Becky Johnson

As we settled into our new house, we became acquainted with our new ward, the Mesa 18th ward. My closest friend, Becky Johnson, started out as a visiting teaching assignment. We began walking together in the early morning and became fast friends.

Becky lived in a lovely house that was filled to bursting with her five intelligent and energetic boys, and her very intelligent and energetic husband, Ken. The youngest boy, David ("Davy"), was just a month younger than Gordon, and they played together often while we visited. Becky was bright, loved watercolors as a painter and as a collector, and had a wonderful sensitive philosophical bent. (She still is and does, but I am reminiscing here.)

After a few years, we were excited to discover that not only were we both pregnant, but we were due within a month of each other; Becky was due first. But Karren was in a hurry, and I had my baby girl first. Becky followed a few weeks later with boy #6, Timmy.

Shortly after Timmy was born, Becky gave me a lovely pink crocheted bonnet and booties set for Karren. She explained that a dear friend had made them for her, but since she was never going to have a girl, she wanted me to have them for Karren. I was touched, and we enjoyed them very much. A few years later, when I learned that she finally had a daughter (and she eventually ended up with two), I sewed fresh ribbons on the bonnet and booties and returned them to her. She was glad to have them back for the girls she thought she would never have.