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Melissa Guay posted a condolence
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Grammy’s role as a faith-filled grandmother will remain eternal in our hearts. How can I ever forget the first time I brought jonnie to Wildwood. We stayed at Uncle Frank’s hotel. Grandmom insisted that Jonnie sleep with her because we were dating and not married. He never slept a wink that night as she snored like a buzz saw. But she made sure to keep those Catholic vows in tact ❤️
M
Melissa Guay uploaded photo(s)
Thursday, June 29, 2023
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My Grammy, I have so many memories I will forever cherish .
A few of my favs:
Spending the days at your house washing washcloths and hanging them on a clothesline for hours! I loved when you let me feed Judy dogfood patties that looked like hamburgers while wearing your heels and your red lipstick. How can I forget you letting me play in your car pretending to drive. I flooded the gas and it wouldn’t start for you the next day. Our endless trips of getting lost. You always said isn’t this so much fun, despite my sheer panic having no idea where we were headed and if we’d ever find our way back. My favorite Wednesday half days at St Raphael were of you picking me up. You always had a perfectly set table with lunch all ready at home. How can I forget when you let me make chocolate chip cookies and only eat the dough (no cookies). You taught me to crochet with such patience. Our Thanksgiving in your basement so we could all be around the table together.❤️
These memories were the foundation of my childhood. As I sit here writing this to you I have your cell phone beside me. You gave me that phone when you no longer needed it and told me to let the girls have it to play with. I still have that phone and I would give anything to call you on it right now just to tell you I love you and miss you. I take great comfort in knowing you are in heaven, I just wish you could tell me all about it ❤️
T
Theresa Annaloro posted a condolence
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Mom was an angel. So selfless and caring.
She loved NYC seeing the Broadway shows, Christmas Show at Radio City, Rockefeller Center Chistmas tree, walking around the City, having dinner there etc.
When we were very young and got into trouble for typical kid stuff, she'd always protect us and come to our defense so dad wouldn't punish us. I was very grateful for that.
I will forever miss her and love her so much.
M
Michelle Fossum posted a condolence
Monday, May 22, 2023
I have so many fond memories of my Grandmom Penny that I will cherish forever! She was such a loving and welcoming person to all and was much loved by all who knew her, especially her grandchildren!
I am so grateful for our countless family gatherings with Grandmom and the time and energy she always invested to make sure the grandkids all had a great time! I will never forget when she dressed all of us in "Angels in the Outfield" T-shirts that she made by hand with puffy paint. She also had a love for New York City and was so excited to take us to the Broadway Christmas show to see the Radio City Rockettes. After the show was over and we exited the theatre, it began to snow. This has always been a fond memory of mine with Grandmom.
Grandmom was also great for a laugh! One time she took my sister and I out for lunch and was wearing a zip-up windbreaker jacket in the restaurant when she started to feel "warm," thus began unzipping and disrobing in the restaurant. Sitting across from her at the table, I quickly realized she was not wearing a shirt under the jacket and I was now sitting across the table in a public restaurant with someone who had nothing on above the waist but a bra! She quickly put her jacket back on and we laughed and laughed for what seemed like hours! The wait staff definitely received a good tip that day!
We also loved to go to the shore with Grandmom who introduced us to east coast beaches shortly after our move from the west coast. She would often offer to help us put on our sunblock as kids; however, she did not seem to comprehend the concept of rubbing the sunblock into the skin. I could always find my siblings on a crowded beach because we were the only kids caked in white lotion smeared all over our bodies from head to toe! Grandmom was always so cautious with the sun and now I think of her every time I apply a thick layer of sunblock on my own children who often reply with, "No mom! Don't do it like Grandmom!"
Grandmom was also a bit of a terror behind the wheel. We loved going shopping together whenever we would come to visit; however, on more than one occasion, our car ended up temporarily on someone's lawn because she made a "wrong turn" on the way to the mall. Sometimes we would "visit" 2 victims' lawns in the same trip. Luckily the homeowners always took pity on the sweet old lady and the 2 terrified little girls in the back seat of the car as they helped to push the car off of their lawn and back on to the street.
I will always be grateful for the time I got to spend with my Grandmom and the memories we created together. I am saddened that my own children did not have much time with her; however, she is often mentioned in our home and I love to share my memories of her through pictures and stories. Grandmom will always be remembered as the true matriarch of our family and I am indebted to her for laying such a strong foundation from which our extended families have thrived. We love you, Grandmom, and I can only hope to be the example for my family that you have been for us!
With Love,
Michelle Fossum and the Fossum Family
D
Derek Miller posted a condolence
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Grandmom had a heart of gold. I didn’t think there was a single thing she ever did that didn’t have the best intentions for others. I’ll always remember her house, going over and cutting her grass, yeah ha ha everyone….. Derek likes cutting grass. I’ll also remember waking down to the little league fields and she would buy a little bag of candy from the snack stand for me. When I would sleep over, she would take me to Burger King because I loved the pancakes there.
Renting the clubhouse for thanksgiving was such a great tradition. Being able to be all together and enjoy company and a great meal was all grandmom ever wanted. The plays she would have us do was so funny looking back on it. The costumes and the time she spent on it meant everything to her to see us do it. Then once everyone was done dessert, either she would or I know Aunt Theresa did a couple times, would dress up like Santa and ring bells to drop off reindeer milk. Then if Grandmom wasn’t dressed up, she would be the one to say “I hear bells!”
The foot massages she used to give were always so good as well. You didn’t have to cash in kayak points or anything to get one! And they came with lotion!
The tomatoes she used to pick from our garden, she loved those fresh jersey tomatoes. She would get a big juicy one and eat it like an apple. But before several bites she would pour salt on it.
She used to do LAP after LAP in our pool in the backyard. I remember my dad getting mad at her for always going the same direction and the liner being pulled in that direction. She would get so mad that she had to change direction. Must’ve messed up the swimming routine too much.
One of the last memories I have with grandmom is the day she met Savannah. As a new dad, having your daughter meet your grandmother and her great grandmother was a really special moment. It was very special to grandmom too, she shed a tear or two when she got to hold her. Moments like that can not be replaced.
Love you Grandmom,
Derek and Melissa
L
Lisa Miller posted a condolence
Monday, May 15, 2023
Mom was hard of hearing as long as I can remember. She lived with us for some of those years and would often babysit while I had to run errands or go to work.
She would tell me a story one day about thinking she lost Brian. She kept yelling for him but couldn't find him anywhere. He'd continue to yell, "I'm in here Grandmom", in his tiny voice. ("here" meaning the bathroom)
Unfortunately, Brian couldn't get to her before she called the police to report him missing. The police were quick to arrive, and Brian came walking out of the bathroom.
L
Lisa Miller posted a condolence
Monday, May 15, 2023
Mom had just received her driver's license. She was working one night at Sears in the Quaker Bridge Mall. It was pouring outside and I was worried about her driving for one of her first times, home from work. My girlfriend and I decided to get there before she let out and follow her home (without her knowing), only to see that she had missed the exit of Route 1 to 95. She wound up heading towards Trenton. We sped past her, and I got out of the car waving my hands in the air for her to see me and stop. (STILL pouring outside) She BLEW past me, driving erratically. I jumped back in the car and we flew after her again. Finally, we caught up to her as she stopped at a toll booth yelling to the worker to help her because someone was following her. I ran up to her car and got behind the wheel to drive her home. However, because she was such a new driver, she didn't know how to work the defrosters and her window was blinding.
There is no other explanation except "Guardian Angel".
As she continued to drive and perfect her skills, she'd say, "I will not let the tractor trailers intimidate me," as she returned from navigating the Route 31 circle. Again, Guardian Angel.
We miss you so much, Mom. Please be OUR Guardian Angel. Thank you for being our Mom. Rest in Peace. xoxo
F
Frank Edward Hudik posted a condolence
Monday, May 15, 2023
Void of a similar attribute for Dad, I'll include many references to both Mom and Dad.
I feel so very, very fortunate to have had such great parents and a rock-solid family whom we dearly love every day. In these times of broken families being the norm, and children morally listless, we had mom and dad guiding the Hudik ship.
Dad served in WWII as an Adjutant to a one-star (Brigadier) General. His non-combat appointment was likely attributable to his age (23 in 1940) and his superior accounting and writing abilities. We believe he was in the European Theater and eventually the Philippines. We have coinage (e.g., Deutschmark) from his service in these locations. Dad's brother George was killed in action in France a few days after the invasion of Normandy. None of us knew George. Like most veterans of the war, dad did not speak about his military experience much. We did not know about George until I found a Purple Heart in mom's dresser, and I inquired about the owner of the medal.
Mom and Dad were married shortly after war's end. They lived in Trenton in an apartment until purchasing a home on Edwards Avenue, Hamilton Township, NJ. I never knew Dad to drink alcohol except for an occasional glass of beer in his "beer-only" glass with his brother Mike. One exception - Dad celebrated hardily at Heidi and my wedding. First and only time I saw him pretty saucy. Likewise, mom rarely if ever drank. Unfortunately, Dad was addicted to cigarettes most of his life as a "2-packer", typical of WWII service veterans. We would buy him cartons of Winston cigarettes every Christmas because the price on the base was $2/carton and cigarettes were good for you. Mom would occasionally share a cigarette with Rita Pelletteri but claimed she never inhaled.
Mom thoroughly enjoyed the major holidays.
Halloween - we were each afforded the quota of 2 pillowcases of neighborhood candy. Beside the candy, Thompsons across the street allowed us a full hand-grab of pennies from a fishbowl. Penny candy was a penny then, and the candy bars were full sized! Year-round bliss. Willy Wonka would be jealous.
Easter was the typical egg coloring exercise, and of course egg hunts presided by our older sisters. We had to sell our allotted quota of Farmer's coconut eggs for Holy Angels to survive financially. With all the other holy angels in the neighborhood we would simply buy and eat our family's quota each year. More bliss.
July 4 was occasioned by a trip to a local public fireworks event, sometimes at the Trenton Fairgrounds. Lou Pelletteri (neighbor) was able to obtain large quantities of Black Cat fireworks and an occasional cherry bomb, tanker or M80. The later were tantamount in value to religious icons. Different bliss.
Then came Christmas. Dad would host the extended family party in the smoke-filled basement. He eventually installed an exhaust fan but the cigarette smoke was chokingly thick nonetheless. We always had a real Christmas Tree with lead tinsel. I'm quite sure Jimmy's compaction of the lead tinsel with his teeth may explain a few things... We only used red lights on the tree and we were allowed to use spray snow once it became popular. What a cleanup mess. Mom allowed us to be sick a few days before Christmas to help her bake huge quantities of fruit cake (dry), poppyseed and lekvar kifli, walnut rollups, bafalafacan cheese and "chedega" (sp?). I remember buying mom and dad a 5 lb, 2-layer box of chocolate candy for their Christmas present so they could entertain our guests. Only 2.5 lbs (top layer) made it to the unwrapping... bliss. Mom was the inventor of the traditional Reindeer Milk delivery on Thanksgiving night. The milk (eggnog) ensured a good night's sleep prior to Santa's arrival. Mom bought a family Santa outfit so an anointed non-believer (13+ year old) could elusively entertain the little believers each year with a drive-by appearance of the jolly big red guy. You better watch out ... Santa Claus is coming to town. Adam still believes... Dad was all about taking his accumulated bottles of rot gut Seagram's 7 whiskey to the Santa-fireman sitting atop the siren-waling firetruck. I think they stopped coming down our street because of this harsh whiskey. Sorry Adam. Fond memories.
Mom did not drive a car until age 50ish. As a middle, middle-class family we could only afford one car and dad drove it to work after dropping a neighborhood contingent off at Holy Angels each day. Pelletteris were Ford People, sporting a "woody" Fairlane station wagon with automatic transmission. Braggards! We were Chevy clansmen, 3-on-the-column manual transmission. Our second station wagon was a blue V-8 1966 Biscayne with an AMFM radio, a heater and seatbelts that we never used. Learning manual was a challenge for all of us, mom never got an opportunity to try. Humanity survived another day.
TV during the week was Hogan's Heros, Gilligan's Island, I dream of Jeanie, Dark Shadows, Lucy, Honeymooners, Red Skelton, Sunday night was mandatory 8 PM Mouseketeers with Annette Funicello, followed immediately by bedtime. Dad always had either ice cream or very large Hershey Bars, broken into sectioned pieces. Bliss.
We very rarely took family vacations. The exception was Seaside or Wildwood for a week, once at Absegami (sp?) with the Keenans, a few trips to Lakewood or Cedar Lake, Cadwalder or Washington Crossing State Parks. We had very little money for the boardwalk, but we usually had enough to enjoy at least a few rides, Maruca's tomato pie to burn the roof of our mouth and Kohler's soft ice creme to soothe the burnt skin. Bliss. Seaside Heights or Island Beach State Park (IBSP) were the usual one-day go-to beaches. Jimmy and I occasionally went with Dad early in the morning to IBSP to fish the surf. We ate cream donuts (bliss), got sunburned, caught nothing, lost tackle, stuck our tongues at each other and slept in the "way-back" of the station wagon. It was a boys-only bonding tradition.
In general, mom's cooking was perhaps a bit bland but hardy. Dad never complained. Generally, the family ate dinner together. Jean broke away first, going off to college and playing tennis such that she missed chewing endlessly on the liver-leather that was occasionally served for supper. It was rich in iron, and just as tough to chew. Many a mouthful of liver got deposited in the toilet, hamster-style. I think mom knew the routine. On the contrary, Jimmy and I would fight over that last pork chop, ravenous from soccer or baseball practice. We never had soda to drink, milk or water only. The exception was a glass of ginger ale if you were sick to your stomach. Bliss.
Mom never complained about anything and with the 6 of us she surely could have. She had a wrenched back issue for many years. I remember her wincing with pain, Amy once opined a lion was attacking her in bed. She credited Jesus with eventually resolving her back issue as it miraculously stopped. We could not afford any medical treatment so she simply gutted it out until He intervened.
Mom and Dad were devout Christians. Mom had Holy Angels literally in her daily plans (attending mass) and figuratively in her daily heart. Their entire lives were dedicated to family. They readily welcomed Heidi and the Landon family, attending our wedding in Washington State and enjoying the birth of our oldest, Michelle. Dad passed before Chelsea and Greg were born but mom presided over all three and lived long enough to see her Great's: Taylor, Maddox, Connor, and even Hadley, albeit in a decreasingly cognitive state. She seemed to really enjoy the littlest ones whenever we could bring them to a reunion with her.
I am blessed to have had such great parents and continue to enjoy such a loving family, because of them. Mom and Dad were truly from the Great Generation. See yous guys soon!
C
Craig Miller posted a condolence
Monday, May 15, 2023
Even though there were many memories the one I remember is the time she had a medical episode and traveled across three lanes of 295 highway and without hitting another vehicle. Her car struck the guardrail above a ravine and the cable at the end of the guardrail become dislodged and wrapped around the rear axle preventing he car from probably overturning and going into the ravine. The tow truck driver said he never seen anything like this and someone was watching out for her. I told him there was. He said the chances of that ever happening again is unimaginable. Kudos to Penny. She will be missed.
B
Brady posted a condolence
Saturday, May 13, 2023
I'm not sure if I was too young to fully remember the times we spent
with Grandmom Penny, or if I just have a bad memory. It's most likely
a combination of the two honestly. Anyway, one thing that will also
stay with me is how much she loved her family. Below are a couple of
"memory snapshots" I have with Grandmom Penny that always put a smile
on my face when I think about them in no particular order at all.
1. Christmas at Peddler’s
a. Every time I think of seeing the lights at Peddler’s Village, I
think of Grandmom taking all of us cousins out to dinner at the Cock
n’ Bull before walking around the town to see the lights. Of course
other memories of Peddler’s are thought of too (Dad disappearing to
throw up his vegan beef jerky), but it all starts with Grandmom
wanting all of us together for the holidays.
2. The Shrek Musical
a. To this day, I still can’t remember if this actually happened or
if it was a very weird fever-dream, but I remember Grandmom wanting to
take us to a play. I don’t remember what it was, but I think the play
she originally wanted to take us to was cancelled or sold out, so
instead we all went to go see the “Shrek Musical '' and I thought it
was the coolest thing ever. Although I do remember being a little
upset that the actors on stage were not the same voice actors from the
movie, how dare they.
3. The Casino Onion
a. I think I was in 8thGrade at this time, and we had all flown out
to Aunt Heidi and Uncle Frank’s for Jesse and Chelsea’s wedding. For
dinner one night, we all went to a casino because it had a buffet and
was the only way to get Evan to eat something other than Stewart’s
meats. When we all got there and sat down with out food, Grandmom had
her plate of food, topped with a whole onion. Looking back, I think
she just wanted to get a laugh out of all of us by trying to eat the
whole onion like an apple. What I don’t think she fully knew until
the waitress came over and explained it to her 5 times, was that the
onion was just a decoration, and was coated with plastic to keep it
from going bad and therefore she could not actually eat it.
4. The Ducks
a. Not sure what the background story actually is here or how this
actually got started, but I do know that whenever someone farted, it
was not actually them but instead the Ducks getting rowdy according to
Grandmom. To this day, Kristen still looks around trying to find the
“ducks”, and there have been a lot of “Ducks”.
5. Foot Massages
a. To this day, I wish I could get one more foot massage from
Grandmom. Not sure where she learned how to give them, but I remember
at family gatherings, we would all line up on the floor in front of
Grandmom to wait our turn for a foot massage from her. This somehow
turned into us giving Uncle Frank and dad foot massages though and it
all went downhill from there.
6. The Wizard of Oz
a. This is a memory I was too young to actually remember doing, but
I’ve seen enough pictures of all of us dressed up in costumes to now
associate the movie with Grandmom making all of us costumes so we
could do a live action performance in the Miller’s Backyard.
7. The Wigs
a. I think it was Evan or Brandon who found them, but I remember
being at the Miller’s one time and a bunch of Grandmom’s wigs being
found. Naturally being little kids, we all thought they were the
coolest thing and we all wore them pretending to be Grandmom.
Unfortunately, I think this was around the time grandmom had just
started to wear them, and she was a little embarrassed to find out we
all knew she now wore wigs. But I’ll always have the memory of what
sparked Brandon’s brief time as a cross dresser, led by Breanna’s home
make overs. (to be fair, we all participated, but Brandon pulled it
off way too well).
8. Magic Apples
a. I was young when we got these, but I remember one year, not sure
what for, Grandmom got us these “Magic Apples”. They were essentially
piggybanks, where you would open the apple up and store your money.
The twist though, was that if you left your money in there long
enough, it would magically double. I think this was her way of trying
to teach us how savings accounts worked, or maybe it was just for fun.
Either way, I think our parents forgot that we had these or Grandmom
never told them that they would have to be the “magic” that doubled
the money over time, but I was a little disappointed my $1 in my magic
apple never doubled to $2.
These are just some memories that surface right away when I think of
Grandmom, but I have no doubt more memories will continue to come to
mind overtime. Overall though, I think the most important memory I
will cherish of Grandmom is how much she loved us, spending time with
her family and creating those memories with and for us.
B
Brielle posted a condolence
Saturday, May 13, 2023
Grandma Penny
There’s a lot of things that you can say about Grandma Penny, and we were all very fortunate to have a lot of memories with her. A very early memory that I have is being dressed into a brown cloth costume that Grandma Penny made, which turned me into Toto from Wizard of Oz. I remember all of us were gathered at Aunt Lisa‘s house, dressed up. Thank goodness I had no lines to say, as I was a dog in the play. All I had to do was follow Breanna around, a pretty easy job. Grandma Penny would get so excited seeing all the kids dressed up into the costumes she had made, and she loved the Wizard of Oz which kind of made us all love the Wizard of Oz. Seeing her face smile and being so happy that we were able to come together and perform this play for the family. But it wasn’t about the play, it was about the fact that we were all together. Grandma Penny, that’s all she ever wanted. She instilled values into us at a young age even if we didn’t know it at the time. She taught us the importance of family, the importance of trying to be together in one place, and the importance of having these memories to look back on. She loved everyone, especially her grandkids.
She made Wildwood a yearly tradition for all of us to get together from all parts of the world. Wildwood became my favorite beach because of her and the memories that she gave our family. From this tradition that she made, she made me fall in love with water. She made me fall in love with the ocean, the sand, the sun and the people that are nearby-family. She made our family big and I am so happy she did because I have some of the most amazing cousins and uncles and aunts- and definitely not the least- my dad. From our annual Wildwood trip our family kept those traditions, no matter what challenges we have faced in that year. And for that- I am so thankful. Our family learned those values from her- which instilled them into our heads. We always manage to get together- because that’s what is important.
She taught me how to crochet for a class project so I could teach my class how to do it. She was so happy that she could help and I was happy that I could learn something new from my grandma to teach others. She bought me my first kit for crotcheting and I remember I would practice every night thinking of what she had taught me. I did my best, but eventually moved onto a new hobby- but I kept those crotchet needles for as long as I can remember. They were shiny and she got me special colored ones to use for my class. She taught me I can learn new things and I can do it well.
Another memory that I have, I am very fond of. Peddlers Village. I love that place and I love being able to walk around and look at everything. I think that’s why I’m so obsessed with lights at night. I love being able to see that and see the way they decorate places. I remember always getting hot cider and I always remember being around family. I remember we would get an amazing dinner and roll around Peddler's Village. I always think of Peddler's when I’m home because that was one of my comfort places and I am forever fortunate that Grandma Penny was a big advocate of it and for getting us all together. All she wanted to be was around all of us. I also remember there being a very big candy shop and that’s always a place that we had to stop. One word- jawbreaker.
Grandma Penny loved us all so much and I am so glad that we are able to have all these memories that she helped us create. She and my grandpa gave me some of my favorite people in life. She showed us love.
B
Brady Hudik posted a condolence
Saturday, May 13, 2023
I'm not sure if I was too young to fully remember the times we spent
with Grandmom Penny, or if I just have a bad memory. It's most likely
a combination of the two honestly. Anyway, one thing that will also
stay with me is how much she loved her family. Below are a couple of
"memory snapshots" I have with Grandmom Penny that always put a smile
on my face when I think about them in no particular order at all.
1. Christmas at Peddler’s
a. Every time I think of seeing the lights at Peddler’s Village, I
think of Grandmom taking all of us cousins out to dinner at the Cock
n’ Bull before walking around the town to see the lights. Of course
other memories of Peddler’s are thought of too (Dad disappearing to
throw up his vegan beef jerky), but it all starts with Grandmom
wanting all of us together for the holidays.
2. The Shrek Musical
a. To this day, I still can’t remember if this actually happened or
if it was a very weird fever-dream, but I remember Grandmom wanting to
take us to a play. I don’t remember what it was, but I think the play
she originally wanted to take us to was cancelled or sold out, so
instead we all went to go see the “Shrek Musical '' and I thought it
was the coolest thing ever. Although I do remember being a little
upset that the actors on stage were not the same voice actors from the
movie, how dare they.
3. The Casino Onion
a. I think I was in 8thGrade at this time, and we had all flown out
to Aunt Heidi and Uncle Frank’s for Jesse and Chelsea’s wedding. For
dinner one night, we all went to a casino because it had a buffet and
was the only way to get Evan to eat something other than Stewart’s
meats. When we all got there and sat down with out food, Grandmom had
her plate of food, topped with a whole onion. Looking back, I think
she just wanted to get a laugh out of all of us by trying to eat the
whole onion like an apple. What I don’t think she fully knew until
the waitress came over and explained it to her 5 times, was that the
onion was just a decoration, and was coated with plastic to keep it
from going bad and therefore she could not actually eat it.
4. The Ducks
a. Not sure what the background story actually is here or how this
actually got started, but I do know that whenever someone farted, it
was not actually them but instead the Ducks getting rowdy according to
Grandmom. To this day, Kristen still looks around trying to find the
“ducks”, and there have been a lot of “Ducks”.
5. Foot Massages
a. To this day, I wish I could get one more foot massage from
Grandmom. Not sure where she learned how to give them, but I remember
at family gatherings, we would all line up on the floor in front of
Grandmom to wait our turn for a foot massage from her. This somehow
turned into us giving Uncle Frank and dad foot massages though and it
all went downhill from there.
6. The Wizard of Oz
a. This is a memory I was too young to actually remember doing, but
I’ve seen enough pictures of all of us dressed up in costumes to now
associate the movie with Grandmom making all of us costumes so we
could do a live action performance in the Miller’s Backyard.
7. The Wigs
a. I think it was Evan or Brandon who found them, but I remember
being at the Miller’s one time and a bunch of Grandmom’s wigs being
found. Naturally being little kids, we all thought they were the
coolest thing and we all wore them pretending to be Grandmom.
Unfortunately, I think this was around the time grandmom had just
started to wear them, and she was a little embarrassed to find out we
all knew she now wore wigs. But I’ll always have the memory of what
sparked Brandon’s brief time as a cross dresser, led by Breanna’s home
make overs. (to be fair, we all participated, but Brandon pulled it
off way too well).
8. Magic Apples
a. I was young when we got these, but I remember one year, not sure
what for, Grandmom got us these “Magic Apples”. They were essentially
piggybanks, where you would open the apple up and store your money.
The twist though, was that if you left your money in there long
enough, it would magically double. I think this was her way of trying
to teach us how savings accounts worked, or maybe it was just for fun.
Either way, I think our parents forgot that we had these or Grandmom
never told them that they would have to be the “magic” that doubled
the money over time, but I was a little disappointed my $1 in my magic
apple never doubled to $2.
These are just some memories that surface right away when I think of
Grandmom, but I have no doubt more memories will continue to come to
mind overtime. Overall though, I think the most important memory I
will cherish of Grandmom is how much she loved us, spending time with
her family and creating those memories with and for us.
M
Melissa guay uploaded photo(s)
Thursday, May 11, 2023
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Lisa posted a condolence
Thursday, May 11, 2023
There are so many wonderful things I will remember about my mother-in-law and so many things that I am grateful to her for--one of them being the fact that, from day one, she welcomed me into the family just as if I had always been a part of it. Never once did she make me feel as if I was an in-law, I was simply 'family'.
I can remember Craig and I (when we first started dating Lisa and Jimmy) wondering who the heck was 'Penny', 'Yutze', Judy, Trudy or Teresa....it took us a good while to separate her name from the nicknames from the dog's name! And then trying to figure out what a 'mushagotow' was! Always gave us a good chuckle!
Mom loved her family more than anything in the world. There was many a time when one of the babies just wouldn't stop fussing and she would insist on taking them. She'd snuggle them all up in her chest and rock and sing to them until they quieted down and fell asleep. She loved having special things for them--whether it was special dinner nights, costume play days or arts and crafts. Mom made sure she was always at all of those special things to little kids--their birthdays, the holidays, the church play, the school concerts, the awards banquets....She always had time for her grandkids--she loved them to death and they knew it! I will always be grateful for the love she showered them with, for the time she carved out for them, for the importance of family she instilled in them, for the example she set of being a good Christian....Rest in peace--'Well done, good and faithful servant!' Matthew 25:23 You are so loved, now and always.
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Breanna posted a condolence
Thursday, May 11, 2023
I remember when Grandmom bought a food dehydrator and she was so proud of herself and excited to use it. I recall sitting in her room at the Millers and her opening the machine after she had just dehydrated a bunch of fruit.... Keep in mind we were 7-9 year old kids... And she gave us a sample to "try" after being dehydrated. I think Brandon(?Brady) and I both put a piece of dehydrated apricot (still gross) and simultaneously made eye contact and tried our hardest to chew/swallow it without hurting her feelings because it was so gross. Our efforts to spare her feelings backfired as I remember her giving a new fruit to try every time we visited, even fruit that shouldn't be dehydrated. I specifically remember trying a dehydrated pear that had the consistency of dried leather. Luckily, the fruit dehydrator lost it's sparkle over the next few months and we got off the hook for future taste testing.
I also remember the keyboard in her room. Did anyone actually know how to play the piano/keyboard? No. Did that stop Grandmom from playing the preprogrammed songs and singing along? Absolutely not.
Also- the endless loop of watching and singing The Sound of Music.
The first time Wes met Grandmom she smoked a hooka with a "forget it, I'm old and I can do what I want attitude" which Wes and I still laugh about today.
She loved her kids and grandkids so much and we will always cherish the times she brought all us cousins together at endless birthday parties, holidays, and sporting events. The Thanksgiving with "reindeer milk" and Santa was something she loved doing as well, especially the look on our faces when we saw Santa out the window a month before Christmas!
J
Jean posted a condolence
Thursday, May 11, 2023
I will never forget how Mom had a full turkey dinner
for us upon my return from Outward Bound. 28 days of dehydrated food and how I wished I had a nice Turkey dinner to eat! No cell phones back then. She just knew!
Mom was always there for us!
The two of us went to the Holy Land
With a church group. It was an awesome trip!
The last time I saw Mom, even though it was hard to hear her, will be in my memory forever!
Our prayers are with you…
M
Maryann Nemeth posted a condolence
Thursday, May 11, 2023
One Thanksgiving we decided to celebrate in our clubhouse in Ravenscroft. The young uns took off to Veterans Park to play tennis, soccer and ride bigwheels. After working up an appetite, we returned to the clubhouse only to find the "skinless" turkey grease dripping down mom's chin. She had that "cat that swallowed the canary" look on her face and tried to swallow quickly. We proceeded to have a play put on by director Grandmom. All the grandkids were in it wearing one of her wigs on each of their little heads.Of course it was the Nativity play. Once it got dark she donned her Santa suit and snuck outside to make a secret appearance. 3 yr old Brandon ran to the window and announced "there's a Ho out there!!" All the men darted to the window......
She will be missed, but Lucille Ball will be glad to see her number 1 fan, and we will always hold the memories she made so near and dear.
C
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Wednesday, May 10, 2023
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I have many memories of my sweet Grandma and wished we lived a bit closer to have been able to have more. She loved her family and showed us all the importance of family. Her and Grandpa started the Wildwood tradition and for that I will forever be grateful. Those are my best memories and though she wasn’t able to join us as much in the end, she instilled in me the importance of family and now I have passed that on to my children. She was so funny and kind. Some of my memories were..
-Taking Michelle and I shopping for Black Friday and one year got two traffic tickets in one trip, haha! I believe one of those tickets was for almost hitting a police officer. Yes, Mom and Dad were a bit upset with her, but now we all look back and laugh at it. She may not have been the best driver.
- She took Michelle and I out to lunch one time (which she liked to do whenever she got the chance) and she told us she was hot and was going to take off her jacket. Well she forgot to put on an undershirt. Thankfully, Michelle stopped her before it got to risqué.
- Having to much to drink one time and calling everyone a Dummy Cow
- She loved her sweets very much, and though she wasn’t supposed to have them, I remember finding a stash of wrappers in the hole of her wheelchair. I pulled out one and found many others jammed in there. We couldn’t help but laugh.
- All of us Grandkids, at one time or another, playing with her wigs.
-The many gatherings we had at her house (I was always scared of her basement).
Those are just some that I hold near and dear to my heart. She was a beautiful, strong, loving Lady that will be missed dearly.
B
Brandon posted a condolence
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
One of the core things I’ll remember about grandma Penny was how much joy bringing her grandchildren together brought her. When we were little, she loved to sing and teach us songs. To this day, lyrics from these songs randomly pop into my head and I hear her wavering (off-pitch) voice sing them to and with us — always a toothy smile plastered on her face. This song I remember best:
I’m an old cowhand.
From the Rio Grande.
But my legs ain’t bowed.
And my cheeks ain’t tan.
I’m a cowboy who never rode a cow.
Never roped a steer because I don’t know how.
Sure ain’t fixing to start it now.
Yippee yi yo kah yay.
There’s also a questionably Italian song she taught us that comes to mind. I know the words as I remember them are likely incredibly incorrect, but the memory of her held by the melody is what counts:
Cuanto se quiere, barveda.
Cuanto se quiere a tí.
Yes in the sea waits my baby.
Pasta bravo
Vi vi
Other totally random but recurring memories I have of her from our early childhoods, often (appropriately) centering around the arts and/or food, include:
Her chicken paprikash
The roasted pig grease drizzled on bread out back at the millers
Her laps around the miller’s pool
Putting on the wizard of Oz play with all the Hudiks and Millers together
Halloween gatherings in her basement at the house by Hamilton Little Lads
Christmas dinners and plays (shout out Uncle Craig’s ‘grumbly’ tummy)
That boxy car she drove with the weird maroon/red fabric interior
Her laser focus on completely housing any food put out in front of her
Sneaking a taste from her jar of water from the Dead Sea
Her and grandma Mae sitting in lawn chairs out back at Vine Way at the many family picnics and birthday gatherings we’d have
She always was at her happiest around family and those that loved her, and I hope she is at peace knowing the family she created did, and will continue to do, just that. She will be deeply missed, but I take solace in knowing that she is with God and his choir of angels — after all, I heard they were in need of some new material… a song about an old cowhand, perhaps? Or maybe something with a questionable bit of Italian would be a better place for a Catholic to start.
A
Adam Nemeth posted a condolence
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Q: What will you never forget about Teresa?
A: Being a little kid and Grandmom coming to pick me up in her blue skyhawk tank of a car after she had just gotten her license for the first time ever. She said, "Now this is new to me so I need you to be my eyes incase im about to do something i shouldnt.". I was about 7 at the time. "We drove to the end of my street and as we crossed the intersection of Yardville Hamilton Sq and Rte 33 Grandmom went straight through. My eyes widen, my body froze I could only mutter spastic words like "no good, uhhh uhhhh and oh no". She asked me "what's wrong did i do something?" for which i finally responded "WRONG WAY GRANDMOM!!". Cars were now headed towards us and in a completely calm and unaltered state she slowly veered down the next side road. Cars were stopping in the middle of the road and blowing their horns. I remember being terrified of going any further on that ride, although we did (the desire to eat lunch can over come many fears), but also amazed at her calmness and poise (?) while seemingly facing our certain head on collision fate. She was one of a kind.
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The family of Teresa Y. Hudik uploaded a photo
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
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