Ms. Mohinder Bedi (Broadening Narratives)

Description

Mohinder Kaur Bedi, 84, is a joyful retired Hindi/Punjabi teacher and former principal who lives with her son in Naperville, Illinois. In addition to lots of laughter, the interview includes discussion of her birth in Sargodha (now in Pakistan), Partition-era childhood in an Indian Army family, her 1961 arranged marriage to Mukhsmendra Singh Bedi of the Reserve Bank of India, and an eighteen-year teaching career that culminated in a principalship at Guru Nanak School. She describes moving within North India for her father’s postings, studying at DAV College, Saharanpur, completing a B.Ed. in Bombay, and life in Koliwada, Santacruz, and Pali Hill. After her husband’s early death in 1983, she raised three daughters and a son, mastered household finances and the share market, and later retired in 1999. She immigrated to the United States in 2000 to join her newly married son for his job in the Chicago area. Other topics discussed include: Sikh heritage alongside an inclusive, multi-faith practice (regular visits to mandir, gurdwara, and masjid); community life and punctual “army family” values; technology adoption (email/computers) and staying busy with dance, theater, and cards at a senior center; frequent travel to India (including Amritsar) and a memorable pilgrimage to Pakistan (Kartarpur and other gurdwaras); serious but managed health issues (heart disease, diabetes, thyroid, blood pressure); and her guiding advice to keep active, build friendships, and choose positivity over worry.