Phyllis Johnson

Phyllis Johnson of Indianapolis, passed fully into the arms of her faithful Savior, Jesus Christ October 14, 2013 at the age of 88. Phyllis is survived by her children Linda (Paul) Rose and Robert (Patti) Johnson; grandchildren Bob, Tim, Charlie, Sean, Dawne and 9 great-children. She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, William "Bill" Johnson; siblings Joyce Shively, Kenneth Hall, Jeanette, Mary Miller, Earl Hall Jr., Rose Sullivan and Harold Hall. Phyllis was born in Anderson, Indiana to Earl and Nellie Hall on April 3, 1925. Working in a factory in Cicero, IL she met her beloved Bill and they were united in marriage in Chicago on September 16, 1945. After a beautiful honeymoon in Florida, they lived with Bill's parents until they could afford their own home and then lived in Niles, IL. After moving to Westchester, IL they adopted their two children, Linda in 1957 and Bob in 1962. In all their years in the Chicago area, they also spent time living in Arlington Heights, Addison and Schaumburg. Along with her husband, they loved the Lord and their church life was very important having been members of the Westminster Orthodox Presbyterian Church for almost 30 years. After moving to Florida, they were active members of the Grace Presbyterian Church and while living in Indiana they attended the Bridge Church in Fortville, IN. Phyllis loved to sing and used those gifts in the choir, singing solos and singing around the house. She loved to listen to WMBI in Chicago and one never dared to change that station. A dream never realized was to go to Hawaii, but in the absence of that trip, she loved anything from Hawaii and any song, particularly Elvis' Blue Hawaii that would bring her to that tropical paradise. She loved to cook and enjoyed finding new recipes. She always said, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" and her husband and son gave testimony that mission! Even though her husband was a bit shy, she loved practicing her gift of hospitality filling her home with guests whether it be a festive Thanksgiving feast or a mid-summer BBQ on the patio. Phyllis' son, Bob wrote a piece for a church paper about his Mom for Mother's Day and this will give a window of insight into the life of Phyliss and her most important roles as wife and mother. Ten Things My Mom taught Me 1. Always say "Thank You" From the bagger at the grocery store to the teller at the bank, we will be polite and we will always say 'thank you.' Never, no never, can you expect that someone is supposed to do something for you --- but when they do, say thanks. In a world filled with rudeness, a simple thank you can make a person's day. 2. Pick up your sox. Clothes on the floor in the bedroom were not permitted. Especially smelly things like sox. "I'm not your maid" were the words that echoed. Throughout life there are smelly things to clean up. Sometimes they're yours, sometimes not. Help clean them up and everyone's day gets better. 3. Marry a Christian woman "I don't care who you marry, as long as they are a Christian." That was fixed in my mind from the earliest days. My mom married a Christian man and that brought blessing to her home. I was never even tempted to look elsewhere and my Patti is the gift that my mom told me to look for. 4. Finish your plate "People are hungry, so finish what you take." As you can see, I have had no problem finishing my plate over the years. Most of all, this taught me to be a good steward to take what I needed and always think of others. 5. When preparing food, measure accurately and make a lot. My mom taught me how to cook and she taught me the value of measuring spoons and cups if you want it to taste right. Doing things right is so important and good things take work and accuracy. My mom always cooked more than was needed when guests came over. You always show love when you are generous. 6. Smell good Even though I didn't like all the perfume my mom wore, I just expected her to smell good. She bought me my firs deodorant and my first cologne. You turn people off when you stink. There was a lot more to it than that. A stinky attitude turns away people, but a good attitude becomes a sweet aroma in a room. 7. Help your Father My mom never let me sit still if Dad was outside working. "You don't sit, while someone you love is working." I learned that I don't have permission to be a spectator while others are working---to love is to help and to come alongside. 8. You can never have too many towels I could never get over how many towels we had. There was never a time in my growing up years that I looked for towels. I think my mom came to think that if you have a lot of towels, you don't have to do laundry as often wand then we can take a break and play some games. 9. Take nice vacations, if possible, go to Florida My mom looked forward to vacation like none other and Florida was heaven to her. We had fun in the sun! We played games, we swam, we loved. 10. Open the window in winter Often in the winter and the freezing cold, my mom would open up the windows in the kitchen. I thought she was crazy, but she said, "we need some fresh air in here!" We always need fresh air. Fresh air always brings vitality and life—especially when this air is about 20 degrees. Jesus shows up in our lives in many ways and one of the lavish ways He shows His love to us is through our mom. Thank you Jesus for our mom!