Hermina E. Petrick

Hermina Emma Galich Petrick 91, was born June 28, 1922, and passed away on Wednesday, January 29. Preceded in death by Joseph John Petrick, loving husband of 63 years; baby daughter, Louise; daughter, Lois Petrick Abrams; parents, Anton and Louise Galich; brothers, Adolph Galich, Albin Galich, Alfred Galich, and Albert Galich and sisters-in-law Helen Galich, Thelma Galich and Lillian Galich all from Pueblo. Survived by son, Dr. Joseph A. (Kimberly) Petrick, Cincinnati, Ohio, sister-in-law, Katherine Galich. Pueblo, and grandsons, Michael Z. (Sarah) Abrams, Aurora, Colo. and Raymond J. Abrams, Omaha, Neb., and great granddaughters, Aubrey and Ivy Abrams. Also survived by the children of her brothers, Janice Walker, Becky Sudduth, Michael Galich, Sandra Galich, Marykay Jimenez, and Albert Galich and the children of her late husband’s brothers, Carol Ranck, Mary Alberding, and Jim Petric. In addition to being an energetic homemaker and lovingly raising a family, Hermina worked full-time at Sears, Inc. and after 20 years retired as a supervisor in the unit budget control division. In retirement Hermina continued to provide volunteer services to the Pueblo community. She was a surgical waiting room volunteer at both St. Mary-Corwin and Parkview Hospitals, a volunteer for the Meals-on-Wheels Program, a performing soloist in the church choirs at both St. Mary’s and Cathedral’s parishes, and an active member of both the Benedictine Oblates and the Rosary Making Guild – personally making 10,000 rosaries for the spiritually needy in the latter organization. The family will receive family and friends at the visitation, 5 to 8p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, at the George F. McCarthy Funeral Home. The funeral Mass, 10 a.m. Tuesday, at St. Mary Church, celebrated by the Rev. Benjamin Bacino, followed by interment at Roselawn Cemetery. After interment, luncheon reception will be held in the basement hall of St. Mary Catholic Church. In lieu of food and flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the St. Mary Genealogy Center, the Slovenian Library-Museum, or the American Heart Association through the funeral home office, 401 Broadway, Pueblo, CO 81003.

Eulogy for My Mother

I am the son of Hermina (Galich) Petrick and my name is Joe Petrick. Although I am deeply saddened by the loss of my mother, as are her extended family and all of us present, this is a time to speak up and pay tribute to one of the best among us.

Many of you have known my mother for years as a devoted contributor to the parish and once-frequent soloist in the church choir. She has been a lay pillar of our religious community regularly engaged in many good works, from delivering communion to shut-ins, to leading the congregation in the singing of sacred music, to attending the funerals of many of your loved ones. These good works and many others speak for themselves.

But I would like to say a few words about the strength of my mother’s character that was formed by her love of God, family, and community.

My mother was born and raised on Bohmen Avenue near the steel mill as part of a large, Catholic Slovenian family in 1922 with four older brothers, all of whom served in the military during World War II are now deceased. Her father worked at the steel mill and her mother was a homemaker and raised five children. My mother came of age during the Great Depression and grew up used to hard work and simple living, but then came the Second World War. During the war she went to work in a retail store and a broom factory to make ends meet and to help out her parents after her father became disabled and could no longer work.

She was a member of Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation” who survived the Great Depression and helped to win the Second World War and demonstrated the importance of values like hard work, duty, sacrifice, kindness, and community.

She met and married my late father, Joseph John Petrick, in 1943 and after the loss of their first child, Louise, I was born and 4 years later my late sister, Lois, was born. My sister and I became part of the Baby Boomer generation – the grateful beneficiaries of the prior generation’s sacrifices.

And so began my mother’s transition from the role of loyal daughter to the role of loving wife in a marriage which lasted 63 years and to her role as loving mother to both Lois and myself. As a mother she was a model of compassionate caring with high standards.She had a quiet strength, a humble spirit and a dry wit that helped her cope during trying times and endeared her to others. She was the “heart of the family” who loved to hug, show affection, play games, kid around and bring joy and laughter to our home. Her singing at church came from her heartfelt devotion to God and family and she saw our religious community as a natural extension of that family love.

She supported the education of her children and enjoyed our academic and career successes, as well as, being present at both of our weddings and other family events. She enjoyed her grandchildren, Michael and Raymond Abrams, supported their education and career successes, and welcomed their chosen partners into the family. She enjoyed her two great grandchildren, Aubrey and Ivy Abrams. And she treasured her loving connections to her extended family, the sons and daughters of her brothers (on the Galich side of the family)and those of her her late husband (on the Petrick side of the family).

In addition to child rearing, she retired from Sears, Inc. in 1983 after 20 years of full-time service as a supervisor in the unit budget control division. She continued to provide volunteer services in the community. She was a surgical waiting room volunteer at both St. Mary-Corwin and Parkview Hospitals, a volunteer for the Meals on Wheels Program, a performing soloist in the church choirs at St. Mary’s, Cathedral and the Meadows parishes in Pueblo, and an active member of both the Benedictine Oblates and the Rosary Making Guild – personally making 10,000 rosaries for the spiritually needy in the latter organization.

In her later years, she had health and mobility constraints, but welcomed family, friends and neighbors to her suburban home in Sunset Park, while spending most of her time at a local Assisted Living Center with her sister-in-law, Katherine Galich. She appreciated the excellent pastoral care services provided by Father Ben Bacino and the dedicated pastoral support services provided by the parish convent sisters and their predecessors here at Saint Mary’s Help of Christians. She also appreciated the professional caregiving services provided by the competent, devoted staffs of the Wynwood of Pueblo Assisted Living Center, Gentiva Hospice Care, Visiting Angels Home Care, and Independent Hearts Home Care.

So, when we honor a woman like Hermina Petrick, we honor the best in each of us, the best in our families, the best in our community, and the best in our humanity. In our busy lives, we are reminded and given hope by the power of one loving, honorable life - well lived. She leaves us with a positive legacy. We will always love and miss her.