On the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, Edna Waidmann (nee Schulte) formerly of Gerald, passed away peacefully at Oak Pointe of Rolla in Rolla in the presence of her husband and daughter after complications resulting from COVID-19. She had attained the age of 87 years, 11 months.
Edna was born Jan. 29, 1933, the youngest of six children of Herman and Minna (nee Limberg) Schulte to be born on the Schulte Family Farm in Elmont (now known as Strain). Edna attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse near the family farm and graduated from Sullivan High School in 1951.
After Edna’s parents sold the family farm to her brother, Henry Schulte, she and her parents moved to Gerald. Edna began working for Dr. Enlow in Gerald as a secretary and administrative assistant. On May 29, 1955, Edna Schulte and Herman Waidmann were united in marriage at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Gerald. They made their home in Gerald and on March 15, 1963, they gave birth to a daughter, Jayne Marie (Waidmann) Brinker.
Edna was a member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Gerald and belonged to the Women’s Fellowship.
Edna was one of the first office employees for Beaufort Transfer in Gerald. She worked with many aspects of the secretarial aspects of the trucking line. In 1968 when her husband, Herman, bought the lumber yard, she took a leave of absence from Beaufort Transfer to assist with bookkeeping for Waidmann Brothers Lumber. After selling the lumber yard in 1978, she returned to work at Beaufort Transfer until her retirement.
One of the things that Edna loved was her collection of carnival/depression glass. When she and her husband, Herman, built their new home in 1978, Edna had an impressive collection of glassware. She built shelves into their home to display her collection and always enjoyed showing her collection of glassware to company and answering questions about its history. Edna also collected feed sacks and over the years, assembled an impressive collection of feed sacks and their many uses and began displaying them at many of the ladies’ church groups and historical groups in Gerald as well as in the surrounding area.
In November 2018, Edna and her husband, Herman, moved to Oak Pointe, an assisted living facility in Rolla. Edna often played her accordion for the residents that made their home at Oak Pointe.
Edna was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She dearly loved her family and enjoyed traveling, collecting and sharing her love of antiques.
Edna is survived by her husband, Herman Waidmann, of Oak Pointe at Rolla (formerly of Gerald); her daughter, Jayne (Waidmann) Brinker and husband Keith of Union; her granddaughter, Brittani Koelling of Polk City, Iowa; two great-grandsons, Chase and Ryker Koelling, both of Polk City, Iowa; one sister-in-law, Lavada Schulte of Sullivan; and nephews, nieces, great-nephews, great-nieces, other family members and many friends.
Edna was preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Minna (nee Limberg) Schulte; her sister, Emma (Schulte) Burnett and brother-in-law Rife; her brother, Oscar Schulte and sister-in-law Opal; her brother Walter Schulte and sister-in-law Eleanor; her brother, Henry Schulte; her brother, Elmer Schulte and sister-in-law Patricia; and her grandson, Kurt Birke.
A visitation and funeral service celebrating her life will be scheduled at a later date.
Arrangements entrusted to Gottenstroeter Funeral Home, Owensville.
