathias (who was a serious prankster) that ended with her jumping out of a hayloft and landing on a pig. She survived. The pig didn't.

When she was 7 she asked her siblings where babies came from. She was told that if you swallow watermelon seeds they turn into babies in your tummy. Having recently done just that my mom went to her mother and confessed that she was pregnant. Her mother sat her down on the couch and asked her how it happened. When my mom explained about the watermelon seeds her mother covered her face. My mom thought she was crying but, of course, she was actually laughing. Her mother reassured her that despite having swallowed the watermelon seeds she was far too young to have a baby and needn't worry...

My mother was always surrounded by animals. The ones she talked about most were her pet bat 'Lilly' and her German Shepherd (I forget his name). She and the German Shepherd used to play catch with the bat but he got a little too rough with it one day (no more Lilly). BTW -That same dog bit off the top of my mother's ear when she 'surprised' him one day. Personally, I think the dog needed a 'permanent attitude adjustment' but my mom loved him anyway.
Sidebar: My mother had an amazing effect on animals. Squirrels would climb on her - birds would eat out of her hand. She got our retriever (Bozo) from the pound. He was going to be put to sleep because he attacked everyone who got near him - except my mother. And when I was 10 I remember watching her chew up a worm and 'mouth feed' it to an injured robin. Just one of the many things about her that defied explanation... :-)

As a child she spent a lot of time hanging out with the local gypsies. That's where she learned astrology and fortune telling. That it still doesn't explain how she was able to 'read' people the way she did. (I don't think it can be explained...)

She was educated in opera and piano at a conservatory in Budapest - I don't know the details. She also studied art at some point.

She had spinal meningitis as a teenager. The mortality rate for meningitis was close to 90% back then but she survived (obviously).

She married a Count when she was 17. It didn't last long. He was intensely jealous and use to lock up her shoes so she couldn't go anywhere without his knowledge. She ran away barefoot one night...

Early in her career she mispronounced some lyrics while performing an Italian opera. Afterward she was informed that during her dramatic solo she was singing about a duck's ass.

I think I'll defer the story of her flight from Hungary (ahead of the Russians) for another entry...