THE WAIT IS OVER...

LJI NA

Great Leasing Incentives
Just Announced!

Jack

Cauley

Atelii5ANIS!!!0:WiR7

AC:f CHEVROLET

SQUARE LAKE RD

C/3

w

t4 MILE

.1/41133000H I

CD
CC
F-
LLI

ill

TEL EG RA PH

Jack Cauley

/ ORC HAR D L K RD

■

1. 0

--‘
....

LU

F-

OPEN SATURDAY 8:00-4:00

15 MILE

113 E131 00 1W

C/)

Gee

HQ

qTy

sT

696

F gti

Orchard Lake Road Between 14 and 15 Mile
Hours: Mon. & Thurs. 8:30 am-9 pm
Tues. 8:00 am-6 pm
Wed., Fri. 8:30 am-6:00 pm

LU

810-855-9700
10

H-

MEMORIES page 1

was very fair-skinned. She lived
with her father on Indiana, just
north of Curtis. She suffered a
nervous breakdown, and she
put her life on hold at age 25 or
30."
Marilyn Cohn attended the
University of Michigan for a
year, and later Wayne State
University. She worked a cou-
ple of stenographer jobs, each
for short periods of time, ac-
cording to Gloria Bender,
Jewish Vocational Services' co-
ordinator of Project Outreach
and JVS' Senior Service Corps.
Though little is known of
Marilyn Cohn's adult life, three Marilyn Cohn, 11, with Elayne's dad,
people vividly remember her Joseph M. Lefkofsky, in front of his Dexter
deli.
from childhood years.
Elaine Hersh of West
Bloomfield recalls Marilyn from agnosed with breast cancer at
Post Intermediate School and the Harper Hospital. She had a mas-
Central High class of 1948. Ms. tectomy, according to a Suzanne
Hersh lived on Woodingham.
Lowy, a physician assistant who
"She wore glasses," said Ms. was involved in her treatment.
Hersh. "We used to play togeth- Ms. Lowy also said that Marilyn
er. The things that stick in your had tremors and she looked
memory are sometimes unusual. downward often.
But I remember my father back-
"She spoke in a singsong man-
ing the car out to take her home, ner," Ms. Lowy said. "She was al-
and she slipped on the floor of the ways polite and appreciative. She
house before she left to get into knew every date, and she knew
the car.
what she wanted and what she
"Also, I remember thinking didn't want. She knew the names
back then that after school ev- of her caregivers and she was
eryone had the same kinds of ex- grateful for something as simple
periences, like having milk and as a picture on her wall. She was
cookies," continued Ms. Hersh. "I a fearful person, and she was
once went to Marilyn's house and very clean."
her father gave us rice cereal with
Marilyn Cohn was admitted to
the milk. I remember thinking Harper again last July. Bone can-
how unusual that was."
cer had started to destroy her.
Fran Cohen Klarin, a neigh-
Hospital workers say she knew
bor on Seabaldt, now a resident the names of every flower, its reg-
of Powell, Ohio, remembers ular name and its technical or
Marilyn as a "quiet gal. She was species name.
in the French Club and the Civics
From Harper, Marilyn Cohn
Club."
was moved to the Hospice's
Elayne Lefkofsky Yudkin, now Franklin Care Center. It was
of Boca Raton, Fla., and Marilyn there she met Rabbi Freedman.
were close friends until age 11.
She would talk about the
"I remember her very well," she Jewish High Holidays with him
said. "I have pictures of her as a and even wished him l'shana
child. We went to school together tova, happy new year. Just prior
and to Shaarey Zedek Sunday to her death, she was too weak to
School together, as well. She was listen to a special jazz perfor-
sort of a loner, a bit shy. But still mance being held in a nearby au-
a very nice person. Her father, ditorium.
David, was a wonderful man. He
Her brown eyes greeted Rabbi
loved her, I could tell that."
Freedman. But on this day, her
Ms. Bender at JVS is the eyes would have to do the talk-
Jewish community's link to many ing. She was-, at the time, a bro-
poor and frail elderly Jews living ken body underneath a blanket
in various group homes, hotels at Hospice.
and residences in Detroit. She
"I've been to funerals in the
first met Marilyn Cohn at the past where there's only been
Rose Care Group Home on three people in attendance," said
Detroit's east side. Marilyn had Ms. Bender. "The worst thing in
come to a Project Outreach social the world is to die with nobody
function.
there for you."
"I asked her if she wanted to
Childhood friend Elayne
participate in Project Outreach," Lefkofsky Yudkin didn't see
Ms. Bender said. "There were Marilyn alone. What she re-
times that she would, and times members is her friend posing
when because of her mental ill- with her in front of her father's
ness she just couldn't come back. car or in front of a deli on Dexter.
I visited her several times.
"This recollection of Marilyn
"She held herself as a little has brought back some happy
girl," Ms. Bender said. "She was memories," she said. "It was just
in such bad shape, and she led sad to hear how Marilyn died.
such an isolated, lonely life."
She was so nice. That's what I'll
In 1991 Marilyn Cohn was di- remember." El

r'

