Edna Ewert to celebrate 100th birthday years ago
Edna Ewert, former news reporter for the Peabody Gazette, will celebrate her 100th birthday July 14.
For many years, phones would ring in homes on Sunday or Monday. When answered, Edna's voice would ask, "Any news to report this week?"
When her news was turned in it was always properly, spelled, punctuated, and capitalized. Woe betide any person who printed it wrong. Even as she approaches her 100th birthday, Edna still scans newspapers to check spelling.
Edna was born July 14, 1904, on a farm west of Aulne to Anna and Bert Ewert. When she was 11, the family moved to a farm west of Peabody, the present Warren Windsor home. She and her four siblings attended Williams Country School.
When it came time for her freshman year, Peabody residents were ill with an influenza epidemic so Edna's parents sent her to stay with relatives in Blackwell, Okla., to attend school for a year. To keep students healthy they spent two hours outside each day marching and doing drills — regardless of the weather. Very few students became ill.
After graduating from Peabody High School, Edna traveled to Scott City to live with relatives and teach at a country school. She rode a horse to school, two miles away, in all kinds of weather. The following year she had earned enough money to enter Southwestern College in Winfield.
During college, Edna would grade papers for professors to earn money. Students spent many hours presented plays and skits, many of which were written by Edna and a friend. Many of her poems, plays, and skits have been published. One of her jobs was writing articles for newspapers. Her writing talent won Edna a lifetime membership to Kansas Author's Club.
After college, Edna taught grade school, high school, and college level classes in Kansas, California, and New Mexico, spending the most years in Idaho Falls and American Falls, Idaho.
She took time to return to Lawrence and attend the University of Kansas to earn a master's degree. She attended many other college classes and was only a few hours away from earning a doctorate. She paid for each class by herself and never earned less than a "B." Teaching the English language was Edna's passion. Many hours were spent coaching drama teams to win many honors.
Summers were spent on her parents' farm near Peabody getting to know her many nieces and nephews. Another of her great loves were farm animals — especially cats and dogs. She also used the time to write prose and other articles to be published.
Everyone knew when Edna visited because she removed the labels from everything. The labels were used to enter contests, which helped Edna win some great prizes including a trip to California, a TV, and a freezer. Christmastime became a guessing contest since Edna would give boxes of items without labels.
After retiring from teaching in 1967, Edna returned to the farm until a tornado in 1969 demolished the family home. Edna then moved to an apartment in Peabody. Reporting news for the Gazette, working in the museum, taking part in Business and Professional Women, senior citizens, and the Methodist church kept her busy.
In 1997, Edna moved to an apartment in Legacy Park. After breaking her hip in 1999, Edna moved to Legacy Park's skilled nursing unit.
Edna still loves to read the newspaper and visit about past years.
Cards may be sent to her at Legacy Park to honor her 100th birthday. Receiving mail is one of her greatest pleasures.
