~Our Mom~
Elanore F. Lemon was born in the city of Lake Elsinore in southern California, on September 01, 1925 to Zelda June and Frederick Marcas Earles. The youngest of six children, they had lived on a ranch where her father worked various jobs during the depression. Times were tough, and the family had to make do with what they had...
Eventually, The family moved to Anaheim Ca, where Elanore had finished High School. She then had started working at a mattress factory in downtown Los Angeles.
In 1945, while at a restaurant with her friends, a young man by the name of Richard, just out of the U.S. Navy... approached her and had asked her for a dance. Later, towards the end of the evening, he had also asked her for a date. Although she was polite to him... she had brushed him off when he had asked her for her phone number... by giving him a phoney Hollywood district number instead.
Not to be deterred, the young man was patient and persistent. Eventually, they had started dating... and later, a romance had blossomed.
Then on the twelfth of May in the day of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty-six, Elanore Earles had married Richard Lemon in a simple ceremony. Our dad would always lovingly joke to our mom... including to say, "He had the pick of the litter." After their honeymoon, our mom had still continued to work at the mattress factory, while dad had worked as a milk delivery man, making fairly decent wages.
Than on March 11th of 1947, they had their very first child, a truly blessed event. A daughter, Dian (Di). During this time, mom and dad had continued to work while our grandma...(Mom's, Mom) watched the baby.
It was in 1951 when our dad had ascertained that a more substantial career was necessary in order to provide for the overall financial security needed by his family. He had applied for a job as a fireman for the city of Los Angeles. Even though his pay would be cut by 1/3 in the beginning, he knew how just important those benefits were to his family, and to him. In time, our mom was able to quit her job at the factory, and devote herself fully to her family and home. With foresight and saving, and with the help of a GI bill, they were able to put a payment on their very first home in the late 1950's.
By the year 1960, our parents had wanted a larger family, and so in December of that year; December 21, our mom had given birth to a son, Robert (Bob) and later, on November 6th, of 1961, son, James (Jim).
"Our mom was the greatest mom anybody could of ever wanted, or ever had hoped for." She was... "Forever" there for us...
*..."Completely devoted to her family"...*
She gave us an endless love, laughter, and shared with us an incredible beauty in life...(Beyond Words)...Along with it's timeless lessons, she taught her children a deep respect for life itself...
Futhermore, our mom was a gifted, and accomplished artist who had kept her art alive though her drawing, and painting. She had enjoyed sewing, and gardening too. especially growing various sized succulents ( From her days growing up on a southern California ranch), along with raising tomatoes. She loved to plant them every year, besides which she also had delighted in cross-word puzzles.
The holidays were soooo holy grail within our family. Mom loved the holidays and had "truly" adored in decorating for the occasion. It had given her a chance for her imagination and artistry to really come out . She had made our home always look so "Incredibly Magical!!"
It was always a very special time when the holiday's came around. Whether she was making Christmas cookies for Christmas, pumpkin pie for Halloween, or her fantastic potato salad (an old family recipe) for the Fourth of July, our mom loved to cook. As part of our holiday family traditions, mom would have home-made corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day and to have her home-made Mexican food for Cinco De Mayo, to which we were neither Irish nor Mexican, but it was superb!
When our dad had to work a shift, (being 72 hrs at the firehouse) our mom would cook for us kids which was inexpensive, but was sooo delicious! Simple meals like home-made; chicken fried steak with home fries, macaroni and cheese and spanish hamburger patties. Vegetable beef soup, (Bone soup) porcupine meatballs with tater tots, chili verde, just to name a very few, and there was always a pot of her home-made Pinto beans on the stove, too. Mom would always make sure our meals were well balanced with some sort of vegetable, salad, bread, and not to forget a wonderful dessert... Especially!
Our mom had collected so many recipes though out the years, she easily could of stocked a mini library. She loved to can food too. From fruits, jams, and jellies, to pickled vegetables. Furthermore, mom made a really fantastic sauerkraut from scratch, from an old family recipe.
By 1967, Di was married and a year later, mom and dad had became proud grandparents for the very first time with the birth of granddaughter's (Valerie) and in 1969, (Stacy).
Although our parents had planned, saved their money, and invested their savings very conservatively, (Depression era minded) we never did without. Mom and dad had always made sure there was a balance between having fun and discipline.
In the early 1970's, our folks were able to travel to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and to the Orient. We did a lot of camping too, from Mexico to Canada and half of the U.S. Our mom loved seeing many different places. My brother and I got to listen to a lot of different music from our mom and dad during those camping trips. The Big Band and Swing Era of the forties, Easy listening from the fifties. Western music such as Marty Robbins, The Sons Of The Pioneers... all on 8-track tape. It was great!
Consequently, during the mid 1970's, our mom and dad had started to think of retirement. It was then they had bought six acres of land, which included a hill within the rural city of Arroyo Grande, Ca. (where we would often vacation at Lopez Lake*) So as to plan, to design, and build their very own "Dream Home". The property consisted of the most magnificent scenery of the entire Hausna Valley floor below, including an ocean view facing the west. Our home, to which our parents chose to lovingly Christen "The Twin Gables." Built in the late 1970's, it was to be the first "modern day" grand estate here in the Arroyo Grande area.(The Five Cities Area).
In 1976, our dad was injured during the job and had retired with a disability pension from the fire department. In August of 1977, the family had moved from Los Angeles to Arroyo Grande. Our folks wanted my brother and I to start the new year of school there.
Finally, after all those years of working hard, planning and saving all their lives, our parents were able to retire and enjoy the good life that they so rightfully deserved. They enjoyed going out grocery shopping and later on in the afternoon, meet with their friends at the local mom and pop bar for a cool one (tea-time). There was time to devote towards finishing their home. Since our folks enjoyed gardening and growing their own vegetables, they had set aside some of their land for an abundant garden, too. They also loved watching their favorite western shows on T.V. such as Gunsmoke, Rawhide, etc. A nice an easy lifestyle with some traveling for pleasure.
In addition, our mom was a very charitable lady and would always help out with worthy causes. An "avid" animal lover, and a cat-lady too, she gave generously to causes such as; ASPCA, THE DORIS DAY FOUNDATION FOR ANIMALS, and many others...
Furthermore, our mom had also contributed openheartedly to the ST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL, and to THE PARALAZED VETERANS OF U.S.A. along with some Catholic charities.
The year of 1997, our parents had became great-grandparents with the birth of lovely Great-Granddaughter, Alexandria. (Valerie)
On the twelfth of January, 1999... our dad had finally succumbed from his injuries, and had passed away at home. Our mom was a strong woman who took care of him till the end, and than helped the family heal with losing our dad. Our mom and dad were married for more than fifty-two beautiful years...
After the loss of our dad, our sister Di would come over to the house, and her and our mom would like to go shopping, hitting a few thrift stores and garage sales along the way. Towards the end of our mom's life, she was showing more signs of slowing down, to which I was there to help out in any way possible.
Then in 2008, after taking her to some visits with her doctor, it was discovered that mom had a cancer known as Myelofibrosis. It was a shock... A speechless internal moment... The cancer progressed very rapidly. Within the month of November when we were told of this disease, she was bed ridden by late January of 09. She went to the hospital a couple of times since, and on her last visit in April, she had suffered a heart attack.
When she was released from the hospital to go home, there basically was nothing we could do to help her battle this illness. Except to make her truly comfortable, and to help her maintain being pain-free.
I was taking care of her 24 / 7... Furthermore, we also had Hospice there to help mom and I... who were just so wonderful...(God Bless them all)...
On the evening of June 19, with logs burning in the fireplace and some of her favorite music playing, our mom had passed away... Peacefully, with me by her bedside, holding her hand, and to whisper to her,
..."We love you Mom"...
- One of our Mom's favorite poems -
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat I could see only one set of footprints. So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?" The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand, is when I carried you."
If you have the time, please visit our Dad
(Richard D. Lemon). We would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your gentle grace, and may God bless you...always*
Elanore F. Lemon was born in the city of Lake Elsinore in southern California, on September 01, 1925 to Zelda June and Frederick Marcas Earles. The youngest of six children, they had lived on a ranch where her father worked various jobs during the depression. Times were tough, and the family had to make do with what they had...
Eventually, The family moved to Anaheim Ca, where Elanore had finished High School. She then had started working at a mattress factory in downtown Los Angeles.
In 1945, while at a restaurant with her friends, a young man by the name of Richard, just out of the U.S. Navy... approached her and had asked her for a dance. Later, towards the end of the evening, he had also asked her for a date. Although she was polite to him... she had brushed him off when he had asked her for her phone number... by giving him a phoney Hollywood district number instead.
Not to be deterred, the young man was patient and persistent. Eventually, they had started dating... and later, a romance had blossomed.
Then on the twelfth of May in the day of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty-six, Elanore Earles had married Richard Lemon in a simple ceremony. Our dad would always lovingly joke to our mom... including to say, "He had the pick of the litter." After their honeymoon, our mom had still continued to work at the mattress factory, while dad had worked as a milk delivery man, making fairly decent wages.
Than on March 11th of 1947, they had their very first child, a truly blessed event. A daughter, Dian (Di). During this time, mom and dad had continued to work while our grandma...(Mom's, Mom) watched the baby.
It was in 1951 when our dad had ascertained that a more substantial career was necessary in order to provide for the overall financial security needed by his family. He had applied for a job as a fireman for the city of Los Angeles. Even though his pay would be cut by 1/3 in the beginning, he knew how just important those benefits were to his family, and to him. In time, our mom was able to quit her job at the factory, and devote herself fully to her family and home. With foresight and saving, and with the help of a GI bill, they were able to put a payment on their very first home in the late 1950's.
By the year 1960, our parents had wanted a larger family, and so in December of that year; December 21, our mom had given birth to a son, Robert (Bob) and later, on November 6th, of 1961, son, James (Jim).
"Our mom was the greatest mom anybody could of ever wanted, or ever had hoped for." She was... "Forever" there for us...
*..."Completely devoted to her family"...*
She gave us an endless love, laughter, and shared with us an incredible beauty in life...(Beyond Words)...Along with it's timeless lessons, she taught her children a deep respect for life itself...
Futhermore, our mom was a gifted, and accomplished artist who had kept her art alive though her drawing, and painting. She had enjoyed sewing, and gardening too. especially growing various sized succulents ( From her days growing up on a southern California ranch), along with raising tomatoes. She loved to plant them every year, besides which she also had delighted in cross-word puzzles.
The holidays were soooo holy grail within our family. Mom loved the holidays and had "truly" adored in decorating for the occasion. It had given her a chance for her imagination and artistry to really come out . She had made our home always look so "Incredibly Magical!!"
It was always a very special time when the holiday's came around. Whether she was making Christmas cookies for Christmas, pumpkin pie for Halloween, or her fantastic potato salad (an old family recipe) for the Fourth of July, our mom loved to cook. As part of our holiday family traditions, mom would have home-made corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day and to have her home-made Mexican food for Cinco De Mayo, to which we were neither Irish nor Mexican, but it was superb!
When our dad had to work a shift, (being 72 hrs at the firehouse) our mom would cook for us kids which was inexpensive, but was sooo delicious! Simple meals like home-made; chicken fried steak with home fries, macaroni and cheese and spanish hamburger patties. Vegetable beef soup, (Bone soup) porcupine meatballs with tater tots, chili verde, just to name a very few, and there was always a pot of her home-made Pinto beans on the stove, too. Mom would always make sure our meals were well balanced with some sort of vegetable, salad, bread, and not to forget a wonderful dessert... Especially!
Our mom had collected so many recipes though out the years, she easily could of stocked a mini library. She loved to can food too. From fruits, jams, and jellies, to pickled vegetables. Furthermore, mom made a really fantastic sauerkraut from scratch, from an old family recipe.
By 1967, Di was married and a year later, mom and dad had became proud grandparents for the very first time with the birth of granddaughter's (Valerie) and in 1969, (Stacy).
Although our parents had planned, saved their money, and invested their savings very conservatively, (Depression era minded) we never did without. Mom and dad had always made sure there was a balance between having fun and discipline.
In the early 1970's, our folks were able to travel to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and to the Orient. We did a lot of camping too, from Mexico to Canada and half of the U.S. Our mom loved seeing many different places. My brother and I got to listen to a lot of different music from our mom and dad during those camping trips. The Big Band and Swing Era of the forties, Easy listening from the fifties. Western music such as Marty Robbins, The Sons Of The Pioneers... all on 8-track tape. It was great!
Consequently, during the mid 1970's, our mom and dad had started to think of retirement. It was then they had bought six acres of land, which included a hill within the rural city of Arroyo Grande, Ca. (where we would often vacation at Lopez Lake*) So as to plan, to design, and build their very own "Dream Home". The property consisted of the most magnificent scenery of the entire Hausna Valley floor below, including an ocean view facing the west. Our home, to which our parents chose to lovingly Christen "The Twin Gables." Built in the late 1970's, it was to be the first "modern day" grand estate here in the Arroyo Grande area.(The Five Cities Area).
In 1976, our dad was injured during the job and had retired with a disability pension from the fire department. In August of 1977, the family had moved from Los Angeles to Arroyo Grande. Our folks wanted my brother and I to start the new year of school there.
Finally, after all those years of working hard, planning and saving all their lives, our parents were able to retire and enjoy the good life that they so rightfully deserved. They enjoyed going out grocery shopping and later on in the afternoon, meet with their friends at the local mom and pop bar for a cool one (tea-time). There was time to devote towards finishing their home. Since our folks enjoyed gardening and growing their own vegetables, they had set aside some of their land for an abundant garden, too. They also loved watching their favorite western shows on T.V. such as Gunsmoke, Rawhide, etc. A nice an easy lifestyle with some traveling for pleasure.
In addition, our mom was a very charitable lady and would always help out with worthy causes. An "avid" animal lover, and a cat-lady too, she gave generously to causes such as; ASPCA, THE DORIS DAY FOUNDATION FOR ANIMALS, and many others...
Furthermore, our mom had also contributed openheartedly to the ST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL, and to THE PARALAZED VETERANS OF U.S.A. along with some Catholic charities.
The year of 1997, our parents had became great-grandparents with the birth of lovely Great-Granddaughter, Alexandria. (Valerie)
On the twelfth of January, 1999... our dad had finally succumbed from his injuries, and had passed away at home. Our mom was a strong woman who took care of him till the end, and than helped the family heal with losing our dad. Our mom and dad were married for more than fifty-two beautiful years...
After the loss of our dad, our sister Di would come over to the house, and her and our mom would like to go shopping, hitting a few thrift stores and garage sales along the way. Towards the end of our mom's life, she was showing more signs of slowing down, to which I was there to help out in any way possible.
Then in 2008, after taking her to some visits with her doctor, it was discovered that mom had a cancer known as Myelofibrosis. It was a shock... A speechless internal moment... The cancer progressed very rapidly. Within the month of November when we were told of this disease, she was bed ridden by late January of 09. She went to the hospital a couple of times since, and on her last visit in April, she had suffered a heart attack.
When she was released from the hospital to go home, there basically was nothing we could do to help her battle this illness. Except to make her truly comfortable, and to help her maintain being pain-free.
I was taking care of her 24 / 7... Furthermore, we also had Hospice there to help mom and I... who were just so wonderful...(God Bless them all)...
On the evening of June 19, with logs burning in the fireplace and some of her favorite music playing, our mom had passed away... Peacefully, with me by her bedside, holding her hand, and to whisper to her,
..."We love you Mom"...
- One of our Mom's favorite poems -
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat I could see only one set of footprints. So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?" The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand, is when I carried you."
If you have the time, please visit our Dad
(Richard D. Lemon). We would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your gentle grace, and may God bless you...always*
~Our Mom~
Elanore F. Lemon was born in the city of Lake Elsinore in southern California, on September 01, 1925 to Zelda June and Frederick Marcas Earles. The youngest of six children, they had lived on a ranch where her father worked various jobs during the depression. Times were tough, and the family had to make do with what they had...
Eventually, The family moved to Anaheim Ca, where Elanore had finished High School. She then had started working at a mattress factory in downtown Los Angeles.
In 1945, while at a restaurant with her friends, a young man by the name of Richard, just out of the U.S. Navy... approached her and had asked her for a dance. Later, towards the end of the evening, he had also asked her for a date. Although she was polite to him... she had brushed him off when he had asked her for her phone number... by giving him a phoney Hollywood district number instead.
Not to be deterred, the young man was patient and persistent. Eventually, they had started dating... and later, a romance had blossomed.
Then on the twelfth of May in the day of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty-six, Elanore Earles had married Richard Lemon in a simple ceremony. Our dad would always lovingly joke to our mom... including to say, "He had the pick of the litter." After their honeymoon, our mom had still continued to work at the mattress factory, while dad had worked as a milk delivery man, making fairly decent wages.
Than on March 11th of 1947, they had their very first child, a truly blessed event. A daughter, Dian (Di). During this time, mom and dad had continued to work while our grandma...(Mom's, Mom) watched the baby.
It was in 1951 when our dad had ascertained that a more substantial career was necessary in order to provide for the overall financial security needed by his family. He had applied for a job as a fireman for the city of Los Angeles. Even though his pay would be cut by 1/3 in the beginning, he knew how just important those benefits were to his family, and to him. In time, our mom was able to quit her job at the factory, and devote herself fully to her family and home. With foresight and saving, and with the help of a GI bill, they were able to put a payment on their very first home in the late 1950's.
By the year 1960, our parents had wanted a larger family, and so in December of that year; December 21, our mom had given birth to a son, Robert (Bob) and later, on November 6th, of 1961, son, James (Jim).
"Our mom was the greatest mom anybody could of ever wanted, or ever had hoped for." She was... "Forever" there for us...
*..."Completely devoted to her family"...*
She gave us an endless love, laughter, and shared with us an incredible beauty in life...(Beyond Words)...Along with it's timeless lessons, she taught her children a deep respect for life itself...
Futhermore, our mom was a gifted, and accomplished artist who had kept her art alive though her drawing, and painting. She had enjoyed sewing, and gardening too. especially growing various sized succulents ( From her days growing up on a southern California ranch), along with raising tomatoes. She loved to plant them every year, besides which she also had delighted in cross-word puzzles.
The holidays were soooo holy grail within our family. Mom loved the holidays and had "truly" adored in decorating for the occasion. It had given her a chance for her imagination and artistry to really come out . She had made our home always look so "Incredibly Magical!!"
It was always a very special time when the holiday's came around. Whether she was making Christmas cookies for Christmas, pumpkin pie for Halloween, or her fantastic potato salad (an old family recipe) for the Fourth of July, our mom loved to cook. As part of our holiday family traditions, mom would have home-made corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day and to have her home-made Mexican food for Cinco De Mayo, to which we were neither Irish nor Mexican, but it was superb!
When our dad had to work a shift, (being 72 hrs at the firehouse) our mom would cook for us kids which was inexpensive, but was sooo delicious! Simple meals like home-made; chicken fried steak with home fries, macaroni and cheese and spanish hamburger patties. Vegetable beef soup, (Bone soup) porcupine meatballs with tater tots, chili verde, just to name a very few, and there was always a pot of her home-made Pinto beans on the stove, too. Mom would always make sure our meals were well balanced with some sort of vegetable, salad, bread, and not to forget a wonderful dessert... Especially!
Our mom had collected so many recipes though out the years, she easily could of stocked a mini library. She loved to can food too. From fruits, jams, and jellies, to pickled vegetables. Furthermore, mom made a really fantastic sauerkraut from scratch, from an old family recipe.
By 1967, Di was married and a year later, mom and dad had became proud grandparents for the very first time with the birth of granddaughter's (Valerie) and in 1969, (Stacy).
Although our parents had planned, saved their money, and invested their savings very conservatively, (Depression era minded) we never did without. Mom and dad had always made sure there was a balance between having fun and discipline.
In the early 1970's, our folks were able to travel to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and to the Orient. We did a lot of camping too, from Mexico to Canada and half of the U.S. Our mom loved seeing many different places. My brother and I got to listen to a lot of different music from our mom and dad during those camping trips. The Big Band and Swing Era of the forties, Easy listening from the fifties. Western music such as Marty Robbins, The Sons Of The Pioneers... all on 8-track tape. It was great!
Consequently, during the mid 1970's, our mom and dad had started to think of retirement. It was then they had bought six acres of land, which included a hill within the rural city of Arroyo Grande, Ca. (where we would often vacation at Lopez Lake*) So as to plan, to design, and build their very own "Dream Home". The property consisted of the most magnificent scenery of the entire Hausna Valley floor below, including an ocean view facing the west. Our home, to which our parents chose to lovingly Christen "The Twin Gables." Built in the late 1970's, it was to be the first "modern day" grand estate here in the Arroyo Grande area.(The Five Cities Area).
In 1976, our dad was injured during the job and had retired with a disability pension from the fire department. In August of 1977, the family had moved from Los Angeles to Arroyo Grande. Our folks wanted my brother and I to start the new year of school there.
Finally, after all those years of working hard, planning and saving all their lives, our parents were able to retire and enjoy the good life that they so rightfully deserved. They enjoyed going out grocery shopping and later on in the afternoon, meet with their friends at the local mom and pop bar for a cool one (tea-time). There was time to devote towards finishing their home. Since our folks enjoyed gardening and growing their own vegetables, they had set aside some of their land for an abundant garden, too. They also loved watching their favorite western shows on T.V. such as Gunsmoke, Rawhide, etc. A nice an easy lifestyle with some traveling for pleasure.
In addition, our mom was a very charitable lady and would always help out with worthy causes. An "avid" animal lover, and a cat-lady too, she gave generously to causes such as; ASPCA, THE DORIS DAY FOUNDATION FOR ANIMALS, and many others...
Furthermore, our mom had also contributed openheartedly to the ST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL, and to THE PARALAZED VETERANS OF U.S.A. along with some Catholic charities.
The year of 1997, our parents had became great-grandparents with the birth of lovely Great-Granddaughter, Alexandria. (Valerie)
On the twelfth of January, 1999... our dad had finally succumbed from his injuries, and had passed away at home. Our mom was a strong woman who took care of him till the end, and than helped the family heal with losing our dad. Our mom and dad were married for more than fifty-two beautiful years...
After the loss of our dad, our sister Di would come over to the house, and her and our mom would like to go shopping, hitting a few thrift stores and garage sales along the way. Towards the end of our mom's life, she was showing more signs of slowing down, to which I was there to help out in any way possible.
Then in 2008, after taking her to some visits with her doctor, it was discovered that mom had a cancer known as Myelofibrosis. It was a shock... A speechless internal moment... The cancer progressed very rapidly. Within the month of November when we were told of this disease, she was bed ridden by late January of 09. She went to the hospital a couple of times since, and on her last visit in April, she had suffered a heart attack.
When she was released from the hospital to go home, there basically was nothing we could do to help her battle this illness. Except to make her truly comfortable, and to help her maintain being pain-free.
I was taking care of her 24 / 7... Furthermore, we also had Hospice there to help mom and I... who were just so wonderful...(God Bless them all)...
On the evening of June 19, with logs burning in the fireplace and some of her favorite music playing, our mom had passed away... Peacefully, with me by her bedside, holding her hand, and to whisper to her,
..."We love you Mom"...
- One of our Mom's favorite poems -
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat I could see only one set of footprints. So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?" The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand, is when I carried you."
If you have the time, please visit our Dad
(Richard D. Lemon). We would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your gentle grace, and may God bless you...always*
Elanore F. Lemon was born in the city of Lake Elsinore in southern California, on September 01, 1925 to Zelda June and Frederick Marcas Earles. The youngest of six children, they had lived on a ranch where her father worked various jobs during the depression. Times were tough, and the family had to make do with what they had...
Eventually, The family moved to Anaheim Ca, where Elanore had finished High School. She then had started working at a mattress factory in downtown Los Angeles.
In 1945, while at a restaurant with her friends, a young man by the name of Richard, just out of the U.S. Navy... approached her and had asked her for a dance. Later, towards the end of the evening, he had also asked her for a date. Although she was polite to him... she had brushed him off when he had asked her for her phone number... by giving him a phoney Hollywood district number instead.
Not to be deterred, the young man was patient and persistent. Eventually, they had started dating... and later, a romance had blossomed.
Then on the twelfth of May in the day of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty-six, Elanore Earles had married Richard Lemon in a simple ceremony. Our dad would always lovingly joke to our mom... including to say, "He had the pick of the litter." After their honeymoon, our mom had still continued to work at the mattress factory, while dad had worked as a milk delivery man, making fairly decent wages.
Than on March 11th of 1947, they had their very first child, a truly blessed event. A daughter, Dian (Di). During this time, mom and dad had continued to work while our grandma...(Mom's, Mom) watched the baby.
It was in 1951 when our dad had ascertained that a more substantial career was necessary in order to provide for the overall financial security needed by his family. He had applied for a job as a fireman for the city of Los Angeles. Even though his pay would be cut by 1/3 in the beginning, he knew how just important those benefits were to his family, and to him. In time, our mom was able to quit her job at the factory, and devote herself fully to her family and home. With foresight and saving, and with the help of a GI bill, they were able to put a payment on their very first home in the late 1950's.
By the year 1960, our parents had wanted a larger family, and so in December of that year; December 21, our mom had given birth to a son, Robert (Bob) and later, on November 6th, of 1961, son, James (Jim).
"Our mom was the greatest mom anybody could of ever wanted, or ever had hoped for." She was... "Forever" there for us...
*..."Completely devoted to her family"...*
She gave us an endless love, laughter, and shared with us an incredible beauty in life...(Beyond Words)...Along with it's timeless lessons, she taught her children a deep respect for life itself...
Futhermore, our mom was a gifted, and accomplished artist who had kept her art alive though her drawing, and painting. She had enjoyed sewing, and gardening too. especially growing various sized succulents ( From her days growing up on a southern California ranch), along with raising tomatoes. She loved to plant them every year, besides which she also had delighted in cross-word puzzles.
The holidays were soooo holy grail within our family. Mom loved the holidays and had "truly" adored in decorating for the occasion. It had given her a chance for her imagination and artistry to really come out . She had made our home always look so "Incredibly Magical!!"
It was always a very special time when the holiday's came around. Whether she was making Christmas cookies for Christmas, pumpkin pie for Halloween, or her fantastic potato salad (an old family recipe) for the Fourth of July, our mom loved to cook. As part of our holiday family traditions, mom would have home-made corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day and to have her home-made Mexican food for Cinco De Mayo, to which we were neither Irish nor Mexican, but it was superb!
When our dad had to work a shift, (being 72 hrs at the firehouse) our mom would cook for us kids which was inexpensive, but was sooo delicious! Simple meals like home-made; chicken fried steak with home fries, macaroni and cheese and spanish hamburger patties. Vegetable beef soup, (Bone soup) porcupine meatballs with tater tots, chili verde, just to name a very few, and there was always a pot of her home-made Pinto beans on the stove, too. Mom would always make sure our meals were well balanced with some sort of vegetable, salad, bread, and not to forget a wonderful dessert... Especially!
Our mom had collected so many recipes though out the years, she easily could of stocked a mini library. She loved to can food too. From fruits, jams, and jellies, to pickled vegetables. Furthermore, mom made a really fantastic sauerkraut from scratch, from an old family recipe.
By 1967, Di was married and a year later, mom and dad had became proud grandparents for the very first time with the birth of granddaughter's (Valerie) and in 1969, (Stacy).
Although our parents had planned, saved their money, and invested their savings very conservatively, (Depression era minded) we never did without. Mom and dad had always made sure there was a balance between having fun and discipline.
In the early 1970's, our folks were able to travel to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and to the Orient. We did a lot of camping too, from Mexico to Canada and half of the U.S. Our mom loved seeing many different places. My brother and I got to listen to a lot of different music from our mom and dad during those camping trips. The Big Band and Swing Era of the forties, Easy listening from the fifties. Western music such as Marty Robbins, The Sons Of The Pioneers... all on 8-track tape. It was great!
Consequently, during the mid 1970's, our mom and dad had started to think of retirement. It was then they had bought six acres of land, which included a hill within the rural city of Arroyo Grande, Ca. (where we would often vacation at Lopez Lake*) So as to plan, to design, and build their very own "Dream Home". The property consisted of the most magnificent scenery of the entire Hausna Valley floor below, including an ocean view facing the west. Our home, to which our parents chose to lovingly Christen "The Twin Gables." Built in the late 1970's, it was to be the first "modern day" grand estate here in the Arroyo Grande area.(The Five Cities Area).
In 1976, our dad was injured during the job and had retired with a disability pension from the fire department. In August of 1977, the family had moved from Los Angeles to Arroyo Grande. Our folks wanted my brother and I to start the new year of school there.
Finally, after all those years of working hard, planning and saving all their lives, our parents were able to retire and enjoy the good life that they so rightfully deserved. They enjoyed going out grocery shopping and later on in the afternoon, meet with their friends at the local mom and pop bar for a cool one (tea-time). There was time to devote towards finishing their home. Since our folks enjoyed gardening and growing their own vegetables, they had set aside some of their land for an abundant garden, too. They also loved watching their favorite western shows on T.V. such as Gunsmoke, Rawhide, etc. A nice an easy lifestyle with some traveling for pleasure.
In addition, our mom was a very charitable lady and would always help out with worthy causes. An "avid" animal lover, and a cat-lady too, she gave generously to causes such as; ASPCA, THE DORIS DAY FOUNDATION FOR ANIMALS, and many others...
Furthermore, our mom had also contributed openheartedly to the ST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL, and to THE PARALAZED VETERANS OF U.S.A. along with some Catholic charities.
The year of 1997, our parents had became great-grandparents with the birth of lovely Great-Granddaughter, Alexandria. (Valerie)
On the twelfth of January, 1999... our dad had finally succumbed from his injuries, and had passed away at home. Our mom was a strong woman who took care of him till the end, and than helped the family heal with losing our dad. Our mom and dad were married for more than fifty-two beautiful years...
After the loss of our dad, our sister Di would come over to the house, and her and our mom would like to go shopping, hitting a few thrift stores and garage sales along the way. Towards the end of our mom's life, she was showing more signs of slowing down, to which I was there to help out in any way possible.
Then in 2008, after taking her to some visits with her doctor, it was discovered that mom had a cancer known as Myelofibrosis. It was a shock... A speechless internal moment... The cancer progressed very rapidly. Within the month of November when we were told of this disease, she was bed ridden by late January of 09. She went to the hospital a couple of times since, and on her last visit in April, she had suffered a heart attack.
When she was released from the hospital to go home, there basically was nothing we could do to help her battle this illness. Except to make her truly comfortable, and to help her maintain being pain-free.
I was taking care of her 24 / 7... Furthermore, we also had Hospice there to help mom and I... who were just so wonderful...(God Bless them all)...
On the evening of June 19, with logs burning in the fireplace and some of her favorite music playing, our mom had passed away... Peacefully, with me by her bedside, holding her hand, and to whisper to her,
..."We love you Mom"...
- One of our Mom's favorite poems -
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat I could see only one set of footprints. So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?" The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand, is when I carried you."
If you have the time, please visit our Dad
(Richard D. Lemon). We would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your gentle grace, and may God bless you...always*
