Edna L. Jones, age 87, of Faith, SD, passed away on Friday evening, February 14, 2014 at the Sturgis Regional Hospital.

Service of Remembrance will be Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at the Faith Church of Christ. Rev. Calvin Chapman will officiate and following a time of fellowship and lunch at the Faith VFW Hall, burial will be at the Chance Cemetery, rural Meadow, SD. Visitations will be from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. with the family present at 6:00 p.m. at the Faith Area Memorial Chapel in Faith on Wednesday, February 19. A gathering of Family and Friends will be Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m.

Edna Lucille Schomer was born on April 8, 1926, in Faith, SD, one of 12 children born to Nickolas and Alice (Babcock) Schomer. She attended all twelve grades at the Faith School. Edna's love of dancing and music started at an early age when she was a member of a tap dancing class called the ""Tiny Tappers"" and was in a harmonica band in the 3rd grade. Edna lived through the Great Depression and felt grateful for the lard and sugar sandwiches and rolled up pancakes with brown sugar which she shared with the children who had no lunch at school.

Her mother died when Edna was 16 years old, leaving her to take care of her ailing father, a younger brother and twin sisters. Edna often spoke of her determination to earn a high school diploma and worked after school sometimes until midnight at a local café to help support her family. Not only did she earn a diploma, she was also named valedictorian of the Class of 1946. After high school Edna earned her teaching certificate from Black Hills State College, but chose to stay home to take care of her father instead of taking a teaching position in a local rural school. She later started working full time at Thompson Drug.

Edna met her husband, Gilbert, when she was in the 8th grade. Edna wrote to Gilbert after he joined the Navy and they remained friends. She didn't think of him as ""special"" until her friends saw a picture he had sent her and thought he was so good looking. In 1947 Edna and Gilbert were engaged and he left for Barber School that fall in Sioux City, Iowa. When Gil graduated from Barber College he asked Edna to catch a bus to Sioux City and on her birthday, April 8, 1948, they were married. Edna and Gilbert celebrated his graduation from Barber School and their marriage at a reception hosted by the barber students where she was the only woman and danced the night away.

When they returned to Faith Gilbert spent 57 years barbering and Edna continued to work at Thompson Drug until 1985. Their son, Curtis, was born in 1949 and son, Kim, was born in 1952. She enjoyed taking the boys to Little League and watching them play basketball. Edna always welcomed people into her home for a meal and was a great hostess. She was willing to cook anything Gilbert brought home from a hunting trip or day at the lake whether it was deer or a snapping turtle. She loved her flower garden and spending the day at Durkee Lake with her family. Nothing gave her more pleasure than playing with her grandchildren, going to their activities and sharing their love. Edna was a member of the Faith Church of Christ and a life-time member the American Legion Auxiliary.

Grateful for sharing her life are her sons Curtis (Sue) Jones of Piedmont, SD, and Kim (Robin) Jones of Faith, SD; grandchildren Melissa (Matt) Stahlecker, Hermosa, SD, Luke (Sarah) Jones, Faith, SD, and Cash Jones and fiancé Vanessa Schmidt, Spearfish, SD; and six great-grandchildren Curtis Stahlecker, Joshua Jones, Isaac Jones and Liam Jones, Chloie Andrews and Tre Milner; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Gilbert, her parents, six sisters and five brothers.