All About ME : January 1975- April 1983

Personal History Time Line for Renee Heathman

                                                                       1975-1983

·         January 30, 1975—Renee Delyn Heathman was born in Kansas City, Missouri at St. Lukes Hospital on the Plaza. She was born at 11:27 a.m. weighing in at 8lbs. 6 ounces and was 18 ¾ inches long.  She had dark black hair with dark brown eyes. Her proud parents: Susan Carol Craig Heathman and Sidney Keith Heathman. Dad could not be at the hospital because he was stationed in Virginia. He was enlisted in the United States Navy.  Maternal Grandpa, Thomas L. Craig was at the hospital when Renee was born.

·         February 5, 1975—A Flu epidemic had taken over Kansas City/Liberty and St. Lukes Hospital was closed off to visitors. No one could leave or come to the hospital. Baby Renee spent a few extra days in the hospital to avoid the epidemic. This provided Susan with a little extra rest. Renee was a hard delivery and Susan had to go into surgery right after delivering Renee.

·         January 30, 1976—Renee had her first birthday party with her cousin, Daniel. One hundred people attended as Renee Daniel tore into their own birthday cakes. Renee had a Barbie/princess doll cake. Most people were friends and family. Renee and her cousin Daniel were supposed to be born on the same day. Daniels mom went into labor a moth early so they were not born on same day.

·         March 1976—Renee and her family moved to Norfolk, Virginia when she was two years old. They lived in a neighborhood called Ocean view. Renee loved swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand at the beach. 

·         March 23, 1977—Renee became an older sister. Sidney Brian Heathman was born. Renee was in love with Brian at first sight. She was very nurturing and loved to feed her baby brother.

·         April 1977—Renee broke her right arm. She had been wrestling her dad and fell off the bed. It wasn’t until 2 days after the accident that her mom was putting her in the car and Renee screamed that her arm hurt.  She ended up in the emergency room with a “near” compound fracture. This proved to be a challenge because Renee could not play at the beach for six weeks.

·         May 1, 1980—Renee’s second brother, Bradley Craig Heathman was born. Grandma and Grandpa Craig came to visit when Bradley was born. Renee loved her Grandma and Grandpa Craig. They always talked with Renee on the phone and sent her cards and letters each week. This helped being apart from them. Renee was very close to this set of Grandparents.   

·         August 4, 1980—Renee’s Brother Brian died in a drowning accident.  Later on in life Renee would write a paper about this experience. Here is part of the  paper she wrote paper: When I close my eyes, I am transformed to a time when I was five years old. I can hear the noise of my grandparent’s truck pulling up, as Brian and I played in the front yard. My grandparents had just completed a cross country journey to meet their newest grandchild, my brother Bradley. My brother Brian was three and I was five. My cousin Mark came along on the trip to. Mark had just graduated from college with a degree in Journalism. After the hugs, kisses, and greetings were exchanged, the boys decided to go fishing. I can still feel Brian’s hug and hear him giggle as he climbed into the truck. He had the cutest giggle.

The women and baby Bradley, stayed behind to prepare for our cook-out later that night. We were anxiously waiting for the men to arrive home. Grocery’s had been purchased and the steaks were waiting to be grilled. We waited, waited, and waited for what seemed like forever to a five year old. The phone rang. I can still hear it. Ring, ring, ring… My Mother, not knowing that this phone call would change her life forever, answered the phone. We learned that Mark and Brian were missing…MISSING. The police wanted to know if they had walked home. Dad and grandpa made the long journey home from the fishing trip, without Brian and Mark. The waiting continued. Police came and went. Finally, the dreaded knock. I still can hear the door knocker hitting the solid wood door. The door was opened. There stood the Base Chaplain escorted by the Military Police. It has been thirty-three years, but when I close my eyes, I am transported to our living room on South Oriole Drive. I can hear and see my dad crying uncontrollably for the first time. My mom cried, but she was the rock for everyone in the room. The Chaplain informed my parents that Brian’s body had been found. Brian was gone. The room felt empty and all you could hear was my dad. I felt all alone and confused. These were scary feelings for a five year old. It would be hours later, before Mark’s body would be discovered. Mark and Brian had gone back to the truck to wait on my Dad and Grandpa. They took a seat on the Seawall and waited. Brian fell into the ocean and Mark dove in to save him. Mark died trying to be a Hero. Mark was a hero indeed. He gave his life that day. They were not alone in death, and they were together when they made the journey home, to our Heavenly Father.

Sidney Brian Heathman was laid to rest at the US National Cemetery located at Fort Leavenworth in Leavenworth Kansas. At the time of her brother’s death, the US government had just approved the use of the Angel Moroni on the headstones of Latter-day Saint soldiers or their family members. Her brother was the first one to have the Angel Moroni placed on his tombstone at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

                     

·         September 1980— Renee started Kindergarten. She attended Diggs Park Elementary.  Her kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Northington. The school was 17 miles from her house. There was an elementary school right across the street from her house but she was bused into an inner-city school because she was white and her father was in the U.S. Military.  It was in her kindergarten year that she was the Angel in the Christmas pageant, was Little Miss Muffet in the school play, and where she made the all-city crab ball team. Crab ball is where you crawl around like a crab and hit a huge ball back and forth. The object is not to let the ball hit the ground.  Her team won the tournament. Renee discovered this year that she loved to cook and read books

                

·         May 4, 1982—Grandma Wanda Joy Craig passed away during her 3^rd open-heart surgery.  Her Grandma passed away as Renee and her family was on an airplane coming home to Missouri. Grandma Craig was Renee’s hero and best friend. To this day, Renee loves the name/word Joy. She has the word Joy in every room of her home and plans to name her first daughter Joy.

·         July 1982— Renee and her family moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. This move was a good one for the family.

·         November 17, 1982—Grandpa Thomas Craig came to stay with Renee and her family for a few months. This was so much fun for Renee. Grandpa Craig introduced Renee to cooking and she helped cook the Thanksgiving Dinner that year. Renee still loves to cook today!

 

·         November 22, 1982—Renee’s third brother was born. His name was Matthew Mark Heathman. She was very disappointed because she wanted a sister. She was so sad that she packed a bag and “ran” away from home. She went to her best friend’s house which was next door. Grandpa Craig came next door to get Renee when her mom and new baby brother came home from the hospital. She didn’t want to go but Grandpa coxed her to just go see him. He told that her baby brother was really cute and wanted to meet his big sister. She consented to go but told grandpa that she was going for a visit. When she got home, Renee took one look at him and she was smitten. She instantly fell in love with Matthew. She ran back to her friend’s house and packed her suitcase. She was moving back home. Matthew and Renee were inseparable.

·         December 1, 1982—Daddy came home from a Cruise. His ship had been out to sea to practice Combat maneuvers.  Dad was not a member of the Church, so Grandpa Craig blessed Matthew in their home. There was a bad storm and church had been cancelled for the day. The Bishopric and our home teachers came to our house later that evening and Matthew was blessed.  This was the beginning of “the heart softening process” of her dad’s heart towards the gospel.

·         April 16, 1983—Renee was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by her Home Teacher, David H. Peirce.  Renee turned 8 yrs. old in January but waited to get baptized until her dad got home from a Mediterranean Cruise. She wanted him to be there. This was another key experience that played a role in her dad joining the Church.