| I don't know much about my grandmother's childhood except she was born in the early 1920's to Marion and Solomon Kaplanoff. I forget how many siblings she had, but I know it was at least 4. Their father left when they were young. Their mother, Marion was unable to care for all the children on her own, so Nana went to live in Floral Park, NY with a woman who I know as Grandma Dettma. Nana met my grandfather there and shortly after her graduation, they were married. They had two daughters, my mother and Aunt Charlotte. They lived in New York until my mom and aunt were teenagers, then they moved to New Milford, CT. in the 1950's. They moved into the house that I live in now. One of the reason I like living here is that I feel close to my grandparents spirits and memories. Every Christmas eve and many holidays, barbeques, and other family events were spent here in this house. I believe that both of my grandparents had a very happy and fullfilling life here together. Nana was diagnosed with cardio myopothy around 1991 and she only had 25% use of her heart after that. The doctors said she wasn't expected to live much longer after that diagnosis, but she did live quite a number of years, long enough to help my grandfather through his battle with cancer, and to see her first great-grandchild born. My grandmother, Nana, was a very spiritual woman of deep faith. Every bone in her body and ounce of her being was good and true. Nana was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to many. Her kindness spread out to every stranger she came in contact with and she was very devoted to the Catholic Church. My grandfather used to say that she should have been a nun, because she was close as a human being could be to being without sin. To me, my grandmother was the most beautiful, elegant, and graceful woman I have ever known. While she did possess physical beauty, it was her rare grace, poise, and radiance she had about her that made her glow from the inside out. I know it seems exaggerated and that I may be biased, but all you would have to do was be in a room with her to feel this warmth. Just ask the pharmacist at CVS where Nana used to go to get her heart medicine. The clerks carded Nana because they couldn't believe her age. Nana was a lot of things to a lot of different people. To me, she was a wonderful grandmother, my sunday school teacher, my confidant, a philosophical, theological, and intellectual thinker who I could spend hours with in deep conversations. She had impecable taste in clothing, food, music, and the arts. She was very well read and self taught and she believed fervently in the laws of our consitution. Nana was free from all prejudices and believed in being 100% innocent until proven guilty. I didn't really understand this about Nana until debating the OJ Simpson trial with her as it was unfolding. She insisted OJ was innocent until they proved otherwise in a court of law and she held firm to her beliefs. Nana was all about being good, fair, kind, true, and faithful. She is the person who I've learned the most important lessons from in life, and the person who I most aspire to be like. Nana to me now, is a guardian angel watching over all of us. She had such a strong spirit that shined so brightly while she was here, that it continues to shine in all of those who knew her and loved her. |
| About Nana |
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