By Kathleen Sullivan
Florence Frumovich Jacobson was born on July 8, 1915, in New York City, two years before the legalization of women’s suffrage in New York in 1917.
Along with her parents, Lena and Morris Frumovich, and her sisters, Elsie Freier (Freier’s Luncheonette in Hurleyville) and Ruth Gally, Florence moved to Hurleyville at a young age. The girls soon adapted to their new home and were enrolled in the one-room schoolhouse on Mitteer Road.
Her parents bought and managed the Clinton House on Meyerhoff Road in Hurleyville. Florence and her sisters helped staff the boarding house.
Louis B. “Perk” Jacobson’s store, Perk’s Market, was across the street from Bockman’s Pharmacy, a popular gathering place for young people in Hurleyville. That was where Florence caught Perk’s eye. They married in 1940 and had two daughters, Myrna Jacobson Coffey and Bette Jacobson Godfrey. The family lived in the apartment above the store.
Florence clerked in the market and helped with the bookkeeping. She prided herself on earning her own money, and valued the assistance of family and friends in caring for her home and her daughters. Her daughters remember her mantra, “to be as independent as she could be in a large and strong Jacobson clan.”
A participant in a variety of women’s community organizations, Florence loved classical music and was known to have a beautiful singing voice, although she was too shy to perform in public. She had a lifelong interest in music, and attended as many performances as possible. She also loved reading and Perk’s puns.
Florence imparted to her daughters the value of making their own choices and following their individual paths. She provided them with loving guidance…not pressure, not judgment. Florence and Perk made sure that decisions in their family were made together, democratically, carefully and respectfully. They taught Myrna and Bette the importance of education and the advantages of working hard to have choices in life.
Her daughter Bette, remembers fondly “her sweet nature, and her courage in overcoming episodes of physical challenges throughout her life.”
Her daughter Myrna, adds, “My mom was precious. My parents were a great team and special people.”
Diagnosed with severe dementia, Florence passed away on June 5, 2010, at Myrna’s home in Lawrenceville, Georgia where she spent her last years.
Florence is one of Hurleyville’s many extraordinary treasures. Visit www.hurleyvilleny.com to find more treasures in Hurleyville.