Growing up where I did, there were neighborhood relationships that developed as many families lived in only one house for most of their life, without moving, and lived there for many years, so our parents became good friends with the neighbors, and we kids grew up and became friends as well. I remember in our neighborhood, the Lees, across the street, the Barons, up the street, the Bobergs kiddie corner from us across the street, later the Swansons, across the street, the Nunezes, next door, another family of Barans (spelled differently from the first ones mentioned) next door the other way, The Ohlssons, two houses down, the Lillies down the street, the Luttons, upstairs from us, the Nelsons, behind us, the O’Connors, across the street, and around the corner, the Georges.

As we grew up, my parents grew to become friendly with most of these neighbors, but there were some relationships that became more bonded than others, as usually happen in a neighborhood. With my parents, as more so the ladies became friendly, some of these already close friendships became even closer.

My mom became good friends with Emma Lutton, Jan O’Connor and a woman who became almost a second mom to my sisters, my brothers and me. Her given name was Tomassina George. Some called her Mazie, some gave her the nickname of Peewee, as she was a very small woman, but she was Massey to most of those who knew her.

I remember often times, our kitchen table was a meeting place of the “sisterhood” of Mom, Emma, Jan and Massey, where there’d be coffee, cookies and conversation, which often ended up in lots of laughter and fun for them. Most of us kids, when we’d try and come in to the kitchen, would be shooed out because their conversation was none of our business. They were pretty smart because usually our intent was to find out what they were talking about. All four of the women had children and amongst the lot of us kids, some of us were close in age with kids from all of the families. My brother Tom was close in age with Massey’s Laurie and Joe, and Jan’s Jamie, I was close in age with Emma’s Alice and Massey’s Diane, my foster sister Mary (Cathy) was close in age to Jan’s Mary Jo and Toni Ann, and Massey’s John, my brother Lou and sister Sandy were close in age to Massey’s Marie, so it was more than the parents who were close. Even our fathers had connections as my dad worked at my Uncle’s Frewsburg Pharmacy and Jim O’Connor managed the McCallor Drug Company, a division of Ellicott Drug Company out of Buffalo, so they often talked what was happening in that business. My dad and Bob George participated in Jamestown’s Sesqui-Centennial where men grew some form of facial hair to join a “club” with the name of Brothers of the Brush. It was funny because my dad grew an Abe Lincoln beard (no mustache), and Bob grew a mustache (without a beard), so together they had a full beard complete with mustache. I guess the point of all of this is to show how close our folks had become, so all of us kids grew up almost as part of each other’s families. Our parents even spent some New Year’s Eves together at one of the family’s homes complete with hats and noisemakers.

We often went on picnics together, celebrated birthdays and visited each other’s homes on holidays, and the women often came back to our kitchen to can tomatoes, make jelly, can caponatina (an Italian delicacy of eggplant, celery, olives, capers in a sauce), and melingiani (excuse my spelling), another Italian delicacy of pickled eggplant. Massey was a huge part of this process.

Massey worked on a farm in Fredonia. It was mainly a vineyard, so she had access to getting the grapes, but she also knew others who ran farms in the north county, so she could get almost whatever vegetables the ladies would decide to can. I remember as a young teenager, Massey would bring me and my brother with her and we would work tying grapes, and later picking them on off days from school and during summers. (By the way, I hated that, one because it was hard work, and two, because I was a teenager with a bit of a laziness trait at that time, so I could have done without that job on my resume.)

As much as I didn’t want to work at that time, Massey made me work and do it right. She would push me (not literally), and see to it that I worked for my pay. She got after me if I slacked off. My parents expected that of me growing up and taught me to give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Massey, my second mom, knew that, and she made sure my parents’ expectation was followed.

Among the women at the conversation table and the canning table, my mom was probably closest to Massey. I almost thought of her as my mom’s sister. They probably did a bit more together than mom did with the others.

Massey was an outdoor person. She worked outdoors and loved it. She worked on the farm, she loved landscaping around her house, she loved picnicking, and she loved camping. During many summers, The Georges would rent a cabin at Allegany State Park, on the Red House side for a week, and often times we would do the same, and also get a cabin, not always for a week, but a few days or at least go down and visit the Georges at their cabin and share the outdoors with them. I remember the Anderson Trail, the Ryan Trail and the Sugarbush Trail as part of some summers spent sharing Allegany with the Georges. I also remember Massey, taking charge of the week, making sure she and mom had everything both families would need. They would both set things up when we arrived and would give each of us things to do to help so we all had a hand in the experience.

I remember times when we went to the dump at Allegany State Park at dusk when we would see bears come out to forage through the garbage in search of food. I remember Massey and Mom having brought those marshmallow peanuts for us to toss to the bears. It was obviously different then when the dangers of feeding animals weren’t what we know they are now.

I remember as a kid, as a teenager, as a young adult, sometimes as a middle-ager, and even a few times as an AARPer, Massey would let me know if she thought I wasn’t living up to the expectations my parents had for me. She was also one to keep telling me to take care of myself health-wise, and make sure I did everything my doctors told me to do. She was my second mom, and one to my sisters and brothers.

A week ago Friday, Massey earned her wings and ascended to heaven to be welcomed at the Pearly Gates. She’s now reunited with the Luttons, the O’Connors and the Lombardos, along with so many family and friends who have been keeping her place ready, knowing that someday they’d be welcoming her up there.

I know she’ll soon be landscaping God’s courtyard, and maybe canning some celestial jelly, and two other things I do know: 1.) She’ll definitely find lots to do up there because Massey’s never been one to just sit around, and, 2.) She’ll be sorely missed by so many.

Rest in Peace, Massey. Love you and we’ll miss you!