THURSTON, Edith Frances

1931 ~ 2026

Mrs. Edith ‘Edie’ Thurston of Innisfail, passed away on April 25, 2026 at the age of 94 years. Edie was born in Innisfail on July 1, 1931. Edie’s father Roland passed suddenly due to a heart condition and her mother Frances was left a widow to raise five children all under the age of twelve plus take over the business of farming. She did this with the help of several hired men including a Mr. Ed Turner whose favorite was Edie, he would often take her with him to town. While they were there, he would buy her jellybeans. When she got home, she would fall asleep and the jellybeans would roll out of her bag and then her sister Mary would help herself.

Edie completed high school in Innisfail and after graduation went to work as a clerk in Fred’s Food Market. She worked for quite a few years, then married Ken Thurston on October 19, 1955. They moved to the farm for a year, then decided that wasn’t what they wanted to do. Edie went back to work at Fred’s and Ken joined the Post Office staff where he later became Assistant Postmaster. Once she retired from Fred’s she worked part time in the kitchen at the Auction Market. Everyone also knew her around town because she would take one to two walks per day from their house near the hospital to downtown and it usually took her twice as long because she would stop to talk along the way.

She is survived by her nephew, Ken McGee and her great niece and nephew, Sarah and Chad McGee. She is predeceased by her husband Ken, parents Roland and Frances and her siblings Arthur, Robert, Percy and Mary. A Funeral Service was held at Heartland Funeral Services, 4415 – 49 Street, Innisfail, Alberta on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Memorial Donations can be made to the Innisfail Health Care Fundraising Committee at 5023 – 42 Street, Innisfail, Alberta T4G 1A9 or Heart & Stroke Foundation 119 14 St NW, #100 Calgary, Alberta T2N 1Z6 www.heartandstroke.ca. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com. Arrangements in care of: Heartland Funeral Services Ltd., , Innisfail, Alberta. Phone: 403.227.0006

• Date : 2026-05-12
• Location : Heartland Funeral Services (Innisfail) www.heartlandfuneralservices.com 403.227.0006