Lucy Ann Edmonston

Lucy Ann Limb Edmonston was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Sept. 16, 1949. With husband, family, friends and faithful dog “Charlee” by her side, she passed away at home in Newberg on November 18, 2016, a victim of breast cancer. She was the oldest of 14 children born into the Mormon family of Jesse and Mary Clawson Limb. She was an alumna of West High School in SLC, graduating in ceremonies held in the Mormon Tabernacle in 1967. In the summer of 1963, while visiting a family friend in nearby Gaston, Lucy fell in love with Oregon’s Willamette Valley. She dreamed of one day living here, a dream she realized beginning in 1976. The mother of five children, two step-children, with 12 grandchildren and soon to be a great grandmother, Lucy raised her family in Dundee, while also earning a degree in nursing from Portland Community College. For 17 years she worked at Chehalem Care Center here in Newberg. In July 1993, at the center’s annual family picnic, she met George Edmonston Jr., a member of a band that had volunteered to provide music at the event as a benefit. The two were married in 1998. George and Lucy spent the next 20 years doing what gave them the most joy, traveling the highways and byways of America, visiting the towns and locations where the history of this country was made. She especially enjoyed George’s home state of Louisiana, where she was quickly accepted into her new family and became an outstanding Cajun cook. George and Lucy loved driving along the pioneer “super highways” of the 19th century. Over the years they traveled the Santa Fe Trail, the Natchez Trace, and the California Trail. In 2010, they drove the entire length of the Oregon Trail with their faithful Chocolate Labrador, Billy. They loved visiting Route 66, which they did three times The also did extensive touring of the routes of the old Transcontinental Railroad and the Lincoln Highway. The Oregon Trail journey inspired Lucy and George to begin the Newberg Historical Society on August 26, 2010, now the Newberg Area Historical Society. Converting to Catholicism in 2011, Lucy became a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas at St. Peter Catholic Church in Newberg. Soon after, obeying the voice of Mary, the Mother of God, she founded the Roses for Mary Ministry at St. Peter’s. Mary told her to offer roses for donations and give the proceeds to Father Taaffe Homes in Salem, a pro-life Catholic ministry for unwed mothers. To date, Roses for Mary has donated over $40,000 to the homes. In 2005, Lucy became a teacher’s assistant for special needs children in Yamhill County. She worked the next nine years in elementary schools in McMinnville, Newberg and Dundee before cancer forced her retirement in 2014. Known affectionately to hundreds of students as simply “Mrs. Ed,” she repeatedly commented during these years that of all the things she had ever done in her working life, being with her students was the most rewarding. Early in her own motherhood, she was a Boy Scout leader and soccer coach. Lucy was addicted to her Kindle and also loved to paint. She was a life member of the Oregon State University Alumni Association, an affiliation she shared with husband George, who was editor of the university’s alumni magazine for 20 years. Lucy was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Ardella Clawson Limb, of Sandy, Utah; and step-son Jon Edmonston of Corvallis. She is survived by her father, Jesse Limb, also of Sandy; children Kermit Allen Rollins Jr. of Anchorage, Alaska; Fauna Ell of Dayton, Oregon; Misty McCord of Qatar, Middle East; Shane Rollins of Friday Harbor, Washington; Lucianna Pina of Portland; step-daughter Laura Edmonston of Tumwater, Washington; 12 grandchildren; and the spouses of her children: Turkan (Allen), Walter (Fauna), Michael (Lucianna), Aaron (Misty). Lucy is also survived by 13 brothers and sisters, all but one of who reside in the Salt Lake City area. A brother lives in Tennessee. They are Jesse, Loyal and Joseph Limb, Mary Bergener, Gladys, Liz Yanni, Flora Beckstrom, Mea Littlewood, Uda, Harriett Kirkland, Nephi Limb, Katherine Limb, James Limb and Ardella Phanich. The family thanks the following for their love, compassion and caregiving during Lucy’s long battle with cancer: Regina Price of Dundee, Oregon, who took care of Lucy three times a day during the final week and was at Lucy’s bedside when Lucy passed; Katie Stover, customer care supervisor, Providence Health and Services; Oncology and Hematology Clinic, Providence Newberg Hospital; Providence Hospice, especially nurse “Jay” and bath aide “Socoro”; the Catholic Daughters of the Americas at St. Peter’s, especially Eucharistic ministers Annell Pulicella, Carol Winczewski, Fran Vanderzanden and Sherrie McClure; the clerics and staff of St. Peter’s, especially Father Martin Tavares and Deacon Jose Montoya; the Newberg Area Historical Society board of directors; the staff and management of the Oregon State University Alumni Association; also the friends and relatives of Lucy, especially next door neighbor Dorothy Adams of Newberg; Carl Dubois of Vancouver, Washington; Cathy Edmonston of Corvallis; Laura Edmonston of Tumwater, Washington; Ruby Edmonston of St. Gabriel, Louisiana; Julia and Dennis Fieger of Dundee; Jeanne Havlick of Newberg; Frank Huston of Newberg; Dick and Carol Petrone of Newberg; Mike and Diane Ragsdale of Dundee; and “Pastor” Mark Warner of McMinnville. A memorial mass celebrating Lucy’s life and legacy will be held Dec. 3, 2016, at St. Peter Catholic Church in Newberg beginning at 11:30 a.m. Donations in her memory can be made to Father Taaffe Homes and Pregnancy Support Services, Catholic Community Services, PO Box 20400, Salem, Oregon, 97307-0400; donations also to the Newberg Area Historical Society c/o the Newberg Downtown Coalition, 502 E. 2nd Street, Newberg, Oregon 97132.

Lucy Ann Edmonston

September 16, 1949 - November 18, 2016