Obituary of Sherrie Johnson

Sherrie Lee Johnson passed away at the Lloydminster Hospital, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on Sunday, July 23, 2006 at the age of 44 years. Sherrie is survived by her husband, Terry of Marwayne; three children: Joshua Johnson, Dru Colton Franklin and Daine Kolby Franklin all of Marwayne, as well as numerous other relatives and friends. The funeral service for Sherrie was conducted from the Marwayne School, Marwayne, Alberta on Saturday, July 29, 2006 at 1:00 PM with Pastor Greg Kern officiating. A eulogy was given by Sheldon Wilcox. Honorary Pallbearers were Todd Barnett & Colette Roach, Vernon & Donna Tupper, Roland & Diane Gervais, Frank & Candy Mann, Cathy Botting and all those who have shared in Sherrie’s life. Active Pallbearers were Roger & Valerie Roberge, Ken & Elaine Bills, Marcel & Jaclyn Roberge, Jim & Rena Pulyk, Eugene & Shannon Roberge and Art Wheat. “Angels on Earth”: Dorothy & Les Bowman, Brenda & Dave Lorenz and Dr. Sayeed. Interment followed in the Marwayne Cemetery. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster administered the funeral arrangements. Eulogy Thank you Pastor Greg, I am Sheldon Wilcox, Sherrie’s brother. I’d like to thank everyone here today; your presence is a special tribute to Sherrie. I am truly amazed by how many lives Sherrie touched along the way. Sherrie Lee Johnson was born in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on August 28, 1961. She passed away on July 23, 2006 at the age of 44. Sherrie was predeceased by her mother, Marjorie Wilcox, Grandmother, Effie Mathison, Grandfather Harold Mathison, Grandfather Elmer Wilcox, Grandmother Margaret Wilcox and step brother Duane Wilcox. Sherrie is survived by her husband, Terry Johnson, sons Dru Colton Franklin (20), Daine Kelby Franklin (13) and stepson Joshua Johnson, father Bruce Wilcox and Stepmother Janet Wilcox, sisters: Kerrie Lillemo and Melanie Wilcox, brother Sheldon Wilcox and sister-in-law Sheryl Wilcox. Her nieces and nephews include Duane and Audrey Wilcox, Kurt and Leslie Lillemo, Liam and Mackenzie Sherrie Wilcox. Her in-laws include Marvin and Anne Johnson, Gary and Gail Johnson, Dave and Brenda Lorenz, Rob and France Johnson, Neil and Sue Johnson and Deb and Ryan Bader. Cancer took Sherrie’s life but nothing could conquer Her love for Terry Her pride in her sons, Her faith in Jesus, Her trust in God. I’ve spent the last few days talking to friends and family trying to seek inspiration for this eulogy. Every person I talked to led me back to the same few themes. The consistency was remarkable: Her family, her faith, her strength and her courage. Sherrie’s relationship with Terry started a little earlier than most of us might think. Leslie Hines fixed them up on a blind date when they were 14 and 15 to go to the Christmas Dance. They dated for a few months, but nothing became of it. Until over 20 years later at another Christmas supper, this one for minor hockey. Christmas Eve 2002 they were engaged and the wedding was in Kitscoty a year later. Terry was her rock. Sherrie called me one day shortly before the wedding and told me how amazing it was. She was so lucky to be able to marry her best friend, so fortunate to have found her soul mate-her rock. Her family always came first. She said the best Christmas present she ever got was a few years ago when Terry surprised her. He’d secretly gathered the entire family to the farm for Christmas Eve. In her hospital room she had a paper flower made by her niece Audrey, and she displayed that little flower more proudly than any painting of her own. I was overcome by her pride and gratitude when I told her my own daughter Mackenzie Sherrie would bear her name. When our mother passed away, Sherrie was only fourteen. I can look back now and see over the following years how Sherrie slowly filled the void left in so many people’s lives by Mom’s passing. Not replacing her, but anchoring Kerrie and I and building strong relationships with Effie and Dorothy. When she was four she was a flower girl for Dorothy and Les, it turned out she was quite sick the day of the wedding, but nothing was stopping her from being there. Forty years later, Sherrie rushed home for the same bride and groom from the hospital in Edmonton after major surgery. To be sure nothing was going to keep her from Les and Dorothy’s 40th anniversary, the same little flower girl, the same determination, the same inspiration to everyone around her. Sherrie’s faith never faltered. She was proud to have her life count for Christ, and she wanted her faith to affect others, especially her family. She took great pride in Joshua, Dru and Daine’s faith. I asked Sherrie one day in the hospital, “What do you regret?” I’ve read before as you near the end of your life you regret what you haven’t done, not the things you did. Sherrie said to me, “Oh , I’ve done a few things I’m not proud of but my only regret is that I didn’t take my boys to church more when they were younger.” I’m certain Sherrie’s faith kept her going everyday these last couple of years. Her faith left her always so sure of the destination, no matter how difficult the journey. She never doubted Heaven waited at the end of the trail. Her testimonial at Lea Park left dozens inspired by her remarkable faith. So often we’d go to the hospital thinking we’d lift her spirits by coming to visit. Every time, every person, without exception, would leave that hospital with higher spirits than when they’d arrived. She had a remarkable way of inspiring us all with her strength, her courage. We all spoke of how Sherrie had inherited Effie’s strength and determination-maybe her honesty and pride too. She was always so grateful for even the smallest things people did for her. It seemed to me she was always paving forward; always trying to do more for others, selflessly giving of herself. Everyone of us is here today because Sherrie did something special along the way that touched our lives. Don’t think she’d lost her sense of humor just because she was in the hospital. Just a few days before passing, Sherrie rolled her eyes and asked Dad for her inheritance so she could go to the casino with Janet for a few hours. Terry phone me at about 6 o’clock Sunday morning to tell me Sherrie had gone home. I went outside to reflect a little, and try to figure out how to tell her thirteen year old son his mother had just gone to heaven. I even felt a little sorry for myself. But I looked up and saw a perfect sunrise on the horizon, as if Sherrie and God had painted the morning sky just for me. I felt warm, and I’m not sure if it was the sunlight or my soul that warmed me. The pain will pass, and the warm memories will remain. Mourn the loss of a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a niece, a friend.......but take time to celebrate her faith, her love and her life. Thank you. Card of Thanks The family of Sherrie Johnson wish to thank you for all that you have done for us over the last four months. We have much appreciated your cards, letters, phone calls, visits, flowers, food sent to the house, gifts and especially your prayers. Thank you to Todd Barnett and Vern Tupper for doing chores for us while Sherrie was sick, and to Judy Fanthorpe and co-workers from home care, and the staff at the Lloydminster hospital, for your compassionate care. Special thanks to Dr. Sayeed who was one of Sherrie’s “Angels on Earth”, for your care and concern and to Pastor Bob Aldrich of the Marwayne United Church, Pastors Ta Tumu, Doug Baynton and Mark Breitkreuz from the Lloydminster Baptist Church and Pastor Brad Diprose from the Dewberry Community Church for your visits and support. Thanks to Todd Hames for your computer expertise and to all who helped set up the gym for the funeral and the curling rink for the lunch. Our heartfelt appreciation for the flowers and memorial donations and all the many expressions of sympathy and love, and to the many who honored Sherrie’s life by attending the funeral. Thank you to Sheldon Wilcox and to Pastor Greg Kern for making the celebration of Sherrie’s life and our hope so personal and meaningful. Thank you to the active and honorary pallbearers, to Colleen Hozack who provided the delicious lunch and to McCaws for their kind, professional service. We are so grateful to all of you. Sincerely, Terry, Dru, Daine, Josh and all of our extended family