Edna Louise Searles

SHELBY- Edna Painter Searles, 93, died peacefully, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, at Peak Resources of Shelby. A native of Roanoke County, VA., she was the daughter of the late Ernest L and Mary Hamilton Painter.

Her family moved to Kingsport, TN when Edna was 3 and always loved that city and considered it home. After graduating from Dobyns-Bennett High School in 1939, she began her career as a secretary in the law firm of Kelly, Penn, and Hunter, soon moving to the Tennessee Eastman Company as support for military contracts. She joined the Marine Corps in 1943 and spent the next two years as a court reporter with the JAG Corps at Camp Lejeune, NC. At the conclusion of World War II, in July 1945, she married William H. Searles, a career Air Force officer. She left the Marine Corps and enjoyed traveling with her husband to his various military assignments.

They lived in Sioux Falls, SD, Salina, KS, Panama City, FL, Montgomery, AL, Wiesbaden, Germany, Pensacola, FL, and Honolulu, HI. Her husband retied in DeLand, Fla. and Edna went to work at Stetson University and became Administrative Assistant to President J. Ollie Edmunds for a decade. When Dr. Edmunds retired Edna left the university to become manager of the College Arms Towers, a senior community in DeLand. She retired in 1987, moving with her husband to Newland NC where they lived until Bill’s death in 2007. In 2009 she moved to Shelby, enjoying being closer to family and friends. Since moving to Shelby, Edna attended Shelby Presbyterian Church and felt so blessed at the love and the support that she received from that congregation. The family would like to express thanks and grateful appreciation to the staff at Peak Resources of Shelby for the care that they gave to mom and to our family during her last months.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Lt. Col. William Searles; sister, Marian P. McGlory; and brother, Ernest L. Painter Jr.

She is survived by her son, Michael D. Searles of Newland; daughter, Donna S. Simmons and husband James D. of Shelby; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 6 until 7:30 p.m., on Tuesday, at Clay-Barnette Funeral Home.

Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain, with military honors, with the Dr. Luke Harkey officiating.

Memorial may be made to Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Gift Processing Administrator, 18251 Quantico Gateway Dr., Triangle, VA 22172 or Shelby Presbyterian Church, 226 E. Graham St., Shelby, NC 28150

Arrangements by Clay-Barnette Funeral Home of Shelby.