Geena May Texas 4000

My mom’s mother, Marge passed away when I was two of ovarian cancer. I do not have many memories with her except the stories that my mom tells. She is constantly reminding me of the compassion and heart that my grandma had and that she sees my grandma in some many aspects of my siblings and myself.

Words from Rickie Reis:

Marge, was a warm, kind woman and I think of her often.  I first met her when she was a baby just off the boat from Germany.  We lived near each other as children and I still remember feeling sorry for her because Uncle Ernst and Tante Trude brought enough German clothing with them  to last her for a long time.  At the age of eight, I was nothing but proud to be an American and anything German (as you can imagine) was an embarassment.  I was eight years older and got a kick out of the fact that I was actually twice her age when I turned 16.  Aaah memories!

Words from my Grandpa Schreiber:

My wife, Marge was a very special person. She had tremendous warmth and patience in raising a beautiful family of three children; one of whom is Geena’s mother. She always had a place in her heart for all of her children and grandchildren and they in turn reciprocated with love. She came to the U.S. as an infant and celebrated her first birthday in New York Harbor. She grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City where she lived when I met her. We were married three years later and had two children while living in Brooklyn, NY. She set an example for the family members by being compassionate and understanding for other people’s needs and was always there in both good and bad times. We had a wonderful life together of almost 40 years. The last three plus years are during the time that she was dealing with ovarian cancer. Marge was willing to try every known therapy in order to defeat the cancer. However, there was always time to devote to her children and grandchildren as well as the friends and neighbors. One of her major assets was her listening ability, and as such, many people confided in her. I look at my three married children, seven grandchildren and always think of her and the light that she put into my and their lives. I miss her dearly and think of her continually.

Words from my Aunt, Susan Cadel:

My mom, Marge Schreiber, lived for her family and friends. She was a devoted wife, mother, sister in- law, daughter, cousin, aunt, daughter in law and friend. But I believe she felt the greatest pleasure in being a grandmother. No one ever called her grandmother. It was Grandma. She like to refer to her grandchildren as her chickadees. Mom used to joke that she wanted a good return on her investment. What she mean was that she had 3 children and she wanted more than 3 grandchildren. Mom had a good return on investment. She was alive for and participated in the birth of 5 grandchildren. She so desperately want to be alive for the birth of Geena. In spite of undergoing extremely painful cancer treatment, Mom was alive and kicking when Geena was born kicking in June 1996. These pictures are a happy grandma and her newest grandchild, Geena. I know that Mom would be so proud of Geena and the commitment Geena is making to make a difference in battling cancer. I know in my heart and soul that Mom would have loved the additional two grandchildren she didn’t get to meet. Eric, the youngest grandchild of the Schribe Tribe (as we affectionately call ourselves) will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on the day that Geena departs for Alaska, on June 4, 2016. While he never got to meet his paternal Grandma, she would be so proud of Eric. And she would have so proud of her other 6 grandchildren B’nai  Mitzvahs who came before Eric. Mom and Dad made sure they were a part integral part of the family tree, no matter the distance. They hopped in the car and drove to every event or just to stay in touch. When it was too far to drive, which is over 1,000 miles, they flew. Mom organized a reunion of her Rosenwald cousins in September 1997. It was clear that she was too weak to travel far in September 1997 so she planned the Rosenwald Reunion in Virginia. She was already bedridden by  this stage. But she was determined to see her relatives with all the charm and grace that she always exuded. Dad enlisted the help of friends who were volunteer firefighters and EMTs. They moved Mom from her second story bedroom into Dad’s car. A weekend with her cousins, kids, gran children and husband was a memory we all fondly remember. Please note in the picture, all the young children had on Rosenwald Cousin Reunion t-shirts. She was so happy to be surround by family. Five days later she passed away. Another victim of cancer.  Marge Schreiber’s memory is a blessing.