Please join us as we continue our important work in providing Alzheimer's care and support and accelerating research. Please donate.
My name is Deborah Moon. I am Nuna’s oldest Grandchild. Mrs. Frederick Delaney, Helen, or what many of her grandchildren called her, “Nuna” or “Nunie” - She was a wife, a sister, an Aunt, a mother to three girls, a grandmother to nine, a great-grandmother to 12 and a friend to all. Nuna's husband, Frederick, my grandfather, passed away after they had been married for 25 years. Nuna then took care of her three daughters, learned how to drive, how to pay the bills and how to do many of the tasks that she needed to do. When I think of Nuna, I see her as one of the strongest, most independent women that I’ve ever known. I’m sure each and every one of you has something to share on how Nuna touched your life. She shared a lot of good memories with me.
One of my favorite memories isn’t a memory as I was too young. However, Nuna has told me the story so many times that it is one of my favorites. Right after I was born, Mom and I moved from North Carolina back to live with Nuna. Mom went back to work and Dad was fighting the war in Vietnam. Nuna tells me that she would hold me and walk around and around her house. Everyday she would show me the family photos and point out who everyone was. The day that my Dad came home, I ran down the hallway, to the door and shouted “Daddy.” Nuna’s daily photo gallery had introduced me to a man I had only seen for a short time.
Nuna taught me all of my prayers and all the Nursery Rhymes. One of our favorite Nursery Rhymes is the one that goes:
“There was a little girl Who had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good, She was very good; But when she was bad, she was horrid.”
We would both giggle each time she said it. Of course, I would deny that it was about me and ask her to say it again and again. Nuna had her own particular sense of humor.
There were always great meals at Nuna’s. She would use her best table cloth and put out more food than you could imagine. She was always dishing out seconds. Nuna had her own way of not asking if you wanted more. She was just going to give it to you whether you wanted more or not. Not many of us could resist her juicy Turkey dinners, pressure-cooked carrots or fresh out of the oven dinner rolls.
One of my favorite Nuna-foods were her famous chocolate chip cookies. Nuna put Mrs. Field’s to shame. How did she get all those cookies to be the same size? She even had her special way of storing them in a roll in a plastic baggie so they wouldn’t break.
I remember playing dolls on her porch. I remember setting up and decorating her silver Christmas Tree every year. She taught me how to count to ten in Polish. When I was older I would walk over to her house after school on Wednesdays from King Philip and have dinner with her.
Nuna worked at Stork Time Maternity Store at Shopper’s World. I would often spend the day with her while she worked. I remember how the Mom’s-to-be would come into the store and receive her assistance. They would then leave with the happy feeling that their own Grandmother had just helped them.
I want to end with a section of phrases that bring back memories of Nuna for me. I hope they bring back memories for you too.
Playing hide & Go seek – my favorite hiding space was in the cubby at the top of the stairs
Playing dress up at age 6 while wearing size 8 heals and a beautiful fox stole
Listening to Nuna iron at 1 AM
Ivory soap
Ginger Snap cookies with perfect fork marks on top
Hummel’s
The rotary Phone in the hallway
Washing dishes by hand – all of them
Pure white bath towels
Friendlies Fish-a-ma-jig sandwiches and grilled hot dogs
Learning that the maple tree in the back yard drops helicopters that you can wear on your nose
Remembering to always scrub your elbows
Watching “All in the Family” and “Lawrence Welk”
Knowing that lilac trees really do get big – but don’t pick the dark purple ones!
Washing walls and curtains every year
Salads with oil and vinegar dressing – that absolutely cannot be reproduced
Stacks & stacks of Good Housekeeping Magazine
I thank God for giving us Nuna and for helping her to teach us so much. I wonder what St. Peter thought when Nuna approached the Pearly Gates and Nuna announced herself with a “Hoo Hoo”…
I pray that the Almighty watches over her and brings her the peace and happiness that she deserves. I believe that she’s back with Frederick, Baba and Jeddo.
Nuna, I am eternally grateful for your love and patience. Thank you for everything. I love you. Moja droga jacie kocham.
And finally, from Lawrence Welk:
“Good night, sleep tight and pleasant dreams to you
Here's a wish and a prayer that every dream comes true
And now 'til we meet again
Adios, au revior, auf weidersehen.....Good Night!”
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.