Today we celebrate Marnie's birthday, so in Uncle Doug's usual fashion, we're sending out a remembrance and mini-biography. The following note is compiled from a few different sources - all of us her children or grandchildren.
This first section is my own - Marnie's eldest grandaughter, Dani:
My memories of Marnie begin early - as soon as I began forming memories, she was in them - and remained a continuous presence through all the years of my life up through college. She read with me as a child and even recorded audio tapes of herself reading so I could listen when she was away. Whenever I was sick, they'd pull up in the big old car and pick me up from school. Marnie's specialty was gingerale and soft-boiled eggs on toast. I swear it was medicine. Later, during my tough teenage years, Marnie was there to understand and talk to me. Every week I'd go over to help with housework, but it was really just an excuse to sit together and hear stories about the 30's and 40's. When I turned 18, Marnie asked me if I'd registered to vote and talked to me about the important liberties it was now my duty to uphold. She was very direct about her beliefs and the world as she saw it, and I appreciated her strong moral compass combined with well thought out positions. Marnie and Pa (That was always how they were referred to in my household - no "grandma" or "granny" for that modern lady) were always together. My father used to jokingly call them "Parnie and Ma," like their names couldn't be separated. I still giggle to this day when I say that out loud. When I was very young and my paternal grandparents died, I was afraid something would happen to Marnie. To stop my panic, she made a deal with me that she would at least live until I graduated high school. This sounds macabre, but it was exactly the kind of blunt talk that Marnie used to help people, and it worked - until later I realized high school was approaching and I went to Marnie to renegotiate our terms. She agreed to give me until college graduation, and sure enough she made it to my graduation ceremony. I wish I had negotiated a little tougher. I wish - as I do with so many of the great people from the older generation - that I had been able to experience Marnie from the perspective of another adult. I think we would have a lot more to say to each other now.
...And now for some memories of Marnie from her eldest daughter, my aunt Joan:
Experiencing the realities of life as a child in a large struggling family, a student nurse during the Coconut Grove Fire, and an army nurse during wartime, Marnie had lived a slice of life by her early twenties. As her first child, I had a young mother embarking on a new life with Bill. In many ways, we grew together. She never missed a childhood function, and led my Brownie troupe. There were always homemade school lunches and afternoon snacks. She taught me to swim and skate. She created a great childhood for me. When I was seven, Marnie decided that, as a suburban mother, she needed to learn to drive. I have memories of her getting lost around town. As time went by, she ventured to NH. When the air brakes of the trucks would hiss, she would pull over thinking she had a flat tire. She was spunky and always got back on the road to resume the adventure. Life goes by quickly. No one has a promise to see all of life's seasons. Fortunately, living into her eighties, Marnie experienced all. "Life is a gift to us. The way you live your life is a gift to those who live after us.." Mom, thank you for that gift, Joan
...And from my mother, Donna, some impressions of Marnie:
Hot chocolate on snowy days. School shopping for new clothes and supplies. Marnie/mom made Christmas special, magical with Christmas lights and drives to look at other people's lights. Great holiday foods, a stocking of fun stuff, always a Florida Orange, nuts and candy. Awesome toys from Santa. Skinny dipping at Rattlesnake Island in NH. Then summers in NH and letting Bill and I keep Duke the puppy that looked like a baby black bear.Letting me use her car when I was a teen. She was always there at home after school. Always encouraged education. Accepting and not judgmental. Supportive of family and loyal. Loved to swim and introduced me to Blue Springs and helped organize my wedding and reception. Helped financially with my first house. She was always there when things did not go well to help and support. She was so grateful for Dani and Jeannette in her life. She was grateful for help as she got older and did not want to burden her children. She tried to do as much as she could for herself. She loved to swim at my pool in Deland. Intelligent and independent thinker.
...I hope everyone enjoyed my effort to play Uncle Doug in honor of Marnie's birthday. Happy Birthday Marnie (how many more weeks of winter??).
From: NANCY WOOD Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2011 8:31 PM
Subject: February 2, 1922, C. Margaret Wood
Per Uncle Doug’s encouragement, here are some personal thoughts on my Mother’s birthday, Feb 2. Attached is the very brief obituary I put into the Boston Globe and local, Concord (NH) Monitor, November 2005.
Mom found the newspaper ad that led to my first waitress job and encouraged me to not be intimidated by the big restaurant. She investigated and suggested a course of study in Medical Technology at Lowell State College when I returned home after a year of goofing off and dropping out of school. Much later, she encouraged me to apply for a position managing a laboratory computer system (which I got). She really helped me by advising and supporting me. Oh, she also was there with Gingerale and saltines and soup when I was a sick kid.
Education was important to Mom. She kept up her nursing skills with classes so she could contribute to our family’s income. She encouraged all four kids to go on to further education after high school. She helped my sister Donna with her two beautiful daughters when Donna went back to school to get her nursing education.
She was a good sport, going camping many summers with my Dad and us, wild kids. I have good memories of sleeping in tents and lots of swimming.
More could be said about Charlotte Margaret (Marnie) Wood but the above thoughts are what have come to me today.
Nancy __________________________________
Charlotte Margaret (Marnie) Wood
Marnie Wood, 83, of Gilmanton Iron Works, N.H. and DeBary, FL, previously of Stoneham MA, died Nov 5, 2005 at St Joseph’s Hospital in Nashua NH after a period of declining health. As a loving mother and a caring health care provider, she loved life.
She was born in Boston, MA and graduated from Nursing School at Boston City Hospital. She was a veteran of WWII, and served as an Army Nurse. She lived and raised a family for 20 yrs in Stoneham MA. She worked as an R.N. in the Boston area and later in NH at Belknap County Nursing Home and Epson Manor Nursing Home.
She is predeceased by her husband, William Wood and parents, Hazel and William Edwards, siblings Norma Howard and John Edwards. Surviving family includes children Joan Wood and husband Bert Pousma of NH, Nancy M. Wood of NH, Donna Pepin of FL, Bill Wood of Colorado, grandchildren Danielle and Jeanette Pepin of FL, siblings Paul Edwards of CA and Joan Edwards of MA and numerous nephews and nieces.
A service will be private at a later date.
Arrangements are in the care of National Cremation Service
Published February 2, 2011 by Danielle Pepin
ReplyDeleteToday we celebrate Marnie's birthday, so in Uncle Doug's usual fashion, we're sending out a remembrance and mini-biography. The following note is compiled from a few different sources - all of us her children or grandchildren.
This first section is my own - Marnie's eldest grandaughter, Dani:
My memories of Marnie begin early - as soon as I began forming memories, she was in them - and remained a continuous presence through all the years of my life up through college. She read with me as a child and even recorded audio tapes of herself reading so I could listen when she was away. Whenever I was sick, they'd pull up in the big old car and pick me up from school. Marnie's specialty was gingerale and soft-boiled eggs on toast. I swear it was medicine.
Later, during my tough teenage years, Marnie was there to understand and talk to me. Every week I'd go over to help with housework, but it was really just an excuse to sit together and hear stories about the 30's and 40's. When I turned 18, Marnie asked me if I'd registered to vote and talked to me about the important liberties it was now my duty to uphold. She was very direct about her beliefs and the world as she saw it, and I appreciated her strong moral compass combined with well thought out positions.
Marnie and Pa (That was always how they were referred to in my household - no "grandma" or "granny" for that modern lady) were always together. My father used to jokingly call them "Parnie and Ma," like their names couldn't be separated. I still giggle to this day when I say that out loud.
When I was very young and my paternal grandparents died, I was afraid something would happen to Marnie. To stop my panic, she made a deal with me that she would at least live until I graduated high school. This sounds macabre, but it was exactly the kind of blunt talk that Marnie used to help people, and it worked - until later I realized high school was approaching and I went to Marnie to renegotiate our terms. She agreed to give me until college graduation, and sure enough she made it to my graduation ceremony. I wish I had negotiated a little tougher. I wish - as I do with so many of the great people from the older generation - that I had been able to experience Marnie from the perspective of another adult. I think we would have a lot more to say to each other now.
...And now for some memories of Marnie from her eldest daughter, my aunt Joan:
Experiencing the realities of life as a child in a large struggling family, a student nurse during the Coconut Grove Fire, and an army nurse during wartime, Marnie had lived a slice of life by her early twenties. As her first child, I had a young mother embarking on a new life with Bill. In many ways, we grew together. She never missed a childhood function, and led my Brownie troupe. There were always homemade school lunches and afternoon snacks. She taught me to swim and skate. She created a great childhood for me.
When I was seven, Marnie decided that, as a suburban mother, she needed to learn to drive. I have memories of her getting lost around town. As time went by, she ventured to NH. When the air brakes of the trucks would hiss, she would pull over thinking she had a flat tire. She was spunky and always got back on the road to resume the adventure.
Life goes by quickly. No one has a promise to see all of life's seasons. Fortunately, living into her eighties, Marnie experienced all. "Life is a gift to us. The way you live your life is a gift to those who live after us.." Mom, thank you for that gift, Joan
...And from my mother, Donna, some impressions of Marnie:
ReplyDeleteHot chocolate on snowy days. School shopping for new clothes and supplies. Marnie/mom made Christmas special, magical with Christmas lights and drives to look at other people's lights. Great holiday foods, a stocking of fun stuff, always a Florida Orange, nuts and candy. Awesome toys from Santa. Skinny dipping at Rattlesnake Island in NH. Then summers in NH and letting Bill and I keep Duke the puppy that looked like a baby black bear.Letting me use her car when I was a teen. She was always there at home after school. Always encouraged education. Accepting and not judgmental. Supportive of family and loyal.
Loved to swim and introduced me to Blue Springs and helped organize my wedding and reception. Helped financially with my first house. She was always there when things did not go well to help and support. She was so grateful for Dani and Jeannette in her life. She was grateful for help as she got older and did not want to burden her children. She tried to do as much as she could for herself. She loved to swim at my pool in Deland. Intelligent and independent thinker.
...I hope everyone enjoyed my effort to play Uncle Doug in honor of Marnie's birthday. Happy Birthday Marnie (how many more weeks of winter??).
Love,
Dani & Family
From: NANCY WOOD
ReplyDeleteSent: Sunday, January 30, 2011 8:31 PM
Subject: February 2, 1922, C. Margaret Wood
Per Uncle Doug’s encouragement, here are some personal thoughts on my Mother’s birthday, Feb 2. Attached is the very brief obituary I put into the Boston Globe and local, Concord (NH) Monitor, November 2005.
Mom found the newspaper ad that led to my first waitress job and encouraged me to not be intimidated by the big restaurant. She investigated and suggested a course of study in Medical Technology at Lowell State College when I returned home after a year of goofing off and dropping out of school. Much later, she encouraged me to apply for a position managing a laboratory computer system (which I got). She really helped me by advising and supporting me. Oh, she also was there with Gingerale and saltines and soup when I was a sick kid.
Education was important to Mom. She kept up her nursing skills with classes so she could contribute to our family’s income. She encouraged all four kids to go on to further education after high school. She helped my sister Donna with her two beautiful daughters when Donna went back to school to get her nursing education.
She was a good sport, going camping many summers with my Dad and us, wild kids. I have good memories of sleeping in tents and lots of swimming.
More could be said about Charlotte Margaret (Marnie) Wood but the above thoughts are what have come to me today.
Nancy
__________________________________
Charlotte Margaret (Marnie) Wood
Marnie Wood, 83, of Gilmanton Iron Works, N.H. and DeBary, FL, previously of Stoneham MA, died Nov 5, 2005 at St Joseph’s Hospital in Nashua NH after a period of declining health. As a loving mother and a caring health care provider, she loved life.
She was born in Boston, MA and graduated from Nursing School at Boston City Hospital. She was a veteran of WWII, and served as an Army Nurse. She lived and raised a family for 20 yrs in Stoneham MA. She worked as an R.N. in the Boston area and later in NH at Belknap County Nursing Home and Epson Manor Nursing Home.
She is predeceased by her husband, William Wood and parents, Hazel and William Edwards, siblings Norma Howard and John Edwards. Surviving family includes children Joan Wood and husband Bert Pousma of NH, Nancy M. Wood of NH, Donna Pepin of FL, Bill Wood of Colorado, grandchildren Danielle and Jeanette Pepin of FL, siblings Paul Edwards of CA and Joan Edwards of MA and numerous nephews and nieces.
A service will be private at a later date.
Arrangements are in the care of National Cremation Service