of Mountain Home, AR

September 26, 1923 - September 4, 2022

Edith McKinney Page, our devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, died September 4th, 2022, in Mountain Home, Arkansas, several weeks shy of her 99th birthday.

Mom was born during the Roaring Twenties on September 26, 1923, in Memphis, TN. Her family weathered the next decade of the Great Depression better than many, and Mom recalled mostly happy times. Many childhood adventures and most cherished memories were with her Mother's family in Bayonne and Normandy Beach, NJ. Her Aunt Alla and Uncle Harry did not have children so, as the only child, she was much loved and probably a bit spoiled. Back home in Memphis, she got to pursue her love of horses, first with a pony and then on to bigger thrills, including competitions on her American Saddlebred horse, Flash.

Mom's education, both primary and secondary, was obtained at the Hutchins School for Girls in Memphis.

Mom and Dad married in 1942. During WWII, while her father was working on the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge and our Dad was an aircraft mechanic in the South Pacific serving in the U.S. Navy, Mom did her part too. She served the war effort at the Memphis Army Depot as a military chauffeur, a secretary in the U.S. Army Signal Corp and did payroll in the finance department.

In 1950, Mom's life took a turn when she and Dad and 2 small daughters moved to the country. Mom told us how she sat on the porch of the old worn house with weeds over her head and cried for an hour at the enormity and uncertainty of the task before her; but boy did she and Dad meet the challenge! That 23 acre farm in "High, Happy, Healthy Ellendale" was an idyllic setting for raising four daughters. Mom made sure we all contributed to the house and farm chores. We had horses, cows, pigs, dogs, cats, chickens, bees, peacocks, ducks and even pet raccoons. We raised our meat and worked a very large garden from which Mom canned our vegetables. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for all the life lessons you taught: honesty, work ethic, sense of responsibility, respect, spiritual beginnings, manners, and love for animals and nature.

Busy as she was, Mom didn't give up her love of horseback riding. In fact, Dad joked that by riding horses during her pregnancies, she shook all the plumbing off the babies resulting in the delivery of four girls! She never lost this passion for horses and was still riding her favorite, Blue, into her late eighties.

As the younger sisters began school, Mom worked outside the home: first, over 17 years as a school bus driver for St. Anne's Catholic School in Bartlett, TN, then as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, and finally, as a nurse's assistant at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis.

Each summer, Mom drove all four of her daughters, and later added the grandchildren as well, to the NJ shore for two weeks. Even after the family beach home was sold, she led her family on annual adventures to various beaches and mountain areas. Wanting to ensure that family connections were strong, even when separated by distance, she packed up all her Memphis grands for an annual trip to Mountain Home for a birthday celebration with their cousins. She owned two Chevy Suburbans, each traveling over 350,000 miles, mostly full of kids.

Mom gave the gift of travel at every opportunity. Grandchildren have unforgettable memories of their specific trips including Lake Louise in Banff and horseback riding the Canadian Rockies, rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, cruising the Cayman Islands, and enjoying Disney World. Mom also joined a mission trip to the Amazon, got up close and personal with whales in the Sea Of Cortez, enjoyed the abundance of wildlife in Costa Rica, and explored the Mayan ruins in Guatemala and Honduras.

Mom was a voracious reader. She enjoyed swapping and discussing all kinds of books, and especially giving them as gifts to family. You could bet that she had already read each one in hopes of sharing thoughts about its content. We have many memories and pictures of children gathered around for her story time. Her example and encouragement of reading made a life-long impression. She loved Bible studies and had stacks of books on lots of religious topics. Her faith was strong.

Mom was 79 when she packed up her last Suburban and moved to Mountain Home in 2002 with her dogs, Rowdy and Joy, and her horse, Blue. With Blue at her daughter and son-in-laws' nearby farm she could continue to ride regularly, outpacing everyone on the trails on her Paso Fino. She continued her devotion to her daughters, grandchildren and to the growing family of great-grandchildren, all of whom knew her as "GG". Everyone loved to gather often with her, especially at her birthday and at Thanksgiving.

When Mom was 96, she decided it was time for her worn but running Suburban (The Blue Beast) to have another life, so she donated it to the Alpha House. It can still be seen on the streets of Mountain Home.

When Mom could no longer ride and her world was narrowing she had a daily ritual of brushing her cat (that no one else could touch) and watching the birds come to her feeders. In spring and summer, she delighted in seeing the blue birds raise families in the nesting box. Mom also loved her crows. She could open the back door, call them, and they would land in the trees waiting for the peanut treats she kept on hand for them. She would also regularly check her calendar to see what family member or friend was due a card for a birthday or other occasion.

Mom was generous to organizations that helped animals, children, and Veterans. She was proud to call herself a Christian and conservative American.

She was preceded in death by her Father and Mother, William Henry McKinney and Edith Sluter McKinney, and our Dad, Olin Robertson Page.

Mom was the hub of our family wheel but because of her love, guidance, influence, and example she has made our bonds strong enough to keep on rolling. We will miss her terribly.

Daughters: Pat (Bud) Demetriou of Memphis, TN; Edie (Ray) Stahl of Mountain Home, AR; Ruth (Jay) Watson of Bartlett, TN; and Beckie Page of Memphis, TN.

Grandchildren: Nichole (Tony) Gagliano of Tucson, AZ; Marla (Ryan) Frost of Memphis, TN; Krista (Burke) Nicol of Memphis, TN; Brian (Jacklyn) Stahl of Fayetteville, AR; Aaron Stahl of Fayetteville, AR.; Jacob (Lindsey) Watson of Memphis, TN; Brady (Erin) Watson of Munford, TN, and John Watson of Memphis, TN.

Great-grandchildren: Derek and Ryan Helsley of Tucson, AZ; Kennedy and Lennon Frost of Memphis, TN; Elliot and Beckett Pearce of Memphis, TN; Sophia and Stella Stahl of Fayetteville, AR; McKenna and Sean Watson of Memphis, TN; and Eirnin, Jeannie and Riley Watson of Munford, TN.

Funeral services are private.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller Funeral Home
Highway 5 North
Mountain Home, AR  72654
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com