Remembrance of Marjorie Helsley Rawlings Kearns. I was just editing my input into Ancestry.com on Marjorie from the "remembrance card" from her funeral. As she was living in San Diego when she died, I was the closest (in proximity) relative and the first notified by the County. She and my mom had been close friends. She and I visited and I had met a couple of her neighbors over the years. She had a stroke and was recovering at home, after being released from hospital, under nursing care. She died in her sleep possibly of a heart attack. She and her first husband Gene (Orben E "Gene" Rawlings) moved down to San Diego sometime in the 1950s. She was a hard worker. She worked for a couple of the large Moving companies in the office. I remember part of her job was typing the "Bills of lading." I always thought that was something exotic when I was a child until I experienced my first "professional move." It was a critical job in the process but I'm sure far from exotic. Gene had a very good camera and Marjorie learned to take pictures with it after he died. And of the few photos of my childhood that I have some of my favorites were taken by her. She gave these pics to me in the early 1970s. Marjie had polio when she was young that left her with a shortened and shriveled leg. She wore a brace with about a 4-5" platform that allowed her to walk. And she never complained. She had such a bright and cheerful disposition. My eldest sister told me that it was Marjie that kept Uncle Harry's family together. She took care of everyone when her mom would take off. I have no recollection of Bea but everyone said she was "crazy" which could mean any kind of mental disorder. And Marjie never spoke of it to me. Gene was also a jazz aficionado. And they had an amazing collection of records. They also always had a Boston Terrier dog which was always named "Brubeck." Marjie loved dogs. Marjie also loved to walk out on the Ocean Beach pier on Sunday afternoons and talk to various fishermen and enjoy the fresh sea air. Her second husband, Oliver B Kearns, I never met. He was member of the Elks and Marjie joined the women's auxiliary. I know this because she always took me to dinner at the Elks Lodge. It was near where she lived. The lodge was in this beautiful old brick mansion complete with gardens. When I asked after him she told me he was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after they were married. And he didn't want to burden her with his care nor to have her witness his decline (in the 1970s there was no cure nor even much as far as treatment of leukemia). He moved into an apartment near her home and spoke with her on the phone every day. She never saw him again. The only connection they had were the phone calls until his death. It would appear she had a very sad life and yet you would never have known all the heartache unless one knew to ask specifically. She always turned a very cheerful face to the world. It was research done by her sisters Maxine and [living] that gave me a jump start on the Helsley family history. Regards, Pam Trew Boyle Jun 2011 [Note: If you choose to use all or part of this information or photos please use the complete internet address (URL) copied from your browser including the memorial number in your documentation. Then if someone has information they can contact us. Thank you. Pam]