Epitaph of Rosa Lee Ahysen
LEE BERGER WAS BORN INTO A PROMINATE FAMILY ON JULY 19, 1925, TO FRANK & AIDA BERGER IN LONDON, ENGLAND. HER FATHER HAD SIX CHILDREN BY HIS PRESIVOUS WIFE WHO DIED DURING CHILD BIRTH. HER FATHER WAS 63 WHEN SHE WAS BORN AND LEE WAS THE APPLE OF HIS EYE. AS SHE HAS SAID MANY TIMES “I AM SURE I WAS A HORRIBLE CHILD” MEANING SHE WAS SPOILED ROTTEN.
LEE RECENTLY MENTIONED THAT SHE HAS HAD MANY LIVES.
WHEN WWII BROKE OUT, DURING THE UK BLITZ, LEE WAS SENT TO THE US TO LIVE WITH HER BROTHER JOE WHO WAS 26 YEARS OLDER THAN SHE. SHE ARRIVED IN THE US ON HER 15TH BIRTHDAY.
JOE WAS A FATHER FIGURE MORE THAN A BROTHER AND LEE WAS NOT ACCUSTOMED TO BEING TOLD SHE COULDN’T HAVE OR DO WHAT SHE WANTED.
SHE WAS NOW IN A STRANGE COUNTRY AWAY FROM HER PARENTS WAITING TO BE REUNITED WITH THEM IN AUSTRALIA.
SHE WAS 16 AND IN SCHOOL WHEN “THE TELEGRAM” ARRIVED FROM HER BROTHER BARNEY IN LONDON. HER BROTHER JOE PICKED HER UP FROM SCHOOL AND INFORMED HER OF THE DEATH OF HER PARENTS.
HER PARENTS WERE LEAVING ENGLAND BY OCEAN LINER TO ESCAPE THE BOMBING FROM THE WAR.
THEIR SHIP THE PORT TOWNSVILLE WAS ONE HOUR OUT OF PORT IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN WHEN IT CAME UNDER FIRE FROM THE GERMANS.
FRANK AND AIDA BERGER WERE KILLED ON MARCH 3, 1941. THEY WERE THE ONLY FATIALITES.
HER FIRST LIFE WAS OVER.
AT A USO DANCE IN NEW YORK ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1942, RED ARNOLD CAUGHT THE EYE OF A YOUNG 17 YEAR OLD NAMED LEE BERGER. LEE SAID SHE CHASED RED UNTIL SHE FINALLY CAUGHT HIM. AFTER JOE GRANTED PERMISSION THEY WERE MARRIED ON SEPTEMBER 4, 1943. AFTER THE WAR LEE AND RED MOVED TO SWEENY, TEXAS. THIS MOVE TO A REFINERY TOWN WAS A SHOCK TO LEE.
AFTER SEVERAL CHILDLESS YEARS THEY DECIDED TO ADOPT AN OLDER CHILD.
WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN AMARILLO, TEXAS, TO MEET “THE” CHILD THERE STOOD THREE PITIFUL LOOKING CHILDREN NEEDING A FAMILY. THEY WENT BACK TO THE MOTEL TALKED ABOUT THE MEETING AND SAID WE WILL TAKE ALL THREE.
RED DIED ON JANUARY 8, 1976, AND NOW HER SECOND LIFE WAS OVER.
SHE MOVED FROM SWEENY TO THE BIG CITY OF HOUSTON. SHE MET AND MARRIED TOM AHYSEN AND MOVED TO ARIZONA. AFTER 20+ YEARS OF MARRIAGE TOM DIED.
HER THIRD LIFE WAS OVER.
WE MOVED LEE FROM ARIZONA TO SAM RAYBURN IN EAST TEXAS. THERE SHE ENJOYED LIFE PLAYING BRIDGE AND HAPPY HOUR (5:00 pm SHARP) WITH HER NEW FRIENDS.
AFTER HAVING “TWO” MISHAPS WITH 18 WHEELERS WE DECIDED TO TAKE HER CAR. SHE MOVED TO GREATWOOD RETIREMENT HOME AND LASTED 7 DAYS. SHE CALLED US ON SUNDAY AND SAID SHE HAD MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH MOVERS TO MOVE HER BACK TO RAYBURN.
WE HAD SOLD HER CAR SO WE DROVE HER BACK AND HAD A VERY QUIET TRIP. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER SHE CALLED AND SAID SHE HAD BOUGHT A NEW CAR.
MANY WORDS HAVE BEEN USED TO DESCRIB LEE, ONE BEING ONERY, OPINIONATED, FIESTY AND WELL WORDS WE CAN’T USE IN CHURCH.
THIS RETURN TO SAM RAYBURN LASTED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND SHE WAS MOVED BACK TO HOUSTON TO THE TERRACE RETIREMENT HOME. ONCE AGAIN WE SOLD HER CAR AT A GREAT LOSS.
LIVING AT THE TERRACE WAS THE BEGINNING OF HER FINAL LIFE. LEE ENJOYED HER LIFE AT THE TERRACE AND WAS INVOLVED IN THE ACTIVITIES THEY OFFERED.
MAY 23, 2008, WAS THE BEGINNING OF HER FINAL JOURNEY. HER WEAK BODY COULD NOT FIGHT OFF THE PNEUMONIA AND ON JUNE 6, 2008 HER WORLDLY JOURNEY WAS OVER.
SHE WILL BE MISSED. THE EVENING OF HER DEATH A MARTINI WAS PREPAIRED AND THE FAMILY MEMBERS TOOK ONE LAST SIP TO TOAST HER. SHE DIED AT 5:00 PM HAPPY HOUR. SHE WOULD HAVE LAUGHED!!
LEE WILL FINALLY BE REUNITED WITH HER BELOVED FATHER AND MOTHER IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN 67 YEAR LATER.
SHE WILL BE MISSED!!
SANDRA & ALTON