On the Brighter Side

The Story or Edna and M.

Edna and M. loved each other and made plans for a future together.  They were married in 1910 and moved into the house at the crossroads west of Greensburg on M’s large farm of 1100 acres.  They worked happily side by side and were successful, earning enough money to buy a new car and to build a beautiful round barn just north of their house.  Those were happy years for the young couple.

In 1918 the terrible influenza epidemic that spread around the world struck Edna and M.  A young woman from Bible Grove came to care for them and neighbors helped with the farm work.  Edna slowly recovered, but M. did not.  On Nov. 29, 1918 M. died and so began Edna’s 46 years of widowhood.

She had M. buried on the farm.  Neighbor men dug the grave and M. was interred there in a steel casket.

Time seemed to stand still after that.  Edna became a recluse and seldom left the place.  She didn’t want M. to be alone.  Neighbors were kind to her and helped run errands and buy groceries for her which were always  paid for with exact change.

M.’s clothes remained where he left them and his place was still set at the table.  His livestock remained in the pastures and for years folks who passed by saw his horse and mule standing in the shade of a little grove of trees until, they, too, died.   M.’s new car became an old car, and the house slowly became in need of repairs which were never done.  It was barely visible, gray and unpainted, hidden in the high weeds that surrounded it.  The crossroad corner became known as Edna Lore’s corner.

Once in awhile Edna had to go to town to tend to some business.  Neighbors waved to her as she passed by wearing a broad brimmed straw hat, overalls, and driving slowly along in M.’s old car.

Her business contacts knew they would have to wait for any decisions as Edna always told them “Ill talk it over with M. and let you know”.  She would visit his grave, talk it over with him, then return to give her answer.

Forty-six years passed and when her health failed she moved briefly to Marceline to be near her relatives.  She wrote her will before death came for her on Sept. 9, 1964.  Among her bequests was a provision for an annual amount to be paid from her trust to the Baring Community Church and others to be used for saving souls.

She instructed that M.’s body was to be removed from the farm and reburied with her.  Once again, neighbor men dug up the grave and removed the steel casket which was moved to Marceline.

Edna and M. can be found there, side by side in the Mt. Olivet cemetery, together again at last.

The farm was sold in parcels and purchased by several buyers, and, in time, sold again.  Nothing is left now to remember their life and death there.  Today, only a few people remember the location of Edna Lore’s Corner.  I know they are happy together again in heaven.

-Contributed by Marilyn Goodwin