I was blessed to have many years with both of my grandmothers, as they lived long lives. My paternal grandmother, Julia (Scerbak) Sabo, was born 17 August 1893 and died on 29 May 1985, while my maternal grandmother, Hazel Ethel (Coleman) Adams was born 7 February 1901 and passed away on 21 April 1995.

They were very different personalities, but I adored them both. What I remember most about Nana (Julia) is that she was one fiesty, smart lady in spite of the limited opportunities she had growing up in a Carpatho-Rusyn village. Nana spoke Rusyn, English and enough Hungarian and Ukrainian to get by in spite of the fact that her village school only offered a 4th grade education.

Nana, about 1952

The most fun we had together was on Friday nights or Saturday mornings when we walked together to downtown Passaic. The streets were filled with shoppers or, usually in my case, browsers.

We window shopped and always went into Kresge’s and McCrorys dime stores, admiring the pretty clothes, handkerchiefs, knick knacks and holiday displays in December. Occasionally, I got a special treat if Nana decided we needed an ethnic dessert from the Jefferson Street Bakery. Their cookies and cakes were to die for!

The only downside to our Friday night wanderings was when we ran into one or more of Nana’s friends – like very block we walked – and we had to stop while the ladies gossiped. It was a boring few minutes for a 10 year old girl, but made even more so because they always conversed in Rusyn!

The stores closed at 9:00 p.m., but we always started the walk back home by 8:00 or 8:30 as it was just over a mile from home to McCrory’s, the furthest stop on our shopping route.

Even though Bus #3 ran all along Lexington Avenue from downtown to the corner of my street, I don’t ever remember riding the bus on a single Friday night outing.

My maternal grandmother, Hazel, or Grandmother as I was taught to call her, was, by nature, a much more formal person.

Grandmother & Me, 1957

However, more formal didn’t mean that we didn’t have fun together. This photo was taken at my grandparents’ camp on Little Sebago Lake in Maine.

What I remember most about Grandmother is how creative – both artistically and musically – she was. Grandmother loved to paint. I remember lots of flowers, probably because she also loved to garden, and she had several pieces of furniture that were stenciled in her house and at the lake camp.

I also remember Grandmother played the piano beautifully. She could read music, but I never thought to ask where she learned. Grandmother was even the reason I had a little tabletop plug in organ.

She tried to teach me to play the piano, but I never got much past middle C. I did learn to play My Country Tis of Thee and a couple of other songs on the organ, but her creative gene didn’t get passed down to me.

My grandmothers were both wonderful people and I still miss them today.