Dan Wilson
Tribute to Emly Wilson
Emly Wilson was born Emilie Amanda Ariansen to Gurine and Andreas Ariansen in Bronx, NY on August 22, 1921. Emly’s parents came to New York seeking employment as Norway had not yet discovered the North Sea Oil, and jobs were scarce. The family moved back to Norway when Mom was 3 years old to work the family farm and raise mink and foxes. Mom had three siblings; brother Arne and sisters Gladys and Agathe and fifteen nephews and nieces.
Mom moved from Norway to New York City in her 20’s, finding employment as a personal assistant and/or nanny to wealthy families living on Fifth Avenue. It was at this time that she met two other adventurous Norwegian women seeking a better life in America, Gudren and Elsa, who became life-long friends.
While working for a family in Scarsdale, NY, Mom met her future husband, Douglas Wilson. Dad was driving a taxi during his summer break from Syracuse University when he received a call to pick up a passenger. As the story goes, Mom’s reflection in the rear view mirror of his taxi was love at first site. When Mom told her parents in Norway that she fell in love with a guy that was in Syracuse, they mis-translated Syracuse for “circus” and, needless to say, they were concerned for her future.
Mom and Dad married in 1951. Dad continued to be smitten with his bride for 67 years. They had four children: Gail, Dan, Nancy and Kari and four sons-in-law: Ernie, Ron, Rich and Tim. They were blessed with eight grandchildren: Douglas, Lydia, Frederik, Marlena, Vincent, Emilia, John and William and three great-grandchildren: Adalynn, Arthur and Seth.
After living in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Illinois, Mom and Dad settled in Emerson, NJ to raise their family. They were life-long members of the United Methodist Church in Westwood, NJ and also attended the Mission Church in Paramus, NJ especially for traditional Norwegian Christmas parties, which included walking around the Christmas tree signing carols. Mom and Dad kept very busy; delivering Meals-On-Wheels, joining craft groups, hosting parties, playing bridge, gardening, traveling and cruising.
Mom was very talented with all types of handiwork; crocheting, knitting and needlepoint but it is her delicious baking- cookies, cakes, pies and Norwegian deserts- that family and friends remember most. I remember the years when my parents were putting all of us children through college and Mom was working full time to help make ends meet. Without missing a beat, she continued to cook dinner every night, do housework and laundry and make all of the birthday cakes, Christmas cookies and deserts that we loved. I know now that she did it not because she wanted us to love her, but that she wanted us to know how much she loved us. My hope is that we all inherit the ability to give love as generously as she did.
Mom passed away on Wednesday, January 10, 2018 after a week in the hospital and several days in Country Rest Home in Greenwood, DE. I am blessed to have spent so much time with her in her final days. There is nowhere I would rather have been than at her side, hoping to give her a little bit of comfort. I will miss hugging her, tucking in her blankets to make her feel “cozy”, saying “I love you” to each other and watching her smile and fall back to sleep. I wish that everyone could have seen how peaceful and happy she was in those final days.