Wednesday, August 10, 2011
I am so sorry to hear of Edna''s passing. However, my daughter, Lisa and I went to visit Edna at the hospital a few years ago right after Edna suffered a stroke. Edna was actually mad at the doctors for saving her -- she said, "I wanted to go meet Jesus. I was ready, and I''ve been looking forward to seeing him!"It wasn''t for show -- I knew that determination in her voice. About the only thing that would get Edna to calm down was when I asked her if there was anything I could do to help.She said, "Well, I''d like some pizza. The doctors won''t like it, but what can they do to me?" Her feistiness was one of Edna''s most endearing qualities!My daughter and I went and got her the biggest pizza we could find, and went back and talked to Edna for a couple hours about her faith, family, and life. I loved every minute of it -- hearing about UHS in the early days, her meeting her husband, her family, and about Morgantown. She described images that coincided with what my parents told me about WVU back when there were just a couple thousand students -- and Edna gave me the perspective from one who had grown up in Morgantown, and seen the changes year in and year out.Edna was one of my driving forces as we put together our plans for the Square at Falling Run. At times, I''d question a move, or some plans, and the degree to which we were wanting to change the look of things in the Falling Run Valley. Edna would reassure me that we were on the right track, and that what we were doing was going to be good. If Edna were to have questioned something, then it would have given me cause for concern. But, having lived her entire life right at the heart of Falling Run, she saw the good that would come of the pending change. She was one of my sounding boards, and I respected what she had to say. The fact that she went along with even selling her house so that we could secure a PUD was another example of her "putting her words into action" -- that''s why I knew she was "for real" when she said she was ready to go meet Jesus!I particularly enjoyed listening to Edna talk about Jesus, her church, and her faith. What a role model she was for my daughter -- to see someone who spoke of Jesus as a friend, someone real, someone waiting "just on the other side" for us all.Edna was a transforming person in my life, and I know she was for my daughter, Lisa. Edna was an angel, one who knew who she was, knew what was important in life, and certainly was not afraid of death. She knew her passing was necessary to get to heaven, and I''m comforted knowing that she has now met her friend, Jesus.Rest in peace, Edna, but I''m looking forward to eating pizza and partying with you and Jesus one day!MacKabul, Afghanistan
