Nina Minor

Nina Minor, 81, of New Cumberland, died Friday, December 25th, 2015, at Thornwald Home, Carlisle after a brief, but courageous fight with a rare, aggressive form of lymphoma. Nina is survived by her husband, John Minor, a daughter, Nevena “Anka” Minor, and son-in-law, Sam Puffenbarger of Washington, D.C.
Born on June 12th, 1934, in Lowetch, Bulgaria, she was the daughter of two schoolteachers, the late Gancho and Nevena Gancheva. She was a Registered Nurse. After escaping communist authoritarian rule, she immigrated to West Germany in 1965. Until her marriage to John Minor in Zweibrücken she worked as a nurse at the University Clinic in Homburg/Saar, West Germany, and moonlighted as a bartender and fine porcelain saleswoman. She honored her Eastern-European hosting tradition by always keeping her family and friends well fed with her gourmet cooking, baking and canning, using the organic produce she grew in her backyard - affectionately referred to by her family as “the jungle” or “the outdoor cafeteria”, which also nourished the local wildlife. She supplemented this by feeding scraps to the skunks and opossums. Not surprisingly she loved watching Animal Planet and knitted sweaters for her daughter’s dogs. She shared her love of international travel, opera and foreign films with her husband and daughter.
Nina was a devoted wife and mother. She had a tenacious spirit, off-beat sense of humor, was inquisitive, loyal, and loved learning, qualities all reflected in her daughter as well. Nina gave unwavering love and support to her husband and daughter, being their biggest advocate. Nina was multi-lingual, speaking more than 7 languages, including Esperanto, and was a member of the Foreign Policy Association of Harrisburg. She and her husband enjoyed connecting with and entertaining the International Fellows (foreign officers) attending the US Army War College in Carlisle. Nina was also a fixture in the Bulgarian immigrant community, helping newcomers get their bearings in their new life in the US. An avid music lover, she was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Association. As the parent of a Dickinson alumna, she frequently visited the College library and attended campus concerts and other cultural events.
Private services will be held on Saturday, January 2nd with inurnment in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, East Hanover Twp.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area (www.humanesocietyhbg.org), 7790 Grayson Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111 or to any Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For more information or to send messages of condolence, please visit www.Parthemore.com.