Helene Uhland
Helene Uhland, 86, slipped away peacefully on Dec. 8, 2011, surrounded by her family, capping a life of simple joys and quiet devotion to her late husband, Joe Sr., and her six children.
Born in Shenandoah, PA in 1925 and raised in Germantown, Helene was in every way a model wife, mother, and Grandmom.
Beloved mother of Joe, Jr., (Paula), Jane Cudnik (Stan), David (Deb), Mark (Liz), the late Bob (Teri), and Helene (Renny). Dear sister of Frank Wilcome and Joan Poole, and loving grandmother of Derek Uhland, Jason Uhland, Maureen Hoffman, Greg Cudnik, and Katie and Stacey Uhland.
Services will be held at St. Francis Church in Brant Beach, NJ, 08008, at 4700 Long Beach Blvd., with a viewing at 10 AM this Monday, 12-12-2011, followed by a funeral mass at 11AM and interment at St. Mary’s cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a favorite charity.
My deepest condolences to you and your family. God bless you all at this time of sorrow.
May the peace that comes from the memories of love shared comfort you now and in the days ahead.
A farewell to my Mother, Helene Uhland
I want to try to explain what my Mom was like. And how she differed from June Cleaver.
June, as you probably know if you’re a certain age, was Leave it to Beaver’s mom, and she really only existed on TV screens from 1957 to ‘63 while we were growing up in Merchantville.
For me , that was first to seventh grade at St. Pete’s.
June was the perfect Mom, and never had any troubles, except for her son Theodore, (the Beaver.)
My mom was like that, but different.
Even though she was always there, nicely dressed, with a hug or a good word when dad got home from the office, and had dinner ready to go,
June only had to feed Wally and Beaver.
Mom was feeding six of us, and we were , as my dad called us, “chow hounds”. But there she was, nursing our scrapes and bruises, helping us with our homework, keeping us in clothes, listening to all of our troubles, And doing all of those things that moms do, and you really don’t think about it much,
until you get older.
How did she possibly do that?
She and Dad lived through the depression when they were young, and each barely avoided losing their homes. Dad’s Mom took in a boarder, and Mom’s Dad painted houses to make ends meet.
Dad was a busy guy. They met in Philly while he was going to Drexel after the war. She was working at a bank there, and they were married in 1950. After a few years in East Camden, and Dave on the way, we moved to a great place in Merchantville, not too far from his Mom, with plenty of room for the kids.
She was a good Catholic, German – Irish, from the coal regions, religious, and so was he, with a quiet faith that they instilled in each of us, sending us to Catholic school, taking the whole crowd to Mass every Sunday, and teaching us by setting a good example.
Dad worked hard, was successful, and we were able to go down the shore most summers, and finally bought a place in Surf City. Mom’s love of the beach was contagious, which is why I think each of us ended up here today:
Jane met Stan in college, and they moved here first.
Followed by Helene, who met Renny, an LBI native, while she was summering here, and they made the island their home. My dear brother Bob, who passed in 1991, met his true love, Teri, in the Navy, and they too lived not far from here in his final year.
One of the hardest things that Mom ever did was to say goodbye to Bob.
It was a great source of comfort to her that she believed she would see him again.
Teri raised their son Derek in Manahawkin, and he and Kelly, (who is another young lady who lives not far from the beach) are engaged to be married this June.
Even brother Dave and Deb are a stone’s throw from the bay near Cape May, and Mark and Liz and Paula and I get here as much as we can.
When we were in Cherry Hill, Mom kept a small garden, and the kids enjoyed the wide open spaces and Mom’s home cooking.
We took cross-country trips in the Colony Park, and Dad was such a sport, he took not only Mom, but his mother in law, Grandmom as well.
He and Mom took great care of Grandmom, having her live with them in her last years.
Mom was a big Phillies fan, and she and Dad watched every game together for years, good and bad. Some of our friends here may recognize her famous saying: “Oh, that’s a shame.”
We were so glad that she got to see the Phillies go all the way in 2008.
She was so excited.
Just like Dad, she loved the casinos, and she would drive from Cherry Hill to play the poker slots every chance she got while Dad played blackjack.
We took trips to Europe together, to meet up with long-lost relatives, and she had the chance to take a number of cruises with Dad.
She enjoyed music, took some courses at the local high school, and Mom and I heard dozens of great Operas at the Academy in Philly.
Tosca was her favorite, and she loved to play her albums at home.
When Dad got sick, Jane and Stan bought what we call the cottage near here as a place where Mom and Dad could spend their final years together close to them and Helene Jr., and the rest of us. Wow.
In 2006, Mom lost Joe. Sr., the love of her life, and each of us tried to help keep her company at the cottage.
Then , a few years ago, she lost her hearing, which was a terrible blow, and she had some surgery, but music for her was never the same.
So just as she looked after us for all of those years, she taught us, and when she needed us, we were there,
particularly Jane and Helene, who saw her every day, morning, noon and night, and Teri, and many others, too. That is something special that I think we learned from her.
Everyone, The kids, the grandkids, the spouses and fiancés and girlfriends, everyone, particularly in the last several months, took the time to see her and keep her company, and she always tried to show that lovely smile for us.
Mom loved desserts, and even last Monday night, she skipped the main course and went right for the apple pie.
The only time that I can think of her misbehaving was when she and her Mom left the hotel one day to tour Universal at Orlando while Dad and I were at a trade show and she didn’t call or come back until pretty late.
So I see her now, with Bob, and Dad,
and Grandmom, and everyone else,
having a great time, staying out late, and saying:
“Don’t worry about me, honey, I’m doing fine”.
And so she lives on — in our minds,
and our memories,
And Forever in our hearts,
walking in Paradise.
We love you and we miss you, Mom.
And, Mom — how are the desserts ?
By son, Joe Uhland. Presented as the Eulogy at Mom’s funeral Mass, 12-12-2011, at St. Francis Church, Brant Beach, NJ.
Joe,
Anabel and I are so sorry to hear that she had departed. We were able to see Aunt Helene mid November. It was great to see her again, but of course, I wish it had been under better circumstances.
While there, it was great to see that her mind was clear and her wit was sharp. I know she has gotten her wish while we were there, “…to be with her husband, Bobby, mother and father”
God Bless,
Mike and Anabel Poole
Dear Joe:
Deb G. & Kim C. forwarded to me the news of your dear Mother’s death. I was saddened to hear of her passing. I remember her to be so very gracious and such a caring and elegant woman. She was always very kind to Carole and I. She warmed our hearts and helped to make us feel a part of the SQN family.
I have just read the thoughtful and loving expressions of your eulogy. It uplifts my heart to hear your wonderful sentiments of remembrance of your Mom, Helene, and the love that your family returned to her.
Please accept our sincere condolences and deep sympathy. We only have one mother. She is irreplaceable but she lives on forever. She joins our guardian angel in keeping watch over us as she did all her life on this earth. And, as you know so very well, we shall all see each other again!
May God bless and embrace all the Uhland’s and strengthen them in this time of sorrow. May we together all come to know the joy of resurrection and life everlasting in the Kingdom of our God.
I can only imagine the joy of the heavenly reunion of Helene, Joe Sr., and Bob…
Lovingly,
Ron and Carole Fejeran
We are thinking of all of you at this time of sorrow.
God Bless all of you and may you find peace in her memories and all that she meant to you.
Thanks a lot, Greg.
My family and I appreciate it.
Regards,
Joe
Joe,
What a great tribute to your Mom. We all loved her. You and Paula were very lucky to have her in your life.
Love you both, Osh and John
Sorry for your loss. Your mom was a very gracious lady and we’ll all miss her (and your dad too.)
Regards,
Bob & Pam Theis