Last year, The News & Advance ran The Rites of Life, a 10-part series that chronicled passages from the beginning of life to its end. The final story,’Keeping On,’ followed Jennis Johnson (below) as he faced the end of a decade-long struggle with cancer.
On July 13, family and friends packed Longwood Avenue Baptist Church in Bedford for his funeral. They shared stories about his youth, his love of cars, his mischievous sense of humor, his journey to God.
This is an update.
On July 7, the day Jennis Johnson died, a makeshift memorial went up at the Bedford Wal-Mart, just beyond the foyer where he worked as a greeter.
He was a fixture at the store, a familiar face to hundreds who walked through the sliding glass doors. Most everyone knew him as “Little Man,” his nickname since birth.
Jennis insisted on working through the final stages of terminal cancer. It wasn’t about the money. It was a reason to get up in the morning, even when his lungs burned like fire. It was a reason for keeping on.
For 10 years, he had battled prostate and lung cancer. In April 2008, his doctor had referred him to the Bedford Hospice Center with a prognosis of three to six months to live. Jennis, 77, was approaching the end.
Jennis outlived his prognosis by more than eight months.
He lived to see another spring, to sit outside on the porch swing with his wife, Frances, and dog, Hershey, by his side.
He lived to celebrate his 78th birthday.
He lived to see relatives he hadn’t seen in years.
By the end of June, his health was rapidly deteriorating. His breathing was strained. He was losing weight.
In the last two weeks, he could hardly stand up. He passed long hours on his favorite chair in the den. Frances made him peaches and Jell-o.
Despite the pain, the shortness of breath, Jennis still cracked jokes, still talked about going back to work.
On the morning of July 7, he died at his home in Bedford. At his bedside were Frances and his sisters, brothers, nieces, a hospice nurse and Hershey.
It was peaceful, Frances said. He closed his eyes. The blanket covering his chest barely moved. One last breath, then he was gone.
To read the original story and others from the Rites of Life series, please visit http://theritesoflife.blogspot.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement