U k raine ) ▁and ▁her ▁mat ernal ▁grand par ents ▁from ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁where ▁her ▁grand father ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁cant or . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁after ▁Stre is and ' s ▁first ▁birth day , ▁her ▁father ▁died ▁at ▁age ▁ 3 4 ▁from ▁comp lications ▁from ▁an ▁ep ile ptic ▁se iz ure , ▁possibly ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁head ▁injury ▁years ▁earlier ▁The ▁family ▁fell ▁into ▁near - p over ty , ▁with ▁her ▁mother ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁low - pa id ▁book keeper . ▁As ▁an ▁adult , ▁Stre is and ▁remembered ▁those ▁early ▁years ▁as ▁always ▁feeling ▁like ▁an ▁" out cast ", ▁explaining , ▁" Every body ▁else ' s ▁father ▁came ▁home ▁from ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁Mine ▁didn ' t ." ▁Her ▁mother ▁tried ▁to ▁pay ▁their ▁b ills ▁but ▁could ▁not ▁give ▁her ▁daughter ▁the ▁attention ▁she ▁cra ved : ▁" When ▁I ▁wanted ▁love ▁from ▁my ▁mother , ▁she ▁gave ▁me ▁food ," ▁Stre is and ▁says . ▁ ▁Stre is and ▁rec alls ▁that ▁her ▁mother ▁had ▁a ▁" gre at ▁voice " ▁and ▁sang ▁semi - prof ession ally ▁on ▁occasion . ▁During ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁Cat sk ills ▁when ▁Stre is and ▁was ▁ 1 3 , ▁she ▁told ▁Ros ie ▁O ' D onn ell , ▁she ▁and ▁her ▁mother ▁recorded ▁some ▁songs ▁on ▁t ape . ▁That ▁session ▁was ▁the ▁first