Edith Sill

Edith Sill was a woman in constant motion. She was always doing something, baking, sewing, farming, teaching, or especially, praying. Edith was completely devoted to her faith and her family, around which everything in her life revolved. She was a wonderful lady, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend, whose great love and faith lives on in her family today.

Edith’s story began on a beautiful fall day in 1924, on a little family farm in Bangor, Michigan. Those were exciting times in this country, the heyday of the Roaring 20s. Norman and Mabel (Righter) Boyer celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl on September 25, a daughter they named Edith.

Edith was the second of the couple’s six children, joining her big sister Louise and little siblings Eleanor, Lyle, Marjorie and Mabel on the family’s farm. When she was a little girl, the family packed up and left Bangor, buying a better farm on 50th Street in Lawrence.

It wasn’t easy growing up on the farm, where all the children had their share of chores to do each day. Edith learned her incredible work ethic there, and her job was to drive the horses, which always scared her. But she was a hard worker, and her dad’s little “boy" until her little brother Lyle arrived.

Edith was also a very bright little girl, and a talented musician, too. She loved music, and learned to play the violin beautifully at Lawrence High School. She was an excellent student, as well, and graduated as Salutatorian of her class in 1941.

After high school, Edith took a short course in home economics at Michigan State, helping her become a wonderful seamstress. She paid for her classes by selling magazine subscriptions with a friend of hers, though soon she’d have more than school to think about.

One day Edith and her friend were out selling magazines, when they left their bikes across the road from Harold Sill’s house. Harold was a handsome young man who owned his own farm right on Edith’s street, and he often saw the pretty young Edith riding her bike by his home. So Harold and his little brother Charles teasingly stole the girls’ bikes!

Thus began their romance, before the couple was married on October 23, 1943, in the home where they would raise their children.

It wasn’t long before the couple became parents, as well. They were blessed with five wonderful children over the years, Jean, Judy, Kathy, Harold Jr., and Kris. Edith was a wonderful, hardworking mother, who instilled in her kids the same love of the Lord she possessed in abundance. Edith was a woman with a powerful faith, and truly believed in the “power of positive thinking,” and put her faith first in her life, and the lives of her children.

Edith’s priorities were always very clear: her faith, her family, and her farm, and in that order. She was truly her husband’s business partner on their farm, where they grew fruit and raised cattle. Edith did everything, from working in the orchards, to keeping the books, and with her help the business grew. The couple farmed more than 1,500 acres at one time. Harold received much of the acclaim, but he couldn’t have done it without Edith, too.

Edith’s hard work extended to more than the fields, though. She was a tireless worker outside and inside the home, which was filled with the wonderful aroma of whatever she was baking in the oven. She made the most incredible pies, and even entered a Pillsbury baking contest for her perfect pumpkin cookies. She was an amazing cook, and always knew what Harold wanted, fried chicken, baked beans, and her banana cream pie!

It wasn’t all work and no play around the farm over the years, though. Edith loved her life, loved her family and the farm, especially in the fall, when the trees came alive with color, and the harvest approached as the air turned cool. She loved raising her German shepherd dogs, who were her constant companions on the farm. She loved sewing (and made tons of kids’ clothes and prom dresses), gardening (with beautiful rose gardens), quilting, and canning mountains of fruit each year, too.

Always moving, that was Edith.

She did find some quiet times to herself on occasion, though. She loved to watch The Waltons, her favorite TV show, along with Hour of Power with Dr. Schuler. She also enjoyed listening to the Moody Bible Hour on the radio, too.

Edith also loved her community, and was a longtime active member of the Lawrence United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday School for many years. One of her favorite times of the year was the annual Lawrence Ox Roast Festival, complete with a parade and floats on Labor Day weekend.

After the couple retired in 1980, they sold the farm and moved to a home on Eagle Lake, and moved their church membership to the Lawton Evangelical Mennonite Church, where they became very active. Edith put her cooking gifts to good use there, too. People were always asking Edith for her cooking and baking help, though. She did all the cake decorating for family birthdays, weddings, graduations, and sometimes after friends begged her, she even made ginger bread houses for Christmas!

Edith also loved spending time with her grandkids in retirement, when she had a chance to do the things she never had time to do with her own children. She especially enjoyed the elaborate tea parties she had with her granddaughters, which were such special memories for her.

Edith’s health began to decline later in life, as did her beloved Harold’s health. He had suffered a head injury in 2004, and never fully recovered. Harold died on December 3, 2007, after 64 years of a wonderful marriage. Edith joined her husband just over a week later, and died peacefully on Tuesday, December 11, 2007, at the age of 83.

Edith was a wonderful woman, who lived a wonderful life, a life so full of family, faith, and fond memories. She was a tireless worker, always in motion, helping, teaching, loving or praying. More than anything, Edith was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, whose life was a blessing to all who knew her. She will be greatly missed.

Learn more about Edith, view her Life Story Film and visit with her family Thursday from 11:30 AM-1:00 PM at the Lawton Evangelical Mennonite Church where tea and sandwiches will be served during the visitation. A service to honor her life will be held Thursday at 1:00 PM at the church. Interment at Hill Cemetery in Lawrence. She was preceded in death by her husband Harold, December 3, 2007 and her sister, Louise Varvir. Members of her family include five children and spouses; Jean (Jim) Winebrener of Plymouth, MI, Judy (Dale) French of Lawton, Kathy (Ken) Maher of Lexington, MI, Harold A. (Niki) Sill of Paw Paw, and Kris (Steve) Baldus of Paw Paw; thirteen grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; sisters; Eleanor (Ron) Roeder, Marjorie (Murray) Albertyn, Mabel (Roger) VanderMolen, brother; Lyle (Bonnie) Boyer, several nieces and nephews. Please visit Edith’s web page at www.lifestorynet.com to share a favorite memory or photo or make a memorial contribution to the Lawton Evangelical Mennonite Church. Life Story Funeral Home-Betzler & Thompson-Paw Paw, 657-3870.