NANCY FAHDEN

Sadness Grips Us.  Having just celebrated her 92nd birthday, we promised Aunt Nancy in our phone conversation that we would visit her.  She was delighted when we arrived almost a month later.

 

Four days ago, AnnaMaria and I left Nancy eating 2 pounds of See’s chocolates, singing naughty Italian songs, and dancing.  Before we drove back to Santa Fe, we stopped in Martinez.  We planned to create a photo scrapbook of images of Nancy moments like the wharf, the bocce ball courts, the family stained glass windows in St. Catherine’s, the plaque on the old family home, etc.

 

We just had enough time to accomplish our goals before rushing back to Santa Fe to keep AnnaMaria’s performance schedule.  It takes two days on the road through all the highway construction projects and wildfire smoke. When we were home and unpacking, the phone rang.  The parish volunteer who visited Nancy weekly called with devastating news.

 

Nancy had fallen and had passed away.  We were suddenly grateful for the prayers we had just said at St. Catherine’s, where Nancy made her seven-year-old first confession.  Mom had prompted her to tell the priest her mortal sins—killing the ants.  Nevertheless, after that teasing subsided, Nancy made her first communion.  Even Nanu wore a suit and was at Mass that day.  Years later, Monsignor asked Jennie Cardinalli for help getting beautiful stained glass windows for the church--a phone call here and there, and there they are.  Of course, he made the same request to many more old families.

 

That was a moment in time, perhaps lost forever.  It was when in every small town, we all knew each other.  Families united and fought and reunited as every remade hometown version of Romeo and Juliet was acted out.  I love having been part of Martinez, and I am so grateful for the values and sentiments that hung in the air.  No matter what ever else may happen, we were then and will always be family.

 

We love you Aunt Nancy. We know you’re having a party with Nanu still at the head of the table.

                                                                                                           - Jayne (Giovanna)

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul... who brings forth food from the earth

and wine to make merry the hearts of men.

-Psalm 104