Edna M (Bowne) Wilson

     Edna Mary Wilson, (nee Bowne), departed this earth on January 22, 2021 and was reunited  with her beloved husband Sam on their 66th wedding anniversary. 

     She was born on December 1st, 1934, the third child of Woodlyn and Anna Bowne. Growing up  in West Keansburg (Raritan Township), NJ she attended local schools, graduating from Keyport  High School in 1953. While in high school she enjoyed her time as a majorette in the marching  band. 

     Edna started working early in life. As soon as she was old enough, she was scooping ice cream  at her father’s ice cream stand on the Keansburg boardwalk. Later she worked as a  switchboard operator for Bell Telephone and briefly as a secretary for the FBI. 

     She met her future husband Sam on a blind date while he was home on leave. He asked if he  could write to her and she agreed. Many letters back and forth produced a profound love. They  became engaged and married on January 22nd, 1955. 

     Edna always wanted a large family. Starting in Perth Amboy and eventually settling in Port  Monmouth, she and Sam raised six children. 

     She was a long time parishioner at St. John’s UMC. As the children grew, she volunteered there  as a secretary. Afterwards, she got another secretarial job working for the government at Fort  Monmouth in the Hexagon. Edna later worked with Sam at Sam Wilson’s Auto Body in Atlantic  Highlands. 

     Upon retiring, she enjoyed watching her children grow into adulthood. She enjoyed vacations  at Myrtle Beach and traveling to historical sites around the country. She was also a huge  football and baseball fan and loved her Giants and Yankees. 

     Perhaps the thing she loved most, after Sam, was being a grandmother. Teaching the  grandchildren cards (Gin Rummy) and board games and having family game nights along with  attending as many activities and milestones as possible made incredible memories. We will all  miss her greatly but these memories will be with us forever. 

     Edna was predeceased by her husband Sam, her parents, Woodlyn and Anna Bowne and her  brothers Woodlyn, Jr. and Gifford. 

     She is survived by her children, Sam and wife Sherrie, Jack and fiancé Barbara, Susan, Nancy,  Richard and wife Regina, and Jennifer and husband Frank; her grandchildren, Sarah and  husband Todd, Danielle and husband Josh, Keven and wife Nikki, Shawn and fiancé Lindsay,  Michael and fiancé Kelsey, Nicholas, Jake, Samantha, Allison, Jessica and Renee; and her  great grandchildren, Steven, Savannah, Harvey, Verity, Samuel and Jiajia. She is also survived  by her sister Anna, brother Wayne and wife Cheryl and many nieces and nephews.  

     We would also like to thank the healthcare professionals at Bartley Health Care for their kind  and compassionate care of Edna. 

     A visitation for Edna will be held Monday January 25, 2021 at Day Funeral Home 361 Maple Place Keyport, New Jersey from 11AM to 1PM.  A brief service will be offered for Edna at that time at 1PM at the funeral home, followed by a graveside service at 1:30PM at Shoreland Memorial Gardens of Hazlet.

To offer Edna's family your condolences, send flowers of for directions to our funeral home, please visit us here at our website www.dayfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Edna M (Bowne) Wilson, please visit our floral store.