Sallaska, Florentina Kush (1856-1928)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1928 Jul 18 p. 7

Birth date: 1856 Oct 29

text of obituary:

Mrs. Florentina Sallaska

Mrs. Florentina Sallaska, nee Kush, was born in South Russia, October 29, 1856; in 1876 she entered holy matrimony with John Sallaska; 1880 they, with Mrs. Sallaska's parents moved to America and settled down at Strong City, Kansas, where her father died suddenly in the year 1881; from there they moved to Ebenfeld, Kanas, where they lived for several years; here her mother died December 22, 1887. In 1893 she acknowledged her lost condition and accepted Jesus as her Saviour; the same year she was baptized upon confession of faith in Christ and received into the M. B. church at Ebenfeld, Kansas. She has been a faithful member of the M. B. church to her death. In 1894 the family moved to Fairview, Oklahoma; here they lived together till 1922. The first years in the new settlement were hard but God blessed their toil and labor and they prospered. In 1922 they went to Corn to visit their children at which time her husband died the 8th of May, 1922, and also was burried [sic]. This was a hard stroke for Mrs. Sallaska yet she yielded and bore it with the help of God. After this she made her home in Corn where she lived till her death. A few months before her death she began to feel a pain in her chest which continued and caused shortness of breath, yet she was up and around, visited her children and attended, as long as possible, devotional meetings. Often has she lifted her voice in the meetings praising God for kindness, love and grace. She had a big heart for mission and for the poor which was manifested by her prayers and gifts. Especially has she prayed earnestly for children and grandchildren and often admonished them. The family altar she esteemed highly. In the evening of the fourth of July she took sick suddenly and severely. Thereupon the children gathered, the physician was brought and what human hands can do was done to relieve her of her pain. towards morning she improved so much that she could be taken to Dr. Gaede's Sanitarium. For a while she seemed to improve yet suddenly a change came and a stroke of paralysis caused her sudden death July sixth at one thirty p. m. When the stroke came not a further word was said only one hand was raised up and she was gone to be with Jesus whom she loved so dearly. Mrs. Sallaska reached an age of seventy-one years, eight months and seven days. In holy matrimony she lived forty seven years; children born to her ten, four sons and six daughters of whom one son and one married daughter have passed on before; grandchildren, thirty-three of whom four have died; greatgrandchildren four of whom one died. She leaves to mourn her departure two sisters, one brother, three sons, five daughters, five sons-in-law, three daughters-in-law, twenty nine grandchildren, three great grandchildren and a host of friends, who mourn yet not as such that have no hope for they expect to meet her again on that great Resurrection Morn. — Washita Co. Enterprise.