Nana...

Marilyn Frances Ostermann 1933-2010

As most of you know, we lost my Nana last Wednesday morning to Alzheimer's. She had been struggling with the disease for about 15 years with the last 3 or 4 being pretty bad. Up until 3 weeks ago, when we knew Nana was dying, I thought I'd been slowly grieving her loss as the Alzheimer's slowly took her away. Her personality changed, she didn't know who we were, and, while sometimes she was with us physically, she was no longer part of our family get-togethers. I now know that you cannot slowly grieve someone you love so dearly. She may not have been the Nana we grew up knowing but she was still with us and that fact held some kind of comfort in us.
Yesterday, we said our final good-byes at a beautiful service celebrating her life. Several people said wonderful things about her and we had the privilege of watching an amazing slide show narrated in her own voice. And, while we find joy and comfort for her knowing that she is with the Lord whom she has served and loved, my heart breaks for those of us who miss her so much.
I felt very blessed to have had so many years with Nana as I grew up. She is a such huge part of my childhood memories and will always have a very special place in my heart. She and my mom were very close so we spent a lot of time with her.

Her and Bapa's house was one of my favorite places to go and even into high school I'd often stop by. She created such a warm home where we all felt so at home and surrounded with love. Thinking of Nana brings thoughts of oatmeal cookies, Honey Buns, corn flakes, pear halves on lettuce, aebelscivers, fruit salad, fudgecicles, hot chocolate at the Naples fountain and Ostermann toast. Of course, not all memories include food. I hope I never forget the sound of her saying "Oh!" and laughing as we (the cousins) jumped down her stairs or how she always said or wrote Shanna, dear. She loved Old Town Seal Beach and called the Seal Beach peir her peir. One of my favorite things to do was look through old pictures and listen to Nana tell me stories about her childhood and family. I have gotten to know so many family members I wouldn't otherwise know of through her stories and will proudly pass those onto my children.

Nana has left an amazing legacy and there are not words that are good enough to express the mark she has left on me. I have always admired her so much and can only pray that one day I will be half the woman of God she was. Her character, grace and love showed in everything that she did and I have always been so honored to call her my Nana. She has taken a little piece of all of us with her but has left so much more with us. I am so blessed to be part of the wonderful family she and Bapa created in their almost 58 years of marriage...our immediate family totals in at 31 people with more on the way.

I love that even in this time of emotional ups and downs and such utter sadness we can laugh and share memories of fun times we have all had together. Nana was truly the heart of our family and her memory will continue to bring us together to enjoy the family to whom she was so devoted. ♥

For an amazing testimony, please visit
www.marilynostermann.com
to download and listen to Nana's.