Annie and Sharon Teicher’s Memories of Pearl Einhorn Sasportas

The Teicher family lived upstairs on 94 Clark Street in Hartford and the Sasportas' on the bottom floor. I think the first time I actually got to know Pearl was when my father who lived with me got hit by a car and died. Grandma and Grandpa Sasportas came to the funeral and came upstairs while we were sitting shiva. Pearl was still working and I didn't see much of her until she was pregnant with Arnold. Sasportas', Apter's and Teicher's belonged to the same organization.

Pearl and I always did things together. If I was cooking stuffed cabbage she would come upstairs and we would be tasting it all day to see if it had the right taste and all of a sudden we would say let's bake a banana cake and we would put our ingredients together and then cut the cake in half. Once Pearl said she had a lot of bananas so she said why not put in more and it came out like lead!!! Every time I bake a cake or make stuffed cabbage I think of Pearl and even more so every day. Neighbors are not like we were years ago.

Early in the morning she would get up before the grocery store ( Franks Brothers ) would be open and the bread man would leave his rolls and bread by the door and she would take what she needed and would go over and pay them when they opened up. Then she would come upstairs with her laundry and say " I am using your clothesline to put out my wash ". In those days you never locked your door so you never knew who was coming in. After hanging the cloths she would say "Now you have to come down for coffee". In those days we called it a coffee clatch. Sharon and Howard (my children) would come home from school for lunch and ask if we were eating upstairs or downstairs (at Pearl’s) as I had the sandwich grill and we made grilled cheese and grilled Bologna. Most of the time we ate downstairs.

Mom (Pearl) was waiting to have Arnold and a couple of days later he came. She was told she would have to have an operation within three months as she had a growth around her intestines and did not know what to do. Well Arnold and dad (Al) moved upstairs, crib and all, and when mom came home she came upstairs and I can't remember where we all slept. As I say we were one family and that is how I entered the Einhorn family.

When she went back downstairs Theresa would push her baby carriage and mom would tell Sharon to push Arnold. Then after a while mom told me " I am going to have another baby." and she came home and a couple of days later I had to go with dad to bring Robert home. After Robert was a little older Pearl said " How about taking driving lessons? ", which we did taking turns taking care of the kids. We both got our licenses but she did better than me. I only drove for a month but she kept up with it. I guess shortly after that you moved to Bloomfield but we spoke to each other daily.

Years later there was an ice storm and we were without power in Manchester so mom said she had power and told us to come to her. " Just bring your blankets and pillows ". I think we stayed for four days.

Pearl used to play the violin on Clark Street once in a while. Pearl had a beautiful voice and with dad they used to practice their singing in the kitchen for the Mr. and Mrs Show in the Kenesset Israel. You come from such a musical family. I keep thinking of the beautiful days on Clark Street. We didn't have much but what we did have was a wonderful relationship. Mom was a great friend, a very pleasant warm and loving person. When she got sick I didn't realize how bad she was until years later. When she passed away I lost my sister.

Pearl made the best Blueberry pies especially when you lived in Bloomfield. She used to make them special for Howard when she was well. When everyone was "gung ho" on Morrison Schiff hot dogs, which we couldn't get in Manchester, she would bring her Blueberry Pie from a shop at here Grandma's pie shop and she would give us the hot dogs. This went on for quite a while. When she got sick and was in the hospital she would always call me and say "guess where I am." I received such a call on her last birthday. We picked up a couple of pies and went to the hospital. On our way there we met Dr. Glassman on the elevator. He wanted to know whose party it was and when we told him I think he may have gone for a pie. At the same time my brother was in the hospital a few doors down due to his illness, ALS & Heart attack, and when he heard about Pearl the day she passed away he managed to get out of his sick bed and, with aggravation of the medical staff, he said "I am family and am going into the celeriam with them." Yes, family we are.

Here is a picture of Annie along with Pearl's three boys enjoying some of the famous banana cake. From left, David, Arnold, Annie, and Robert.

This is Sharon Teicher, Annie's daughter, with some memeries of Pearl from Clark Street. Aunt Pearl always sent me a birthday gift from G Fox. I remember a toy stove that was electric and she sent me a pocket book that I wanted from G Fox. When ever they came to the house I knew who it was from. Then when Jason, my son, was born she always remembered his Birthday. When she was sick and living in Bloomfield I stoped over one day and she gave me a few things of hers that sat on her dresser. It meant a lot to me because she was still living.

Here is a picture of Annie and Sharon with David, Arnold and Robert.