Sumia Farha Cohlmia

is honored with a Brick from Marti Farha Ammar.

Sumia Farha Cohlmia was born in Lebanon in 1909. She was one of three daughters and five sons born to Farah and Nahima Farha. Before her eleventh birthday her world would change drastically due to the death of her father and the invasion of Lebanon by the Turkish army. Literally on a moments notice, her widowed mother gathered Sumia and her siblings and fled their home to escape the cruelty of the Turks. They made their way at night to Beirut, then continued on to Paris, where they secured passage on a ship to New York through the kindness of relatives already in the United States. From New York they continued on to Wichita where the family's oldest child, Nellie, was living with an uncle.
As with so many immigrants, Sumia and her family overcame the many difficulties in their paths through religious faith and the unshakable love and powerful bond that these trials often create. Sumia never forgot the people who showed kindness to her family as they began a new life in a new country. That country and it's freedoms and promises quicly became a home that she treasured throughout her life.
In 1927 Sumia married a fellow immigrant and the love of her life, Lee Cohlmia. They spent their early married years in small towns running a dry goods store and beginning their family of three daughters and three sons. Sumia often workd along side her husband, cared for the children, continually hosted houseguests, and always cooked huge Sunday dinners attended by extended family from surrounding areas. She did all this without the benefit of our modern conveniences. What seems to us as an unusually grueling schedule, was simply everyday life in my grandmother's young marriage. As long as she had her faith and her family, nothing was too difficut, not the separations, not the family illnesses, and not the chores of daily life.
Lee and Sumia eventually ended up back in Wichita, and what began as a small fodd stand at Douglas and West Street, grew into Standard Market, a state of the art full service grocery store. They settled their family into a comfortable house near Friends University, and life, although busy, became a little easier as the older daughters, Vivian and Nahia, began to work in the store with their parents. Meanwhile the yougerdaughter, joyce, helped watch over their three young sons, Kay, A. Lee and Jerry.
Sumia's life was already good, but the move to Wichita added another very important element to her world. Their your family as one of many in Wichita to join a newly established Eastern Orthodox Church. And to finally be able to practice her faith in the chuch of her ancestors, completed the ever changing first chapters of her life.
The middle chapters of Sumia's life filled the longing all immigrants must have. There was no more moving around. Her family was settled in a town and a country that she was always grateful for and loved. Having become American citizens, Lee and sumia would send money back to Lebanon only to family or chrities, but never to support the government. America had Givent them the wonderful life they enjoyed and as citizens they would not financially support any other government. It was important to them that we knew this.
The years passed quickly and the children attended high school and college, fulfilling their dream of a good education for them. The grocery store closed and was replaced by The Cue, a recreation hall for billiards. In a way they had a new family because they were always ready to listen and help the young people who came to their recreation center. Often times in later years they would run into someone who had grown up around The Cue. Their kind words told how grateful they were for the interest Lee and Sumia had shown in them and their friends.
Of all my grandmothers gits, none is as memorable as the wonderful world you entered when you stepped into her kitchen as she was preparing or serving a meal. With a hand full of this and a pinch of that, she made the food that nourished our bodies, filled our heartsm and fed our souls. When she would sya that 'no one would leave her house hungry', she meant that even a stranger could sit at her table and go away not only with a full stomach, but with a fulfillment that comes from being part of a loving family, even if just for a meal.
The preparation and the food were filled with her lover for all of us. And after we sat and enjoyed each meal, we could tuck it away as another special memory. And she gave us these memories over and over again. Through good health, through sickness, ghrough sadness. Those meals were the celebration in good times, and the medicine in sad times. You know how much love was around that table because if you ask any of Sumia's family, they would say 'Oh, what I wouldn't give to sit around that table one more time'.
As time passed, Lee and Sumia's children married and blessed them with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. After they retired they were both very active, Lee with his golf, and Sumia with her cooking and crocheting. They loved attending their grandchildren's school programs and sports events. And both were huge Shocker basketball fans, attending games often.
They marked their 50th wedding anniversary in 1977, and went to Hawaii to celebrate it. And in 1984, after a wonderful lifetime together, Lee passed away, leaving Sumia to care fro their family alone. She left the house on University Street and moved to the east side with her daughter, Vivian, whose wonderful presence in her life allowed Sumia to always reamin independent, even in her later years. She especially enjoyed her trips to Las Vegas with many of her children and grandchildren and her dear sister, Manira.
After her husband's death, Sumia continued as she always had, but there was a new dimension for us. Now she began teaching us how to reamin thankful, even when life isn't as you may want it to be, when someon special is missing or when illness sets you back. She taught us to turn to our faith, persevere through difficulties, and always care for one another.
The Lord blessed Sumia with a challenging, fulfilling, wonderful long life, which came to an end in 1997. She is adored and missed by the gamily she created, loved, and left with so many memories. And now we take them out and enjoy them often. As she would say every time you left her, 'Nishkur Allah', go with God.


J. Farha