In Loving Memory of Anne Coons

My grandma has gone to live with our Heavenly Father last night, November 5, 2008 at 11:45 pm at age 86. She will be missed by many family members. I have many memories of this wonderful lady that I will treasure forever. I am grateful that my girls had the chance to meet her and to feel of her spirit.

Anne had many different parts of her that when put together, created who she was.
She was a daughter, a wife, a mother, grandmother, a great grandmother, a nurse, an artist, a gardener, and a wonderful example of of hard work and dedication in whatever role she was in. Anne dedicated her later life to serving those who had passed on in genealogy work and in temple work. She had a testimony of the work that she was doing and you knew it.

I will never forget all the stories she has left me with (the true ones and the not so true ones!)

She will be missed, but I can only imagine the welcome she received as she passed on to join other family members and dear Friends.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you grandpa during this time.

We love you.

I want to add a tribute that my dad has written for his mom, The one that will be read at the furnial I will post later. My dad is very talented and has written many but the one that I felt sums up who she was. It was written for her eightieth birhtday.

A Lifetime

Anne was born in Nineteen Twenty Two,
Number five of Hilda and Rodney.
They lived in a small two-bedroom house
With all six kids and of course Old Lee.

Anne took her baths by the kitchen stove,
Holding on to Dad’s hair she was dried.
Then off to the back porch where they slept,
And Arlene would give her the cold side.

Dad-Hammer-it Puss was her rebuke
From a Father as stern as steel wool.
But patience and kindness was taught by Mom,
And lifetime friendships were made at school.

When Dad said jump Anne would ask how high,
Which may have helped in life’s later scenes.
When she went away to nursing school,
She always ate her liver and beans.

And while away she met her true love
Then married a man named Bernell.
And since there was no temple close by
They went to Phoenix where it’s hot as… Hades.

At birth they gave her the name of Ann,
She said to herself this just can’t be.
I need a name with more panache.
So I’ll be known as Anne with an “E”.

Then five kids came and five kids went
And life in between was a hand full.
With dogs and cats and hamsters and rats
And kicking the boys at the table.

After camping all over the west
Anne’s wander lust finally diminished.
They built a cabin for all Coons kin
And someday we’ll have it all finished.

With time on her hands Anne chose to paint.
Her paintings were beyond any word.
With so much contention for her art,
She finally gave them all to Richard.

And with so many joys behind you,
On life’s ladder you’ve climbed eighty rungs.
We wish you happy birthday Mom,
To us you’ll always be young.

By Richard Coons
January 2002