Celebrating ‘Nana’s’ special day

Friends and family hold drive-by birthday parade for Barbara Faye Speegle

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Barbara Faye Speegle was all smiles Sunday as her family drove through and sang “Happy Birthday” from their vehicles. (Christy Perry for The Cullman Tribune)

CULLMAN, Ala. – This Wednesday, Sept. 9, Barbara Faye Speegle will celebrate her 85th birthday with her friends and staff at Morningside Assisted Living in Cullman. Speegle’s family has had very limited visitation with her since the COVID-19 shutdown orders were issued in March. Sunday, her family arranged for a car parade at Morningside to celebrate “Nana’s” special day. 

Speegle and her late husband Felton raised their family in the Cold Springs community. They had four children and now have eight grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Most were present to wish her a happy birthday Sunday afternoon. 

Her son, Allen Speegle said, “We’ve had times when we could visit at a distance, but we went a couple of months where we couldn’t visit her at all.”

Recently, they have been limited to visits by appointment and with plexiglass in between them. 

Allen Speegle added, “Mother had a heart attack six years ago. They brought her back nine times in 16 hours. For her to be alive is a miracle. My mom, she is so sweet and easy to get along with.”

The family is grateful for the staff at Morningside for the care they give their Nana. 

Speegle was all smiles Sunday as her family drove through and sang “Happy Birthday” from their vehicles. They gave her presents and a box of homemade cupcakes. 

Speegle has been a resident at Morningside Assisted Loving for almost three years. She enjoys reading and playing bingo and looks forward to spending time with her family.

She said afterward, “I enjoyed every minute of it. This quarantine is for the birds!” 

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Barbara Faye Speegle’s great-granddaughters Paisley Stricklin, Emma Bryan, Avery Stricklin and Ella Bryan with a sign for their Nana (contributed)