My friend Phyllis

My Friend Phyllis

Phyllis Marilyn Thomson Waldron passed away Sunday, January 26, 2020.

She was born February 24, 1922 in Wanship, Utah, a daughter of James P. and Pearl Thomson.

Her youth was spent as a city girl. She and her brother, Kay spent their summers swimming in Como Springs and their winters skiing, ice skating and reading. Her mother was a school teacher and because her father worked on the railroad, everything in the household ran on time - a strong trait she abided by her whole life and tried to instill in her children.

In high school, she was active in the music programs - singing in the choir, and playing clarinet and violin in the concert and dance bands.

On October 15, 1940 she married Earl Homer Waldron in the Salt Lake Temple. She moved to Richville in Morgan County and became a farmer’s wife. Together, she and Earl raised seven children.

She loved living on the farm and her whole life was devoted to taking care of her family. She was a strong literacy advocate and made sure all of her children and grandchildren learned to read.

Phyllis was an active member of the LDS church and served in many of the organizations as a teacher and held several leadership positions throughout the years.

Phyllis is survived by a brother, James Kay Thomson of Newport News, Virginia, one son Blaine Thomson Waldron of Bountiful and three daughters: Sharon Cobb of Smithville, Texas; Marilyn (Doug) Stanger of Marriott-Slaterville, Ann (Troy) Gren of Clearfield; two daughters-in-law, Tamara Waldron of Roy and Suzi Waldron of Morgan.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one daughter, Shelley; and two sons: Craig Earl and Rex T.; and son-in-law Cary C. Cobb.

The family will meet friends at the Walker Mortuary, 45 W. 200 N. in Morgan on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020 from 6 to 8 p.m. and at the Porterville Church, 2660 S. Morgan Valley Drive from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., followed by the Funeral Service at 1:00 p.m.

Interment, South Morgan Cemetery.

A special thanks to all the staff at the Family Tree of Morgan for creating a home for our mom over the past two years and for the special care given during the final days of her life.

I am speaking at Phyllis' funeral today.  Here is what I will say.

It is my honor to talk a little about my friend Phyllis.  I thank the family for this opportunity to share my thoughts and memories of this special woman.  About 9-10 years ago, I was serving as a family history consultant in the ward.  I chose to visit with Phyllis, to help her with her family history.  I still remember going in the back bedroom on that little old computer of Thor’s and firing it up.  We were able to look up a few ancestors, but honestly, we mostly just talked, and I listened to her wonderful stories about the good old days.  I came to love her as I learned more about her.  Our weekly visits continued long after the family history was finished.  I would usually stop on Sunday and pick her up for church, and visit with her a little bit afterwards.  After she didn’t make it out to church anymore, I would stop on my way home on Sundays.  We would visit, and talk about our week, and our families. 

I loved hearing her stories of growing up in North Morgan, with her dad working for the railroad.  Hearing of the many escapades of she and her only brother Kay, whom she loved dearly.  Besides the bike rides to Como and sledding and skiing down the hills, they were able to ride the trains to visit family.  East to Hoytsville, and West to Nevada, such were the perks of having a dad who worked for the railroad.   She and Betty Rose, and Effie Rich grew up in the same neighborhood, and were friends as little girls, and they all grew up to marry Richville boys, and continued their friendship as young wives and mothers in Richville. 

Phyllis loved the Waldron family and the farm in Richville, and she helped in many ways. She described to me the potato digger, that she and her sister-in-law Louise, would stand on, as it was pulled in the field, scooping the potatoes out of the ground, and bringing them up on top of the machine, bouncing and shaking off the dirt as they came.  Phyllis and Louise would pick them out and put them in sacks as they went along.  She spoke of raising baby chicks to full grown hens, and then personally killing, and plucking and dressing each one.   The milking !  What a commitment that was.  Earl’s family and Stewart’s family would take turns, each one doing a night and a morning milking, so that the other family could almost have an entire day off in between milkings.  She told  of Craig falling out of the tree and breaking his femur, and being laid up all summer on the couch.  Then there was the time Sharon crashed on her bike, knocking out her two front teeth……. As you can imagine, the list goes on and on.

Because of Phyllis,  I know about the SUBWAYS in Morgan (long before the sandwich shop was built), and I’d bet I may be the only one here in this room that knows just where Wiggin’s Corner is.   She loved the old Richville ward, and the families in Richville.  June Wiscombe, and Betty Rose, and her sister-in -law Louise, my Grandma Dickson, Anona down the road, Ada Waldron and Vera Brough across the Lane, Dora Rich, Pearl Rich, Effie Rich, Clara Beth Rich and Lilly Clark, and Faye Smith.  What wonderful memories and friends were had in the small tight community of Richville.  She loved serving in the Primary, the primary parades, the cultural nights for adults, the progressive dinners, and finally ward dinners in the old Richville Church house.  The ward member had worked hard, and  finally got a kitchen and tables and chairs installed…………only to be moved to the old Rock church in Morgan a few short years later.  

It was wonderful hearing of her memories of simpler times, when life moved a little slower and it seemed that there was more time to stop and smell the roses (or in Phyllis case), her beautiful tulips that she was so happy to see every spring.   In the fall, she loved going for rides with Tammy and Craig to see the beautiful fall colors.  Phyllis was always up for an outing with her family.

Phyllis was grateful for her children and grandchildren and all they did for her.  She appreciated Dee and Janene checking in on her.   She was always so positive about everything, and never spoke badly about anyone.  She had sad times and disappointments and worries in her life like we all do, but she didn’t’ let them define her.  She was always concerned about others, and isn’t this what a true friend is?  

 

The last time I spoke with her, kneeling by her bed at the Family Tree, she was in pain, but still the first thing she asked, was “How is your family?”.  She loved me, and I knew that.  I knew that this would be the last time I would see her and speak to her in this life, and as I knelt there trying to hold back my tears, she had concern for me, and said, “You seem upset about something, are you alright?”  I told her I was okay, and I expressed my love for her, as I told her good-bye.

Phyllis was a strong, wonderful, uncomplaining woman who I was proud to call my FRIEND.  Something that she would always say, was “Love Her Heart” or “Love His Heart” when we were talking or reminiscing about someone.  Those three words sum up Phyllis to me.  I will always be grateful to be her friend, and I will always LOVE HER HEART.