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- December 29, 2009
Bastjan, Edna C.
Edna C. Bastjan, Appleton, age 97, passed away at St. Paul Home, Kaukauna, on Sunday, December 27, 2009, with her granddaughter Amy and her son Vern by her side. Edna was born April 19, 1912, four days after the sinking of the Titanic. Edna loved to tell the story of how her mother was not told about the Titanic for fear of going into early labor. Edna was born in Gilead, Nebraska, to Otto and Marie (Busse) Keilwitz. At the age of five, Edna moved to Hebron, NE, where she grew up attending Hebron Academy and Hebron College. She was the college choir alto soloist. She taught for four years in the Gebron area at a one-room country school. While living in Hebron, Edna loved to play tennis and golf.
In 1934, Edna moved to Appleton to teach third and fourth grades at Zion Lutheran School, one of the many Hebron College graduates who came to teach at Zion School. While at Zion Lutheran, she met Carl Bastjan at the church youth group. Edna and Carl were married at Zion Lutheran Church on June 15, 1937. They lived in Washington, D.C., Fond du Lac and Milwaukee, before retiring back to Appleton in 1977. While living in Washington, D.C., daughter, Carla, and son, Vern, were born.
Edna substitute taught in the Fond du Lac and Milwaukee Public Schools, worked at the downtown Milwaukee Boston Store, and worked at the neighborhood grade school in the Milwaukee School lunch program. She enjoyed being active in church activities, including singing solos at her Washington, D.C. churches, and singing in the church choirs. After returning to Appleton, Edna and Carl were very active members of Zion Lutheran Church especially in Keenagers and Eltergarten. Edna was fabulous at sewing, crocheting, knitting and most of all at baking chocolate chip cookies for Carl, the grandchildren and the rest of the family. She would take old coffee tins, decorate the outside and then fill them with chocolate chip cookies. When the grandchildren came to visit, they would bring their empty tins and take home a refill of chocolate chip cookies. Edna was always known by her grandchildren as the "Chocolate Chip Grandma."
Edna is survived by her daughter, Carla (Robert) Hannemann, Eau Claire; son Vern (Nancy) Bastjan, Sherwood; four grandchildren: Alan (Crystal) Hannemann, Crowley, TX; Greg (Lori) Hannemann, Kalamazoo, MI; Amy (Luke) Stachovak, Rothschild, WI; Adam (Heather) Bastjan of Wauwatosa; and seven great-grandchildren.
Edna was preceded in death by her husband, Carl (March 2009); her parents; sister and brother in law, Elsie and Al Hoffman; two sisters in law and two brothers in law, Helen and Stan Smarzinski and Lucille and Willard Ferron, and many, many friends.
A Funeral Service for Edna will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, December 30, 2009, at Zion Lutheran Church, 912 N. Oneida St., with Rev. Alan Schaffmeyer officiating. Friends may visit directly at the church on Wednesday from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Interment will take place at Riverside Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to Zion Lutheran Church for the Organ Fund or St. Paul Home, Kaukauna, WI.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff of the St. Paul Home for the wonderful care that was given to our mother. A special thank you to Dr. Lee Vogel of UW Health for her thoughtfulness, consideration and many years of care to Edna. Also, thank you to Theda Care Hospice, especially Jeanne Secor, R.N.
Brettschneider-
Trettin-Lederer
606 N. Oneida St.
Appleton 920-733-7383
www.btlfuneral.com
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1912 - 2009 (97 years)
