October, 20, 1935 – June 20, 2019
Edna was born on Oct. 20, 1935 on the family farm in Cana municipality a few miles from Waldron, SK in the Hilltop School District, south of Yorkton.
Edna passed away Thursday, June 20, 2019 in Melville SK. She was the youngest of eight children born to George and Dollie (Dorothy) Eckardt.
Like most farm kids of her era Edna had chores to do such as feeding and caring for animals, fetching water and firewood, and other domestic duties. As a teen she worked at the local highway store called Dad’s G & G a half mile from the farm.
On Oct. 20, 1956 she married Floyd (Rog) Maddaford and they moved to Saskatoon where Rog worked on the railroad. In 1958 they moved back to Yorkton to be close to family.
Edna was an active homemaker for her young family of five and kept very busy gardening, cooking and sewing. Edna was an excellent homemaker; her baking, cooking, and canning skills were rarely surpassed. Her cookies and tarts were legendary and all the neighbourhood kids were welcome to a sample. Edna was an excellent seamstress and she enjoyed crafts of all kinds.
Edna went back to school as an adult and was proud that she was able to complete her Grade 12. Like so many of her generation schooling for women was secondary to the greater family needs. She was an inspiration to many but particularly to her children for this achievement. Schooling was important and it was pressed home by Rog who who worked diligently on correspondence papers for power engineering and Edna who went on to be a Licensed Nursing Aid at the Anderson Lodge in Yorkton. She loved those years at the Lodge and made many friends. She was a volunteer at SIGN for many years and was a part of setting up the first shelter in Yorkton.
In 1980 Edna and Rog moved to the Edna’s family homestead south of Yorkton and enjoyed rural life, a dream for both, fulfilled. She enjoyed her large garden and continued to work at the lodge.
Throughout her life Edna found great pleasure in being with family. She reminisced fondly of the times she was able to care for nieces, nephews, and grandchildren; at all stages in their lives. She was a true mother in every sense of the word. Visiting in person, over tea, or on the phone was always relished and nothing topped hot conversation or a rousing game of cribbage.
Edna is predeceased by her loving husband, Floyd (Rog) Maddaford; her mother and father: her brothers, Bill (Edna) Eckardt; and Bud (Violet) Bissette; all of her sisters, Margaret; Betty (George) Raven; Ruth (Emil) Buchart; Olive (Robert) Micheal; and Mary (Robert) Edlin.
Edna leaves to mourn her passing and cherish her memory – sons, Farley (Linda); Russ (Linda); daughter, Kimberly (Frank); grandchildren, Rob (Callie), Ben (April), Amanda, Sam, Matt, Jon, Joe and Thomas; great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, sister-in-law, Irma Schuster as well as many other relatives and good friends.
A graveside service will be held Saturday Aug. 3, 2019 at 11 a.m. in the Saltcoats Town Cemetery.
Donations in Edna’s name may be made to St. Peter’s Hospital Auxiliary.
Arrangements entrusted to Christie’s Funeral Home and Crematorium, Yorkton, SK
