My Heroes

 

Meet Erma Rosenhan. She turns 97 years old this month. She used to sing in the Mormon Tabernacle choir and worked for many years at the Church Office building in the financial department. But that's not why she is my hero. She is my hero because several times a week she rides the bus to the family history library downtown ($3 one way), and works on genealogy all day long. She has prepared over 400,000 names to take to the temple. She shares the gospel with her doctors, physical therapists, with people she meets at the family history library, and people on the bus. She can't hear in Relief Society or Sacrament Meeting unless her hearing aid is turned up to the highest setting and you speak loudly into the microphone and she is sitting on the front row, but she is there every week. She knows the scriptures inside and out and has a memory like no one I know. She has served in almost every calling in the church, and most of them twice. She wears a skirt she made in 1950 and tells me often that that's what self reliance is. She said she was very self reliant until she hit about 90 years old. She still cooks for herself and lives alone, but she relies on others to shovel her walk, give her rides, and do certain things around her house. But she is the most grateful woman. She never fails to recognize those that bless her life and let's them know repeatedly of her gratitude. She tells me that every day she wakes up and says "Today I should dust. Nah, I'll do that tomorrow. I am going to the family history library today."

Meet Johnnie Hughes. I can hardly say or type her name without tears coming to my eyes. I love this woman. She celebrated her 90th birthday in December, and she blew out every single candle at her birthday party. When asked if she wanted help she said, "If I am going to have 90 candles, I am going to blow every single one out." We were a little afraid that she was going to hyperventilate trying to blow them out, but she didn't. So what if some of the candles had melted down to only the wick... Let me tell you why this woman is my hero.
Johnnie can't lift a gallon of milk by herself, but let me tell you this little woman can run circles around me in service. She teaches weekly sewing lessons for free to anyone in the ward who would like to learn. She sews hundreds of articles of clothing to donate to humanitarian aid so that "those children can have something new to wear." She teaches many women how to can and grow gardens. She brings most of the produce from her own garden to share with those who live in apartments and can't grow their own gardens. At the beginning of spring, she bring starts for anyone who wants to transplant them into their garden. Each week, she serves in the temple and each week she goes over to Erma's house to water Erma's plants. Every Sunday she picks Erma up and brings her to church. (Did I mention she's 90?) Once a week, she takes a meal to an elderly couple who are home bound. She visits on a regular basis the oldest woman in Utah--Edna Decker. She delivers canned goods from her garden and baked goods to sisters she visit teaches or people she thinks are lonely. She cooks for funeral luncheons, ward dinners, and stays after to clean up. She has a very, very deep knowledge of doctrine and can recite many scriptures by heart. She knows names and makes everyone feel welcome and loved in her very quiet unobtrusive way. I just can't say enough about her. I hope to grow up like her some day.