Well, hello again. This week, I want to pay tribute to a very special mother, Frieda Johnson, and her son, Eddie Johnson, my good friend and helper who has been my driver “all around the community” for many years.
Eddie’s mother made her transition July 19, following a lengthy illness here in Crystal River where she lived in an apartment with Eddie.
Attending the memorial service at the Crystal River United Methodist Church, I learned that she raised her four sons – Eddie, Larry, Roy and Alan – with unconditional love despite many challenges and hardships, beginning with an industrial accident in which she lost her dominant lower right arm, and that while she was in the hospital recovering, she rehabilitated herself by making the beds on the floor of the hospital.
When she moved to Florida, she had to tie her sons’ shoes with her teeth. (This was before Velcro.) In order to heal from a broken neck, she had to be immobilized for six months in the hospital where she lay on a type of rotisserie bed.
Only two of her sons, Eddie and Larry, were able to attend the services. For sons Roy and Alan and church members who were unable to attend, the church aired the services online them to view.
Roy sent along a eulogy, which Eddie shared with me, that was beautifully written, which I’m sharing with all of you who have come to know and love Eddie as my family and I do.
From the eulogy that Frieda’s son sent, the memories shared by her granddaughter, Summer, I learned of Eddie’s dedicated and relentless care for his mother and others all around the community and his mother’s uncanny and completely unselfish nurturing of not only her sons, but many other children who called her “Memaw” and loved her in return.
She put her four boys’ needs above her own and instilling in others the lessons of life that stand us in good stead. She unselfishly raised and nurtured many children from Georgia to Florida.
She often went without food for her children. She helped people time and again, even if they didn’t appreciate it. Her actions spoke louder than any words could about life and how people are to be treated, always sticking true to what you promised to do.
She would pawn items from around their home for food and bills. She would sell plasma for their needs. She was continually setting good examples for her boys and others she met along the way.
Frieda saw good in people that others didn’t. She beat cancer twice with her positive, can-do attitude. She allowed the boys to make mistakes because, in her mind, overcoming the experience of it was the best teacher.
She will always be remembered as a strong, resourceful, caring and “teaching-by-example mom” that touched many in her lifetime. Everyone loved being around Frieda.
As Roy stated in his eulogy, she managed to raise four real REAL boys – Roy, Eddie, Alan and Larry – into responsible men with integrity and good character.
She taught others that you can achieve anything if you try hard enough. Her life and Eddie’s life have made the pathway a better way for all of us to journey onward.
So, we must act on opportunities presented to us and share what we can – a kind word, encouragement and, especially, affirmation for good deeds done unselfishly for others.
Eddie and Frieda lived out their personal mantra exceedingly well.
Most who attended the services remarked how her smile, laughter and sweet spirit gave them courage when it was needed the most.
Pastor Rowls’ sermon was a celebration of her life through the memories shared by family and friends who admired and loved her. He remarked that laughter and tears are a part of love that honors a person’s life. He said that Frieda was never alone or separated from the love of God, whose love came when her strength failed, when she was caring about others.
He said that we can follow her example and share a smile, give a sincere compliment, bring a covered dish to someone who is ill, place a gentle phone call and pray with them about their troubling concerns. For his scripture he chose Ecclesiastes 13-14.
We sang, “Trust and Obey,” “How Great Thou Art” and “Amazing Grace,” in unity, together, with the words provided by PowerPoint.
Two young granddaughters came forward, took the mic and read their handwritten notes written on notebook paper about their grandmother.
Luna, 8, wrote: “Dear Memaw, you have done so much for the people you love and care about. It is sad that you passed away on your birthday. You would have been 83. I love you so much and I will miss you a lot.”
Justice, 7, wrote: “I love you, Memaw, because you are so sweet and kind. I really miss you. I loved playing with your hair, doing Word Search and video games. I’ll love you forever.”
Those who attended the service included Margie and Richard Harper. She is past-president of the Crystal River Woman’s Club where Eddie gets up and takes down tables and chairs for their meetings and events.
Charley Ayers and Beverly Unverdorben of the Yankeetown Community Church attended. Eddie works for them doing maintenance and yard work weekly. Charley is like a father-mentor to Eddie.
Jean Lynch attended. Eddie mows her lawn and does handyman work for her.
Richard and Kris Schohl attended. They were managers of the apartment where Eddie and Frieda lived. They told me how much they appreciated Frieda’s help in collecting the rent for the adjoining apartments for them when they were away.
Other apartment friends attending were Lynn and Mike James, who spoke of Frieda as an outgoing person.
Penny English attended. She visited Frieda when she was temporarily at a care center and found her to be a caring patient with the others at the center.
Eddie’s friends, Ron and Paula Schmidt, attended.
In addition to her sons, Frieda is survived by granddaughters Beth French, Michelle and Katie Ostowski, great-grandchildren Lillian and Gage French, Mason and Kaleb Burkholder, Charles Taylor and Abby French (Memaw’s grandchild Summer Hormell, John Van Deventer, Memaw’s great-grandchildren Leana, Luna and Justice) and Jada.
Whenever you see Eddie all around the community patrolling with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, volunteering with the Citrus Emergency Response Team (CERT), helping with crowd control at parades and events, and driving me to the Chronicle with my weekly column, thank Frieda for instilling in him a great service heart for all of us.
Until next week, be safe and smile.
Ruth Levins participates in a variety of projects around the community. Let her know about your group’s upcoming activities by writing to P.O. Box 803, Crystal River, FL 34423.
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