Ron's Aunt Martha

Concord, New Hampshire

Maria Marta (Kaczmarek) LaFleur  (1904-1981)

Born August 10, 1904 in Poland, Martha had little opportunity for a proper education.  She

celebrated her eighth birthday two days before boarding a ship for America.  Once in the

United States, the family struggled financially.  As a result, Martha learned to do without,

developing a thick skin to hide her feelings.  At thirteen, she left home, supporting herself

by working as a waitress.  In fact, she spent the rest of her working life in the restaurant

business.  For several years during the mid-1930's, she personally prepared the traditional

Waldorf Salad at the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.  Somewhat stocky

and big-boned, she had wiry dark brown hair and broad, flat features.  At first glance,

she seemed gruff and bluff, but that was a facade.  True, she took no lip from anyone,

but Martha also had a huge heart and an open wallet -- an "easy touch" one might say --

whenever any of her younger siblings needed help.  A quick wit, Martha called everyone

"kid."  Her second husband, Arthur LaFleur, a career merchant seaman, sailed throughout

the Western Hemisphere, bringing home souvenir coins from each country visited.  Art and

Martha settled in Concord, New Hampshire, and raised one son, Arthur, Jr. (1942 -     ).

Martha's younger sister, Virginia, traveled back to Poland several times, in search of her

roots; but Martha, older by five years, still suffered from frightening memories of her

youth in the Russian sector of Poland -- of surprise raids by fearsome Cossacks on huge

horses who lined up all the men and boys in the village square and threatened to kill them

unless their demands were met.  Those memories, as well as a strong conviction that the

existing Communist regime in Poland was probably no better than the Cossacks, caused

Martha great anxiety.  "With my big mouth," she said, "they'd throw me in jail inside of a

week."  Although desperately wanting to visit her birthplace, she consistently refused to

accompany Virginia to Poland.  In the summer of 1981, after years of persuasion, Martha

finally agreed to make the trip.  Sadly, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and died on

November 17, 1981, a few months short of realizing her dream.  Virginia made the journey

alone the following year and returned with a small jar of dirt collected from outside the

church where Martha had been baptized . . . which she sprinkled on her sister's grave.