Merry Anne Nelson Bennett

Merry Anne Nelson Bennett Febuary 25,1973 ~ December 31, 2018 Merry Anne was born, to Anne and Howard Nelson on Febuary 25, 1973. She was with the Nelson's for the first 4 1/2 years of life. She had a brother, Micheal, sisters, Michele and Monica. Merry was the youngest . Having an emotionally difficult time, they decided to have Merry placed in foster care. They had approached their church and the word spread through churches with me getting a call through an acquaintance, saying this child needed a home and the parents were looking. Now how do you call someone with a child and ask for their child.. . I mean, she isn't a dog or a puppy or kitten. It's a child who is precious has value. The divine appointment came when I called the Nelsons and asked if they could meet with Jim and I to consider the idea of us fostering Merry. After the visit and some discussions and more visits it was determined that both families would like for Merry to live with Jim and I. Merry came into our home July 7th, 1977. We were expecting Jessica at the time and knew it. After fostering Merry for several years it was decided that we needed to make a permanent place for Merry. Her bio-father signed on the dotted line as soon as he got the papers. Merry's bio-mom said " I will wait and when I know the Bennett's will get Merry, then I will sign." She didn't want Merry going anywhere else. Merry was adopted by Jim, I and Jessica October 1981. The first summer we had Merry we took her to the Pt. Defiance Zoo. Because after all, we were going to be perfect parents. So we are walking up the long, steep hill towards the zoo and people with children are coming down the hill. Jim was walking a few feet in front of us and a family was coming down toward us with a child about Merry's age with a bright Pink Big Fluffy cotton Candy. Next thing I notice is that Merry has the candy and the little girl only had the stick. She had snatched that candy so fast. Perfect parent Huhhhh. A few months later we were at the Sears Store in the paint and hardware area and of course we had Merry. She was standing between Jim and I and then she wasn't. We looked quickly around the isle and there she was. . . sitting on a display toilet, pants down. ooooppsss! caught her before she went and we went directly to the bathroom. Merry enjoyed rooting me on at my softball games and I loved cheering her on in Special Olympics. She went to Camp Burton on Vashon Island spending a week there during the summers as a child. One year she even brought home friends-"LICE". That was the year she kept waking up and going outside at night. Gee, ya think! like who wants to share their bed when they are used to sleeping alone. Merry loved her sisters Jessica and then McKenzie, and then Katie. Our home as always a busy house with the girls involved in school actives and every summer swim lessons for all of the girls. Merry always loved to swim Whether at lessons or swimming at the small lake up at our Mt Property in the cold water. However, within a few weeks of coming to live with us we discovered Merry hated Sand. I mean to the point of holding onto our hands and pulling her feet up, so that she would be carried over the sand. We could have set her in the middle of the beach on a blanket and walked off and she would have stayed there. As she grew up and we kept taking her to the beach she grew to where she tolerated the sand more. But we went through many years of having her sit "Down Wind" from us as she would sit on her towel, brush off the sand and in doing so knock more sand on the towel. Then she would stand up, shake out her towel out, step back onto the towel knocking sand onto the towel with her feet. Sit down and repeat this process over and over again. She finally in later years didn't care about the sand and would fall asleep with her face on the sand. Towel or no Towel. Merry had a great sense of humor and loved to have ice fights. Ya just never knew when she would grab some ice and the fun was on. It didn't matter who you were. She loved arm wrestling and was quite strong, she just always gave up early so I knew I could win if I held out. Merry loved going to church. She was in Daisies, prims and sang in the kids choir. She was baptized in water at the age of 12. She loved praising God and praying. When Merry was in Jr high she had a tape player. She loved listening to music on it. But her biggest fun was crying to herself. She would cry and then play the tape back to herself and cry while listening to it. I'm not sure why she found this so fun or fascinating but she did it. One cold and frosty morning while getting the girls ready for a dental appointment, McKenzie had some stomach problem and was in the bathroom, Katie was messing with the cat or something and Merry was playing with her recorder. She would often go outside and play with her recorder on the patio and then come back in. I was practicing the piano when I noticed the time and rounded up the girls and was getting them in the car. All of a sudden a sheriff arrives at our house, then another one. My mind goes to Jim who was hunting and thought instantly that he was hurt and the officers were here to tell me that and one was going to stay with the girls and the other to take me to Jim. I mean, split second reasoning. I'm thinking take a deep breath and it will be o.k. The officer comes up and asked who's hurt?? I said very intelligently Hunnnh??? They had had a report of someone in distress and hurt at our home. Well Merry had fooled the neighbor into thinking someone need help and with the cold crisp air that sound just traveled. And I was on the Piano and didn't hear Merry. I became a motor mouth to explain that one. What a prankster. Merry had a friend named Dusty who she went to school with and out with a couple of times. Then in High School she kept talking about cereal. So next time we went to the store I said "What cereal you want? Merry just looked at me kind of puzzled. I motioned to the cereal and she grabbed one. I wondered who's been selling her that?? How did she know about that one cereal- maybe at school? Well when we were at home she would talk about cereal. I said we got your cereal it's in the Kitchen. Then a few days later I was at Merry's school to drop her off and Merry went running up to a young man giving him a big hug and said Hi Cereal!. The young mans name was Israel. Merry articulated it as cereal. Puzzle solved with cereal. Life with Merry was a puzzle at times. She graduated from school and went into a work program. During the next 10 years we worked on medication that would help with her bipolar disorder. These were hard years as Merry didn't have words to tell us what she needed. We bought a newer camper with a bathroom for her and one of the first times out with it she had a panic attack in it and so now she wouldn't go into it. So we were creative and bought a tent. I'm the only one I know that tows a trailer yet sleeps in a tent with Merry. One night after going to her work program and having dinner, Merry stood up and put her arms around Jim from behind him. This was very unusual for Merry and I'm thinking how sweet.. Wrong ! Merry starts patting Jim's stomach and saying FAT, fat, fat. Cracked us all up and Jim started blaming me for putting Merry up to it. No, I'm not that cleaver. For the past 10 years or so Merry was diagnosed with Frontal Temporal Lobar Dementia. Simple meaning: her brain was dying. She developed dropsy seizures and after many years of trying different medications for the seizures, which caused more seizures, we took her off of the medications the last couple of years. I discovered in the last 6 months that Merry must have been diluting herself with water. She didn't have the dropsy seizures anymore, as long as she didn't drink too much water. In the last 7 years Merry became Auntie Merry. She adored being Kjersten's auntie. Merry and Kiki shared a love for each other of complete acceptance. Merry enjoyed being with Kiki and Kiki enjoyed being with Merry. And Yes as KiKi would say, Merry could be a pain at times. Merry loved : McDonalds Birthday's with cake and ice cream Presents and the best ones had food in them, popcorn, and candy, and pop Going out for El Toro, Peking Wok with her sisters, brother in law, Kiki, Jim and I and friends She loved family gatherings ~ Weddings, Parties, Picnic's so watch your cans of soda! Swimming Playing with Kiki Going to church and singing and praying Music ~ all kinds Anne of Green Gables The Karate Kid and other movies Sitting on my lap and rocking watching t.v. or listening to the radio It is with Great Joy and Sorrow we remember our , A Mer, Merry, Auntie Merry, Merry Anne. We celebrate her life as now she is Christ Bride. No more difficulties of this life, but the life of a beleiver who receives her reward. To be absent of the body is to be present with the father who loves her more than I could. Merry you showed our family: Unconditional love Merry you taught me: how to love unconditionally Patience, Kindness, self control, steadfastness, Helped me grow spiritually as I have had to pray for guidence, knowlegde, and wisdom. The spirit of generousness - you would share anything even someone elses pop. how to slow down and smell the roses Lord thank you for letting me be Merry's mom