My Hard Life Lived Well. Volume 5 (en Inglés) - K. Alexander Kardos

This 5th and final Volume that completes and accurately reflects my life showing the many trials, difficulties, obstacles, real heart aches, and triumphs that I faced in my life. Starting my life as a farmgirl in lowly Communist Yugoslavia for my first 18 years to 1953. Growing up I, Mary Banfi had a strong and grounded religious upbringing as my parents were lowly farmers in Cold War Yugoslavia. They lived in the northern province of Yugoslavia called Slovenia. The stifling communist rule made it impossible for us, my husband Karl and I to prosper and raise a family. We chose to look elsewhere in the world.

My fortunes and destiny changed after I got married to Karl Kardos, my first love twice. First, I had a civil wedding and more importantly a second religious Lutheran wedding. Little did I know what a truly remarkable journey he would lead me on. Hardship befallen as on our second attempt to escape Communist Yugoslavia to free Austria, I had to leave my first born daughter of 10 months behind. So many tears were shed every night for the absence of my first-born daughter. We retrieved her some 18 months later.

Similar challenges faced us in Austria on March of 1954 when we were sent to a Concentration Camp and had to work as day laborers. Life in the mid-fifties in the camp was difficult as food was rationed and often, we had to survive on day old bread and warm milk soup.

Our fortunes change when in May of 1956, we were allowed to immigrate to the United States of America with now three children and a fistful all of four dollars. We made the best on being lowly immigrants and built our lives to amazing successes. Join me on this journey as you read my storied and amazing memoir accounts, all 5 Volumes of my life with a newborn baby girl, Mary in 1970 and a shocking event culminating in 1972 that changed my life forever.