"Rot and Don"

Well they were really Rolland and Dorothy Johnson. Dorothy was the Primary President who called me as her Secretary following my stint in Young Womens. Two of the most talented people I think I have ever known. Ron worked for an oil distributor (Penns Oil) as a display and program developer. He worked out of Los Angeles mainly. Dot was a genius at sewing. She could lay a piece of clothe on the floor and cut out a dress, skirt, blouse well you name it without a pattern. She knew fabric like the back of her hand. In fact she worked for years before her retirement for a Fabric Store. She would buy fabric for them. She was great at a lot of things.
Ron could build about anything. He remodeled their kitchen about 4 times in the time I knew them.

Ron was not a member of the Church when I first was acquainted with them. He was a Mason and had a great many questions about the Mormons, even though he married one. Dorothy was a Higham before she married Ron. They had two daughters and then much later they had two boys. The youngest had meninjitus (sp) when he was a baby. A sharp kid, but a bit spoiled from all his illness. The two older girls were out of the house by the time we became friends. Ron had a trailed outside the house where he instructed new members of the Masonic Lodge. So you might say he was very envolved at the time.

Ron had built the house they lived in Pico Rivera. It had the largest living room I believe I had ever been in. It was used for a great many socials for the Church and especially for firesides. I believe what started Ron thinking about joining the Church was when an author of the book "Mormons and Masonry" was in town. He offered to speak at a fireside in the area and the Johnsons' offered their home. It was an interesting meeting, and Ron became a fast friend of the speaker. They spent hours discussing the differences and problems that existed between the Lodge and the Church. All the early leaders of the Church were Masons, that is why there has been such feelings I guess. In fact Nauvoo had a Lodge of its' own before Joseph and Hyrum were killed in Carthage, Illinois.

It was from this meeting Ron allowed the Missionaries to come. He took the lessons and was baptized. He was a very faithful and active member from then until he passed away. It was during this time they became "Rot and Don". It seemed I could not say their names any other way. I have no idea why. Dorothy always had some project or another going, and I in one way or another got envolved. It was during this time we put on a great many "Penny Carnivals" for the Primary Childrens Hospital. We made a lot of money for the Hospital during this time. It was a lot of work, but Dot was so talented, we did a lot of fun things with the kids and it paid very well.

When there were sales at the May Company Basement in Los Angeles, Ron would come by and pick Dot and I up and take us to the store and drop us off to shop. He would go about his work and when he was ready to go back toward Pico Rivera he would come down to the Basement where we were having a "blast" shopping the sale. When he would catch our eye he would point his thumb over his shoulder and simple say "out". It was time for us to go. Those were some pretty fun filled days for us. Some of the time Ron would take us down to "Phillipis" for a sandwich and pickel. If you ever get a chance to go, take my advise and go. The food is great, the service an experience in itself and the enviornment one in a million. It is down by the Union Station and Olvera Street in Los Angeles.

Ron was a work-a-holic to say the least. He was over weight and had high blood pressure but none of us realized he had a heart condition as well. One Saturday he was mowing the lawn and had chest pains. It brought him to his knees, but he passed it off as too much heat. Dot was not so sure it was that simple. She took him to the Doctor. They learned he was in need of some
more extensive testing and care. He was put in the Hospital in Anaheim. We had moved from Pico Rivera by then so were close to where Ron was having all this testing done. Dot was working and could only visit in the evenings. I was only a short distance from the Hospital so I went every afternoon to see how Ron was doing. A group of us had planned a Cruise down to the Carabean a little later and wanted Ron fit and ready for the adventure. Everyday I would pop in and we would talk about the trip and what test or another they had done that day. One day he was telling me all about the "open heart surgery" they would be performing. It sounded complicated, but Ron sounded very optomistic about it.

One day while I was visiting with him he asked me if I saw anyone in the room. I looked around and said no, just you and me, why? He shrugged it off and we didn't talk about it anymore. One afternoon after I had gone home he called and asked if I could find out if he had ever sealed his parents in the Temple. We had a Family History Library close so I went over and looked it up on the Micro Fische and found his parents had been sealed. When I called him to tell him he said he was relieved he would hate to see them and have to explain how he had overlooked it. A few days later when I went to see him he talked about the surgery again. He said the Doctor had told him when he woke up he would have all kinds of tubes running in and out of him, but he was not to let it excite him, they were temporary, and he would not have to have them for long. He told the Doctor if he could get him to where he woke up and knew they were there he would be satisfied. We laughed and talked more about someone being in his room. He told me he had seen people in the corner. None had moved toward him, or talked to him. They just seemed to stand there. I still didn't see anyone. It was the day before the operation, we had a great visit and talked about the Cruise coming up. Before I left Ron asked me not to come for the surgery. I told him I had been there every other day, and I would certainly be there for that. Just as I left he said: "please don't come tomorrow". I hugged him and said: "I'll be here". As it walked out the door he asked me again not to come, I just smiled and said: "I love you!" and left the hospital. When I arrived the next day all the family was there. We sat in the waiting room and the Doctor came in and talked to us about the surgery. It had gone well. The repared heart had begun to beat on its' own when it was reconnected. Everything was fine. We could see Ron after he was removed from recovery.

As we all sat there talking about how relieved we were it was over and how anxious we all were to see Ron we heard a "code blue" alert over the inter com. Dot became anxious as did the others. I spoke up and told them there was a lot going on in the hospital, this did not mean Ron was envolved. The Son-in-law who was a Fireman came over to me and thanked me for getting things under control so quickly. Neither he nor I knew for sure, but it was still a question on everyones mind. Shortly after that a nurse came and asked us if we could come with her she would take us to a private room. This did not look good. We were in the room for quite awhile before the Surgeon came in and told us Ron had not survived. The operation was a success, but the patient died. Dot asked what had happened. The Doctor explained Ron had come around and had talked to them. All systems were working, there was no alarms at all. Just as suddenly they had lost blood pressure and pulse, he was gone - for no apparent reason. Dot told the Doctor he could not have told her anything more comforting. Ron had gone with no reason. He was whole, he could have survived, but he chose to go.

About three months following the funeral I asked David Dimmick if he had any insight into the matter. He told me Ron had asked a number of the Brethern he was close to, to administer to him the Sunday before he went to the Hospital. He told me there was not one of them who did not know Ron would not survive - it was his time to pass beyond the veil. Ron thanked each one of them and told them he understood. He did not let any of the family, or me know, he just went through all the motions and did exactly what he wanted. He came through the surgery and knew that it had gone well. Once he knew that, he was ready to leave - and so he did.

I lost one of the dearest friends I have ever had. Ron was a choice spirit. I concidered Ron and David my two Gospel Brothers. They were always there for me. They loved me and I loved them with a true Gospel Love. They are both gone now. What a reunion we have ahead of us.
I trust I will remain as true and stead fast as these two Brethern did.

Written this 30th day of May 2009
by: Eileen Rosenberg