|
b.
|
Note: <b>Life Sketch </b>Edna Irene McNeal was born August 14, 1909 in Covert, Michigan, a small town near Lake Michigan. She was the 6th of eight children born to Albert Warren McNeal and Prudence Elizabeth McConnel McNeal.
The McNeals lived on a small 20 acre farm which produced their livelihood for living. Edna attended church school in Covert where her family attended church. The family often housed the school teacher at their home, also. During Edna's later years she often talked about walking 4 miles to school through snow without boots.
Edna loved to sing and was often excused from school at a young age to sing at funerals. Vera was to watch the cows with their cow bells as they grazed along the country road so that they wouldn't stray too far away. The girls often sang together to make the days more fun.
During her teenage years Edna stayed with a brother in Hinsdale, Ill and worked in cleaning homes. She later sold books on a Tennessee river boat. Later she cared for a family in Battle Creek, Michigan where she met and married a brother of the couple she was working for on Feb. 26, 1933.
Edna had six children: Beverly, Murlin, Albert, Charlene, Vesta and Zelda. The family resided in Bauer, Michigan where Vettie ran two farms. The days were filled with planting, gardening, canning, taking care of the milk cows and chickens, sewing clothes for the children and caring for the family. Mother's least likeable job was cleaning the eggs to get them ready for market.
In 1947 Vettie and Edna were impressed that they needed to move to an area where there was a 10-grade church school so after much prayer they sold their farm and moved to Gobles, Michigan.
Vettie and Edna always made tremendous sacrifices so their children would be able to develop their talents and reach their life goals. Music was an important part of their life. Edna played the harmonica and continued to sing, Vettie played the violin and all the children had piano lessons.
When the children married and left home, mother was always busy making stuffed animals out of real or fake fur for the grandchildren and other family friends and refinishing furniture to make her modest home more attractive.
The tragedy of their life was when they lost their son and daughter-in-law, Albert and Margery, in a plane accident in 1987. They grieved for their children every day.
In 1984 Edna and Vettie moved to Collegedale, TN to be nearer their daughter, Charlene. They enjoyed their church and family friends and continued to enjoy a productive life for many years.
In 2001 Edna went to surgery to have a total hip replacement after a previous partial hip replacement had malfunctioned and caused her to have frequent falls. Following that surgery she suffered a brain stem stroke. In November 2002, Vettie passed away following a stroke. Edna's health continued to fail over a five-year period and she fell asleep on November 1, 2006 awaiting the return of Jesus.
|
