Wendy Rasmussen

My precious mom, Wendy Kathleen Rasmussen, sadly passed away on Nov. 5, 2021 at the age of 72. Wendy was born in 1949, the youngest of 3 siblings and the only daughter to Rodney and Joyce Bemis. She grew up in Reseda, CA and eventually married my dad, Tom in 1968 at 19 years old.  Together, they lived in Lake Tahoe, Reno and Denver where their first child, Erika (me), was born in 1980. In 1981 they settled in Westminster, CA where they later welcomed their second child, Kirk, in 1986. Although my parents separated in the early 90’s, they have remained good friends, always being there for my brother and I, as well as each other, which I will be forever grateful for. She had a long, successful career as a Legal Secretary where she met many of her closest friends. In her later years, she relocated to San Jacinto and eventually Corona, CA where she spent the last couple years of her life in her beautiful house that she absolutely loved. She enjoyed going to the movie theater, eating at Souplantation, sharing meals and long conversations with her friends and family, cuddling with her beloved kitties and attending events for her grandsons, Elijah and Joshua.

For anyone who knew my mom, one of her most memorable attributes was her incredible laugh. She was known to be recognized from across a crowded room, simply by the joyful bellow of her infectious laughter. It was so beautifully designed and so uniquely her. She had stories of this getting her into a bit of trouble when someone thought she was too loud, but she was unapologetic for it. I will hold the memory of her warm smile and uplifting laugh close to my heart forever.

The last time I saw my mom was Wednesday evening before she passed away (she passed early Friday morning). She casually mentioned to me that she saw 3 people standing in the corner of the room. She didn’t know who they were, but felt like she knew them. She wasn’t sure what to think of that, and tried to attribute it to the fact that she just needed new glasses. I didn’t know what to say as I didn’t want to scare her, so I just shrugged it off and changed the subject. By Friday morning when I received news that she had gone on to be with the Lord, the significance of that conversation came into focus. When I have mentioned this to people, some have suggested that she may have seen her two brothers (Larry and Bob) and her Mom (my Grammy Bemis), all of whom had previously passed away. Others suggested that it could have been the Father, Son and Holy Spirit or maybe even angels. I’m not sure which it was, but I find all of these possibilities comforting as they all suggest that she was surrounded by Love.

Her memory will always be cherished and she will be forever missed! We’d love for anyone to share their memories of her on this page. If you would like to honor her with a donation in her name to a charity that was near and dear to her, she often donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital which is a wonderful organization that helps so many children. This would be a great tribute to her!

In Loving Memory,

Erika Duran

“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.”

“A mother holds her children’s hands for a while, their hearts forever.”