Thursday 16 June 2011

My Nan's 90th


At long last I am getting around to posting about what I did for my nan's 90th birthday, this is it. I worked all day one it the day before her birthday yeah I know talk about leaving it to the last minute but I got it done and everyone seemed to like it.........Over the photo I wrote the following:

Today makes the 90th birthday of an amazing woman my nan Flo James. She has always been known as Flo and it wasn’t until she came to the nursing home that I heard her called Florence.

My grandmother was born Florence Torrens on the 31st May 1921 in Wauchope her mother was Mary Ann Cameron and her dad was David William Torrens. She was one of 13 children her siblings where: Ethel, Irean, Trudy, Robert, William, James, Eva, Isabell, Dorrie, Mavis and Nita.

Nan has been married twice her first marriage to Merve Townsend resulted in 3 children: Mavis, Ronald and Diane. On the 23rd of December 1950 in Hamilton Newcastle she married the love of her life, Ronald Francis James with whom she had a fourth child Francis.

Nan has been blessed with 15 grandchildren each of her first 3 children have had 5 children each they are as follows: Jo-Anne, Jeannie, Susan, Sandra, David, Noel, Eddie, Ashley, Shirley, Jason, Robert, Wayne, Marie, Geoffrey and Debbie.

She has many great grandchildren as well as some great great grandchildren to many for me to name here.

Unfortunately Frank and Pearla have not been able to have children.

On the 17th September 1972 nan and pop was to lose a daughter with the death of Diane.

On the 4th November 2010 she lost pop and despite what some people may think she know he is gone and is deeply sadden by the fact.

Now that she is spending her last days in a nursing home I feel that it is a shame that more of her family do not visit her, mostly she receives visits from Frank and his wife Pearla and her daughter Mavis and granddaughter Jo-Anne. Now I am not saying that other family members don't visit her just that they do not visit very often.

I have always been close to my nan and feel blessed to be her grandchild she has always been a person to open her heart and home to all that needed her.


11 comments:

  1. That's a lovely tribute to your Nan on her 90th birthday, Jo-Anne. My, she has quite a family there, and I agree that it's a shame that a lot of them don't get to visit her more often. I always think that's sad when people go into Nursing Homes and members of the family can't spare just a couple of hours out of their lives to go and visit. By the way, I love all the names of her siblings. Aren't they great?! It's lovely that you can still remember your Nan as she used to be.

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  2. wonderful and nan's a gemini too! my bday is may 30th! so glad she had a good day!

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  3. What a lovely women Jo-Ann. Happy Birthday Mrs. Torrens :D

    Pooldad's grandma is 99 and lives in assisted living. She is as sharp as a tack and so much fun - God love her. She has only 2 children, 2 grandchildren and 7 great grands, but she never forgets a single one of them. Thank goodness we live close and see her weekly.

    Hope her day was as special as she.

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  4. A lovely tribute to your Nan on her 90th birthday. Congratulations to her. I am pleasded you enjoyed the video. :)

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  5. Jo-Anne,
    Lovely Jo-Anne. Congratulations to your grandmother on her birthday. You have done her proud in what you wrote :)

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  6. If I could do it all over again, I'd spend every spare minute with my Dad. I regret it more than you know. This is a lovely tribute.

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  7. This is a very lovely post! I enjoyed reading it and really do hope other family members come and visit her. I know I didn't spend enough time with my grandfather before he was put in the hospital for good. I missed that time with him and I wish I could get it back. Hopefully they will see their foolish ways and pay her a visit more often. Have a great weekend :D

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  8. Hi Thisisme

    Yes there a many people out at the nursing home who doesn't get any visitors at all.

    Hi Tim

    I think she had a good day my youngest is also a Gemni

    Hi Skippy

    I think it would be cool that there is assisted living now days make it easier for a lot of senior citzens..

    Hi LindyLou

    Thanks for dropping by and my nan is a special lady in my eyes.......

    Hi Whiteangel

    Thanks for the kind words there was more I wanted to say but I ran out of space.....

    Hi Barb

    Yeah we often do not realise how much time we wasted not seeing people till it is to late......

    Hi Somnia

    Yeah I feel if other family memnbers do not go and see her they will regret it when she is gone.....

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  9. What a lovely tribute. Happy 90th birthday to your Nan.

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  10. Its one regret I have that I wasn't able to get married earlier and have children earlier as I would have loved to have been one of those young fit grandmothers who can cherish their grandchildren and maybe live to see them have children but I don't know if I'll get that opportunity soon.

    Your grandmother sounds like she had the most amazing time.

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