My sweet and kind grandmother, Ethel, was born in Yorktown, Illinois on January 3, 1892 and grew up in Clymer, New York State. About 29 years later Mom was also born in an adjacent town called Mina only ten miles away.
My maternal grandmother was referred to as “Noni”. That may have been because that was what I first called her so as not to confuse her with my paternal grandmother which we all referred to as “Nonna”.
Ethel Valetta Clipper was the oldest daughter of Leon Clipper and Camilla Boyd Sargent. She had five sisters and one brother.
Her father, Leon Clipper, was a red haired travelling salesman who sold equipment to barbers.
Her mother, Camilla Boyd Sargent, was the daughter of Dr. Eli Desmore Sargent, a God fearing man, who left each one of his children a home along with some land in Upper New York State near the border with Vermont.
Grandmother married Joseph Jersey at the age of twenty five.
Noni read many books. Mom follow had that same trait. All my relatives on Noni’s side of the family have been great readers.
Noni took care of me on several occasions and I bonded to her immediately. I knew I was safe with her, just like I was with Mom.
Mom and Noni were very close even though Mom was living far away in Italy. Mom did visit Noni just before she died, but still she was unable to be with her all the way to the end. I was right beside Mom in Italy when the telegram arrived from the United States saying that Noni had died.
Noni died in a hospital in Chicago on December 23, 1958 with my aunt and uncle taking care of her as best they could. In those days there was no way to alleviate the pain caused by cancer and my grandmother bore her pain, her Medical Doctor said, in a heroic fashion – never complaining.
She and all those of her generation had been raised with a sincere fear of God and respect for authority not seen very often today.