Obituary of Edna Emmerling

Edna Olene Knutson Emmerling passed away peacefully on January 8, 2015 at her home in Hugo. Edna was born to Olavis and Emma Einertson Knutson on July 18, 1919 in Genoa, Colorado. Edna lived in the Genoa community all her young life. She attended school in a one room school north of Genoa. Edna was baptized and confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church north of Genoa. At the time of her death she was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Limon. Edna left Genoa when she married Pete Garner and she briefly lived in Denver. To this union her sons Jackie and Richard were born. Edna returned to Genoa when the boys were young and they lived with her parents. During those years Edna was a waitress at the Genoa Tower and she shared that the best tippers were the soldiers who were on the way to serve their country during World War II. Edna also ran the Genoa Cream Station where the farmers brought their milk and cream to be tested and then shipped by train to the dairies in Denver. Edna married Nickolas (Sam) Emmerling on January 14, 1947 in Goodland, Kansas. Edna and Sam made their home in Hugo. They had two children Jeanette and John. In addition to raising her four children, Edna had several part time jobs. When the Lincoln Community Hospital opened Edna went to work as a Nurses Aide. She discovered her passion was that of caring for people. After her children graduated from high school she moved to Aurora, Colorado to care for her ailing sister in-law Alice Emmerling. Later when her brother in-law Frank became ill she cared for him until his death. Edna always spoke of wanting to move home to Hugo and thanks to Bob and Bonnie Walker she and Jeanette moved home two and a half years ago. This was Edna’s dream come true. Edna’s greatest joy was her children and grandchildren all of whom loved going to grandma’s house on Smith Road enjoying the rural setting and getting to eat grandma’s good cooking. Edna loved the Denver Broncos and never missed either watching or listening to the games. Edna was also an avid gardener and her roses were the envy of everyone. Edna is survived by her children Richard of Denver, John and his wife Kathy of Lakewood and Jeanette of Hugo. Her grandchildren Douglas Moss of Denver, Shaundra (Stacey) Moss of Buena Vista, Sarah (John) Baumgartner of Aurora, Kaitlin Emmerling of Boulder, Andrew Emmerling of Lakewood, Gary (Pat) Garner of Lakewood, and Allen Garner of Byers and fifteen great grandchildren and five great- great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Edna was preceded in death by her husband Sam, her son Jack, her grandson Randy, her parents Olavis and Emma and her four brothers, Johnnie N., Ramon, George, and Johnny R., who was killed in the Pacific theater during World War II.