Edna Morrison Sehmel
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May 18, 1937 - September 6, 2025 |
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Edna Morrison Sehmel was born May 18, 1937, at home, in Colonie, New York, to George and Elizabeth (Misner) Morrison. She was named after her attending maternal grandma, Edna Hurd. Edna was the youngest of three children and adored her brother John, and sister Dorothy. On Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 3:16 p.m., Edna passed away into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. At her side holding her hand was her daughter Barbara, son Tom, and Hospice Chaplain Paul. The date was the 67 th wedding anniversary of Edna and George. John 3:16 was one of their favorite Bible verses. Edna grew up in Schenectady, NY. She earned her B.S. in Nursing from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. Edna and George met at First Presbyterian Church in Schenectady and their first date was attending a Billy Graham Crusade at Madison Square Gardens in New York City. Edna and George were married on September 6, 1958, and their honeymoon was driving across the country to Seattle, WA – camping before there were many campgrounds! Edna worked at Swedish Hospital as a nurse in the delivery room while George earned his PhD at the University of Washington. Edna and George moved to Richland, WA in 1961 and quickly became involved in the life of West Side Church where they faithfully and actively attended for the next 63 years. She was an active member of the church’s Women’s Sarah Circle fellowship; faithful in cooking for many church events; sang in the church choir; directed the Cherub Choir for 35 years; greeted people Sunday morning; facilitated church social groups such as Senioritas, Double O’s and Folks Over Fifty; prepared breakfast for the church sponsored elementary school tutoring program; attended Wild and Rugged Campouts at Ingalls Creek; prepared five course Nut Tree chicken curry dinners for Summer Trainees; and taught many church friends how to play the dominos game “Mexican Train” and the card game “George”. Edna kept very active as a homemaker and Mom to children Betsy, Barb and Tom. Edna had many more interests than there were hours in the day! Edna enjoyed knitting, sewing clothes, making quilts, being a Bible Study Children’s Leader and a Girl Scouts Leader, volunteering in school classrooms, volunteering for Red Cross Blood Drives, meeting friends for lunch or coffee, and many church activities. Edna enjoyed daily walking along the Columbia River with her series of dogs (Duchess, Meg, Kate, Schatzi, Lucy, Libby, and Trixie) as well as many human friends. Edna looked forward each summer to the opening of the Indian Springs neighborhood pool where she swam laps (and chatted and laughed!) at 6:00 a.m. with her “Polar Bear Club” swim friends for 25+ years. Edna enjoyed camping at Lake Wenatchee with friends and family for 60+ years as well as many trips with George touring Around the World. Edna and George enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren: camping at Lake Wenatchee and Grayland Beach, playing cards, making special cakes for grandchildren’s birthdays, taking them to the Woodland Park Zoo and the Aquarium in Seattle, and going to Cannon Beach. Edna moved to Kirkland, WA in March 2025 to be closer to family. Even though Edna was only at Aegis Assisted Living at Totem Lake for 6 months, the staff and residents remember her as “a kind soul with an amazing sense of humor. She was always smiling and cracking jokes. She was loved by all that had the honor of knowing her. She was also a wonderful mom and grandma that was shown by how much they loved being around her and the time they spent with her. She will be missed.” Edna is preceded in death by her parents George and Elizabeth, her brother John and her husband George. Edna is survived by children Betsy Lee (husband David and children Andrew and Bethany), Barb Roetcisoender (husband Steve and children Mark (Meghan), Michael (Krista), and Matthew), and Tom (wife Shelly and children Jonathan, Benjamin, and Caleb). She is also survived by her sister, Dorothy, sister-in-law Anna May, nephew Bill and nieces Janice, Patty, and Sue, along with their families. Throughout the decades, many family and friends have contributed to the productive, fun, and happy years Edna was blessed with. Whether you are one of those people, or reading this now for them, thank you for blessing Edna with bountiful experiences and memories. Betsy, Barb, and Tom would like to thank the staff at Aegis Living Kirkland and Evergreen Hospice for the kind, attentive, and loving care provided to Edna. Memorials can be made to: | |