Edith Thurling

EDITH THURLING



Born April 16th 1919 in Liberty Corner, New Jersey and was named Edith Mae Ward. Her parents were Charles Drundade Ward and his wife Louise (Schutz) Ward.



She grew up on a 100 acre Peach Farm with her 2 brothers and 3 sisters, Florence, Margaret, Ida, Charlie and James.



She told her stories of the members of the Nudist colony, which bordered their farm, would go for walks with "sack dresses" and get lost in the peach orchard. How her step dad made her learn how to change a tire, in those days it meant to remove the tire from the rim, patch it put it back on the rim and pump it up before she was allowed to take peaches to the market in Newark. And she reminded us children that she had to walk 7 miles to school in nearby Bedminster. She graduated from Bernardsville High School in 1937.



She married John Agnew Thurling on his 3 day pass from the Airforce in 1942. In 1945, they bought a house in Warren Township, New Jersey. Edith started to fix up the house while she waited for her husband to return from the South Pacific, where he was stationed during WWII. Edith raised Border Collies during this time.



Edith and John had 3 sons, Robert Charles ( September 8th 1948), John Henry (January 3rd 1951), Roger Edward (June 11th 1959) and a daughter, Louise Evelyn ( February 3rd 1953).



Edith was a active in the community. She formed the Somerset County 4-H Green Thumbs Garden Club and was the leader for 14 years. She and her children were active in several 4-H clubs. As her family grew, she also became a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Mt. Horeb Volunteer Fire Department, the Warren Senior Citizens and Historical Society in Warren.



She liked to taker her family and friends on trips to Point Pleasant at the Jersey Shore, Rice's Farmers/Flea market in Pennsylvania, and to the 4-H fair. Edith's love for farming never died, as she and her family helped Raymond Kirch and the Duderstadt's bring in their hay and corn crops. Edith enjoyed collecting antiques. She enjoyed life.



When her husband John retired from J&J, they moved to Sardis, Tennessee. Once again, Edith became active in her new community. They were standards at the Sardis Senior Citizens Center, where Edith learned to quilt and crochet. Edith was made an Honorary Colonel in Tennessee. She was on 1986 Homecoming Committee for Sardis. She loved to dress up as a leprechaun for St. Paddy's Day and Santa Claus for the children of Sardis.



They enjoyed their life in Sardis and stayed there until John became ill and needed care. At this point, she lived in Bath, NY near the VA Hospital and her eldest son Robert and his family who lived nearby in Cohocton NY. She stayed there until John's passing in 1996. They were married over 50 years.



Shortly after Edith returned to Sardis and resumed her life in rural Tennessee. Life was good until she had a stroke, at which time her son John Henry brought her to Florida to care for her. The last 7 years she spent at an assisted living home in Sunrise, Florida until her passing February 19, 2011.



Edith Thurling is survived by her brothers, James and Charles Ward, her son Robert and his wife Debbie and their children Amy, Tamara, Nicole and grandchildren Audrey and Westley, son John Henry and wife Shanta and her sons Albert and Felix, daughter Louise Hawryluk and husband Joseph and their children Heather and Heidi, and son Roger and his wife Sandra and her daughter Christina and granddaughter Francesa.



Edith known as "Peaches" and "Edie" to many of her friends over the years will be missed by those who are still on this earth and welcomed into the life eternal by those who have gone before her.