Monica Edwards

World Famous People born in 1916 include Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, Jackie Gleason and our ‘wee’ Irish Mother, Monica Fleming, the 11th of 12 children born to Charles Fleming and Kathleen Murray in Belfast, Northern Ireland on April 1st of that year. None of the aforementioned famous people, or members, lived to the ripe age of 101. Our Mother was a force of nature and an amazing woman.
In her 23rd year, World War II was raging in Europe and Belfast became a staging area for American Armed Forces in the days and months leading to D-Day. She worked as a secretary for the U.S. Army Command and, ever the dancing queen, could be found most evenings at the USO dancing to the music of the Big Band Era. During this time, she met and married Claude J. Edwards, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and a private in the U.S. Army. His career and their marriage would take her from her Irish home to the United States, where she remained for the next 60 years.
While the family made many moves in the early years, with the birth of their first grandchild, they settled in Manassas, Virginia. During her time there she made many friends, became friends with her children’s friends and even her grandchildren’s friends, all of whom affectionately referred to her as “Grammy”. To many she was the Grandmother they had never known and she treated all of them as though they were her own.
Always busy, she could be found wrapping hot dogs at the Greater Manassas Baseball League fields in the summer, selling popcorn at the Stonewall Jackson High School sporting events, year round and playing Bridge with “her girls” every Thursday evening. Once the grandchildren graduated from college she started the weekly Wednesday night dinners to feed the working poor (her grandchildren and their friends) where great food, good conversation and awesome banana pudding were on the menu.
Grammy was a hugger, generous to a fault, volunteered herself (and each of us) for everything, dispensed advice freely, whether solicited or not and prayed for anyone at any time, upon request and even without a request if she felt it was needed. She was a true believer and, oh yes, did we mention, in our family we believe she even had “Himself” on speed dial? She had a wicked sense of humor, a deep Irish brogue and a heart as big as Texas.
While she loved us deeply, her great grandchildren, Grace, Ben, Colby and Cooper occupied a special place in her life. She played games with them, read stories, recited poems and sang Irish songs – her own special version of a college education.
She wore her Irish green sweater on St. Paddy’s Day, grew shamrocks on her apartment windowsill and served up cups of hot tea which, in case you are unaware, can cure anything from a broken heart to appendicitis. Our 4 ft. 11 inch “Irish Leprechaun” as we often referred to her was profoundly loved by all of us.
She is survived by her daughter Fran Mong; son Charles and Cindy Edwards; grandson Darren and wife Karen Mong; granddaughter Shannon and husband Bob Lane; granddaughter Sarah Cox; and great grandchildren Grace and Colby Lane; Benjamin and Cooper Mong.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital