problem with repeating events in calendar

[doc4x5]

I keep track of bill paying in calendar. I set a date, e.g. February 26, to pay my VISA bill and have it repeat monthly. It then shows up as "pay VISA" every month on the 26th. When I've paid the bill, I place a check mark next to "pay VISA," e.g. "pay VISA √." It opens a dialog telling me this is a repeating event and asks me if it applies only to the current event. I tell it "yes." When I look back at previous months, the √ mark has disappeared, as does the note I've placed in that entry, e.g. the amount paid. As best I can tell this is a relatively new behavior. It happens in IOS as well. I'm using Yosemite and IOS 8.2. I hope I've been clear in my explanation.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? And does anyone have a solution?

Thanks for any help.

Eric