Nancy Lucille Dudley

Dear Family and Friends,

On a brisk day March 22, 1947 at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pa., I entered this world blessing my parents Walter and Lucille Rose as a bouncing baby girl (that's me) . I was told by my mother that the winds howled and hospital windows rattled that day, but she had peace and calm cuddling her new baby girl (that's me) Nancy Lucille Rose. Once released I went home to join the rest of the crew, my brother Harry, sister Pixie to followed one year later by my sister Leslye. I had (and still do) have a very loving and close knit family...

Not only was I born into a loving family, but I started my early years in a small close knit community that we called, "the hollow", "the sticks", "the neighborhood" or on occasion Perrysville.... Actually, it was the North End of the Northside. This is a neighborhood where everyone knew everyone... Three or four main streets, Menlo, Dornestic, Wabana, and Montview, "where everyone knew your name". We played and prayed together... Cousins and friends galore.

Yes, it does take a village to raise a child.

I attended Chatham Elementary School, kindergarten thru sixth grade... I remember it well, I walked to school everyday... Wind, rain, sleet or snow... Lucille made sure you went to school, dressed for the weather, a hanky in your pocket, with your lunch in hand and you were out the door... The only excuse for missing school was illness... I had a good "Mommy". Daddy was good too.

I was blessed during my formative years to have been surrounded by good Christian (Christ loving) people as well... We, my sisters and, I attended Sunday School at the North End Federated Mission, where I received my spiritual foundation... The beginning of my understanding of Jesus in my life. "Proverbs 22: Train up a child in the way he should go and when he old he will not depart from it." The Sunday School was a small one room building that the elders in my neighborhood established to educate and lead young and old to Christ. We had teachers here that were the pillar stones of the community as wells as teachers of "the Word"... I received additional spiritual training with a group of neighborhood girls, the Junior Missionaries led my Mrs. Ella Jane Hamilton... One of the sweetest woman you would ever meet. While she had us memorizing Bible verses and important Bible stories, (which I will never forget), we made potholders... Needless to say my mother had a lot of potholders (three girls making potholders, you do the math)... So it was Sunday School on Sundays, Missionaries, I believe one day during the week, and my mother telling us bible stories and teaching us manners every day... Oh and yes, we did have time to play... Lots of wooded area to run thru, catchers, hide and seek, the whole gamut of kids outdoor fun. We also had vacation Bible school every summer, taught and led by another important person in our community, Joe Cook... He made summers fun, he always had bible drills and fun activities..

Having completed elementary school, I graduated to high school, attending Perry High School.... This was an experience and an expansion of my social boundaries... I added new friends in addition to those I already had; some not so great, but most were fantastic.... Myself, and I should say we, my sisters and I along with our cousins Jackie and Sheila discovered Bellevue... Bellevue and parties and boys... It was a task to get my father to allow us to go to parties in Bellevue, of course it wasn't me that had to approach my father for approval, I sent Pixie... She did all the pleading and begging... If he approved, it was a given that we, Jackie, Sheila, Pixie, Leslye and myself would leave together and return at the designated time...We, actually, collected empty pop bottles to pay for a cab... Considering our curfew we very seldom got home in time, and I admit, it was my fault... I always seemed to be "missing in action" when it was time to go home... But I was smart, rather than explain things to my father, when we got home I made a "bee line" straight up the stairs to my bedroom; let Pixie do the explaining... What a time... I know she cried plenty of tears behind Daddy's scoldings.

As time marched on I graduated from high school and got a job... I worked at Kaufmanns parking garage, collecting parking fees for of time; it wasn't bad.. But now; I had some money and I was still living at home... It was becoming a full house, Mom, Dad, Pixie, Leslye and I, and now a new addition Kevin It wasn't bad; it worked out well for everyone, I picked up Kevin after work from my Grandmothers, took him home and became his entertainment and spoiled him until Pixie got home.... But around this time my social life was really, revving up; so it was time I should think about getting my own place... Didn't realize it, but the house was going to get even more crowded, Robin would be coming another playmate... I really, had to be on my way... I found an apartment in Oakland, cute place; but this was only the beginning of my moving frenzy.... I, now, had my hang out crew (you know who you are) and my own new apartment... I was enjoying life and what I thought I was " living large"... But I did come home every Sunday for dinner and shopping in Mommy's pantry...

To make a long story short, I was enjoying life, I moved, just about every year, Oakland, Shadyside, East Liberty, Homewood to name a few... Every new place was what I envisioned as a better place... As I matured I began to think about my future, I was getting older and seriously had to think about where I was headed... I believe at some point my mother suggested that I attend Harty Bible School, which was held at Christian Tabernacle Church...Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should to, and when he is old he will no depart from it. I attended and completed four (4) years of Harty... The teachers and teachings sealed the relevance of Christ in my life...I learned so much... I can remember Mrs Stark making her introduction the first day, telling us, that the New Testament is in the Old

Testament concealed and Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed... I wanted to unfold the mysteries of the Bible. Having been exposed to the saints and teaching of Christian Tabernacle I decided to make this my home church... This, is in fact, is where I met my

husband, Rev. Gary Dudley... We were married in this church, and continued to worship there...My new title Mrs. Nancy Rose Dudley... We were blessed to have our first child, Candace Blake, during these early years of our marriage.... But I must say my moving frenzy wasn't over, once Candace was born we moved several. more times... We actually landed in Stroudsburg, Pa., where Gary acceptance a pastorship at a church up there..... My second child, Benjamin Gary was born in Stroudsburg... Note: I now had Gary on the moving wagon frenzy,

We stayed in Stroudsburg for little while, but opted to move back to the Pittsburgh area.... I settled back in and raised by children, and ultimately went back to work...but we were still moving (can't help myself)… There is always a better place right around the corner...As years went by, we sort of settled down once the kids were grown; but we still had a couple of moves left in us... We finally moved to Verona; I was getting tired and my health was starting to fail... But I had to make one more move... Phillippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly wait a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body....

II Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord...

My final move; I've moved home... I won't say goodbye, but say see you later...

Love Nancy,

PS... I may be gone in body, but my spirit lives on, and pray that my spirit touches each and everyone of you...

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