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Remembering an amazing woman

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TheDiamondangel

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Mar 12, 2003
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Let me start by requesting that no one respond to this thread. It would somehow cheapen the reason I''ve posted this. I just need to have others know just a tiny bit of the woman who touched everyone who knew her. It''s my way of dealing with the pain of losing her.

After being ill with pneumonia, my grandmother has lost her battle. She would have been 92 next month. While many would say "oh, she lived a long life and it was her time", it doesn''t ease a heavy heart. My grandmother had a strong heart, an iron will, and unfortunately a frail body that just gave out. We were blessed to have her in our lives as long as she was.

I lost my father''s mother when I was in the 8th grade. After that, I realized that my Nana wouldn''t be around forever. But as the years past and the dreaded day never came, I started to once again believe that it never would. All of us believed that she would outlive everyone else in the family.

The following is the eulogy that one of my cousins wrote after four of the five of us grandchildren sat down and put our thoughts on paper.

Nana

Nana was born in 1911. She was the oldest of 5 children. She was the last remaining sibling. She took care of her sisters when they needed her most. She lost her husband when she was 52. She did not have an easy life, but you would never hear that from her. In fact, you would think that she lived life without any heartache, that’s because she was always so dedicated to us. One of her dearest friends and Gummata is Aunt Lee. Nana told stories that we will never forget. Her innocents and sincerity made many of the stories very funny. After nana would tell you a story she would always say, “Ask Lena she’ll tell ya”.

Many of you know nana as “Fanny”. Even us grandchildren called her that, people may think that it was disrespectful; it was a term of endearment.

As children, nana was unbelievable to us. We did not realize it at the time, but as we grew older we started to understand and appreciate all that she taught us. Nana took care of us, lived with us and even came on vacations with us. She would make us breakfast as she had her coffee with cornflakes in it. She would make lunch, and prepare dinner. I don’t know how she kept us entertained all day long, but she did and we cherished them days. We all remember and have visions of her with a swim cap on floating in the pool with her arms holding the coping. We must have been a handful for her. I know that we were not the best-behaved kids in town. If we were bad nana would say wait until your mother gets home so I can tell her how bad you were. Nana would never tell she loved us too much. WE KEPT HER YOUNG.

Nana was always moving she never kept still, cooking and cleaning constantly. In case you did not know Nana loved to wash clothes. If you were looking for her you could find her at the washer and dryer. She loved washing so much that she would take stuff out of the draws and wash them just to make a full load. Nana loved pasta fagoli and boy did she love her bread. In the middle of the night one time Billy got up to go to the bathroom, when he returned to his room his bed was fully made. Guess who? That was Fanny.

Nana would call us each other’s name: Jill,Philip,Missy,Nicky,Billy. All of us grandchildren loved her so much. We used to fight over who was going to have her next. And once you saw the green suitcase you knew that she was yours again. (At least for a while). The funny thing is, that as we got older we used to fight over who was going to TAKE her. Nana has 5 great grandchildren that in time will know her as we did through our stories.

I just want to reflect on some of nana’s vocabulary:
• Berl the earl (boil the oil)
• Fridgeadaire (refridgerator)
• Victrola (stereo)
• Credenza (cabinet where our mothers stored their china)
• Palor (the room we as children were not allowed in)
• Beungaline (bleach)
• I’ll smack ya in the teeth
• You full of hot air
• When she would dial Aunt Lee on the phone “PRESCOT 7”

Obviously we have to many stories to tell about today, but here are just a few.
• She brushed her teeth with ben-gay
• She would lose here false teeth and say “I hope that I did not swallow them”
• She would sleep with her mouth open.
• Drank wire wheel cleaner, Jill was in the ambulance with her and she said the Devil made me do it.


Nana has two wonderful daughters. They took care of nana, not because they had to but because they loved to. They are are mothers. It is unbelievable how much like her they are, and that’s a great thing for all of us. Especially now that they are grandmothers. They were both with nana as she took her final breath, just as nana would have wanted it. I know that this must be tough for them. Mom and Aunt Carol just know that we love you and we see nana in you everyday.

We used to kiss and nana all of the time and tell her how much we loved her. For some reason nana had a hard time saying she loved us. She did not have to; we knew it by the way she treated us.

She was so strong; we can only hope to be like her. She fought right to the end and I believe that’s because she wanted to be in our lives. Nana you are and always will be here.

Nana has gone; she is now with Pop Pop. What a beautiful reunion they must be having.

So much of you has rubbed off on us. We are so lucky to have had you all the time that we did. Even though you are gone your cute smile, affection, love and spirit will always be with us. WE LOVE YOU NANA.
 
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