Monday, August 15, 2016
Dear Susan, Sharon & all those who loved little Nellie,
I was so sorry to hear of the recent passing of your mom. I met and fell in love with your mother when she and your Uncle Joey moved into Corliss Apartments, across the hall from my parents, Fermina & Mario Baldascino. Your mom and uncle became fast friends...family...to my parents and our entire family. After my father and your uncle passed away, the bond between your mother and mine strengthened; they were sisters of the heart. When illness affected my mom causing her to move in with me, 2 hours away from Phillipsburg, they kept that friendship going by weekly phone calls (often multiple times a week). Also, I remember the one time I was able to bring my mother back to Phillipsburg to visit people, we took your mom to Italy's Restaurant for lunch. Watching them together-- hugging, chattering, and patting each others cheeks -- brought tears to my eyes. After my mother died in 2012, your mom and I kept up those phone calls, not as frequent but just as wonderful. I truly loved your mother and thought of her as an aunt. I am certain that there are many people who can say the same thing about their relationship with her because your mom was just that special. Your mother exuded love, faith, and the true meaning of friendship. She had been through much in her life and suffered many physical hardships, but she was strong, never letting anything get in the way of the people she cared about and the things that were important to her in life, like her faith. She was so proud of both of you as well as of her grandchildren & great grandchildren; she often spoke of the love she had for all of you. That love, along with her rosaries, sustained her. The last time I spoke with her, a few weeks ago, she told me that she was ready to go home to God and was just waiting for Him to call her. I have no doubt that she is in heaven, right now, with your dad and the rest of your family who have gone ahead; I know she is also spending time with my folks. This earth is a little sadder without little Nellie in it, but her spirit and love live on in all of you and the wonderful memories that you have of her. I feel honored to be able to say that I can share in that; I will miss her. God bless you all. Maria
