My Mother Eva

My Mother Eva
born November 21, 1909
Story by Marilyn Paulson, Johnson
November 18. 2010
. . . My mother wanted to give me a present for my birthday December 27, 1995
She was living in a rest home in Murray Utah for the last ten years of her life, she died August 2, 1996

For the last year of her life one of the nurses would place a long-distance phone call to me on Sunday morning. Mother had been blind ten years before her death. I sent a letter and flowers each month. She was moved to a new rest home out in the country where she could walk outside with a nurses aid and she told mom all the names of the roses. That was the highlight of her spring and summer months. The nurse noticed Eva was getting slower in her walking and stayed inside near her bed. She shared a room with an elderly lady that could see well
and they watched and listened to TV together. They liked travelogs. The roommate had not traveled out side of the United States.

She loved to hear the stories of where my mom had traveled. It was a great combination. When this roommate died, my mom was sad and missed the enchanting conversations with her.

A nurse’s aid asked her if she would like to call her daughter Marilyn in Fernley Nevada once a week on Sunday morning for a phone visit around 8:00 am. That cheered her up and she looked forward to Sunday. I was often late for church As the aid made her morning round .she would let Eva know what day it was. The Sunday calls came regularly. One day she asked me what I wanted for my birthday. My birthday is December 27, two days after Christmas. With the rush and business of Christmas time, my birthday was often forgotten. That was O.K. But mom always remembered.

“Please tell me what you would like to have for a present.”
“Oh! mom just a phone call, they are so fun for both of us.”
“Please think a minute Marilyn and decide.”
I pondered in my mind. . . and came up with a car blanket.

She started to cry and I asked why. She explained she had no money. Please find a blanket you like and buy it and wrap it up and tell everyone I sent it. I did enjoy finding a blanket. I told her about it in our next phone call.
. A flood of precious memories comfort me every occasion I bundle up in the beautiful burgundy and Navy Blue birthday quilt.

Kay & Marilyn Johnson

1.) We have fun when the Johnson family get together. Heather Christensen Bailey was riding on Grandpa Kay's old scooter and asked me to help her up the stairs because it was her turn for the scooter. But she was so curious about the tole-painted front door. She wanted to know how Grandma Marilyn did it.

2.) Heather is the first granddaughter (6-24-80) and she wanted to know about my big old glasses on Grandma.

3.) Grandma Marilyn, daughter Debbie Reeder, and Cody watching the 4th Of July parade in downtown Fernley, Nevada.

4.) Grandma Marilyn, daughter Cheryl, and her three children.

5.) Grandpa Kay was sitting for a picture with his grandchildren. The phone rang, and Grandma Marilyn had to sit in!

1.) Kay & Marilyn's first date! It was Christmas 1975, and Kay took me to a church party in my ward, and he knew all the people there. I asked how come, and he said he went to Kintergarden all through college with everyone.

2.) Grandma Marilyn, daughter Rachel, and her first son Michael Allred. (8-10-81)

3.) Linda & Jay Graham around 1983 in Grandma Marilyn & Grandpa Kay's back yard.

4.) Grandma Marilyn on vacation with Allred family.

5.) Linda & Jay's wedding pictures. Wonderful day!

1.) Marilyn Jackson and Kay went to California to get a wedding license but they closed early, so Kay took me to see his favorite place to go fishing. We tried again the next day, but had to take time off of work.

2.) Wedding day 1977, we had a civil marriage ceremony at the Temple.

3.) Wedding day at the Temple for time in all eternity, October 14, 2005.

4.) Celebrating one year anniversary. Kids made a cake just for the fun of it.

5.) Reno Temple 2005, with family and friends

1. Kay gave me a crown of flowers and a beautiful bouquet. The sun was bright so I wore my dark glasses, but the wind kicked up a storm.

2. Marilyn and Kay at the Reno Temple October 14, 2005. Love is eternal.

3. In 1977, we both had dark brown hair, and no grey streaks. 28 years later, our hair has turned white! We got married again in the Reno Temple on October 14, 2005, for time and eternity. The kids were all happy about that!

4. Our first great grandchild, Max Bailey, was born in December of 2004, and what joy he brought into our lives.

5. The new Reno Temple was high on a hill in Reno, and beautiful inside and out.

1. First Sunday after we were married in the Temple, it was picture time! Dressed ready for church. From left to right, Rachel, Cheryl, Marilyn, Linda, and Kay. Debbie was married and we saw her at church.

2. Linda went off to college at the BYU, and we went to visit her. They took us to a pretty lake so Kay could look at the fish.

3. Day after the wedding, we had to take Bryan to meet his new doctor that was going to do surgery on his left ear. He had been in an accident and it broke a bone inside of his ear, so he could not hear. We set up an appointment two weeks later for the surgery.

4. We had a birthday party in the back yard, and invited all the relatives. The girls had written a song to sing to him. Cheryl and Bryan accompanied them with their guitars.

1. The wedding reception was at Kay's brother's beautiful home, Max and Maria Johnson. After all the people went home they took pictures of us sitting in their plush bedroom. After the kiss, Kay said "Honey, I have a hole in my stocking, could you fix that too and give me a haircut tomorrow?" By the time we took care of the kitchen cleanup of cake and ice cream, we looked around for the kids but couldn't find them. All nine had disappeared. We were tired, and needed help, but we collected all the gifts and put them in the car. Then we realized we had two cars to drive home. I was not used to driving an hour to Fernley, and it was very dark. Kay reminded me to pull over whenever I got too tired. The first stop was about 15 minutes down the highway. As we got out of our cars, he hugged me and said "Guess what? It's a lunar eclipse!" We took pictures of each other and started the journey home. I was tired and it was dark, but Kay was patient as I went a little slow. When we got home and unl0cked the front door, the kids all said "Surprise!". They had decorated the living room and told Kay he had to carry Marilyn over the threshold. We weren't angry anymore because they weren't there to help us. The joy of this united family was good for all of us.

1.) Virgil Kay Johnson married Marilyn Paulson Jackson, August 9. 1977 in the Oakland, CA, Temple for Time civil marriage. we had nine children between us. Six children made it to the Temple ceremony. All nine made it to the reception at Kay's brother's home. Max and Maria Johnson, Reno, Nevada.

Marilyn Paulson As A Young Adult

Marilyn Paulson As A Young Girl

Marilyn Paulson as a Baby

These are pictures of me as a baby, I hope you enjoy them!

Amy and Jeff Kemp family Aug 2010

Summer Fun 2010
August 20, 2010
Marilyn P. Johnson

We are grateful for the time we had with Chris and Stacey and their three children David, Jared and Kelsie. They were only here two days but we crammed in as many activities as possible.

Up early to make walking sticks, they found Kay in his favorite place in the backyard behind the fence where his pond is. He grows trees on our acre and cuts branches from the different kinds of trees for walking sticks. He has quite a collection and these three grandchildren picked out the ones they wanted. They moved to the patio where they could sit in the shade by the picnic table. Kay supplied the tools necessary for smoothing out the bumps and he was busy helping each one learn how to do this. Stacey joined the group and said MOM’S like to go hiking too. Chris took over taking care of the miniature dachshund, new family pet named Hardly. He got his name because he is so tiny and cute and likes to run and play and falls a sleep in Chris’s arms.

When this fun family arrived with the surprised new member of the family a small puppy named Harley. Kay laughed and said you should call him Hardley because he is so small. They laughed and the new name was excepted by all. I served cool drinks and watched and talked to them as they diligently worked on their walking sticks. They drilled a hole just right at the top for holding their cane and put a rawhide piece of cord and strung colored bead for the finishing touch. It was a joy watching them.

We had stayed up late the night before and went to Reno to the Wilkerson’s home. for a dinner party. Janette had to drive her husband to the airport to catch a flight for a business meeting. She hurried home to get Denise, her sixteen year old daughter, off to the dentist to have her wisdom teeth removed. Then home again, jiggitty-jig, to start cooking a dinner for the twelve of us.

I’m glad my camera was working and we took lots of pictures for scrapbooking and my blog.
It is amazing how much richer our lives are because of the fun times we have during the summer vacation from school and work. We are glad Chris and Stacey could get time off from their jobs to do all the driving.

Kay and I loved the fun visit with our grown up children and their children. We enjoy the weather better in the spring and fall. We tire easily with the heat but are lucky for these visits.

Memories help us to enjoy our grown up children and the ever changing grand children who are growing up too fast. Thanks heaven for cameras to take pictures to see in the winter. It helps us to enjoy life and forget about our aches and pains of growing older.

This is the last picture as they were leaving. Kay gave Kelsie a pink pillow for her stiff neck, pink sweet peas to Stacey and a goodbye joke for everyone.

We went to Nevada City to visit Cheryl Christensen our daughter while our granddaughter Amy and her husband Jeff, and baby Emily Clarice entertained us for two days.

From left to right: Emily, Amy, Grandma Marilyn, and Grandpa Kay, we drove them to the Reno airport, and they will be on their way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where husband Jeff is studying to be a medical physicist. He has two more years.

From left to right, three generations: Amy, Emily Clarice, and Cheryl.

Emily Clarice is almost a year old, but she can drive a car, get and out herself with her teddy bear.

From left to right: Amy, Emily Clarice, and Jeff, a happy family!

Great Grandma Marilyn and Great Grandpa Kay enjoyed the visit in Nevada City and drove them back to the airport in Reno.

Grandpa Kay enjoyed teaching Jared and Kelsie how to make a walking stick personalized with beads and all just the right size. Grandpa Kay cuts the branches to make the canes from his many variety of trees.

This is the last picture as they were leaving. Kay gave Kelsie a pink pillow for her stiff neck, pink sweet peas to Stacy, and a goodbye joke for everyone.

We stayed up late the night before, and went to Reno to the Wilkerson's home for a dinner party. Janette had to drive her husband to the airport to catch a flight for a business meeting. She hurried home to get Denise, her sixteen year old daughter, off to the dentist to have her wisdom teeth removed. Then home again, jiggitty-jig, to start cooking a dinner for the twelve of us.

From left to right: Janette Wilkerson my oldest daughter, Chris Jackson youngest son and his wife Stacy, Grandma Marilyn, and youngest daughter Melinda. We were helping in the kitchen for the big dinner.

When this fun family arrived with the surprise new member of the family, a small puppy named Harley. Kay lauged and said you should call him Hardley, because he is so small.

We served ice cream and cake in the back yard with Chinese lanterns and twinkly lights on the arches.

Lindsay & Garrett Wedding 2010

Lindsay & Garrett and brothers and sisters

Granddaughter Lindsay