This poem is dedicated to the memory of Nan Wuller
who spent her life
teaching other people how to live. Nan was so special she got two poems. You can
see her other poem here.
A friend of mine recommended this site, as she had
you write a poem for
her daughter Sally. It was so
beautiful that I would like to have one
written for a dear friend of mine. We worked together as teachers and I
think it would make a wonderful Christmas present to the faculty to have a
poem on display along with all the other things we have of her. Her family
would also appreciate it. It will be the first Christmas for her family
and friends without her and I thought that a poem about her life would be
special. Here is some information on her.
Her name was Nam Wuller. She had four children two boys
and two girls. She was a wife and grandmother. She never missed a
grandchild's birthday celebration or game no matter what the weather. She
lived her life with a zest and zeal that energized each one of us. We all
felt it, her family, her friends, her students, and her co-workers.
Nan was a devoted Catholic, mother, grandmother, and wife.
Superb
teacher,and co-workers. She loved to play bridge, have garage sales, go to
parties, master gardener, shopper.
Oh Halloween she always dressed up like a
pumpkin and walked around for all the children to see.
Even the preschool children looked forward to Nan
coming and they did not know how special she was as they had not had the
opportunity to have her for a teacher, but she made them
feel special whenever she saw them.
Nan cherished each day and didn't want to waste a minute.
She was always on the move, always coming up with a new idea, always ready for
an adventure. She cherished every person in her life, and didn't want to
slight or neglect one person. Nan was always here for other people.
I was never "just another day" for Nan, at work or
at home. She believed that something important, something special, ought
to happen in her classroom every day and she would turn an ordinary reading
assignment into a major event that even the sixth grade boys looked forward to
Her delight became theirs. She was quick with praise and compliments.
Little things never went unnoticed. She made each child feel like the most
important person in the world.
Nan Wuller taught at Queen of the Holy Rosary School for 35
years. The funny thing is, she never applied to teach there. She was
new to the area and a young mother and came to enrol two of her children just a
couple of days before school was to start. While she was waiting she met
the principal and told her she was a teacher, but was not going to teach until
she had her two other children in school. Sister Dominica quickly responded
"Oh, that's wonderful, God has sent you to me because we still need another
teacher.
Being as determined as Nan, Sister Dominica would not take no
for an
answer and Nan stayed. When Nan retired she indulged in her hearts desire:
a white convertible with a personalized license plate: QHR35
She invited more that 1,000 children into her classroom home
and from the first day on they were a part of her family. Her students
didn't fear Nan they respected her and more importantly they loved her.
Even if you were rotten in the morning and lost in the afternoon Nan loved you
and you knew it. She went to their soccer games, volley ball games, basket
ball games, and baseball games. For her school did not end at 3:15 on
Friday if her students were involved in a sport she was going to be there.
After her death the faculty met to pray and share memories of
Nan. One teacher put it very well, "I think Nan taught us how to live
and she
taught us how to die." All through her illness, Nan was gracious,
dignified, and honest. Her life didn't fall apart because she was sick.
She just altered her daily routine to include more things that she needed to do.
She showed unbelievable strength and faith. No complaining. If
something happened to another teacher she would show true concern for them and
offer to help them.
She never felt like we should do for her, she always wanted
to do for
others, right up until the end. The fears that Nan expressed near the end
of her life were fears for her family and for her school. She was always
concerned about others. I think that was the secret to Nan's happiness.
What do we do to honor Nan's memory? We will be kind, be cheerful, be
supportive, love life, laugh, read, but our hearts into everything we do and
pray often.
Nan was truly a blessing to all who knew her and may she rest
now in the arms of the Lord, in the joy and peace of eternal life.
Hopefully you can do something with this. I have tried
to encompass her life, and have gone from one thing to another, but after
reading the
poems you have written I am sure this will be beautiful. If you need any
more information, I will be glad to supply it.
Thankfully yours,
Judy Hanson
Prairie Village, Kansas 66208
The Cake:
Be quick with praise and compliments.
Never let little things go unnoticed.
Make every person you meet feel like the most important person in the
world.
Let your delight become theirs.
Be devoted to your God and be there for other people.
Live your life with zest and zeal and energize the people around you.
Do things you like to do and indulge in your hearts desire.
Dress up like a pumpkin.
Never slight or neglect one person and invite strangers into your
heart.
Cherish each and every day and never waste a minute.
Come up with a new idea and be ready for adventure.
Never let it be "just another day".
Earn respect from other people.
Be gracious, dignified and honest.
Be unbelievably strong and don't waste time by complaining.
Be faithful to those who count.
Be kind, be cheerful and be supportive.
Love life, laugh, read and pray often.
Put your heart into everything you do.
If it is worth doing it is worth doing well.
The Icing:
Be concerned and do for others for that is the secret to genuine
happiness.
Copyright Allen Jesson :) 2000
Judy kindly replied:
The
teachers loved the poem that you wrote for me that I shared with them. You
may getting more business from others wanting poems after they read it and
recover from the holidays. Thank you so much for doing these two poems.
All the family and friends of Nan will have this to remember her by. I
just finished visiting your web site the other night and saw my friends poem
about Sally. You are truly a
special and talented person.
Deeply appreciate your work,
