Velma Maxine Basye Edson 19 July 1918 - 25 October 1995

Eliphalet 'Life' Edson 6 July 1916 - 22 July 1994

Velma Maxine Basye Edson was born in the small community of Missouri Flats just outside of Murphy, Oregon on July 19, 1918. She moved to Glendale as a child, with her parents, Lucious C. and Ida E. Basye. She also had an older brother named William Jennings and a sister named Geneva E. Velma's dad worked on the railroad. Velma and her family are listed as living in Glendale on the Federal Census in 1920. Therefore, they were living in Glendale during the great fire of July 1928 that destroyed most of Glendale in less than one hour.

As a child Velma would have gone to school in the old two story cement school house when it first opened after the great fire. She was a very athletic girl and played sports all through school, with volleyball being her favorite.

On August 24th 1940 she married Eliphalet (Life) Edson. They had two daughters named Peggy and Kay. She worked for Al Henniger for many years at the old Red & White Grocery, then for her brother at the same store until his death. She then managed Bates Grocery, until Life became a manager at Harvey Hardware, then worked with him for several years. In 1969 they moved to Coos Bay to run a liquor store until their retirement.

Kay recalls how very sports minded Velma was until the very end. She broke her wrist at age 72 playing sand volleyball and loved to instigate a wheelchair race down the hall in the nursing home where she resided the last 3 months of her life. Parkinson's was the disease that took away her pride and ability to care for herself, but it was her heart that took her away from Peggy Jo and Kay.

Velma died on October 25, 1995 just a year after our Life died of cancer. Kay says that she's sure she and dad are looking down at all the preparations for the 2000 class reunion and wishing they could be with us. She would have been the first on the dance floor and the last to leave. The music I most associate with her is "Ain't Misbehavin'" (playing here) or "When the Saints go Marching In". She loved any music with a beat to it and could never keep her feet still.

Peggy and I both realize what a great childhood we had and how lucky we were to have had them for as long as we did. They will always be missed.

Kay Edson Troxel

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