This is being posted later that I wanted it to be. Sometimes when you're trying to make something special the words aren't there. My grandmother, Jeanne Lopano, was deserving of every meangful speech, every comment about her character, and every person who made the trip to celebrate her special day. A beautiful party was held to commemorate her 90 purposeful years. With 115+ family members and friends present to celebrate all the wonderful things she has done in her life to serve others,the love she has shown over the years that has touched others' lives was apparent. And, we ate. A lot. Keeping true to the Edwards family tradition.
I am including her whole biography written by my aunt and cousin (credit on bottom) becuase it is full of great details of her many untimely acomplishments. I should mention that this lady has been my next door neightbor for the last 9 yeaers. A lot of these details take place, almost literally, in my (fomer) front yaerd- or directly actoss the street from my moms house.
Jeanne Marietta Firth Edwards Lopano ~ This is your life!
Jeanne was born on May 6, 1923, at the original Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital on 6th Street in Niagara Falls, NY, the daughter of William H. Firth, Sr. and Jane Katherine McBride Firth, and little sister to Bill, Bruce, and Eleanor. She was raised (and still lives) in the house that her father built. As Jeanne says, “If my father made something it was MADE FOR LIFE.” It was located on what was known as 35th Street back then, but we know it as the ninth hole of the Niagara Falls Golf Course.
Jeanne’s father, Bill Firth, Sr., worked for the Haeberle Lumber Company as a cabinetmaker and enjoyed his vegetable garden, while her mother Jane (Jenn) loved cultivating her flowers as well as painting and singing. Jeanne attended Hyde Park Elementary School, Gaskill Middle School (where she was a member of the Puppeteer Club), and St. Mary’s High School where she joined the Glee Club and Sodality. Jeanne loved to sing and had a beautiful alto voice. She was a member of an acapella trio whose signature performance was "Three Little Maids from School Are We.” She was Valedictorian of the class of 1940.
Jeanne enrolled at Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1943. Her plans to further her education at St. Louis University were made possible through a Fellowship. The Fellowship did not include spending money, so she spent a year working as a nurse to save money. Part of her two-year accelerated training included practice teaching -- she was an instructor at an all-black nursing school. She remembers everything being segregated out there at that time. She went on to earn her B.S. in Nursing Education at St. Louis University. After her graduation in 1946, she returned home and assisted in creating the curriculum for Niagara University’s School of Nursing and became a faculty member, teaching Operating Room Techniques at Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital, where she was the supervisor of the operating room. She moved on to create the Central Supply System at the hospital, and then became the supervisor of the nursery.
In 1948, she and her nursing school friend, Dolores Tyree, were visiting the Murphy’s cottage on Lake Ontario when Dolores’s stepbrother, George Edwards, arrived to bring Dolores some items she had left at home. It must have been love at first sight. Jeanne and George were married about 6 months later on February 19, 1949 -- and the rest is history. Four children were born to them in 13-month successions beginning in February 1950: Maureen, Jane, Anne, and George. Then there was a 22-month break before Mary came along in March of 1955, and another 3 years before Bruce came into this world in 1958. John was the celebrated last baby of the family in 1965.
I remember Mom cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, washing dishes, sewing, and baking – mmmmm: pot roast, banana bread, and who could resist her oatmeal cookies -- I think we ate them as fast as she could bake them. I remember the huge volume of milk consumed by a family this size. The milkman would deliver 18 glass quart bottles of milk every 3 days! She was also involved at our church and school, Our Lady Mt. Carmel, serving as an officer in the Mothers Club. Yet, she always had time to draw a princess picture to color, or to listen if we needed help with anything. I guess that is why I always wanted to be as good a mother as she was.
In the 1960’s, Jeanne became the bookkeeper for Edwards Plumbing and Heating, then later resumed her nursing career at Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital – again in the nursery. Her “baby,” John, was one of the first children to attend Peter Pan Nursery School (similar to today’s childcare centers). I do not know how she did it all! She was a liberated woman of the 60s -- a working mother.
Then tragedy struck. On August 6, 1971, her husband, George Edwards, passed away suddenly from a heart attack, leaving Jeanne widowed with five children at home, the youngest only 6 years old. Shortly after, she began working full time while caring for her dad as he became more frail.
Six years had gone by when Jeanne received a surprise call from George “Gene” Lopano (her sister-in-law June Edwards Lopano’s widower) who lived in North Tarrytown, NY. (They shared the same birthday, May 6, and had phoned each other for over 20 years to celebrate that day together with a martini.) He was traveling to Niagara Falls to play golf with Uncle Bill Edwards and was wondering if she would like to go to dinner after their outing. Following that, they began speaking regularly by phone and a long distance relationship evolved. Again – the rest is history! In a short time, wedding plans were underway and Jeanne and Johnny moved to North Tarrytown. Her marriage to George on December 17, 1977, resulted in her warmly taking on the role of “mom” to George’s eight children, bringing her total to 15 children!
Coming full circle, Jeanne and George Lopano moved back to her old homestead on LaSalle Avenue following George’s retirement from Pan Am. They rejoined the family of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish and never missed attending Mass. After Jeanne retired, she and George were able to travel a bit, and happily took every opportunity to travel to North Tarrytown to celebrate the famous Lopano Christmas parties and summer family picnics. Of course, there were many weddings and baptisms, too!
George’s health began to fail and on February 27, 1998, he passed away. After his passing, Jeanne threw herself into service to God at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, attending Mass every morning, visiting and bringing Holy Communion to those who are home bound. She deservedly received the St. Joseph the Worker Award from the Diocese of Buffalo several years ago. She serves as a Sacristan, a Eucharistic Minister, an altar server at daily Mass and at funerals, a reader at daily Mass, and is the Vice President of the Curia of the Legion of Mary of Niagara County. She does not miss a day without saying a litany of prayers and of course, the Rosary. She still drives herself (and friends) shopping, to Mass every day (except Saturday - that is her sleep-in day - don’t call her before noon!), to doctor appointments, and to Our Lady of Peace Nursing Home bi-weekly to assist the infirmed attend Mass.
In the midst of her busy life, she has never missed sending a birthday card, a valentine, an anniversary card, or an Easter card to her 15 children, their spouses, 41 grandchildren, and 42 great-grandchildren (with 3 more on the way… that we know of). And she still makes handmade ornaments and grape jelly for Christmas presents!
All of this is just a synopsis of the life (so far) of Jeanne Marietta Firth Edwards Lopano. Words cannot express the love, caring, and wisdom that she has given to all of us for all of these years. She has always been patient, kind, and non-judgmental. She is truly a Proverbs 31 woman:
…She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31:26-31
I cannot believe she is 90 years young and still going strong!
Written by Mary Edwards DeBacco, based on her interviews and
on an interview done by Jeanne’s great- grandson, Christopher Simmons.
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