Down Memory Lane in California/a visit with Sister Randall!

 While we were in CA for Aunt Georgia's funeral, we had a little spare time that we used to drive around and check out our old houses, etc.  It was fun!  Some of them took a little bit of looking to find since we weren't quite remembering the exact addresses!  These are  pictures of my family home that I lived in from Kindergarten on and the 3 apartments/houses that we lived in after we got married until we moved to Farmington, NM, about 9 months later.  The big red apartment building was first, the big gray house second and last was the little house.  Paul actually lived in the big red apartment building in a different apartment when he was on his mission!  It wasn't red then.  We also found the old house that was the office where my mom worked.  It had been repurposed to be an office for structural engineers.  She took over as secretary there for Janet when she went off to school in SLC.  Mom was there until she retired.  We also drove down to Fairmont Park and saw the old tank.  They used the lake to test the tanks to make sure they were waterproof!  We also took a picture of the street sign for Wong Street in English and Chinese.  I'm pretty sure that in the old days it was named Wong Way instead of Wong Street!  Ha Ha! 

 

On Friday evening after the funeral gatherings were all over we drove over to Hemet to take Sister Randall (Ellie) and her companion, Sister Gozart, out to dinner.  They got permission to spend an hour with us and it was such a fun time.  She's serving in the Riverside California Mission which is headquartered in the same chapel I grew up attending from Kindergarten on.  One of the local mission presidency members and his wife were actually attending the funeral luncheon that day.  It was crazy to visit the chapel of my childhood and even see people there from the ward helping with the funeral lunch that I remember from way back when I was in that ward.  Ellie got a good recommendation for a place to eat from a ward RS president.  It was really good food and not terribly expensive.  We had a good visit and then took them back to their apartment to go off to do some missionary work.  Such good girls!  So glad Ellie is making such good choices that will bless her life and many others as well.  

We love you Aunt Georgia...and LeAnne

The time came for Aunt Georgia, number eleven and the last child of Mary and George Broadbent, to head home for a wonderful family reunion in heaven.  She passed away on Tuesday, August 18th in Riverside, Riverside County, California.  Here's what her daughter, Jana Cheney posted:

"Our sweet mother, Georgia Swainston Abernathy, passed away very peacefully about 30 minutes ago.  She had family by her bedside holding her hands and no doubt, family across the veil extending their hands.  What an amazing 98 year adventure." 

She was the aunt that I had the chance to know and love much more closely than all of my others.  She and her family moved in with us for about a year and a half after they moved down from Idaho leaving a very bad marriage situation.  They became a much closer aunt and cousins that way.  I was pretty sad when they moved out and felt very lonely. We have all grown up and gone our separate ways, but they still hold a special place in my heart from that time we had together. 

Georgia was ready to go home after her long adventure.  She was struggling with hearing and vision and her heart and lungs were worn out.  We will miss her here, but we are glad she could leave her tired body behind and join the family waiting for her on the other side.  Happy graduation Aunt Georgia!  You passed your earthly test with flying colors!  We love you and hope the reunion with family is sweet!  

Georgia's children are, left to right in the top picture:  LeAnne, Jana, Thom, Anelle.  You will see a beloved "adopted" daughter in the lower picture - she grew up best friends to Anelle and neighbor to the family - Jennifer Conium.  

The picture below was created by AI and shows Aunt Georgia welcoming her daughter, Audrey LeAnne Wood, to heaven.  LeAnne has fought cancer for 18 years and passed away on September 5th, just 18 days after her mom, Aunt Georgia.  It's a hard blow to this family to lose both of them, but they were both "ready" to go.  I'm glad I got to visit with LeAnne and some of her family when they came to see us as we vacationed in Oregon a year or so ago.  I'm sad for her husband to have to go it alone now.  He still has some life ahead of him.  It's hard to say these goodbyes, but thank goodness we know it's not forever.  LeAnne was 76.  She and my sister, Marilynne were pretty close and actually had a double wedding/reception.  Rest in peace LeAnne.  

My cousins with LeAnne in the front (Jana, Thom and Anelle Cheney).

Clair (Les and LeAnne's daughter and husband up front and LeAnne and Les Wood back seat in Oregon.

Paul and I went out to the graveside/funeral and lunch.  It was very nice.  It was strange to be back in that old chapel I grew up going to for my whole life and even see some of the people that I went to church with there.  Most of the funeral took place at the grave with a brief talk from the bishop and a life sketch written by LeAnne shared by Daniel Wood, a grandson.  Afterwards we went back to the church where another life sketch written by Georgia was read by another grandson, Brian Cheney.  The lunch and visiting was very nice.  Now the next funeral coming up will be for LeAnne.  Such a time of loss for this family.  Thank goodness the knowledge that life goes on gets us through and brings peace to us knowing that they are in a better place where their sufferings are over.  Georgia was buried at Olivewood Cemetery in Riverside, California.  

These are pictures from LeAnne's funeral.  We didn't make it to that one.  My back is in bad shape with a herniated disc and pinched nerve.  Just couldn't add one more long trip to it.  

Anna Lou's funeral and graveside services

Our house is quiet and at peace, the company is all gone and all things for Anna Lou are taken care of.  Friday, Nov. 7th and Saturday the 8th were the funeral in St. George, UT and the graveside in Taylor, AZ.  They both went well.  The were nice gatherings in both places of family and friends, former ward members of Anna Lou and some of the hospice and home health workers that helped her through the ending days.  We are thankful that it all went well and thankful that it's over...for her and for us.  It was long for both.  Here are some pics of these events.

Special thanks go to Bryan Randall, son-in-law and funeral director who took care of all the arrangements from picking Anna Lou up after she passed to making sure she was laid to rest in Taylor. We are so glad he was the one who took care of her for all of this.  It's DONE!

Just before Thanksgiving Kirt Lillywhite shared a photo of Junior and Anna Lou's Wedding that he had been able to use amazing technology to add color to!  It's so nice to see them together in living color!  Hope they are enjoying a beautiful reunion right now!  

Anna Lou Lillywhite Kurtz passes

 S This afternoon, October 29th, 2025, Anna Lou passed away at the rest home where she had been residing (2041 S. Mesa Palms Drive, St. George UT 84790). Ferf called to give us the news around 3:45 pm.  Paul had been there earlier in the day to spend time with her.  Her dear friend, Judy Fisher, was there holding her hand at the time of her passing.  It's a blessing to have it over and for her to leave her tired body behind and go to be with her family on the other side.  Bryan, Lou's husband, is handling the funeral arrangements from here on.  This is the end of her long run of 93 years.  She's had a good, hard, and well-lived life.  She out-lived two husbands and endured long years of being single.  It was very hard on her.  She filled two missions and spent her life serving the Lord in many other church callings as well.  She endured losing nearly all her hearing and vision and was unable to stand being around big groups for many years and was unable to attend church then.  She was ready to go, and we're  thankful the hard times are over for her.  

Her 80th birthday party at Aspen Grove Camp on Cedar Mountain.

    

Outings on Cedar Mountain.

Family pic at Blanco Basin

Family Picture before Paul and Ross went on missions.

Junior and Anna Lou - "living the life of Briley"

Wedding picture of Junior and Anna Lou

  Here's the obituary:

Anna Lou Lillywhite Kurtz was born to Paul Moroni Rogers and Vera Shumway on February 27, 1932, in Mesa, Arizona. She passed away on October 29, 2025.  Anna Lou spent her life serving her family and served the Lord in many callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including serving missions to Birmingham, England and Auckland, New Zealand. 

Anna Lou grew up in Taylor, AZ, with her parents and sisters, Ione, Sheree, Judy and brother "Shum" and lots of extended family. She married Leland Junior Lillywhite on March 6, 1950, in the Mesa, AZ Temple. They made their home in Farmington, NM, where they raised their family.  Leland passed away December 10, 1982.  After serving a mission she became acquainted with Russell Wayne Kurtz at a grief counseling group they were both attending. They married September 29, 1987, and eventually moved to West Jordan.  He passed away on January 3, 1998. She then moved to St. George, UT, where she lived until she passed away.

Anna Lou lived alone for 27 years after she moved to St. George.   She made many dear friends that blessed her life.  Together they went to lunch, traveled, played volleyball, took college classes, worked at the temple, and one that was still living, sat with her as she passed away. 

Anna Lou is survived by her sister, Judith Ramsey, Snowflake, AZ, her brother, Paul Shumway Rogers (Kathy), Taylor, AZ, and her children Ross Lillywhite (Lerlyn) Aztec, NM, Paul Lillywhite (Bonnie) St. George, UT, James Lillywhite, Magna, UT, Julianne Madison (Roy), Hurricane, UT, and Sheryl Wardell (Douglas), Vernal, UT.  She was so proud to have 21 grandchildren, and 66 great grandchildren, and 1 great, great grandchild. 

Funeral service will be held Friday, Nov. 7, at 10 am at the St. George Stake Center, 591 West 500 North, St. George, UT.  A visitation gathering will be held there from 9-9:45 am.  Graveside services will be at Reed Hatch Memorial Cemetery, 401 Center St., Taylor AZ 85939.

We appreciate Jennifer (Ferf) and her team from Dixie Home Rehab and Hospice and Oasis Senior Living staff for their loving care of Anna Lou.  We also express our appreciation to Peter Hill, Anna Lou's home health nurse.  He went way and above his duties to become a faithful friend to her.  We also appreciate the 3rd Ward Relief Society for their compassionate service in providing a meal after the funeral.  Funeral arrangement are being handled by our son-in-law, Bryan and his team at Cedar Valley Funeral & Cremation.  Many thanks to them for their assistance.