Anna Ruth Edwards Edmundson

Anna Ruth Edwards Edmundson

June 16, 2021, 83, Goldsboro –

Anna Ruth Edwards Edmundson left this world on June 16, 2021.

Anna came into this world many years prior on her family’s farm in Eastern Wayne County. She grew up there with her parents, Bessie and John, and with two older brothers, John Ira and Gerald (aka “Teenie”). Her brothers left home as adults when she was still very young, though they remained close throughout their lives.

At a young age, Anna excelled in academics. She graduated from high school at the top of her class. After graduation, she married George Edmundson, the love of her life. After marriage, Anna moved to Northern Wayne County to live on George’s family farm. It was there they would build their life together and there she would remain after his death.

As a young wife and mother, Anna felt called to further her education. She obtained a degree in dental hygiene from Wayne Community College. After practicing as a hygienist in the community for several years, she returned to her alma mater as an instructor and program coordinator. During this time, she continued her education, graduating summa cum laude from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Occupational Teacher Education, while balancing her teaching career and family responsibilities. Throughout her long career, she formed many lasting relationships with colleagues and students. It was not unusual for her to receive phone calls, letters, or visits from a student many years after graduation. She counted these relationships as one of her greatest blessings.

In addition to education, Anna was passionate about family. She was never far from most of her immediate and extended family members. She interacted regularly with her parents, brothers, nieces, and nephews. Being in close proximity to family reinforced her strong family ties and would serve as a great support system and source of joy to her throughout her life.

She was extremely proud of her two daughters, Janine and Amy. She instilled in both the importance of education and through them Anna’s roots in farming blossomed. Her sons-in-law, Jon and Todd, were loved like her own with the same expectations and hopes she held for her daughters. She later found immense joy in her role as a grandmother, first to Sarah, then Atha, Nora, and Everett.

Anna was smart, lively, and outgoing. She was fortunate to have many strong friendships throughout her life. She, however, felt abundantly blessed in her relationship with her best friend, Joanne Musgrave Edmundson. Anna and Joanne shared many moments together with close friends at the beach, shopping, eating lunch, or just chatting at one another’s homes.

Anna attended Beston United Methodist Church with her family until she and George were married there in 1956. As a married couple they joined Antioch Original Free Will Baptist Church in Pikeville where they were active members. It remained an important part of her spiritual journey. In her later life, she attended St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Goldsboro until her health did not allow her to attend.

Throughout her life she taught all of us in and out of the classroom. These lessons were both crafted and off the cuff, each tinged with intellect and passion. While we will miss her presence with us in this world, we are forever grateful for the mark these lessons have made on our lives.

Her family is eternally grateful to her many care providers who created a safe, caring environment for her in her final years, especially the staff at Brookdale Berkley Blvd where she lived for the past three years. There are simply no words to convey the level of gratitude we feel toward these individuals.

In lieu of flowers, we encourage you to consider a donation designated in Anna’s memory to the Wayne Community College Foundation. Funds will be used to support the dental hygiene program.

There will be a service in her honor at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Goldsboro, NC, on Tuesday, June 22 at 11am. The family will receive friends in the hour prior to the service in the church parish hall. Interment will be the family cemetery near her home.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.seymourfuneralhome.com.

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