Goodbye Elta Baubie Goldie

Elta Baubie and Dana

Elta Zaydie and Elta Baubie when Mommy was young

Our beloved Elta Baubie Goldie Fleishman passed away on October 25th, 2010 at 93 years old. We were so fortunate to have her in our life for so many years.  Below is what I wrote to read at her funeral. We all miss her dearly. 

Every one of us has something unique we’ll miss about Goldie.  Whether it is the way her skin feels, the sound of her voice singing, her boisterous laugh, or how she says hello and good bye on the phone, we each have our own memories of her. 

Goldie Ann Levy was born to Lithuanian immigrant parents on the West Side of Chicago in 1917.  Even from a young age, she was independent and ahead of her time.  She attended Hebrew school before girls went to Hebrew school, she would ride the street cars to and from school by herself, and she was a lifeguard at a local pool.  As a young woman, Goldie wanted to travel, so she went by herself to such places as St. Joe/Benton Harbor, Michigan and New York. 

Just after the war, Goldie was set up with the love of her life, William “Bill” Fleishman. No one could have been a better match for Goldie.  They were married and about a year later came Jeffrey.  Janice followed three years later.  After a few years being a stay at home mom, Goldie decided she wanted to return to the work force. Goldie worked for the City of Chicago Board of Election Commissioners for many years. 

While Jeffrey and Janice were growing up, sports were always a huge part of their life.  They were all involved with Jeffrey’s little league games and the favorite summer treat was Double Headers at Comisky Park.  The other staple around the Fleishman household was music. Whether it was Goldie playing the piano or singing Yiddish songs, she kept everyone entertained.  Both of these loves continued with her until the day she died.

Goldie was blessed with four grandchildren and one great grandchild and another great grandchild (note: my cousin Stacy is pregnant) on the way.  She enjoyed taking care of them and sharing the Jewish traditions with them.  We always remember her lighting the Shabbat and holiday candles or benching licht as she said.  Every holiday had a huge meal which was always delicious.  She was a real bala busta.  As a kid when we would stay over, she made us take one more “zup” of orange juice before we could finish breakfast while she drank her instant coffee out of her red mug with white hearts. She loved making Jewish chop suey, of which I have never had anything as good as hers.

As us grandkids got older, we spent more time talking with Baubie about her life.  She always had a fascinating story to tell and was interested in talking with us about politics and pop culture things such as American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. She was an open ear and a level headed voice that helped us work through many situations when we needed some advice. 

Baubie and Zaydie were a wonderful example of a loving marriage.  They were each other’s besharet. They truly enjoyed spending time together, whether it was going on a cruise, taking trips to Hawaii, or spending time with their children and grandchildren.  When Bill passed away, Goldie continued to be the strong woman that she was, even though she missed her Bill terribly.  She stayed in their house for many years, drove herself everywhere, and kept up with all of her friends.

Once Goldie moved to Lieberman Center, she shared her love of music and bingo with all the other residents.  She enjoyed living there so much that they brought any new residents to her so that she could explain why it was so great to be there.

We will all miss Ma, Goldie, Baubie, or Elta Baubie so much.  We have all been influenced by her love of life and know that we will carry that with us forever.