Edna Stone

My mother, Edna Idena Stone (nee Miller), passed away on June 10, 2022, at age 92. People who knew my mother will remember her as a kind, thoughtful woman who placed others before herself. Her father, Elbert Erskine Miller, was a coalminer. Her mother, Martha Geneva English, made the best biscuits I’ve ever had. Both parents passed away when my mother was a young woman.

My mother had two sisters and one brother, all who predeceased her. She had four children, two who predeceased her. She had six grandchildren, one who predeceased her. Despite those painful losses, my mother chose happiness over despair.

My mother was always willing to help her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and others. When I was a single parent in the military, my mother accompanied me to care for my children until I settled at a new duty station. Later, she joyfully boarded an airplane to help me whenever and wherever I needed her. She even packed my son’s household when he joined the military.

In her retirement years, my mother lived with my youngest brother, Larry, in rural Tennessee. She visited many large cities but remained a country girl at heart. She loved living with Larry, so proud of how hard Larry works. She happily prepared dinner for him every night. I am grateful to Larry for taking such loving care of our mother. He misses her as much as I do.

My mother’s humble presentation contradicted her in many ways. She was well-travelled and sophisticated in thinking. She accepted cultural and ethnic differences without judgment. She gave much but asked for nothing. Despite challenges, she lived a full life.

My mother loved coffee, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and yellow roses. I hope her favorites were waiting for her when she arrived at the Pearly Gates. It would have made it a little easier to leave behind those she loved.