- May 10, 2011
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She was my sister's mother in law. My sister married someone from Holland. She is much older than me and her husband is the youngest of 5. So his mom was was already a grandparent when she sort of adopted me at age 8. She would kiss my cheeks every time she would see me as is the Dutch custom. She served me, my brother in law, and my Opa, a glass of whisky when I was fifteen and I felt so grown up. I learned how to sip it so slowly just to taste it and it didn't give me that shiver that hard liquor gives when you just shoot it down. It opened up all my taste buds and warmed my throat and belly for the hour or do it took to drink it (keeping pace with Opa of course). She always made my favorite Dutch food when I would visit (I was lucky enough to be able to go to Holland for over a month at ages 13 and 15) Patat and croquet (Belgian style fries and a breaded sort of meat concoction). WHen she served tea it was always one cookie per cup only as a very strict rule of Dutch manners but she would sneak me a second one cause she could tell I wanted it so badly, never for the adults though.
All but one of my grandparents but one died before I was born and the one that lived until I was four was estranged from my mom. Mostly because I think she just didn't know how to show emotions through the depression and alcoholism and I'm sure my Swedish/Irish lily white middle class mom having a child with a Black man didn't earn her any respect. I don't remember ever having a conversation with her or being held by her. I just remember spreading her ashes at Minnehaha Falls and my mom saying "There goes gramma."
Oma Nell, I will miss you and I love you. I pray I will see you again when we are all called home to the hereafter. I didn't get a chance to say it but you made a difference in the life of a child that was not your own. You taught me respect and appreciation for other cultures and traditional ways of doing things that I pray will never be lost or forgotten. This fast paced internet world is far from the bunkers on the beaches of your hometown and the German soldiers going house to house, You and Opa made it through all that ans still showed all of us how to stop, enjoy a cup of coffee with one cookie (two for me)
Oma enjoy your rest now with Opa on the sweet by and by
Please pray for my Oma's soul and the many family members she left behind.
All but one of my grandparents but one died before I was born and the one that lived until I was four was estranged from my mom. Mostly because I think she just didn't know how to show emotions through the depression and alcoholism and I'm sure my Swedish/Irish lily white middle class mom having a child with a Black man didn't earn her any respect. I don't remember ever having a conversation with her or being held by her. I just remember spreading her ashes at Minnehaha Falls and my mom saying "There goes gramma."
Oma Nell, I will miss you and I love you. I pray I will see you again when we are all called home to the hereafter. I didn't get a chance to say it but you made a difference in the life of a child that was not your own. You taught me respect and appreciation for other cultures and traditional ways of doing things that I pray will never be lost or forgotten. This fast paced internet world is far from the bunkers on the beaches of your hometown and the German soldiers going house to house, You and Opa made it through all that ans still showed all of us how to stop, enjoy a cup of coffee with one cookie (two for me)
Oma enjoy your rest now with Opa on the sweet by and by
Please pray for my Oma's soul and the many family members she left behind.
