Friday, January 7, 2022
Most people know her as Shirley Putman. To me and my sister, Cortney Vardaro, we knew her as Nanny.
Nanny came into my life when I was 6 weeks old. Like most families in Upstate New York, my dad worked a full time job and my mom returned to work at Beech Nut after I was born. My parents hired Shirley as my babysitter and thus she became "Nanny".
Nan cared for me and my sister until I was 11 years old. Even after going to work for the Button family, my sister and I continued to be cared for after school by Nanny at the Button household. Since that time I have kept in touch with Nan, speaking with her frequently on the phone, even after she went to live at the St. Johnsville Nursing Home. It was the highlight of my day to say "Well Hi Nan!". And she would quickly come back with, "Jeffrey Michael!".
We shared MANY great memories, but most importantly, she introduced me to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Her relationship with God was not merely religious. She had a personal relationship with the Lord and she passed that along to me. Since her passing this past Monday I realized what a tremendous influence she had on my faith. The Bible I reach for every morning was given to me by Nanny. The David Jeremiah and Joyce Meyer podcasts I listen to were her favorites. And the small blessings, or "praise reports" (as Nan used to call them), that each of us encounter every day were favorite topics of conversation during our phone calls. My daily life bears so many fond memories of this Godly woman.
When we would end our phone conversations she would never say goodbye, nor would she allow me to utter that word. It was always "take care, I'll talk to you soon". That's how we ended our last phone call on December 29, 2021 at 1:36 PM. Indeed, I know I will see her again in the glorious presence of the Lord.
