Avis Earlene Edwards

Avis Earlene (Schafer) Edwards was born in Wray, CO at the home of her aunt and Uncle on February 20, 1924 and passed away at Hillcrest Care Center on May 20, 2015. Earlene was the second child of Clyde and Mae (Allen) Schafer. She grew up on her family’s farms with her older sister and three younger brothers. Earlene attended elementary school in Laird and three years of high school at Vernon later completing her high school education receiving her GED. She met Melvin Edwards while attending high school in Vernon and on August 30, 1941 they were married at the Methodist Church parsonage in Wray. They moved to their home 11 miles south of Wray where they lived for the next 33 years. Earlene was an active member of the Beecher Island helping hands club, Bonne Ami club in Wray, and the Methodist Churches in Vernon and Wray. She played softball on the Vernon ladies softball team for many years. In April 1945 daughter, Ann Marie was born and in May 1949 daughter, Linda Sue was born. Earlene helped with the farm work raising cattle, horses and wheat. In addition to her help with the farm work, Earlene raised chickens and when cooking for her family and for harvest crews she would catch a couple chickens after breakfast and have a fried chicken dinner ready for lunch. She canned bushels of fruit for the family each fall, made jellies and jams, froze cherries and strawberries and always had a supply of home baked cookies in the freezer. Earlene was an excellent cook and cakes, cookies and pies were her specialties. Every Christmas, for years, she baked an apple cake with thick, creamy caramel frosting, one for each of her daughters. Her raspberry pound cakes were always a special birthday treat. Special K cookies and raisin filled cookies were favorites of her grandchildren and she always had plenty of them ready when they visited. Earlene was also an excellent seamstress making most of the dresses for herself and her daughters. Every Easter a special dress was sewn for each of the girls and a new hat and shoes completed their outfit. When the girls reached high school, she made special dance dresses. For centennial celebrations she made long full skirted Pioneer dresses for the girls to wear to school. When Ann married in 1963, Earlene sewed her wedding dress and hand covered 27 tiny buttons with satin to sew down the back and on the sleeves. Doll clothes were also a specialty and many hours were spent each year fashioning an entire wardrobe for new Christmas dolls. She was a patient teacher and taught her daughters to cook and sew, how to run a wringer washer, “sprinkle” clothes to be ironed, how to properly iron and how to run socks, tea towels, pillow cases and sheets through an ironing device called a mangle, all without getting little fingers caught.

Earlene loved flowers and kept a beautiful lawn and had several flower gardens on the farm. Many of the lilacs and old fashioned roses still bloom there. She raised a large garden every summer and passed her love of gardening on to her daughters.

Many Sunday afternoons were spent with the family at Bonny Dam fishing or, when the girls got older, water skiing. Earlene would pack a huge picnic lunch to take along. Many fun picnics were also held around the huge stone fireplace at Blackwolf Creek, just a couple miles south of the farm. Aunts, uncles and cousins were always welcome to join the fun. Never afraid to try anything new, fondue, spaghetti, pizza and deep fried shrimp were occasionally added to the usual “farm” fare.

Earlene loved to play cards and many Saturday evenings were spent with family and friends playing pinochle or pitch. On cold winter nights, she would snuggle her girls into the folds of her fur coat for the chilly ride home. Back then, the car was just warming up by the time you arrived home.
When the girls started school, Earlene was a devoted Room Mother baking dozens of treats for class parties. She was always available to take a car when rides were needed for choir or band festivals and she never missed a school activity that the girls were participating in. She drove the girls into town nearly every afternoon in the summer so they could go swimming and very few movies were missed on Saturdays. She would purchase her groceries in the afternoon then have the store “hold” them in the cooler until the movie was over and she could take them home. She was a gracious host for all the girls’ slumber parties, never complaining of the noise or lack of sleep. She made sure there were plenty of treats ready and delighted in baking birthday cakes for the girls’ birthdays.

After her daughters grew up and left the home she visited them often, was always ready to lend a hand and gave support whenever needed. She was an awesome Grandma and looked forward to her Grandchildren’s visits each summer. The Grandchildren learned to “drive” sitting on Grammie Earlene’s lap going up and down the gravel roads. She happily cooked the fish they caught and a few birds they hunted. She enjoyed music and especially looked forward to any “concert” when the Grandkids would sing and play the piano for her. She spent time in Omaha with Linda and while there attended numerous musical events in which her Grandson James played the saxophone. She enjoyed Shawn’s art shows in Nebraska and Illinois, Daniel’s high diving shows in the Midwest and Mishka’s dance competitions.

Earlene worked several years as a clerk at Seier Rexall Drug Store and with the housekeeping staff at the Sandhiller Motel. She enjoyed all the friends she made and rarely knew a stranger.

A favorite hobby was hunting arrow heads and she had a keen eye for finding them. She participated in several Smithsonian archeological digs around the Wray, Laird and Kirk areas. She was photographed digging at the Jones Miller site and her photo is on exhibit at the Wray Museum.

After moving into Wray, she continued taking care of her flower beds and lawn. She loved the outdoors and could be seen every day out for a walk. She joined the WRAC so she could continue her walks in inclement weather. She was a part of the Senior Walkers group and it was a high priority to her to be there three days a week.

Earlene loved watching the Broncos and spent most home game
Sunday afternoons at Ann and Steve’s home cheering them on. Ann kept the snacks coming and she always “persuaded” to stay for dinner. After she was unable to make the drive to their house, Steve would pick her up and bring her home with him to enjoy the afternoon.

In 2007, Earlene was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, but was able to continue living at home with much assistance from her family until 2011 when she moved to Hillcrest Care Center. While there she thoroughly enjoyed trips to town with Ann for coffee or lunch and always looked forward to a ride in the country. Looking at the clouds fascinated her and she always commented on how beautiful they looked.

As her disease progressed she moved to the special care unit where she resided until her death.

Earlene will be remembered as a beloved Mother, a loving and doting Grandmother and a kind and caring friend to many.

Preceding Earlene in death were here parents, Clyde and Mae Schafer and siblings Ethel (George) Wingfield, Jack (Bonny) Schafer, and Max (Beverly) Schafer.

Surviving her is her brother, Kent Schafer of Pagosa Springs, CO, Her daughter Ann and husband Steve Brethauer of Wray, daughter, Linda DeMeulmeester of Omaha, NE.

Grandson Mike (Laurie) Brethauer and great grandchildren Jenna and Kelsey of Windsor, CO; Grandson Stacy (Pam) Brethauer and great grandchildren Katie, Anna and Jacob of Avon, OH; Grandson, Shawn Ballarin(Cara Pesek) and great grandson Francis of Lincoln, NE and Grandsons James Ballarin of Omaha, Daniel (Nikki) Ballarin of Brisbane, CA and Granddaughter Mishka Ballarin of Santa Cruz del Lago, Guatemala.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 on Friday, June 5 at the Wray United Methodist Church in Wray with Rev. Norman Stott officiating.

Cremation was requested. Schmidt-Jones Funeral Home in Wray is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to the Hillcrest Van Fund.