Willetta "Willie" Edmiston

Willetta “Willie” Edmiston of Warsaw, Indiana passed away peacefully at home at 12:23 p.m. on Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the age of 93.  She was formerly a resident of Grace Village Retirement Community of Winona Lake, Indiana. 

Willie was born on April 14, 1925 in Los Angeles County, California to Albert Fred Hanson and Blanche Hester (Tahash) Hanson.  She was married on January 22, 1946 in Long Beach, California to Sibley Marvin Edmiston.  They shared 64 years of marriage together before he passed away on December 25, 2010.

She graduated in 1943 from Lindberg High School in Long Beach, California and received her associates degree from San Diego State University.  Willie worked as an elementary school administrative assistant for many years for the San Diego County School District in California. 

She was a good and faithful servant and enjoyed her role as a pastor’s wife as her husband Sibley served as an Interim Pastor in Taos, New Mexico in 1949.  After Sibley attended Grace Theological Seminary, Willie and her husband served as missionaries to Mexico under the Brethren Foreign Missionary Society from 1953-1965.  The have lived in the Warsaw and Winona Lake area for the past 30 years.  Willie attended Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church and Pleasant View Bible Church where she enjoyed working in women’s and children’s ministries. 

She will be lovingly remembered by her three daughters:  Leandra Lawrence (Redding, California); Linda (husband Richard) Dilling (Warsaw, Indiana); Lorraine (husband Dennis) Mullikin (Maysville, Kentucky); two Sons:  Richard “Dick” Edmiston (Tecate, Baja California, Mexico); and Daniel “Dan” Edmiston (Brookfield, Missouri).  Also surviving are fifteen Grandchildren, twenty great-grandchildren; and her sister:  Alberta “Bertie” Hanson (Winona Lake, Indiana).  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two sons: Duane Lester Edmiston and Douglas Allen Edmiston, and two sisters, Edisene Whitcomb and Winifred Nation.            

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana.

Her funeral service will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019 at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home and officiated by Pastor Bryan Benjamin.  Burial will follow with a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery of Warsaw.

Memorial donations may be directed to Spanish World Ministries, P.O. Box 542, Winona Lake, Indiana  46590 and would be appreciated by the family.

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