In Loving Memory of Effie Rosene Ceremony of a release of a balloon

By Bill Rosene of SPJST Lodge 232, Houston Midtown

This past Mother’s Day was one year since I lost the love of my life - Effie Sojak Rosene. We were together for 60 years before she left us as the result of a stroke that she suffered four years prior.

Effie was the dominant source of the Czech Center Museum of Houston, which together as founders, we started in 1995. And, by source, I mean she was the reason we were successful in contacting and working with individuals of Czech background there and here in Houston.

Effie and I both had retired from active employment - she with the Memorial system as assistant head of Memorial Northwest Hospital and I with the City of Houston. Prior to that, we found a little village about 40 miles north of Vienna, Austria. We loved it so much that Effie learned a great deal of the Czech language working with contractors, lawyers, Czech government officials, and architects as we built a small home on top of two wine cellars in the Village of Hlohovec. Learning the knowledge of Czech language helped her to deal with those who also would love to see an organization to promote that culture in the United States and specifically in Houston. Long range, we knew we had to have our own facility in Houston.

While exercising in Northwest Mall of Houston, we noticed an empty store space and thought it would be a great location to open a gift shop with an office in the back to promote the proposed organization and to raise funds to erect a building for our purpose in Houston. After nine years, working six days a week, and with the assistance of our board of directors, which was founded with other volunteers, Effie mainly had raised enough funds to build a three-and-one-half story building on San Jacinto Street, which is in bound to downtown Houston - with developing and completion of the first two floors. Effie never stopped working to locate other Czechs to find the funds to finish out the rest of the building. We started by having an annual fundraising gala party in several of the hotels in Houston.These were helpful, but the final funding was made in a surprise announcement by one of our members at the podium at a gala, who pledged sufficient funds to finish out the building.

Fully funded by 2004, we opened with all floors finished and ready to do the business of introducing the Czech language and those of Czech descent to parties and events of Czech nature to the people of Houston. As I said, this was all accomplished by Effie working six days a week, 10 months a year in Houston, and some in Hlohovec at our monthly residence there.

In 2014, Effie was working as usual after we had just returned from the Czech Republic. She suffered a stroke and was not in position to continue the daily work at the Center. She continued helping with advice as best she could give. It was heartbreaking to see and witness this vital person who had given so much, but now could not join in the business of working as she did prior to the four years she was made inactive by the stroke.

After giving and working for 19 active years and four inactive years to the Czech Center, Effie finally succumbed on Sunday, May 12, 2019 - Mother’s Day. Her family was devastated, especially me, who had lost her company, companionship, and comradeship after all those years.

I was not looking forward to the one year anniversary of her death on Mother’s Day this year. Now in an assistant living facility at Village of Meyerland, as the year’s anniversary was coming up, I was approached to release a balloon as part of a ceremony to mark the day for a remembrance. With three employees, I was wheeled out to the garden on a windy day to say a few words to Effie and release the balloon in her memory. The balloon did not stand a chance, but was blown right away at a low level, going north as we said goodbye and hoped that Effie was aware of the ceremony in her honor and memory.

The ceremony was meaningful and gave us some wellbeing. We still miss Effie beyond belief, and we always will.

A day or two later, I was talking to the director of the Czech Center on San Jacinto Street. She mentioned that she was out of the building in the parking area with her husband, and they were leaving to attend a meeting regarding the coronavirus pandemic. In the brief conversation, she happened to mention that as they were getting in their car and a balloon flew overhead close to her. My daughters and I could not believe what had happened with the balloon . . . it flew directly over and to the Czech Center. We hoped and felt there must be meaning to that happening. We all said we hoped that Effie was with it and aware of what she did!

All of us gained some solace in that moment for we hoped that was the meaning which would give her some solace, also.

In Memory of Effie Rosene • November 10, 1932 - May 12, 2019

Czech Center Museum Houston, located at 4920 San Jacinto Street in Houston, Texas.

Czech Center Museum Houston.

Czech Center Museum Houston.

Charter members of SPJST Lodge 232, Houston Midtown, Bill and Effie Rosene are pictured with lodge members and SPJST representatives at the chartering celebration on March 4, 2017.

Czech Center Museum Houston.

Czech Center Museum Houston.