THIS IS THE ARTICLE FROM THE BUTLER EAGLE DATED 10.27.13 (I had difficulty opening it for others) By Elizabeth Scott Eagle staff writer Katie Schell, left, penned the story of her mother, Cabot resident Pega Crimbchin, in “Love Beyond Measure: Memoirs of a Korean War Bride.” submitted photo “Love Beyond Measure: Memoirs of a Korean War Bride” recounts the life of Pega Crimbchin, nee Ock Soon Lee, who lives in Cabot. A native of Korea, Crimbchin survived the Korean War, though she witnessed much death as the battles for Seoul raged in the early 1950s. Her story was written by her daughter, Katie Schell of Irwin, who remembers from a young age hearing her mothers stories of survival. Her mother had recorded her lifes story on tape about 30 years ago, and Schell said she had always wanted to write it down. The story begins with Crimbchins tragic childhood as a slave to a brutal family at the early age of 7. When she finally finds a way out of her situation, she ends up in Seoul several years before the outbreak of war. After the Communist invasion, Crimbchin finds herself alone, near starvation and surrounded by death. The book features about 20 photos, including one of Pega and her husband, Frank Crimbchin, in their early years, and a famous photo courtesy of the National Archives showing Korean refugees heading south from Kangning. Pega Crimbchin made a similar journey from Seoul to Taejon, walking 100 miles in snow and ice to escape communism. “When my father met my mother, it was illegal for Americans to marry Koreans, and it was illegal for Koreans to come to the United States,” Schell said. “It took him 10 months to go back and get her. The most amazing thing is all the things my father went through to get her back. After he died, she found a box of letters and the senator he worked with and all the things he did.” Pega got her new name from her husband. “I explain in the book how Koreans here would take an American name, Sue or something. But my dad thought mom was unique so he came up with Pega from St. Pega I think,” Schell said. Crimbchin has lived in Cabot for the past 40 years. She and her husband raised seven children and the family now includes 20 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. In the 1980s and 1990s, Crimbchin was instrumental in building a Christian Korean fellowship which was known as the Korean Butler Church. The author said her mother, now age 80, has had weekly speaking engagements since her memoirs were published. In addition, Crimbchin has directed that 10 percent of the proceeds from book sales go to drilling fresh water wells in third world countries. She feels especially close to this cause, since as a child she carried water on her head every day as a peasant in South Korea. In fact, she wanted 100 percent of the proceeds to go toward this cause until the first well was paid for, and she has achieved that. With the sale of about 400 books, $1,800 has already gone to Women of the Wells for a water well in Nigeria. For more information about the 308-page book, or to schedule speaking engagements or book signings, contact Schell at 412-585-7086 or katiesnook33@gmail.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 01:23:24 +0000
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