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| Bertha Galkoff |
| copyright www.galkoff.com 2005 |
| Name: Bertha Galkoff DOB: 1883 DOD: June 1962 Spouse: Percy Children: Sydney, Annie, Jenny, Cyril, Nettie, Leon Birthplace: Mlawa, Poland Occupation: |
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| ....Much of my childhood was influenced by the "Family" - particularly on my mother's side, as they lived in closer proximity than my father's. The heads of the Galkoff Clan were Grandma (Bertha) and Grandpa (Percy) - or 'Ma' and 'Da', as their children called them. They were typical hardworking, G-d fearing Polish immigrants. Grandma was a true 'Yiddishe Mamma', never happy unless she was worrying! Our family slogan could have been: "Don't tell Grandma, she'll only worry" - regardless of the fact that Grandma was in fact tougher than all of us! (They even advised me to tell Grandma that my first baby was due in July, not June - as it happens she actually was born three weeks late!) Medium built, wiry white hair arranged, with numerous hairgrips, in traditional 'bun'-style, Grandma 'supervised' the family from their four-bedroomed house in Melting Road, Southport. Grandpa was a milder character, still handsome in his later years, with neat white moustache and clipped beard. He wore suits with waistcoats -adorned with watch-and-chain - a black yarmulke or peaked cap indoors and bowler hat for walking out. Grandma and Grandpa conversed in Yiddish between themselves - which is how I picked up the little I know- such as: Kimshoinl, Shvay, de Kinder!, and Ess Gezuntehaitl. The last phrase sums up Grandma's lifelong mission - feeding the family .. Most of her day was spent in her old-fashioned kitchen, where the sink doubled for washing dishes and washing clothes (Even after her children presented her with a modern washing machine for their Golden Wedding, she continued to use the sink!) She produced endless, varied meals with never a failure among them. You wouldn't find her recipes in any cook-book -just 'a bit of this, a bit of that...' Today, as I toss ingredients into my food-processor, I visualise Grandma chopping fish on a board with a 'hatchet', or beating eggs for sponge cakes with a wooden spoon in an enamel bowl. A 'sacred institution' in the family was Grandma's Shabbos morning kiddush. Her children and grandchildren would gather in her cosy morning-room tofress chopped liver and stuffed monkies. Grandma's elegant dining-room was the venue for family Seder nights, Rosh Hashanah dinners and - her culinary piece-de-resistance - her post-Yam Kippur 'banquet'. Grandma and Grandpa brought up their three sons and three daughters 'over the shop' in Pembroke Place, Liverpool: "Percy Galkoff and Son, Kosher Butcher•." The 'son' was Sydney, their eldest, who traditionally followed his father 'into the business'. The girls: Annie (my mother), Jenny and Nettie left school at fifteen to 'help in the shop', which was the lot of Jewish girls in those days. The younger boys, however, were encouraged to study, and Cyril qualified as a dentist, whilst Leon, the baby, graduated with honours from Cambridge University..... .....Two weeks before my wedding, Grandpa died. So wrapped up had I been in preparations for my future, that I'd failed to observe his deterioration after his recent operation for cancer of the liver, preferring to believe his brave claim that: "I'm going to be a new man". I saw him for the last time the day before he died. His face, despite its yellow pallor, looked so at peace as he lay in deep sleep; I realised for the first time that death is not cruel when it gently ends a long and worthy life. Grandpa had been an integral part of my childhood - not just a respected relative but a dearly loved friend. He was my partner in Saturday night games of dominoes, my favourite story-teller and my finest example of a religious man in the best sense of the word. In those days, it wasn't customary for women to attend funerals, so I mourned Grandpa at home, thoughts of my pending marriage much subdued...... |