Lala and Auntie Marg in about 1908.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
A Beautiful Eulogy given by Uncle Bobby
Katherine Normile Mylod
Born - August 2nd, 1905 Chicago
Died - January 17th, 2009 Spring Lake, NJ
Funeral Mass - January 21st, 2009
On behalf of our family, I want to thank you all for your presence. Please help me set the tone. Today is a joyous day.
Standing here is truly an honor; but enormously humbling. Countless family members could deliver similar sentiments - all from the vantage point of the intense individual relationship that each of us shared with this grace filled woman.
As young children, when one of us would approach Mom as a supplicant for her support and wisdom, uncannily she always seemed available to just that person. (And there were nine of us.) And whether it was zig-azag-azoo, hoi, clout, the chock, the donut song, Boo Radley, or countless other LaLa-isms that connected her directly with each grandchild, these words codified and cemented unique relationships.
But no matter who might stand before you, inevitably all retrospective thoughts would intersect with the word Love. In her unique way, this mother, this LaLa as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren affectionately dubbed her, ceaselessly projected the unvarnished love that flows so naturally from a soul perpetually and deeply in prayer - in thought, in word, in deed. Oh, what a precious gift!
From whence does this beautiful eternal life originate? Well, of course, from our Creator. But even her birth and that of her beloved twin, Margaret, who predeceased her by four years, is a story of the power of the prayers to which both were so devoted. Their parents, childless for the first nine years of marriage, asked for intercessory prayer from the Poor Clares of Omaha. About one year later, in 1905, those efficacious prayers helped speed not one child; but these remarkable twins into the world. Incidentally, we just learned this week that this little vignette is memorialized in a book focusing on the life of the Foundress of the Poor Clares in the U.S.
So Katherine, literally born out of prayer, became a woman of unshakable faith and deep spirituality. It is indeed fitting that the cadence of our liturgical calendar this week takes us through the Letter to the Hebrews. Its chapter 11, verse 1 tells us that: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” How our mother embraced this passage, lived it in her life and passed it on to each of us with such quiet grace. Oh, what a precious gift!
After graduating from St. Joseph’s College for Women in 1927 and a short teaching career, Mom devoted the remainder of her fruitful years to her beloved husband - and our dad, Charles, and to her offspring. Her high level of intelligence, her always present and captivating wit, her innate integrity, her serenity and steadiness under fire, all combined with a deep and abiding humility, would easily have qualified her for any number of successful careers. She rather chose to become a dramatic witness to the notion that full time motherhood is a most powerful and efficacious vocational calling. Her 9 children and their spouses, her 34 grand children and their spouses, her 56 great-grandchildren, (there’s even an expected great-great-grandchild here today) and her loving nieces and nephews are all profoundly grateful for this most fortunate lineal link. We are her living legacy.
Mom may have set some kind of record for Rosary recitals – and isn’t it fitting that on this Wednesday we meditate on the Glorious Mysteries and the Resurrection - particularly lately as her mounting infirmities slowed her. But please know that this woman also possessed a boundless enthusiasm for life. Hers were extraordinary physical gifts that effortlessly emerged in social interactions.
Not too long ago, at Spring Lake Golf Club where she felt so comfortable, she pulled Shakespeare’s classic monologue “All the world’s a stage….” from her encyclopedic memory bank for an admiring visitor to her table.
And her gift for banter – always leavened with a truly inventive wit – perpetually lurked just beneath the surface. She would deploy it almost reflexively – and with an exquisite sense of timing. For example, less than a week ago, our sister, Carol, suggested that she might want a liquid libation. Mom didn’t think so. Persisting, Carol said, “But the doctor thinks this might be a good thing for you right now. I’m going to fix something up and put two straws in it and we can share.” But mother just parried with a playful shake of her finger. “Oh no.” said she, “You draw too fast!” Oh, what a precious gift!
Finally, Mom began a slow and gentle glide path toward her destiny in the Lord. Without a trace of bitterness or frustration, she ceded these remarkable physical gifts one by one back to her Creator – except for that quick and lively mind. More recently she was unable to attend, first daily and then Sunday Mass. Mom did make the supreme physical effort last month to attend one final Mass on the 25th anniversary of her beloved Charlie’s death.
Her daughter, Rosemary, spent the better part of the past 25 years as her constant companion and primary care giver in single minded, loving devotion to our mom. We, all of us – and most surely Katherine, herself – are forever indebted to Rosemary for the quality of these rich sunset years. As a result, Mom was constantly surrounded in love by her perpetually burgeoning family even as she declined.
As this physical reality emerged, several of her children had the privilege of bringing the Lord to her in the Holy Eucharist. Each time and every time became a profoundly spiritual experience. Our mother had such a deep devotion, such a reverence for the mystery of the Real Presence – a core belief of our Catholic Christian faith. Oh, what a precious gift!
So Mom, you have faithfully finished the race. Your marathon spanned almost 45% of our country’s history. We are just as sure that you now have completed a sprint into the arms of the Lord and the eternal presence of Bapa, Gammy, Auntie Marg, Gagop and Scott. We reluctantly let you go Mom. As we thank the Lord for the grace of your happy and peaceful death, we are consoled that you have come to share in the divinity of our Lord who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
Katherine Normile Mylod. Oh, what a precious gift!
We love you, Mom!
Born - August 2nd, 1905 Chicago
Died - January 17th, 2009 Spring Lake, NJ
Funeral Mass - January 21st, 2009
On behalf of our family, I want to thank you all for your presence. Please help me set the tone. Today is a joyous day.
Standing here is truly an honor; but enormously humbling. Countless family members could deliver similar sentiments - all from the vantage point of the intense individual relationship that each of us shared with this grace filled woman.
As young children, when one of us would approach Mom as a supplicant for her support and wisdom, uncannily she always seemed available to just that person. (And there were nine of us.) And whether it was zig-azag-azoo, hoi, clout, the chock, the donut song, Boo Radley, or countless other LaLa-isms that connected her directly with each grandchild, these words codified and cemented unique relationships.
But no matter who might stand before you, inevitably all retrospective thoughts would intersect with the word Love. In her unique way, this mother, this LaLa as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren affectionately dubbed her, ceaselessly projected the unvarnished love that flows so naturally from a soul perpetually and deeply in prayer - in thought, in word, in deed. Oh, what a precious gift!
From whence does this beautiful eternal life originate? Well, of course, from our Creator. But even her birth and that of her beloved twin, Margaret, who predeceased her by four years, is a story of the power of the prayers to which both were so devoted. Their parents, childless for the first nine years of marriage, asked for intercessory prayer from the Poor Clares of Omaha. About one year later, in 1905, those efficacious prayers helped speed not one child; but these remarkable twins into the world. Incidentally, we just learned this week that this little vignette is memorialized in a book focusing on the life of the Foundress of the Poor Clares in the U.S.
So Katherine, literally born out of prayer, became a woman of unshakable faith and deep spirituality. It is indeed fitting that the cadence of our liturgical calendar this week takes us through the Letter to the Hebrews. Its chapter 11, verse 1 tells us that: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” How our mother embraced this passage, lived it in her life and passed it on to each of us with such quiet grace. Oh, what a precious gift!
After graduating from St. Joseph’s College for Women in 1927 and a short teaching career, Mom devoted the remainder of her fruitful years to her beloved husband - and our dad, Charles, and to her offspring. Her high level of intelligence, her always present and captivating wit, her innate integrity, her serenity and steadiness under fire, all combined with a deep and abiding humility, would easily have qualified her for any number of successful careers. She rather chose to become a dramatic witness to the notion that full time motherhood is a most powerful and efficacious vocational calling. Her 9 children and their spouses, her 34 grand children and their spouses, her 56 great-grandchildren, (there’s even an expected great-great-grandchild here today) and her loving nieces and nephews are all profoundly grateful for this most fortunate lineal link. We are her living legacy.
Mom may have set some kind of record for Rosary recitals – and isn’t it fitting that on this Wednesday we meditate on the Glorious Mysteries and the Resurrection - particularly lately as her mounting infirmities slowed her. But please know that this woman also possessed a boundless enthusiasm for life. Hers were extraordinary physical gifts that effortlessly emerged in social interactions.
Not too long ago, at Spring Lake Golf Club where she felt so comfortable, she pulled Shakespeare’s classic monologue “All the world’s a stage….” from her encyclopedic memory bank for an admiring visitor to her table.
And her gift for banter – always leavened with a truly inventive wit – perpetually lurked just beneath the surface. She would deploy it almost reflexively – and with an exquisite sense of timing. For example, less than a week ago, our sister, Carol, suggested that she might want a liquid libation. Mom didn’t think so. Persisting, Carol said, “But the doctor thinks this might be a good thing for you right now. I’m going to fix something up and put two straws in it and we can share.” But mother just parried with a playful shake of her finger. “Oh no.” said she, “You draw too fast!” Oh, what a precious gift!
Finally, Mom began a slow and gentle glide path toward her destiny in the Lord. Without a trace of bitterness or frustration, she ceded these remarkable physical gifts one by one back to her Creator – except for that quick and lively mind. More recently she was unable to attend, first daily and then Sunday Mass. Mom did make the supreme physical effort last month to attend one final Mass on the 25th anniversary of her beloved Charlie’s death.
Her daughter, Rosemary, spent the better part of the past 25 years as her constant companion and primary care giver in single minded, loving devotion to our mom. We, all of us – and most surely Katherine, herself – are forever indebted to Rosemary for the quality of these rich sunset years. As a result, Mom was constantly surrounded in love by her perpetually burgeoning family even as she declined.
As this physical reality emerged, several of her children had the privilege of bringing the Lord to her in the Holy Eucharist. Each time and every time became a profoundly spiritual experience. Our mother had such a deep devotion, such a reverence for the mystery of the Real Presence – a core belief of our Catholic Christian faith. Oh, what a precious gift!
So Mom, you have faithfully finished the race. Your marathon spanned almost 45% of our country’s history. We are just as sure that you now have completed a sprint into the arms of the Lord and the eternal presence of Bapa, Gammy, Auntie Marg, Gagop and Scott. We reluctantly let you go Mom. As we thank the Lord for the grace of your happy and peaceful death, we are consoled that you have come to share in the divinity of our Lord who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
Katherine Normile Mylod. Oh, what a precious gift!
We love you, Mom!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Our Lala: 1905-2009
Katherine N. Mylod
(Asbury Park Press)KATHERINE N. MYLODAGE: 103 SUMMITKatherine N. Mylod went gently to the Lord after a short illness on Jan. 17th and after witnessing to His love for 103 years. She was born in Chicago in 1905 along with her identical twin, Margaret Normile McLoughlin, who passed into eternal union with the Lord in 2004. Katherine lived most of her first 88 years in Brooklyn, NY. She moved to Summit, NJ ten years after her husband Charles J. Mylod's death.Katherine is survived by her nine children, Charles J. Mylod, Jr. (Elizabeth M.) of Oradell, NJ; Katherine M. Mainzer (Robert L.) of Aberdeen, NJ; Marion M. Fitzgerald (Anthony W.) of Shrewsbury, NJ; Robert J. Mylod (Monica M.) of Manasquan, NJ; James P. Mylod (Linda H.) of Anderson, SC; twins Rosemary T. Mylod of Summit and Spring Lake, NJ, who was her constant companion and tender caregiver and Eleanor M. Culver (Craig) of Chatham, NJ; twins Carol M. King (Henry B.) of Kensington, MD and Brian J. Mylod (Kathleen C.) of Canton, CT; 34 grandchildren and their spouses, and 56 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Her husband, Charles, preceded her in death 25 years ago.LaLa, as she was known to her grandchildren and great grandchildren, was a woman of unshakable faith and deep spirituality. After graduating from St. Joseph's College for Women in 1927 and a short teaching career, she devoted the remainder of her fruitful years to her beloved husband and children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She possessed an uncompromising commitment to the principles of her faith, sharing her love for the Lord by a life of quiet witness. Those who knew Katherine appreciated her captivating wit, innate integrity, intelligence and serenity , often describing her as "such a gracious lady." She established enduring relationships with all of her offspring in an intensely individual way. In a world that increasingly longs for and needs deep and healthy loving relationships, family members are forever blessed by her example. At Katherine's 100th birthday celebration Mass, over 130 members of her immediate family, including nieces, nephews and their families were there to wish her well. They continuously flocked to her side right up to the moment of her death.Katherine maintained homes in Summit (where she was a daily communicant at St.Teresa of Avila RC Church) and Spring Lake (where she was a daily communicant at St. Catharine).Relatives and friends are invited to call on Tuesday from 2-4 & 7-9pm at the O'Brien Funeral Home 2028 Hwy 35 at New Bedford Rd., Wall followed by a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 11:00AM at St. Catharine's Church, 215 Essex Ave., Spring Lake. Burial will follow in St. Catharine's Cemetery, Sea Girt. In lieu of flowers her family requests donations to either St. Saviour's Parish, 611 8th AveBrooklyn, NY 11215 or St. Joseph's College for Women, 245 Clinton Ave.Brooklyn, NY 11205.
(Asbury Park Press)KATHERINE N. MYLODAGE: 103 SUMMITKatherine N. Mylod went gently to the Lord after a short illness on Jan. 17th and after witnessing to His love for 103 years. She was born in Chicago in 1905 along with her identical twin, Margaret Normile McLoughlin, who passed into eternal union with the Lord in 2004. Katherine lived most of her first 88 years in Brooklyn, NY. She moved to Summit, NJ ten years after her husband Charles J. Mylod's death.Katherine is survived by her nine children, Charles J. Mylod, Jr. (Elizabeth M.) of Oradell, NJ; Katherine M. Mainzer (Robert L.) of Aberdeen, NJ; Marion M. Fitzgerald (Anthony W.) of Shrewsbury, NJ; Robert J. Mylod (Monica M.) of Manasquan, NJ; James P. Mylod (Linda H.) of Anderson, SC; twins Rosemary T. Mylod of Summit and Spring Lake, NJ, who was her constant companion and tender caregiver and Eleanor M. Culver (Craig) of Chatham, NJ; twins Carol M. King (Henry B.) of Kensington, MD and Brian J. Mylod (Kathleen C.) of Canton, CT; 34 grandchildren and their spouses, and 56 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Her husband, Charles, preceded her in death 25 years ago.LaLa, as she was known to her grandchildren and great grandchildren, was a woman of unshakable faith and deep spirituality. After graduating from St. Joseph's College for Women in 1927 and a short teaching career, she devoted the remainder of her fruitful years to her beloved husband and children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She possessed an uncompromising commitment to the principles of her faith, sharing her love for the Lord by a life of quiet witness. Those who knew Katherine appreciated her captivating wit, innate integrity, intelligence and serenity , often describing her as "such a gracious lady." She established enduring relationships with all of her offspring in an intensely individual way. In a world that increasingly longs for and needs deep and healthy loving relationships, family members are forever blessed by her example. At Katherine's 100th birthday celebration Mass, over 130 members of her immediate family, including nieces, nephews and their families were there to wish her well. They continuously flocked to her side right up to the moment of her death.Katherine maintained homes in Summit (where she was a daily communicant at St.Teresa of Avila RC Church) and Spring Lake (where she was a daily communicant at St. Catharine).Relatives and friends are invited to call on Tuesday from 2-4 & 7-9pm at the O'Brien Funeral Home 2028 Hwy 35 at New Bedford Rd., Wall followed by a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 11:00AM at St. Catharine's Church, 215 Essex Ave., Spring Lake. Burial will follow in St. Catharine's Cemetery, Sea Girt. In lieu of flowers her family requests donations to either St. Saviour's Parish, 611 8th AveBrooklyn, NY 11215 or St. Joseph's College for Women, 245 Clinton Ave.Brooklyn, NY 11205.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Having a Ball: From Uncle Charlie
We (Uncle Charlie and John) went to the Giants vs 49'ers game on Sunday. After Plaxico Burress caught his TD pass he flung it into the stands toward our section. We watched. Could it be? COULD IT BE?? After a few touches - John reached out & grabbed it! No fullback ever held on tighter. Needless to say, John was the talk of several sections. Actually I told him he had to knock his father out of the way to get it. Some fun!
And Uncle Tony's response, which was great: After 40+ years it's about time the Giants gave us something. Way to go John and Chas.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
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