Myrtle

This past Saturday our friend Myrtle died.  We met her at Walmart in December of 2007 and instantly became good friends.  One of her favorite things to do was to go shopping, so we did a lot of that together.  If we weren't out shopping, we were sitting at a coffee shop or donut shop visiting.
Myrtle loved to get out of the house, and she especially loved music.  She was amazing on her accordion!  When we had the chance, we would take her to a concert in the community.  She loved that!  Emily played the piano for her all the time.  She would play at the different apartments and nursing homes that Myrtle lived in.  Sometimes we would go and sing as a family and all the children would take turns playing the piano.  Myrtle also had a keyboard in her room, so Emily and the boys would play that for her too.  Emily and I really enjoyed the time that we got to spend with Myrtle.  She was an inspiration to us! 

I think it was late last summer when she was moved to the nursing home.  She became a little more unstable and had a harder time walking, but she was still determined to get out of that place and move back into her apartment. :)

Then last fall the doctors thought that Myrtle was going to die when she came down with pneumonia.  They gave her only days to live.  We went to say our last good-bye to her, but Myrtle has never been one to give up.  She pulled through and was back to her old self in a matter of weeks.  We were grateful to have more time to spend with her.

Last Saturday, Myrtle died suddenly.  She was not sick, her body was just worn out.  She was 102 ½.  (She would not want me to forget that half a year! ;)  She lived a very full life. 
We will really miss our special friend!

You will find her obituary here:
http://www.johnsonhagglund.com/_mgxroot/page_10780.php?id=917136