Family Fridays...My Nana

Edith Louise Mangus Bonner

My Nan was born March 27, 1909, in Logan, West Virginia.  I was the second of five grandchildren and the first granddaughter. We had a running joke in the family...I was told that I was her favorite...and you know what...I was!

Memories of My Nana:

She loved to travel.

• I remember traveling with her on many occasions.  
• She took me to California, Denver, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming and many other places.
• These trips enabled me to see my first fire flies in the back country of West Virginia.
• While my Nan stayed with her daughter, my Aunt Gene, my Uncle Carl took Bill, James and me to Washington D.C. to visit and see all the sights.
•  During one of our trips to San Francisco I went to my first major league baseball game and saw the San Francisco Giants play.
• Nan took me on my first train ride to Wyoming. 
• I remember standing in the middle of the Logan River in Logan, Utah in fishing waders and her fishing with me.

She loved to spend money.

• I remember Poppo, my grandfather, sitting at a desk paying bills and turning to her and saying "What's money any way if you can't spend it?" (and she loved to do that)
• I remember she bought me a pair of tan shoes that to this day I will swear were the most comfortable pair of shoes I ever owned.  I think they were about $50 and that was in 1970. (We won't even go near the subject of her shoe collection!)
• She love, loved, loved her Cadillacs.
• I remember her sitting me down once when I was 15 or 16 and showing me all her different savings accounts and where and which bank to find them. There was only a little in each one one but I am sure there could probably still be a bank around the area with an account in her name!

She loved to talk on the phone.

• There are many times I can see in my mind her sitting and talking on the phone and doodling on a piece of paper.  She used to draw squares with "X's" in them.
• I have more than once been in the car, at the store, even walking down the road when my cell phone has rung and it made me think of her.  She would have been one of the first people to own a cell phone...remember those big brick style phones with an antenna...yup, she would have had one of those.

Nana was no saint.  You didn't cross her and you didn't cross her family! However with that said, she was a very generous and kind person.  She would help those who were down and struggled to find a way out of their problems. She was loved by many.  She was always my biggest ally!


There are many fun, sweet memories I have of her. Far too many to put here.  I can remember the white board that used to hang by our back door. Several days had passed and I had forgotten to call her.  There written on the white board was a big message...CALL NANA! Unfortunately, one day it became too late.  She had had a stroke.  I went down to see her.   She couldn't talk but as we stood in her hospital room and my mom and Aunt Gene (Nana's other daughter)  started to tease me and Nan about me being the favorite.  I held Nan's hand and her thumb gently rubbed my hand.  The only words to describe the communication at that time was her spirit spoke to my spirit.  Words were not needed...she was expressing her love, and how thankful she was for all our adventures and most of all she was telling me that "Yes, I was her favorite!"