Happy 99th Birthday to my Nana

99 years ago today my Nana, Alice Catherine Daggett was born in South Boston, MA. She was the second child to George and Catherine (Pierce) Daggett. She lived in Southie until she was five years old. My great-grandfather built a house in Quincy, MA on Farrington Street. There she lived with her younger siblings, Laura, Eileen and the twins Wallace and Frank. Her older sister Mary died of whooping cough when she was two years old.
Nana attend Quincy Public Schools and graduated from North Quincy High School in 1924. She went on to become a nurse and worked throughout the city of Boston. We learned later on that she had been awarded a scholarship to attend Yale Medical School to become a doctor-which was not common in those days. She turned down the offer to be close to home to help care for her father-who was sick at the time.
She met my grandfather, Charles Fleming, in the late 30's. He was from Charlestown, MA and worked as a fireman. They married in September of 1938. Two years later they had their first son, Charles (Chip). They lived on Myrtle Bank Ave. in Dorchester, MA. Eventually my grandparents had three more sons, Michael (1942), Peter (1945) and Mark, my father, (1947). Since the family had grown, they moved to Adams Street. My grandfather died of cancer in 1964. Nana continued to live on Adams Street until 1973. She then returned to Quincy where she lived until she died in 1989.
She was the proud grandmother of Kathleen and Michael Fleming (Michael's two children) Annemarie Fleming-Stenfors (Chip's daughter) and me.

Growing up I had the honor of spending every weekend, school and summer vacation with Nana. We would take day trips into Boston and spend the day at the Public Gardens or the Boston Common. We would walk over to the North End, Quincy Market, Chinatown--you name it we saw it. We would spend hours at Castle Island in Southie at the beach or a Wollaston Beach.
Nana would take me to the ice skating rink in the winter for my lessons and spend four to five hours there watching me skate! She never complained about being cold or tired. I remember trying to get her to carry me to car because my feet hurt! She would attend all of my recitals for dance and gymnastics.

Nana taught me how to cook, how to sew, how to read, how to spell my name, how to tell time, how to pray and how to love!
She was my best friend. It has been almost 17 years since she has been gone-which is longer than the years we had together. However the memories we created will last a lifetime. I can only hope and pray that I can teach my daughter all that she taught me.

I know that Nana is watching over us. She and I had a song that we would sing together.. it was "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder. Over the years when significant events in my life have happend--like my graduation from college, my wedding day and moving to Florida--this song has come on without any warning--like a message from her to me to let me know that she is still with me.

So today I just wanted to "call to say I love you" on what would have been your 99th birthday. I miss you and love.
Love,
Aleisa