Honoring Anna DiPietro

Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”

On June 20, 2020, my grandmother, Anna DiPietro, passed away at the age of 99. She had a good name! Her celebration of life service was hosted at Camp Woodhaven in West Boylston, Massachusetts, on June 25, 2020—which would have been her 81st wedding anniversary. She and my grandfather, Charles, who passed away at the age of 101 in September 2019, made history as the longest living married couple in the state of Massachusetts. Together, they celebrated 80 years of marriage. My grandparents are also on record as the longest donors to New Missions.

In my office, I have the handwritten prayer request my grandmother sent to us the month my grandfather was dying. She wrote on her giving statement: “Please remember my husband Charles. He has an incurable disease. God is able to heal him. Thank you. Love and prayers for all of you. God’s blessing on your life.” My grandmother was a praying woman. She kept a prayer diary with lists of family and friends next to her Bible. Grandma passed away peacefully at her own home with my mother and Ted at her side.

What gave my grandmother such a good name? A relationship with Jesus did. My grandmother was one of six siblings, two sisters and three brothers. She had a serious fall off of a fire escape from a tenant building in the west end of Boston at the age of 12, and was sent to a hospital for 1.5 years—seeing her mother only twice. The doctor said she had internal injuries. When her mother was looking for an apartment to rent for her family of 8, the landlady, Carolina Salto, witnessed to her about the saving and healing love of Jesus. My great-grandmother said, “If your God is real, then take my daughter Anna to church.” Grandma told me, “I remember getting on my knees at church and surrendering to God. When I stood up, I was healed and filled with joy. I was saved!” Her mother then accepted Jesus as her Savior, and a year later, her father accepted the Lord in their home. The simple invitation to church for my grandmother impacted countless lives, as she became an evangelist to her family and friends.

After my grandmother’s passing, her three daughters Elizabeth, Jeanne, and Karen were at her home. Grandma placed a note in her mail basket sharing how she hid cash in her bedroom…wrapped in a scarf under her bureau…and under the chair cushion. They collected $1,300 that was stashed away. “What do we do with all this money?” they asked each other. The eldest daughter Elizabeth said, “It’s not our money, it’s God’s money!” Jeanne quickly responded, “Give it to Myanmar, to build a Christian school for the children there.” What a wonderful testimony of exactly how my grandmother lived her life. It was not hers; she represented the name of Jesus.

Today, may you be encouraged by how important your name is. People are watching and listening. Your name is a good name because of the Jesus in you. Let’s go love, give, and serve in Jesus’ name. ~Tim DeTellis