Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Celebrating 'Nyla'...

She was born in the Ukraine...ninety years ago.  When others fled Russia in the 1920's...and came to Canada, her family stayed.   During the second world war...she had the opportunity to serve as a nurse with the Red Cross in Poland.  She lost all contact with her family...who had been sent to Siberia.  As the war ended...she somehow managed to escape with the retreating troops...and eventually came to Canada.  She knew not a soul...spoke no English...and was at the mercy of those who took her in.  Coaldale, Alberta was her new home.

She had heard from her parents that somewhere in Canada they had relatives with the last name of  Tessman.  How hard might it be to find them?  You have to know...that with this lady there is always a way!  She took out in ad in a paper that circulated around the country...wondering if anyone knew her long-lost cousins.  My mother-in-law was one of those she was looking for.  My in-laws responded to her ad...and invited her to come live with them while she settled into her new country.  She accepted their invitation...and when my husband was just an infant...Nellie R joined their family.  The name in itself was a bit of a problem since my mother-in-law was also a Nellie...as was hubby's sister.  Three Nellies in one household was just too confusing...and so her new Canadian name became Nyla.  The house was small...but they gave her a room to call her own.  She was about 30 years old at the time...and became like an aunt to my hubby.  Eventually she found employment in Vancouver...but on weekends she always came 'home' to her new family. By the time I arrived on the scene...Nyla had located her family in Russia and was eventually able to sponsor some of them to come to Canada.  Though she now had family to call her own...she was always near and dear to hubby and his siblings.


She celebrated her 90th birthday this month.  We couldn't let that slip by unnoticed!  On the weekend...we (her adopted Canadian family) took her out for lunch...and passed along our warmest wishes to her.  Thanks to my sis-in-law Martha for organizing the party!

After she retired, Nyla spent her days helping others.  She made nine trips to the Ukraine doing mission work.  They know her well at all the local hospitals...where she has regularly visited the sick over the past many years.  She was always willing to drive the 'elderly' to their appointments.  Every September she bakes up a storm for the local MCC relief sale.  She is still in good health...still driving her car...still spending her days living for others.  If you are at all connected to Nyla...you will have been the recipient of her needlework and baking. And most importantly...her prayers.  I'm so glad they took Nyla under their wings so long ago.  She is one special lady!

18 comments:

  1. What a gift to your husband's family, and on through the generations. Nyla's story has a happy ending!

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  2. I know of her too ...of course since we are related through our hubby's. What a great story about one who has lived life to her fullest. .always looking for another opportunity to serve and share!
    Thanks for telling the rest of the story ..that I somehow have missed over the years.

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  3. I have very fond memories of Tante Nellie her in Vancouver. She always had a smile and an encouraging word for me. Please pass on my congratulations to her!

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  4. Sounds as if Nyla has returned the favor many times over. What an incredible story! A very happy birthday to her!

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  5. What an amazing lady!! How blessed you are to know her .....ans SHE to know YOU! A true role model for all of us!

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  6. What a nice story to start my day with. She is living her life as Christ tells us....Love one another....

    Happy Birthday Nyla...what a blessing she is.

    Hugs!

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  7. What a wonderful story. When I started reading I thought that Nyla's family was lost forever - I've read accounts of that too many times. So wonderful that she found her Russian family and that she found a Canadian family, too. Love this story.

    Happy Birthday to Nyla!

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  8. What an inspiration! Going through such hardships at an early age with such strength, determination, grace and compassion. And you know what Shakespeare says about a name..."A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Nyla or Nellie...in any case she is a good and faithful servant of God. Blessings to her!

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  9. I sure enjoy reading these kind of stories. She looks familiar to me and I wonser if I saw her in my church in Vancouver, growing up. A beautiful lady with a beautiful heart. Her life is a witness to the power of love and forgiveness.

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  10. Your friends must be so blessed by your kind, caring tributes made to them. Oh that the world had more Nylas in it. What a beautiful lady! I wish her a very special birthday and that the happiness she gave to others, would return to bless her.

    What are the chances of having three Nellies in one house? Great story.

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  11. Happy 90th birthday to Nyla! She sounds like an incredible woman. I wish her many more blessings and continued good health.

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  12. Thank you for sharing Nyla's story and for honouring her in this way. She is obviously very special to many people, shining her light wherever she is.

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  13. What a wonderful story and lady! A very happy birthday to her! Love her sweet face...

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  14. Thank you for posting this! This amazing lady is my great aunt (my father's aunt). My dad's family is the one she was able to bring out of the USSR into Canada. Yes, she does have an incredible story/stories... I have heard amazing things from her life and words. She is one of the most giving, hard-working, faithful people I know and her prayer life is a huge example to me. I know that she has touched so many lives.

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  15. What a beautifully written, inspirational story!

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  16. Thank you for introducing Nyla to us. What a beautiful woman in every way, and such an inspiration too. Happy Birthday, Nyla!

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  17. One amazing tribute to Nyla...she will be so thrilled to see how you have given her this tribute. We need to hold these ladies in high esteem and you have done exactly that.

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  18. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story about a woman full of strength and courage.

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson