Wanda Marie (Noirot) Edgecombe

It is with great sadness that the family and friends of Wanda Marie Edgecombe, long time resident of the Miller’s Lake area near Marlboro west of Edson, announce her passing on February 19^th, 2020 at the age of ninety-one years.

Wanda was born January 11^th, 1929, the youngest child of Louis and Ethel Noirot. Her parents came to Alberta from the United States in 1924 and settled in the Ricinus district south of Rocky Mountain House, where Wanda was born and grew up.  She attended a small one room rural school a few miles south of the Noirot Farm.   As a girl growing up in the depression years she thrived on the care and attention of her older sisters and learned a love of animals and gardening from her Dad and her Brother.

In 1950 she married Harry Edgecombe, a Forest Ranger posted to that area and the eldest son of a Northern Alberta fur trader from Fort Vermillion on the Peace River.  As a forestry couple Wanda and Harry lived and raised their family in a succession of locations within the forested parts of Alberta beginning with the Clearwater Ranger Station just west of the Ricinus area.  In 1952, during their time there, their son Mervin was born.  After the Clearwater Harry was posted to the Nordegg Ranger Station, in the foothills of the North Saskatchewan River country, where they were living when their daughter Mavis was born in 1957.

Subsequent moves within the Alberta Forest Service took Harry and Wanda and their family to Fort McMurray, to High Level in the Peace River Country, then on to Grande Prairie, and finally to Hinton.  At each location they made many life-long friendships. 

When Harry retired from his forestry career in the late 1970s Wanda and he settled on a quarter section near Miller’s Lake between Edson and Hinton to pursue their dream of farming, gardening and raising some cattle on their own land.  They kept some horses as well, because these had always been an important part of both their lives.

In retirement their greatest joy was the birth of their two grandsons, Ryan Holroyd in 1984 and Scott Holroyd in 1987.  In 1995 after seventeen years together in retirement Harry passed away.  Wanda, though experiencing increasing difficulties with arthritis, remained on their land at Miller’s Lake for the rest of her life.  She went on to acquire three artificial joints but continued living independently and enjoying the visits of the many friends, neighbours, and family who would stop in to see her.  In 2014 she suffered a heavy blow at the passing of her daughter Mavis, aged just fifty-seven years.  But four years later Wanda was blessed with the arrival of a great grand-daughter, Clara Marie Holroyd born to her grandson Scott and his wife Angela of Red Deer.

Wanda was an accomplished horse woman in her younger years and an avid gardener throughout her life.  She loved and cared for animals, both domestic and wild, with great devotion and above all was devoted to her family and friends.

Wanda is survived by her son Mervin, her grandsons Ryan Holroyd (Shu-wei) and Scott Holroyd (Angela) and by her great grand-daughter Clara.

She was predeceased by her parents Louis and Ethel Noirot; her husband Harry Edgecombe; her daughter Mavis Holroyd; her elder sisters Alta Irene, Lila French, and Blanche McNutt; her brother Louis Noirot; and her younger sister Velma Clearwater.

As an expression of sympathy memorial contributions may be made to the Arthritis Society of Canada in lieu of flowers.

In accordance with Wanda’s wishes the Foothills Memorial Chapel of the Edson Funeral Home has been entrusted with the cremation and funeral arrangements.  Wanda’s Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday February 27^th, 2020 at the Foothills Memorial Chapel located at 5040-6^th Avenue, Edson, Alberta.

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