Branch Come Home Year

August 9-19, 2007

A Tribute to a Lovely Lady,

Mrs. Isabella (Mrs. Belle) Nash,

 My Mother-In-Law

 

By: Jackie Nash

 

 

It was 1975 when I first started dating her son, Kenneth, that I met Mrs. Belle.  A loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and mother-in-law defined who she was.

 

Mrs. Belle loved her family dearly and showed it in everyway possible. Mrs. Belle showed as much love for all her in-laws, as she did her own children.  Everyone was part of her big family.  It didn’t matter to her who you were, she welcomed one and all.  She even showed her love and kindness to those in the community, as well as complete strangers.  She showed that so often as people worked down to the “gut.” She was happy to invite them in to her home either to get a drink of water, use the washroom, use the phone or have a cup of tea. She always loved to see someone coming in. One of her favourite past-times on a beautiful day was to go out in the yard, lean on the green fence and talk to those who were walking around the “gut.”

 

Mrs. Belle showed a one of a kind love for her husband, Mr. Cyril Nash, each and every day.  Ken and his family share endless stories about their parent’s commitment to each other.  They tell the one where Mr. Cyril would come into the house and swing there mother around.  As they danced around the kitchen together she would say “Cyril go away you big fool, don’t be so childish” and then she would laugh, loving every minute of it.

 

Mrs. Belle showed her true love and dedication to her husband when she cared for him for approximately 20 years in their own home.  Mr. Cyril suffered from Parkinson’s disease. Mrs. Belle was determined to keep him at home and managed to do so until just a few days before his passing on December 31, 1993.

 

Oh, how she loved her games of bingo and cards, and then there were the dances.  She went wherever she could to get a game of cards in.  If there was no card game in Branch she would go to Pt. Lance, St. Bride’s or North Harbour.   If there were no scheduled card games, she would always go to her brother Austin and sister-in-law Agatha’s house knowing they would be more than willing to play a hand.  It was not hard to tell when she had a good hand of trumps because she would look at them so much. Nobody knew her card playing habits like her brother Austin.  When they played 120’s, he knew she was going to win the round as he laughed and said “Belle are you going or what?” because it would take her longer than usual to lay her card.

 

Mrs. Belle loved to win no matter how small or big the prize was, but she was mostly happy just to get to play the game. Now, let’s get back to those dances.  How she loved to dance.  She would often say “I wish Cyril was alive, he would do some dancing.”  After Mrs. Belle attended a dance you could expect her call.  She would call all her family within the next couple of days to let them know how many “sets” she had danced and who she had danced with. She often said “sure I can go and dance all night I’m only young. I get up early and have on my Sunday dinner.” How we would laugh when she would say that because she always felt so young at heart.  She especially liked the old fashion waltz.  When you would visit her home she would have on a tape of Newfoundland music and she would say “listen isn’t that some nice song.”

 

It was a sad day on April 17, 2001 when her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her in-laws, brothers and sister had to say good- bye to her after a three month battle with cancer. She was and will be forever loved and missed by her family.

 

Mrs. Belle was a dear and special woman to her family and to everyone who knew her.

We know as we are preparing for the Come Home Year she would want to be there, to celebrate it with her family and friends. We know she is watching over us all and although she is gone in body, she will always remain with us in memory and spirit.