Cornelia Novak Sandor

Almost fifty years of untiring, ceaseless Christian service and devotion in the Slovak Lutheran Church is quite a remarkable record for any woman, but to Mrs. Sandor it was her calling and lifelong duty.

Cornelia Novak was born on September 23, 1879, in Lubenik, Austria-Hungary, now Czechoslovakia. The daughter of the village schoolmaster, she received her education in the elementary school of Lubenik, and in the high school in Bobsina. On July 21, 1899 she married Martin Sandor, and their sixty-three year union was blessed with five children.

In 1906, when she was 27 years old she immigrated to the United States with three of her children, Samuel, Maria and Paul the oldest, being just five, following her husband who had gone one year ahead to find living quarters for the family in Cleveland, Ohio. Upon reaching this country she became a member of Holy Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church. From almost the very beginning of her association with Holy Trinity Church, she was interested in serving the Lord and His Church in more ways than just attending regular services. This desire first led her to join the choir of which she remained a member until the birth of her forth child.

Being a born leader, and especially in her parish, she was ever watchful for opportunities for women to do service. She was instrumental in recruiting a group of women to assist the church in any way possible, and in April 1922, with this group as a nucleus, the Ladies Aid Society was organized. Mrs. Sandor was elected the first president of this organization and served in this capacity for thirty-four years until her retirement in 1956. Under the leadership of Mrs. Sandor, the Ladies Aid Society was credited for much assistance over the years to the church and community. Not being satisfied with contributing just physical assistance, Mrs. Sandor conceived the idea that this group could also give financial aid. Dues paid by members did not reach very far, and so the idea of a bazaar and dinner was promoted by Mrs. Sandor and her co-workers. This event proved to be more successful than anticipated. Later a sewing group was organized which made articles to be sold at the bazaar. Mrs. Sandor also instated the custom to entertain members of the confirmation class at a dinner immediately following the confirmation service and to recognize the 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries of members of the Aid Society. On these occasions, she took great pleasure in purchasing a suitable gift and personally supervising the social event.

Funds raised through the bazaar project made it possible for the Ladies Aid Society to furnish kitchen facilities at the time when Holy Trinity built its new school building. Sewing machines were purchased to make articles for the bazaar, Lutheran Hospital and the Red Cross. The church, the missions, Missouri Synod, local charitable institutions and Lutheran High School were all beneficiaries of substantial cash gifts from the Ladies Aid Society. She encouraged support and interest in welfare organizations outside the local parish. She was very active in the American Red Cross and proudly marched in parades wearing the starched white dress with long red scarf tucked underneath a crisp white hat that was the Red Cross uniform in those days.

An accomplished seamstress, Mrs. Sandor made a number of beautiful altar cloths, some of which took many months to finish and for many years she led a group of workers who took care of all altar paraments.

Directing all of these activities took countless hours and much work, but to her, it was a labor of love. She was quiet and reserved, a conscientious and dedicated worker and leader who was diplomatic and got along well with people. She was highly respected by all who knew her. In 1947 the Ladies Aid Society celebrated Mrs. Sandor's 25 years of service as their President with a special church service and dinner. In 1949, the Ladies Aid celebrated the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Sandor with a special church service and dinner. In 1956, when she retired as president of the Ladies Aid Society, a testimonial dinner was given in her honor, at which time she was made honorary president and was presented with an electric mantel clock in appreciation of her many years of dedicated service.

She is remembered by her grandson, Paul Sandor, Jr., as being a kind and loving Grandmother. He recalls she was an accomplished cook of native bakery and dishes. She enjoyed making for her children and grandchildren delicious rolls shaped to resemble birds. She loved African violets and cared for many of these plants in her home. She and her husband also tended a large vegetable garden. During the hard years of the Depression, she took Lutheran schoolteachers into her home as boarders to help keep the doors of the school open. The Sandors never owned a car and instead used public transportation and taxis. Cornelia taught her granddaughter, Karen, to embroider and crochet. Karen fondly recalls having her hair braided daily until she was ten years old and reading evening devotions with her grandmother. Karen remembers the delicious nut rolls and poppy seed yeast rolls her grandmother made. The Sandors only daughter, Maria Cornelia who had made the long journey to America from Czechoslovakia as a small child died in 1920 at age 18, and one of the boys, Stephan, died at age 15 in 1923. The cause of each death may have been due to complications of influenza.

Martin Sandor worked at the Stearns Motor Company in Cleveland for more than twenty years. Later he took a job as a watchman at the Cozier Container Corporation. After retirement, Mr. and Mrs. Sandor moved to Eugene, Oregon to live with their son Vladimir and his wife, Lorna, and their five children. Martin Sandor passed away in 1962 and Cornelia joined him in 1968. They are buried together in the family plot at West Lawn Cemetery in Eugene, Lane County, Oregon.

Honoring Acknowledgment: Cornelia Novak Sandor is honored by James & Lois Sandor Jorgensen