Leanna Virginia Johnson: Beloved Wife,
Mother, Grandmother
11/10/1942 - 7/3/2016
Let go of the heartache
Relinquish the pain
Let only what's cherished
Be remembered again ...
No room left for sorrow
No need for regret
Keep only the memories
Too good to forget.
Your life was a blessing
Your memory a treasure
You are loved beyond words
And missed beyond measure ... (anonymous)
... I will love you forever and it will be impossible to forget you, Mom.
I will forever be reminding my children how much your grandchildren meant to you.
You made an impression wherever you went, to whomever you met, ... you definitely made an impression on our family.
If you never knew her, you really missed out!
- Chuck (husband)
Jonah's Memory:
Jonah only knew his Grandma Lee for such a short time but the first thing he said he remembers about her was her "hug". Giving her a hug or getting a hug from her was the first thing he did each time he saw her.
Memories by Molly:
- As we were driving to school we would always sing songs. One of the frequent songs were “we’re late, we’re late for a very important date, no time to lose, no time to snooze, we’re late, we’re late, we’re late!” Another was the Cinderella song "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!"
- We also used to say back to each other in sing-song:
- Me and Brynn: “no you can’t!”
My daughters fondly remember and still sing out every once in a while, songs that their Grandma would sing with them, such as, "We're late, we're late, for a very important date", "I'm a Little Teapot", and their very own made-up song about Wal-mart (“Wal-mart, Wal-mart, it’s our store! Wal-mart, Wal-mart, we adore!!”.
- When going to Walmart we used to chant “Walmart, Walmart it's our store, Walmart, Walmart we adore/want more!"
- For an after school snack, Grandma would say, "Now, take your medicine!" and then she would give us M&M's. She would also tell us to go down to "her store" (the spare bedroom turned pantry) to get chicken noodle soup for us to eat.
- Every time we would leave she would say “get out!” in a funny way.
- On the way to or after school she would let me pick a treat out of her glove compartment in the car. She kept candies and mini-candy bars in there.
- When I got older she would always tell me what a beautiful young lady I was becoming.
- One time, when Grandma was telling me to be careful how to hold and use my pencil, she told me that when she was little she had to go to the Emergency Room to have a pencil lead removed from her finger. I don't know if that is really true or not, but she was so serious and now when I remember it, it makes me laugh.
Memories of Grandma
By: Brynn
Grandma was the funniest grandma ever she made up funny jokes and made up funny songs like,”We're late we’re late for a very important date no time to lose no time to snooze we’re late we’re late we’re late.” She loved me to take naps and to rub her back for her she would give me money after I took my nap. Every Christmas grandma would give us money in a card and she would give us money in a card on our Birthdays too. She also loved to spoil me and Molly. (she would stop at Burger King on the way to dropping them off to school and get them hash browns or a biscuit. she also loved to take them on shopping days: first stop to Panera and then on to Kohl's.)
Rarely could I leave her house without something.
She usually had a bag or two of SOMETHING near the front door for me or
someone in our household. If there wasn’t a bag when we got there, we had
one when we were leaving. She would search something out to give to me.
She would say it just didn’t feel right to her to have me leave
empty-handed.
When I had my sons Benjamin and Jacob, my mother was always buying diapers and formula and clothes for them. Every time she went to the store, she was always picking up something. Though I never asked her to do it, it TRULY was an enormous help to have some of that financial burden lifted.
Reserved for Jacob's Memories
Reserved for Ben's Memories
Below is a link to a song that Ben created for his Grandma. It's posted to Sound Cloud, which I think requires an account.
My daughters fondly remember and still sing out every once in a while, songs that their Grandma would sing with them, such as, "We're late, we're late, for a very important date", "I'm a Little Teapot", and their very own made-up song about Wal-mart (“Wal-mart, Wal-mart, it’s our store! Wal-mart, Wal-mart, we adore!!”.
Another song she sang on occasion was this silly song about eating worms ...
“nobody
loves me. Everybody hates me. I think I’ll just eat
worms. first
I’ll bite the head off. then I’ll suck the juice out. and
throw the tail away.”
Jonah LOVES to hear these songs that his grandma used to sing and now he even goes around the house trying to sing them himself! Grandma would be SO PROUD!
My mom helped to take care of the girls for several summers while I had to work and she also would help out by taking them to school in the mornings during the school year. She LOVED being with her grandchildren immensely!!
When I was little, my mom went to K-Mart ... A LOT ... like almost every weekend. The best part was that there was a cafeteria in the store and my mom would take my brother and I there, in the middle of shopping, and we would have lunch. My favorite part was getting the chocolate pudding parfaits … mmm mmm mmm … layers of chocolate pudding and whipped cream and even a glob (that’s a word she would say …glob!) of whipped cream on top with chocolate sprinkles!
Speaking of whipped cream, my mom used to enjoy taking a can of Redi-whip and squirting it into the mouths of whoever she could get to cooperate. Of course, as kids, we loved this and this is now one way we celebrate her memory; we keep cans of Redi-whip in the fridge so that we can do the same thing with our kids!
One of my favorite memories that includes my mom is back to when I was a little girl and she and my dad took me and my younger brother, Kevin, to a Holiday Inn hotel to stay the night. Kevin and I had a blast playing in the pool while my mom and dad sat in chairs watching us show off for them. We took turns doing tricks into the water from the edge of pool. Then we ordered Room Service! That was so fun; my mom said that was the best part of staying at a hotel.
My BEST memory of my mom, though, is when we went to Florida for Thanksgiving in 2007. I was already an adult and had several children but we all went together and had a great time. She made up breakfast sandwiches (biscuits with egg, cheese, and ham) for our trip to the airport and flight. She stuffed her purse and our pockets with so many of them ... as if it was going to be days before we'd be having a meal. We were picked up by a driver and driven to the airport in a limousine very early in the morning. We were all together and it was really something! My mom was like a little girl trying to enjoy so many things like frolicking in the ocean up to her knees (even though she wouldn’t take off her panty hose), swinging on swings at a park, feeding the parrots and letting them all land on her, marveling at butterflies, and lounging on the beach. That was honestly our FIRST FAMILY VACATION and I will treasure it always.
My mom really liked pajamas! She had pajamas for every day of the week and they were always so cute or pretty, comfortable and cozy looking.
My dad worked at an apartment complex for the elderly for a few years. My mom “adopted” several of the ladies and she often made them food trays and sent bags of groceries with my dad to give to them.
She used to bring a big box of donuts to her doctor's appointment(s) for the doctor and his staff.
At Christmastime, she and my dad would make dozens and dozens of cookies to give away to family and friends. My mom would also make many batches of her famous fudge, which was a huge favorite. One year, she had given us so much that Brian ended up taking a plate of it to work to share with co-workers. They all went crazy over it! He told my mom about it and after that she always made extra plates of fudge so that he could bring it to work for the guys.
She always wanted there to be plenty of food.
She always wanted Christmas to be a big deal!
And she always enjoyed making a fuss over the kids. I would always tell her it was too much and she would just go "pfffft!" And then there'd be a mountain of presents for the kids ... she LOVED to hear them squeal with delight!
And she always enjoyed making a fuss over the kids. I would always tell her it was too much and she would just go "pfffft!" And then there'd be a mountain of presents for the kids ... she LOVED to hear them squeal with delight!
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2007
I know that this time of year is supposed to be joyful and festive and just full of warm fuzzies and overflowing cups of cheer. But it hasn't felt that way to me ... it's been too busy, it's been too hectic, ... I've been too sick and tired (colds, sinus infection, aches and fatigue ...) ... so many things going on and activities to keep up with ... the surprise and wonder is missing as everyone already knows what they're "getting" and gift-giving has become seemingly obligatory or on the other side of that, it is forbidden. I've been feeling kind of like a scrooge and just wishing for the holiday to hurry up and "go away" ... and then something happened ...
(to the tune of 12 days of Christmas ) On the twelfth day before Christmas, a festive spirit I observed, when my mom and dad, ... in true love they did serve ...
My morning started off miserably, what with not feeling well and all and then to top it off, I discovered that I need more practice in the parenting department. Today was Molly's holiday program at her school. I had laid out her clothes, a nice little pink sweater and matching leggings. Well, I soon found out, because of her whimpering and tears, that she had intended to wear a holiday dress. She neglected to let me know this ... and I just was not aware that this is what she wanted. When I saw in her eyes how important it was, I felt terrible, but it was too late ... so I rushed around trying to put together a dress that she already had (non-holiday dress) with a long sleeve shirt underneath so as not to freeze her out. Well, it just had to do and she seemed somewhat pacified.
My mother threw out her back yesterday; it's so bad that she can hardly even walk. Usually, on the days when I go to work, I drop Molly Frances off at my parent's home in the morning. The routine is that my mom gives Molly a breakfast and takes her to school. My mom even gives me a little breakfast treat on those mornings.
Well, today, when I arrived to my parent's, "what to my wondering eyes should appear ... ??? but my dad already awake and brimming with cheer!"
My dad is usually still sleeping when I arrive and he's really NOT the morning type. He was showered and dressed and drinking his coffee ... such an unusual sight for so early in the morning. But the shock came even greater still as my dad had prepared my breakfast treat and had Molly's breakfast ready as well!!! He also drove Molly to school so that my mom could rest ...(never mind that he took her to the wrong school, a tiny error that was quickly reconciled) ... you did a great job today, Dad! You showed me a little tiny bit of Christmas! There's a reason for the Christmas season and it just makes people feel all gooey inside and do things that they might not normally do. It's one thing to see someone be caring and serving in their usual way, to some it just comes naturally. But to see someone step outside of their comfort zone, their usual pattern of life and take charge with a gentleness and quality of sincerity ... well, it's quite something else.
After I left for work, my parents were off to the store, ... my mother hobbling around, my dad at her side to help her maneuver, ... to pick out TWO holiday dresses and a pair of shoes too!!! I was able to get to Molly's school a little early and change her into a more appropriate dress. She was very pleased with her new clothes! Thanks Mom and Dad!!!
When I was little I got terrible headaches, almost always in the middle of the night. I would wake up and go to find my mother in the darkness, crying because my head hurt so bad. She would often give me chewable aspirin and then lay me across her lap and then she would rub my head for as long as it took for the pain to subside. I remember if I had a stomach flu and would vomit, she would put one hand under my belly and she'd hold my hair back with her other hand
(to the tune of 12 days of Christmas ) On the twelfth day before Christmas, a festive spirit I observed, when my mom and dad, ... in true love they did serve ...
My morning started off miserably, what with not feeling well and all and then to top it off, I discovered that I need more practice in the parenting department. Today was Molly's holiday program at her school. I had laid out her clothes, a nice little pink sweater and matching leggings. Well, I soon found out, because of her whimpering and tears, that she had intended to wear a holiday dress. She neglected to let me know this ... and I just was not aware that this is what she wanted. When I saw in her eyes how important it was, I felt terrible, but it was too late ... so I rushed around trying to put together a dress that she already had (non-holiday dress) with a long sleeve shirt underneath so as not to freeze her out. Well, it just had to do and she seemed somewhat pacified.
My mother threw out her back yesterday; it's so bad that she can hardly even walk. Usually, on the days when I go to work, I drop Molly Frances off at my parent's home in the morning. The routine is that my mom gives Molly a breakfast and takes her to school. My mom even gives me a little breakfast treat on those mornings.
Well, today, when I arrived to my parent's, "what to my wondering eyes should appear ... ??? but my dad already awake and brimming with cheer!"
My dad is usually still sleeping when I arrive and he's really NOT the morning type. He was showered and dressed and drinking his coffee ... such an unusual sight for so early in the morning. But the shock came even greater still as my dad had prepared my breakfast treat and had Molly's breakfast ready as well!!! He also drove Molly to school so that my mom could rest ...(never mind that he took her to the wrong school, a tiny error that was quickly reconciled) ... you did a great job today, Dad! You showed me a little tiny bit of Christmas! There's a reason for the Christmas season and it just makes people feel all gooey inside and do things that they might not normally do. It's one thing to see someone be caring and serving in their usual way, to some it just comes naturally. But to see someone step outside of their comfort zone, their usual pattern of life and take charge with a gentleness and quality of sincerity ... well, it's quite something else.
After I left for work, my parents were off to the store, ... my mother hobbling around, my dad at her side to help her maneuver, ... to pick out TWO holiday dresses and a pair of shoes too!!! I was able to get to Molly's school a little early and change her into a more appropriate dress. She was very pleased with her new clothes! Thanks Mom and Dad!!!
(Molly and her friend, Finn)
My mom LOVED Halloween. She always wished that I would get into it as much as she did but as much as I love fall and pumpkins and such, I just didn't DO Halloween (only once or twice with my olders). But this year, the first without her, ... IT WAS FOR YOU, MOM! The part of you that's a part of me sat out there, with lit jack-o-lanterns and bowls of candy to hand out to the 'trick-or-treaters'.
On your birthday ... the first one without you ...
We love you more than words can say,
And moreso on this special day.
May all our love and wishes true,
Be sure to find their way to you.
At Thanksgiving, you used to always go around saying, "Gobble, gobble, gobble!" I never heard a real one until after you were gone ... heard it at the Fair and it made me laugh long and hard!!
I could actually hear you in that turkey!
And we know how much you loved cream puffs and eclairs! You used to ask one of us to bring home a dozen or so from the fair each year. This year ... the first without you, we ate them in your honor!!
A Memory Garden
If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever.
(author unconfirmed)
You may be gone from my sight but you will always be in my heart.
Dad told me a story about you yesterday that I didn't know before ... on a trip to Colorado, you stopped at a wayside of sorts or state park and at one point, you screamed for him in a panic at the sight of a bear! There was dad, with me, just about six months old, strapped to his chest in one of those baby carriers, my little arms and legs dangling while my dad, armed with his pellet gun, ran up to where you were ... ready to take out the bear with ME and a PELLET GUN!!
He couldn't find any bear. It turned out that it was just a large rock!!!
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