Mama Mia

My Mom passed away last week. Although she had recently turned 80 and was in dubious health, her death still came as a shock to the family.

Charlotte Nitta Cargni Mitchell, known as Nitta to family and friends, was born in Portland on February 23, 1929 to Carl and Emilia Cargni.

She attended Duniway Elementary School and Lincoln High School, where she graduated in 1947.

After attending the University of Oregon her freshman year, she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in romance languages at Marylhurst College in 1951. Nitta married Ralph Cameron Mitchell of Portland in May, 1952 and they had five children, John, Robert, Richard, Carla and Stephanie. They later divorced. Nitta was a longtime employee of Qwest.

Nitta enjoyed visiting and traveling with her children and grandchildren to points from the obscure (Yukon Territory) to the sublime (Disneyland), and many places in between.

She is survived by her children John (Rebecca) of Eugene, Robert (Elaine) of Philadelphia, Penn., Richard (Nancy) of Bainbridge Island, Wash., Carla (Bob) of Portland, Stephanie of Tigard; grandchildren Regina, Jory, Nicole, Sarah, Jessica, Jason and Brandon; and a brother, John Cargni, of Zigzag. Nitta was preceded in death by her parents and her granddaughter, Jacy.

I occasionally tell my siblings that I can actually remember my mother in her late 20s.  She was 24 when I was born, so I was entering school when she was 29.  I can honestly say that I am the person I am because of my Mother, not just because she gave birth but because of how she raised me.

Mom had many fine qualities, but I want to focus on a couple that really stand out.  First of all, she is one of the most polite people you will have ever met.  In fact, if you look up the word “polite” in the dictionary, her picture is there to illustrate. She was also an extremely loyal individual -- to her family and friends, and particularly her children, whom she supported unconditionally.

One example: before we moved to Mt. Tabor, which we all considered the home we grew up in, we lived in the Cherry Park neighborhood wedged between Mall 205 and Kelly Butte.  Back in the late ‘50s, the kids in the neighborhood were having a backyard pool party, but they would grant admission only if you gave them some play money.

Well, most of my friends had printed play money but I did not, so I was denied admission. I went home and told my Mom, and she took matters into her own hands: she cut out a piece of paper in the shape of a rectangle and proceeded to draw a one dollar bill, complete with a picture of George Washington and all the symbols and markings.  When I returned to the pool party, the bouncer at the door was so shocked at the creativity of the bill that he granted me admission.

Mom didn’t have a lot of hobbies, but she did love to travel.  My family and I traveled with Mom to a variety of places over the years.  I can’t count the number of times we took her to Disneyland, which she loved.  We also traveled together to places like the Oregon coast, Crater Lake, Palm Springs, Victoria and the San Juan Islands, and probably her favorite -- the little Bavarian Village of Leavenworth, Washington, where we have property. 

Mom was also a devout Catholic who attended Mass weekly for nearly eight decades.  If the Good Lord gives extra credit for perfect attendance, she’s the one who will get it.

Despite her many ailments, she was generally upbeat, and actually she was quite the inadvertent comedienne.  When I would call her, she would start the conversation with a “que pasa?”  Then she would proceed to ask about how everybody was doing.

Ironically, Mom passed away nearly five years to the date that my daughter and her granddaughter, Jacy, passed away.  Jacy loved her Grandma, and Nitta was loved by all of her children and grandchildren.

Her last words to me were a clear measure of her polite nature: she said “I love you,” to which I said “I love you, too, Mom,” to which she always said “thank you.”

Thank you, Mom, for being a loving and supportive parent. I will miss you, but I will see you again at some point down the road. Say hi to Jacy for me when you see her.