Late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning my grandmother passed away. She was 95. It is hard to tell what this means to me. Her death was not unexpected as she was given a short time to live by the doctors nearly seven years ago. All she wanted was to die at home and in that she got her wish. She died peacefully in her sleep and I suppose that is the best we can hope for.
We called my grandmother Nanny. I think this comes from a mispronunciation of Nana by one of the older grandchildren, perhaps my sister. She was married to my grandfather, who passed in 1992, for more than fifty years. Nanny fiercely loved and protected her family and I don't know that I would be able to name a better person to have on my side. She would have wrestled a hundred bears to protect any one of us. She always endeavored to make sure that all of her extended family had what they needed, and it was always the little things that meant the most. She saved those little green stamps to get sets of flatware for both my brother and me. I was quite young when she did this, but I wouldn't use any other flatware on my table. Her last words were to one of her great great grandchildren; "I love you". That was so fitting for Nanny. She absolutely adored children and I'm sure she would not have had her last words be anything else.
Nanny has quite a family left behind on the earth as a legacy. She left three children, nine grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren. I can think of no better tribute to her than the fact that she has protected and loved the lot of us no matter what we did.
Here's to you Nanny. I hope PopPop is there to great you on the other side. We love you and miss you.
P.S. You can see her obituary here if you would like.
We called my grandmother Nanny. I think this comes from a mispronunciation of Nana by one of the older grandchildren, perhaps my sister. She was married to my grandfather, who passed in 1992, for more than fifty years. Nanny fiercely loved and protected her family and I don't know that I would be able to name a better person to have on my side. She would have wrestled a hundred bears to protect any one of us. She always endeavored to make sure that all of her extended family had what they needed, and it was always the little things that meant the most. She saved those little green stamps to get sets of flatware for both my brother and me. I was quite young when she did this, but I wouldn't use any other flatware on my table. Her last words were to one of her great great grandchildren; "I love you". That was so fitting for Nanny. She absolutely adored children and I'm sure she would not have had her last words be anything else.
Nanny has quite a family left behind on the earth as a legacy. She left three children, nine grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren. I can think of no better tribute to her than the fact that she has protected and loved the lot of us no matter what we did.
Here's to you Nanny. I hope PopPop is there to great you on the other side. We love you and miss you.
P.S. You can see her obituary here if you would like.
5 Comments:
She sounds like she was a wonderful lady.
How lovely to be remembered the way you describe your Nanny here and how lucky she was to have a large family that she adored :)
Wow -- you have brought tears to my eyes taking me back to the most wonderful woman I have ever known, my Granny. I named my firstborn after her. That in itself was not near enough tribute to her.
They don't make'm like our grandmothers anymore.
I've read your previous posts and worried about your state of mind, but now that I read that you come from good stock and have flatware bought by those little green stamps, I no longer worried. Nanny instilled some good sense in you I think.
I'm so sorry to hear about your Nanny. Someone that special will be missed by so many I'm sure.
My son and my niece both call my mom Nanny too. It makes a grandmother not feel so old by having them call her Grandma. My mom hated Nana too - she said it didn't suit her, so she "made up" Nanny, and it definately suits her.
I'm glad to know that someone elses Nanny made them that happy. 95... wow... I could only dream :)
My condolences.
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