It is with extreme sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Mother Edna Joy Maddaford on June 16th, 2019.
Edna was born on October 20th 1935 to George and Dorothy Eckardt on the farm near Waldron Saskatchewan. She is predeceased by her loving husband Floyd (Rog) Maddaford, Her Mother and Father, Her brothers Bill (Edna) Eckardt and Bud (Violet) Bissette, all of her sisters Margaret, Betty (George) Raven, Ruth (Emil) Buchart, Olive (Robert) Micheal, and Mary (Robert) Edlin. Edna was the last of her family in that generation.
She is survived by her daughter Kimberly Parlee (Frank Shea), and her sons Russell (Linda) Maddaford, and Farley (Linda) Maddaford. Her Grandchildren Robbie Maddaford, Amanda Maddaford, Benjamin Maddaford, Samuel Maddaford, Jonathon Maddaford, Mathew Parlee, Joseph Parlee, and Thomas Parlee and her great-grandchildren.
Edna was born on the family farm in Cana municipality a few miles from Waldron Saskatchewan in Hilltop School District, south of Yorkton. This is where she grew up the youngest of eight children. Like most small farm kids of her era Edna had chores to do such as feeding and caring for animals, fetching water and firewood, and other domestic duties. As a teen she worked a the local highway store called Dad’s G & G a half mile from her farm.
On October 20th, 1956 she married Floyd (Rog) Maddaford and they moved to Saskatoon where Rog worked on the railroad. In 1958 they moved back to Yorkton to be close to family. Edna was an active homemaker for her young family of five and kept very busy gardening, cooking and sewing. Edna was an excellent homemaker; her baking, cooking, and canning skills were rarely surpassed. Her cookies and tarts were legendary and all the neighbourhood kids were welcome to a sample. Edna was an excellent seamstress and she enjoyed crafts of all kinds.
Edna went back to school as an adult and was proud that she was able to complete her grade 12. Like so many of her generation schooling for women was secondary to the greater family needs. She was an inspiration to many but particularly to her children for this achievement. Schooling was important and it was pressed home by Rog who who worked diligently on correspondence papers for power engineering and Edna who went on to be a licensed nursing aid at the Anderson Lodge in Yorkton. She loved those years at the Lodge and made many friends. She was a volunteer at SIGN for many years and was a part of setting up the first shelter in Yorkton.
In 1980 Edna and Rog moved to the Edna’s family homestead south of Yorkton and enjoyed rural life, a dream for both, fulfilled. She enjoyed her large garden and continued to work at the lodge. Throughout her life Edna found great pleasure in being with family. She reminisced fondly of the times she was able to care for nieces, nephews, and grandchildren; at all stages in their lives. She was a true mother in every sense of the word. Visiting in person, over tea, or on the phone was always relished and nothing topped hot conversation or a rousing game of cribbage.
Winters on the farm were too much for Edna as she aged and in 2010 she moved to Melville. In 2017 She moved to the Gladstone Senior’s Residence in Yorkton and again made many new friends and acquaintances. The staff, she said, treated her like gold and she settled in nicely. Although she did enjoy the escapes to the farm for celebrations and meals and her regular trips for onion rings and root beer; simple pleasures. Mother passed away peacefully at St. Peter’s Hospital in Melville on July 16th, 2019.
The family expresses their gratitude to all the caregivers at St Peter’s in Melville, the Pioneer Residence in Ituna and the staff at Gladstone Residence in Yorkton for their warmth and kindness in making Mom’s last years comfortable.
A donation in lieu of flowers to St Peter’s Hospital foundation would be greatly appreciated. Mom will be laid to rest in the Saltcoats cemetery beside Rog her beloved husband. A graveside service, and luncheon to follow, will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, August 3rd, 2019.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Edna Maddaford 1935 2019 (age 83)..
Décès pour la Ville: Yorkton, Province: Saskatchewan