McHenry County Blog

This is the conclusion of a tribute to Nancy Scalero, Crystal Lake community activist, Republican precinct committeeman, newspaper clipper and more. It is based on her daughter Mary’s words at Nancy’s funeral.

“Mom taught us to manage money, (to take) responsibility. (Her advice included)

• (Keep) accounts
• Don’t spend more than you make!
• Manage and be responsible with credit cards

“(That came from) growing up in a big family without extra money to spare.

“Mom wanted her own clothes and to take the bus to school while everyone else walked.

“She got a job at a bakery to be able to buy what she wanted.

“(She was) not doing herself any favors by buying her own clothes.”

And, then, daughter Mary has written “70’s.”

I take it she didn’t like the styles then.

“In conclusion, there’s no conclusion…I don’t want a conclusion.

“My mom’s life is over, but the memories are forever.

“Everyone in the room continue to share memories.

“She was the best mom for Alec and I, a great wife for Papa.

“You’re never supposed to bury a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend…

“But we are burying her.

“Where does that leave us?

“When something that is never supposed to happen does?

“Lean on each other a little more, but never forget the impact she had on our lives.

“I’ll never forget yo and I’m sure everyone else feels the same.”

There were extemporaneous comments interspersed in Mary’s speech.

When she finished what I thought was that I hoped my daughter Alexandra, the same age as Mary, had turned out as articulate and well as Mary.

= = = = =
There are some more details of Nancy Scalero’s life that could only be found in the photos displayed at her funeral.

Nancy and her husband Richard were, would you believe, hippies. At least that is how they and their friends dressed. So, to all who think the youth of American are stuck in a Barack Obama time warp, there is hope, based on the way that Nancy and Richard turned out.

This is the conclusion of a tribute to Nancy Scalero, Crystal Lake community activist, Republican precinct committeeman, newspaper clipper and more. It is based on her daughter Mary’s words at Nancy’s funeral.

“Mom taught us to manage money, (to take) responsibility. (Her advice included)

• (Keep) accounts
• Don’t spend more than you make!
• Manage and be responsible with credit cards

“(That came from) growing up in a big family without extra money to spare.

“Mom wanted her own clothes and to take the bus to school while everyone else walked.

“She got a job at a bakery to be able to buy what she wanted.

“(She was) not doing herself any favors by buying her own clothes.”

And, then, daughter Mary has written “70’s.”

I take it she didn’t like the styles then.

“In conclusion, there’s no conclusion…I don’t want a conclusion.

“My mom’s life is over, but the memories are forever.

“Everyone in the room continue to share memories.

“She was the best mom for Alec and I, a great wife for Papa.

“You’re never supposed to bury a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend…

“But we are burying her.

“Where does that leave us?

“When something that is never supposed to happen does?

“Lean on each other a little more, but never forget the impact she had on our lives.

“I’ll never forget yo and I’m sure everyone else feels the same.”

There were extemporaneous comments interspersed in Mary’s speech.

When she finished what I thought was that I hoped my daughter Alexandra, the same age as Mary, had turned out as articulate and well as Mary.

= = = = =
There are some more details of Nancy Scalero’s life that could only be found in the photos displayed at her funeral.

Nancy and her husband Richard were, would you believe, hippies. At least that is how they and their friends dressed. So, to all who think the youth of American are stuck in a Barack Obama time warp, there is hope, based on the way that Nancy and Richard turned out.

When Nancy Scalero died in August, her daughter Mary, who had just joined Toastmasters a few months before, gave the first speech of her life. It was undoubtedly the toughest she will ever give.
And it demonstrated that this young lady can do anything she wants to.

Today Mary talks about her mother’s love of politics, education and newspapers and her aversion to new technology.
Mary then talked about politics and education.

Her notes emphasize her mother was

“She was constantly working to get someone elected or keep them elected. She’d

• fold campaign literature
• stuff brochures into door hanging bags
• put together mailings
• distribute house-to-house for every upcoming election

“She could register people to vote, always trying to register my friends as soon as everyone turned 18.

“She loved to read newspapers. We had four different newspapers delivered to our house. She would pour through them every day and

• clip out articles for everyone
• constantly mailing envelopes to friend and family with select articles for them, 2-3 envelopes a week

[As an aside, that reminds me so much of my mother. Who could keep up with all she or, apparently, Nancy sent?]

“She was anti-technology. She was apprehensive of it.

“Growing up, we always had a computer, but no internet. Mom didn’t think the internet was useful. She missed the concept.

“How could someone not have the internet? (Without it, a computer) is an expensive typewriter!

“We convinced her to let us have internet. Soon we needed high-speed for her online movies and downloads.

“Her favorites were 50-6o’s.

“She’d forward online articles much like sending paper articles.

“She’d read news online, because her paper newspapers (4) were not enough.

“Papa bought a big screen.

“Mom thought it was

• too big
• too ugly
• didn’t match the rest of the family room

“Then, she sat down to watch her TV shows and movies and all of a sudden Papa’s big screen became ‘Mom’s TV.’

Tomorrow you can read the conclusion of the Nancy Scalero story.

When Nancy Scalero died in August, her daughter Mary, who had just joined Toastmasters a few months before, gave the first speech of her life. It was undoubtedly the toughest she will ever give.
And it demonstrated that this young lady can do anything she wants to.

Today Mary talks about her mother’s love of politics, education and newspapers and her aversion to new technology.
Mary then talked about politics and education.

Her notes emphasize her mother was

“She was constantly working to get someone elected or keep them elected. She’d

• fold campaign literature
• stuff brochures into door hanging bags
• put together mailings
• distribute house-to-house for every upcoming election

“She could register people to vote, always trying to register my friends as soon as everyone turned 18.

“She loved to read newspapers. We had four different newspapers delivered to our house. She would pour through them every day and

• clip out articles for everyone
• constantly mailing envelopes to friend and family with select articles for them, 2-3 envelopes a week

[As an aside, that reminds me so much of my mother. Who could keep up with all she or, apparently, Nancy sent?]

“She was anti-technology. She was apprehensive of it.

“Growing up, we always had a computer, but no internet. Mom didn’t think the internet was useful. She missed the concept.

“How could someone not have the internet? (Without it, a computer) is an expensive typewriter!

“We convinced her to let us have internet. Soon we needed high-speed for her online movies and downloads.

“Her favorites were 50-6o’s.

“She’d forward online articles much like sending paper articles.

“She’d read news online, because her paper newspapers (4) were not enough.

“Papa bought a big screen.

“Mom thought it was

• too big
• too ugly
• didn’t match the rest of the family room

“Then, she sat down to watch her TV shows and movies and all of a sudden Papa’s big screen became ‘Mom’s TV.’

Tomorrow you can read the conclusion of the Nancy Scalero story.

Yesterday, I gave a hint of what interested Crystal Laker Nancy Scalero, who died in August. I found evidence of her Kitchen Militia in the minutes of April 18, 2000, McHenry County Board meeting.

At a September gathering we had, many proclaimed her the “Captain” of the Kitchen Militia.

She was also a Republican Precinct Committeeman in McHenry County.

Her 26-year old daughter Mary spoke for her father Richard and younger brother Alex.

What follows are what I got from her notes. It will be much less elegant than Mary’s talk, but I am working from her outline.

Mary told how she had joined Toastmasters a few months ago to learn how to make speeches, but “I haven’t yet made a single speech. This is my first speech, my most difficult.

“Papa, Alex and I put together the photo boards sorting through pile after pile of photos, but just couldn’t find enough to capture every moment.

“We could fill thousands and thousands of boards with pictures and memories from a lifetime, but it will would not be enough. There’s no way to capture it all:

• The memories
• Her smile
• Her laugh
• Her jokes

“How can I explain in a few minutes everything Mom meant to me?

“Squeeze thousands of memories into just a few lines?

“So, I’ve picked some favorite memories to share.

“She was so caring.

“Me, I was a handful. I played hide-n-seek when shopping.

“I ran off to hide, giggling.

“Mom was terrified.

“She bought bungee things (to attach to me).

“I figured out how to remove them.

“She bought a roller coaster type harness to retrofit the stroller.

“Other people would make mean comments, that she was a bad parent…(but it didn’t stop her from seeing to me safety).

“We laughed so hard when retelling that story.

“She did what she had to keep us safe, despite all the awful comments and stares.

“I talked to Alex when he was a baby in the crib and she listened through the baby monitor. Once I tried to pick him up out of the crib.

“She got so choked up as she explained how fast she ran to stop me from hurting myself or Alex.

“She was always there to keep us from getting hurt.

The third installment of the Nancy Scalero story will appear tomorrow.

Yesterday, I gave a hint of what interested Crystal Laker Nancy Scalero, who died in August. I found evidence of her Kitchen Militia in the minutes of April 18, 2000, McHenry County Board meeting.

At a September gathering we had, many proclaimed her the “Captain” of the Kitchen Militia.

She was also a Republican Precinct Committeeman in McHenry County.

Her 26-year old daughter Mary spoke for her father Richard and younger brother Alex.

What follows are what I got from her notes. It will be much less elegant than Mary’s talk, but I am working from her outline.

Mary told how she had joined Toastmasters a few months ago to learn how to make speeches, but “I haven’t yet made a single speech. This is my first speech, my most difficult.

“Papa, Alex and I put together the photo boards sorting through pile after pile of photos, but just couldn’t find enough to capture every moment.

“We could fill thousands and thousands of boards with pictures and memories from a lifetime, but it will would not be enough. There’s no way to capture it all:

• The memories
• Her smile
• Her laugh
• Her jokes

“How can I explain in a few minutes everything Mom meant to me?

“Squeeze thousands of memories into just a few lines?

“So, I’ve picked some favorite memories to share.

“She was so caring.

“Me, I was a handful. I played hide-n-seek when shopping.

“I ran off to hide, giggling.

“Mom was terrified.

“She bought bungee things (to attach to me).

“I figured out how to remove them.

“She bought a roller coaster type harness to retrofit the stroller.

“Other people would make mean comments, that she was a bad parent…(but it didn’t stop her from seeing to me safety).

“We laughed so hard when retelling that story.

“She did what she had to keep us safe, despite all the awful comments and stares.

“I talked to Alex when he was a baby in the crib and she listened through the baby monitor. Once I tried to pick him up out of the crib.

“She got so choked up as she explained how fast she ran to stop me from hurting myself or Alex.

“She was always there to keep us from getting hurt.

The third installment of the Nancy Scalero story will appear tomorrow.