Edith Lolus Stanley

Edith Lolus Stanley passed away on the morning of February 24th, 2022, at the age of 97. Edith was born on March 4th, 1924 to a carpenter named W.M. Boyd Kelly and Mallie Kelly in a small farmhouse in Closplint, Kentucky.

The family moved to Virginia where she spent most of her adolescence, enjoying simple things such as eating wild onions like apples off their farm. Later in her twenties, she worked at a laundromat in Cincinnati, Ohio, where through a friend, met her late husband Forest Leighborn Stanley and his son Raymond Stanley. They moved to Standish, Michigan, had four children between them and raised her stepson Raymond; in December of 1949 her eldest son was born “Buck” Walter Stanley. In April of 1953, she had twins “Billy” Pauline Wilma Stanley and “Bill” Paul William Stanley, then in February of 1955, she had her youngest son “Bob” Robert Clyde Stanley. They cared for the farm and former stagecoach stop they inhabited, as well as bred Alaskan Malamutes and horses.

She recalled a story, she deemed crazy, that around 1954 she grabbed a broom to scare off a black bear from their meat shed. She moved to Tennessee with her late husband, Forest until his passing in 1986, when she later moved to Milroy, Indiana to Forest’s sister, Marie Abrams’, property. Where she lived until moving to a nursing home in 2015 in Rushville, Indiana, considering the staff like family and the place her home. She was an extraordinary housekeeper, loving to wash dishes while taking pride in her work, a great cook of many things including blackberry cobbler and chicken and dumplings.

She loved the song Coal Miner’s daughter by Loretta Lynn, to laugh, eat biscuits and gravy, and drink coffee that “ain’t bitter.” In 1995, Edith visited her daughter Pauline’s church, where she prayed and accepted Jesus into her heart, as her Savior, and held her beliefs for the rest of her life. Edith was resilient and loving, as she liked to make everyone feel at home and enjoy life. 

Edith Stanley was predeceased by her brother Clyde Kelly, half brother Orville Kelly, sister Betsy Viola Kelly, sister Bernice Rivers, sister Gertrude Gilbert, stepson Raymond Stanley, youngest son Robert Clyde Stanley, granddaughter Melissa Marie Stanley, and some nieces and nephews. 

She is survived by her son “Buck” Walter Stanley of Cambodia, and twins “Billy” Pauline Stanley of Midland, Michigan and “Bill” Paul Stanley of New Braunfels, Texas. She is survived by her dear granddaughters Cary Leigh Stanley of New Braunfels, Texas and Kelly Chang Stanley of Florida, and many nieces and nephews.

Burial will be held at Hoover Cemetery in Virginia on March 15th, 2022 at 2:00pm  Please light a candle or share a memory withe gthe family at www.ToddFuneralHome.com

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