It is nigh on a year since Ann Nichols passed from our midst. The Baha'is of Haldimand miss her sorely.
On the occasion, I wrote the following eulogy for Ann at:
http://badiblog.blogspot.com/search?q=Ann+nichols
One of Ann's foster daughters, Amanda Lynn Tremeer, has recently declared her faith in Baha'u'llah. She requested that I post on the Badi' Blog her own eulogy for Ann, which I include below.
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Our Mother Margaret Ann Nichols.
She was our everything. She had open doors for all the children, I feel that it is right to say that we are all Ann's children.
I came to live with My Mom Ann when I was about eight or nine, when I first met her, there was a glow on her face, as I walked through her doors, for once in my life I felt love and kindness, her smile was so lovely. I felt at home. Through the years my mother would teach us the blessed writings of the faith, she would teach us everything that she knew (and the classes with Marylou Speer).
When I heard of my mothers passing, I went to Dunnville that very day to stand beside my sister's side. As soon as I walked through the doors, I went right to my mothers bed. This was the household meeting place, our poor mother never had space. Where she was we always there, right beside her.
As I prayed at her bedside, I started to cry. I got up, making my mother's bed the way that she had taught us to do. Then I lay one single rose one my mothers pillow, with her Baha'i prayer book that she would always read from. At that moment I knew that our Father had taken mother home.
I remember when I gave birth to my daughter, Caitlyn. I was talking to my mother from the hospital phone. She could not make it to the hospital, so she read me prayers over the phone. Thirty minutes later, Caitlyn Marion Dianne Bridges was born. I called Mom, I told her the words that are still fresh today,
"Guess what Mom, you are a grandmother!"
"Call Jolene right away to tell her that she is an auntie!"
My mother cried with joy.
Even though I was not her blood child, even though I married and painted my own future, Ann was my mother. I was not a foster child in her eyes; I was one of her daughters.
Our Mother's birthday was January 1st. This year, her granddaughter put bright blue roses on the top of hear head stone, and gave the angel on the ground a kiss. We sang happy birthday. My daughter, almost three now, looked up at me and said,
"Mommy, we come more to bring Grandma flowers."
My reply was,
"Your grandmother had love for flowers you know. Of course we can."
Even though she is gone, there is not a day that goes by where I do not think of her. And the funniest thing, she is not gone. She still lives. We are right under her nose, like when we were little.
Jolene and Ann did wonders for us children. God blessed me with a Mother and a sister. That I will always hold deep in my heart.
Thank you for reading this.
Amanda Lynn Tremeer
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