celticdragonfly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
celticdragonfly) wrote2006-01-20 10:01 am
celticdragonfly) wrote2006-01-20 10:01 am
Sad news
I got some sad news today. I got a card from Don, who I suppose is a cousin of mine of some sort - lemme see, first cousin twice removed I think. Aunt Nancy passed away on January 3rd, and was buried at the Mission San Luis Rey cemetary in Oceanside, California on January 11th. She was 97.
Nancy Zart Leonard, b. October 9, 1908. She was the baby sister of my great-grandfather Carl Zart. She was 13 years older than her niece, my grandmother. (Who died back in 1998, rather a shock to Aunt Nancy, that was.) So technically she was my great-great-aunt. Growing up I only knew her as "Aunt Nancy" - as a small child I thought for a while she must be one of those friend-of-the-family aunts because I knew she wasn't Mom's sister. For a long time she'd lived in La Jolla, California. (which, yes, I had inevitably completely mispronounced)
When I was living in California I went down to visit her. Brendan was a baby at the time - it was about a week before he walked for the first time, so 9 months old. I was pleased to show him off. She was a Franciscan lay sister, and involved in various local charities. She was quite a lady. She told me stories about Carl and Addah Zart, my great-grandparents, and showed me a lovely picture of a portrait of her mother, my great-great-grandmother, oh she was a beautiful lady.
I had written and suggested visiting her again a few years later, before I moved from California. She hadn't felt up to it. At one point, I think after we'd moved, I'd sent something to her - probably a baby announcement - and got a card back from Don explaining that she'd had a stroke and was now in a small private care facility, but enjoyed the letter, and a small note written from her with her greetings. This year we were sending out a small number of cards with a family letter, a couple pictures of the family printed on it, and most had a small wallet-picture tucked inside too. Budget is tight enough that we were only sending out a small number. I'm *so* glad that I'd managed to find the new address for her that Don had given and sent her one.
Nancy Zart Leonard, b. October 9, 1908. She was the baby sister of my great-grandfather Carl Zart. She was 13 years older than her niece, my grandmother. (Who died back in 1998, rather a shock to Aunt Nancy, that was.) So technically she was my great-great-aunt. Growing up I only knew her as "Aunt Nancy" - as a small child I thought for a while she must be one of those friend-of-the-family aunts because I knew she wasn't Mom's sister. For a long time she'd lived in La Jolla, California. (which, yes, I had inevitably completely mispronounced)
When I was living in California I went down to visit her. Brendan was a baby at the time - it was about a week before he walked for the first time, so 9 months old. I was pleased to show him off. She was a Franciscan lay sister, and involved in various local charities. She was quite a lady. She told me stories about Carl and Addah Zart, my great-grandparents, and showed me a lovely picture of a portrait of her mother, my great-great-grandmother, oh she was a beautiful lady.
I had written and suggested visiting her again a few years later, before I moved from California. She hadn't felt up to it. At one point, I think after we'd moved, I'd sent something to her - probably a baby announcement - and got a card back from Don explaining that she'd had a stroke and was now in a small private care facility, but enjoyed the letter, and a small note written from her with her greetings. This year we were sending out a small number of cards with a family letter, a couple pictures of the family printed on it, and most had a small wallet-picture tucked inside too. Budget is tight enough that we were only sending out a small number. I'm *so* glad that I'd managed to find the new address for her that Don had given and sent her one.
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