Nana's Life Stories in Her Own Words

When Nana was 87 years old, I began to realize that the stories she’d told all of us for years about events in her life needed to be recorded. Since the 1970’s, Nana had written every day in what she called her diary so writing was second nature to her. I asked her to write down her stories and I would transcribe them, store them in my computer and print out copies for family members and her Pastor, Mike Hill. Nana was also a big fan of rhyming so she wrote some of the stories as poems.

During Nana’s Celebration of Life, I displayed the book of stories and poems that Nana wrote over the course of three years, 2010 to 2013. Those stories were of great interest to everyone who attended.

Now I’m publishing Nana’s stories – written in her own words – here in my Nana News Blog. Since there’s over 20, I’ll be doing several per post. I’ll present them in the order Nana wrote them. I hope everyone enjoys reading them. They’re a beautiful reminder of the unique and special person Nana was in our lives.

The first story was written in October 2010. During this time, Nana was driving to the Montgomery Diner every day for breakfast. The building that housed that diner is no longer there. It was not far from the Montgomery Weis Store, another one of Nana’s frequent stops. Here’s Nana’s poem about The Diner:

The Diner

By Deanie Rhone

I have been retired for quite a while

To just sit at home is not my style

Each day up the road I go

I just take it nice and slow

To the Diner for a pancake

Wow, now I am wide awake

Everyone there is so good to me

I have my own table as everyone can see

 

The girls that work there have me spoiled

It’s the most friendly place in all of the world

The same guys come in every day

At the counter and chat, each has his own say

A cup of coffee is ordered by most of us there

That’s the words I can hear everywhere

When leaving out-the-door we all say

See you tomorrow and then be on our way

 

October 2010

That same month, I had an encounter with a mouse in Nana’s apartment during my monthly visit. Don’t ask how a mouse got into Nana’s second floor apartment, but he was scurrying around Nana’s living room where I slept on a daybed. The mouse was enjoying munching on the pretzels and snacks Nana kept by her chair. I’m not a fan of mice so it was a big deal for me to get rid of this intruder! Plus, I didn’t want a mouse living with Nana after I left. Here’s how Nana described, in poem form, our experience with the mouse:

The Mouse

By Deanie Rhone

Early one morning into my house

There came a fast running mouse

My daughter from Virginia was sleeping sound

Then the mouse started running round and round

After 6 hours driving she needed to sleep

But that mouse continued to squeak and squeak

 

Through the early morning of the next day

After trap was set to get it out of the way

At 4 AM there was a noise we wanted to hear

The click of the trap Diane heard loud and clear

At daybreak with trap in bucket out in the morning breeze

Diane left the mouse to it’s freedom out among the trees

 

October 2010

 

This story was about a map Nana’s granddaughter Rebecca Rhone gave to her describing a trip Rebecca had taken:

Rebecca’s Road Trip

By Deanie Rhone

 

The map Rebecca gave me

On Sunday I took to my family to see

From Mansfield she went to explore

To Methodist Church and then much more

To shop at Arnot NY mall

To Corning Wendy’s for lunch and that’s not all

Back to Mansfield and made this map for me

65 Sherwood Drive #18 on map for all to see

Thanks Rebecca from Grammy Rhone

October, 2010

 

This next story Nana didn’t write herself but instead told me so I could write it for her. As you’ll see from future stories, Nana’s memories of World War II and Austin, Texas are among her favorite topics! (Note: I personally have called Nana Mommy all my life!)

Austin and Daddy going to Bivouac

Shortly before Daddy was sent to Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri, he was sent for several weeks to Louisiana to participate in a bivouac.  Daddy told Mommy it was horrible.  They were out in the woods with no protection and there were wild hogs there.  This was in January or February of 1944.

In Austin, Mommy worked at Steck’s Publishing Company.  Her job was in the shipping department.  She wrapped packs of letterhead to be shipped.  When Daddy went to LA for bivouac, the lady who ran the boarding house where she stayed convinced Mommy to just stay there in Austin till she knew where Daddy was going to go next.  (Mommy had originally been going to go back home.)  Mabel was a nurse, who, in addition to running the boarding house, also ran a nurse’s registry.  She set up nurses for anyone who needed them.  She also helped people find any kind of help.  That is how the request came in for someone to babysit for an officer and Mommy went to do that.

Mommy walked to work every day at the Publishing Company.  One day when it was raining very hard, Mr. Huckabee (Mabel’s husband) arranged for Mommy to get a ride with some other workers so she did not have to walk in the rain.

Mommy also remembers that there was an ice cream shop on Congress Avenue.  When Daddy was with her on the weekends they would go to get ice cream there.  She said they would get big banana splits.

Told to me, Diane Rhone, by Deanie Rhone, October, 2010

Check out this site to see what the bivouac site may have looked like when my dad was there:

https://www.ww2online.org/image/soldiers-bivouac-new-orleans-louisiana-14-july-1943

 

Here's a few pictures about the above stories: 

Nana and Diane at The Diner for Nana's 87th Birthday 2010

Nana and Daddy Austin, Texas 1943

That's the conclusion of Part 1 of Nana's Life Stories. More to follow soon!

The One Year Anniversary of Nana Passing Into Heaven

 

Today marks one year since Nana passed into Heaven. Everyone says the ‘firsts’ are the hardest. I miss her everyday so today will be no different. But what is different is that I can’t deny the memory of that day - getting the call from Watsontown Nursing Home at 10am that Nana passed away at 9:45am, December 6^th, 2020. Even though we knew for a few days that she couldn’t survive the Covid virus, the reality of that phone call still hits me like a punch in the stomach. Just thinking about it makes the tears flow. I'm sure that'll never change.

My biggest regret is that I couldn’t be there as her beautiful soul went to heaven. Although the nursing home said I could go in, the chance that I would get Covid or pass it to my immune compromised sister and younger brother was a chance I knew Nana wouldn’t want me to take. No matter what, she always put her kids’ needs in front of her own. All her life.

That brings to mind a memory of one of Nana’s sacrifices for her kids. When my older brother Wayne was a teenager, he worked a lot on my grandfather’s farm. He also had a bottomless appetite. He was always hungry. I remember one supper when Nana fried pork chops. Pork chops were a treat and there was only one pork chop for each of the six of us. Wayne quickly wolfed his down. Meanwhile, Nana ate everything else on her plate first while I’m sure saving the best for last. Plus, Nana didn’t have any teeth (that’s a story for a future post) and she was going to have to cut her meat in very small bites. Seeing Nana’s pork chop still sat on her plate, Wayne thought she didn’t want it, forked  it onto his plate and quickly devoured it.  Although Nana’s eyes widened and a little gasp escaped her lips, she never said a word. Because she always put her kids’ needs in front of her own. All her life.

I comfort myself today by picturing Nana with Wayne and Sharon. I also see her in my mind surrounded by her Tilburg siblings, Elizabeth, Grace, John and Ben.

My dear friend Karen, whose mother passed away many years ago, shared with me that she celebrates her mother’s birthday, not the day she died. I think that’s a wonderful way to honor our loved ones who’ve passed away. Pausing to commemorate them on the beginning of their lives instead of the end. I’m so grateful that we had a joyous Celebration of Life in September, Nana’s birthday month, to recognize her amazing life. 

The pain of that day will never leave me, but today, like every day, I’ll talk to Nana in Heaven and tell her how much I love her, how much I miss her, and how blessed I was to have her for almost 71 years of my life.

One of my favorite pictures of Nana and I

 

Celebration of Life for Nana, September 18, 2021

Generally speaking, Nana didn’t like parties. When I threw a surprise 75th Birthday Party for her in 1998, she wasn’t pleased. But she had a good time. When it came time to plan a celebration for her 90th Birthday, I knew better than to make it a surprise. I told her my party ideas and, although she wasn’t excited, begrudgingly agreed to allow me to make my plans. Then, she had a serious bout with cellulitis and dangerous kidney function. She was in the hospital and then the Muncy Skilled Nursing Home for weeks. Not only was the party in question, but also whether Nana would be able to return to her beloved apartment at Sherwood Drive, Montgomery. Thankfully, Nana arrived home in time for her party. And she had a good time. 

Nana was a dedicated planner. Back in 1993, when she was a spry 70 years old, Nana paid for and planned her funeral service. She was specific about what funeral home should be used, what hymns should be played, what scripture should be read and who should be her pallbearers. Then she tucked those plans away and lived 27 more full years of life.

On December 6, 2020, Nana died prematurely from Covid at 97 years old. Without the virus, I believe she would’ve made it to at least 100 years old. Yes, her memory was failing and she was in a wheel chair for her frail bones, but she still had so much life in her. We had spirited phone conversations every day. Some days she would read the paper to me. Some days she sang old songs to me. Every day we talked about the weather. Every day I told her I loved her. She always replied, “Oh, I love you too. You’re a good girl.” How I miss those daily calls.

When Nana passed away from Covid, we couldn’t fulfill the plans she’d made for her funeral. Due to restrictions because of Covid, no inside services were possible so we had to settle for a graveside service. No hymns, no personal chosen scripture. Pallbearers were volunteers from family members at the service. Pastor Mike Hill from her church, St. John’s United Methodist Church, did a lovely tribute, drawing from his fourteen year friendship with Nana and the stories she’d shared with him over the years. But I felt things were left unfinished.

Immediately after that service, I started planning a Celebration of Life - an appropriate event to honor and cherish Nana’s life. We could give her the hymns and scripture she wanted. Nana loved to talk about her life stories so it seemed perfect to share her stories and stories of the ones who loved her. When my plans began in early summer, Covid was waning and my hope was that the virus wouldn’t be a visitor at our Celebration. However, the Delta variant raised its ugly head. I struggled. Should I cancel or postpone? I ultimately decided that we wouldn’t let Covid steal anything more from Nana. I decided to ask attendees to mask for safety and we celebrated Nana on Saturday, September 18, 2021, just a few days after September 15th, which would’ve been her 98th Birthday.

For a few hours, we truly celebrated. Nana would’ve loved the music. We sang the hymns Nana wanted. We listened to hymns from the Statler Brothers Cd, which she loved and requested. Lori’s husband Nate played violin with a medley of soothing traditional hymns.

The best part was the stories. I shared some of the stories Nana had written herself about her life. I felt her voice and presence so strong among us. During a time of sharing, Lori and Jeff shared stories of their childhood with Nana, who was more like a second mother than a grandmother to them. Lori shared about Nana’s stellar school lunches she fixed for them every day. Jeff remembered how Nana was so disappointed when he had to go to school because he wouldn’t be there to watch Price is Right with her every day.

Gloria Burrows shared a story I’d never known about Nana. Gloria was in first grade at the one room Pike’s Peak School when Nana was in her last year, eighth grade. Gloria says that she was small and frail and Nana and her best friend Ruth Voneida were assigned as her protectors from the other kids. I can picture that would be a good role for Nana. Nana was strong. Her early strength went on to carry her through a long and challenging life. It also reminded me of Nana’s loyal friendship to Ruth, who she remained friends with until Ruth’s passing in 2011.

Elizabeth, Bill’s daughter, shared a story of Nana, taken from a Sunday dinner at her dad’s house, about Nana’s part in her then fiancé Andrew’s proposal to marry Elizabeth. I read a story from Missi, Wayne’s daughter, who couldn’t attend. She related how much Nana loved the deviled eggs that her mom made and that Wayne and Missi would deliver weekly. We all laughed at how Missi had to be the go-between for the conversation between Nana and Wayne since neither of them could hear well.

The Celebration program closed with Pastor Mike sharing his experiences and friendship with Nana. She loved to tell him her stories when he visited her at her apartment. But she wasn’t at all chatty when meeting him in the Weis store. That was our Nana. 

The stories we shared celebrated the true Nana. She wasn’t perfect. She was quirky, set in her ways and a bit OCD, but she was also fun and loving and loyal to her family. She had a zest for life that never waned in her 97 years.

After the program, we gathered downstairs in the basement of the church. We’d decorated the tables with butterfly centerpieces. I chose butterflies because Nana and I both loved butterflies. We ate cupcakes – white cake with white and blue frosting - because they were Nana’s favorite. We munched on chips and pretzels provided by Lori. Nana loved to snack. And I’d prepared bags of Nana’s favorite candy – KitKats, M&M’s and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – for everyone to take. 

We gazed at the picture boards where I tried to capture all the years and people in Nana’s 97 years of life. On the display table were the books of Nana’s stories and all the Nana News blogs I’ve written since 2012. A jar of the ball spinning balls Nana slaved over at Montgomery Mills were there too. Pictures of her beloved Texas Bluebonnets and the city of Austin Texas all surrounded the 8 x 10 picture of Nana. Nana with her gorgeous white hair and sweet smile adorned in her favorite red fleece top.

Nana didn’t usually like parties but I think she liked this one. Later that evening, we looked in the sky to see a rainbow. I think it was Nana telling us she had a good time.