Edith MacFarlane

Edith Marie MacFarlane
June 16, 1941 - March 26, 2025
Our Mom and Nana that had a heart of gold
Former Armona resident, Edith Marie MacFarlane passed away on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Lemoore, California at the age of 83 with her children by her side, just as she had been by our sides, our entire lives.
Edith Marie was the first born to Raymond Melville and Edith Grace Mahan Pierce in Nevada City, California on June 16, 1941. Little did anyone know that the time her father Ray would have with her would be sparse as he was called upon to serve our Nation during WWII, he served in the United States Navy as Fireman 1st Class. He wrote letters home during those times to his wife and parents, which Mom kept tucked away all these years. While her father was away, Edith (aka Butchie, a nickname her father gave her) and her mother stayed in Pismo Beach with her paternal grandparents, near what is now the Splash Café. Ray returned home from the war and was honorably discharged, at that time he began driving logging trucks, unfortunately a trucking accident occurred, and he was tragically taken away from Edith Marie at the young age of 5 along with her brother at the age of 2 and her unborn sister. Starting in 1961, after the death of her Grandma Pierce, Mom continued her grandmother's tradition of placing flowers every year during Memorial Day weekend on her daddy Ray's grave in Belmont Memorial Park in Fresno, along with her cousin Elaine's grave who passed in 1990 and is buried a few rows away. We will continue to continue with this tradition.
Edith was raised in Avenal, California. In 1950, she was blessed with a new father figure, Roy "Tex" Young, who loved Edith, her siblings, and their mother as his own. Though not her biological father, he earned the title "Daddy" through his deep devotion and care, holding their hearts and well-being as closely as any father could. She gained another new little sister a year later. Edith attended Avenal Elementary and Avenal High School Class of 1959 where she was a baton majorette. She adored her classmates and the reunions that followed for years past graduation.
She attended Fresno State University for a short time; she planned on being a teacher but her time there was cut short due to an illness. While living in Fresno it was the first time, she had ever eaten pizza, she thought that was pretty neat. She accelerated in every aspect of her youth, her left-handed cursive writing was top notch along with her spelling and grammar, not to mention the old school shorthand, she was our dad's 'spell-checker' when she had the chance. We loved the stories she would tell of growing up in Avenal, like when she would ride horses bare back across the open rolling dirt hills of Avenal outside of the famous horse corrals with her friend Lana and all the fun they would have. She worked from an early age doing babysitting, typing, cleaning houses, ticket booth sales at the Avenal Theatre, secretary to the judge at the Avenal Court House. During her days at the Avenal Theatre box office and County Court House she was visited daily by her unbeknownst future husband that was on leave from the Marine Corps, she knew of the MacFarlane family in Avenal but didn't know Corky that well as he was 7 years older than her. He pursued her every chance he had, they were engaged on Christmas Eve 1959. After leaving Fresno State, Mom then decided to move to San Luis Obispo, California with her childhood friend Kay and work for the Telephone Company but remained engaged until she changed her mind one day and mailed the engagement ring back to Corky. He didn't give up after getting over his sadness, he eventually won her over and they were married on July 16, 1960, at the First Baptist Church in Avenal where Mom was a member and Sunday school teacher during her years in Avenal. In 1962, they left Avenal with their 1-year-old son Scott and settled in Armona. A few years later their daughter Lynne was born and 4years later their daughter Lisa was born, they remained in Armona for 57 years. We always felt so much love from Mom, deep unconditional love that never wavered.
After some time passed after working as a homemaker or working part-time at W.M. Lyles and the Hanford Sentinel, she returned to work full-time. She worked at Caminol Oil Company, which then turned to Beacon Oil and then to Ultramar Oil Company. She worked there for 23 years in various departments from credit and accounting, but most of the time was in the purchasing department before the refinery was shut down around 1988. With the closure of the refinery on the horizon Mom thought about the future and started the pursuit of a career change at one of the State prisons that were being constructed, she was hired before the facilities were built and worked in the temporary module trailers. She eventually started to ride in the van pool to work and the day of her 50th birthday during the ride to work, she was so surprised to see out the window big signs spaced strategically apart on the side of the road like the old Burma Shave road signs wishing her a happy 50th birthday, those signs were made in secret in the days leading up to her birthday and placed on the roadside the night before by her Groom Corky, he loved doing unique surprises like that for his bride ("My Bride" as he'p call her). Not forgetting the time that he placed a diamond ring in her water glass at Harris Ranch during her 50th birthday dinner that all of us kids enjoyed with her or the time he placed her Christmas gift of diamond earrings in a cute little rag doll's ears, she kept that doll after all these years. She enjoyed her time working at the prison until she retired in 2001, we'll never forget the emotions and genuine words that her friends and coworkers had for her during her retirement party. She made several dear friends as she did during her time at Beacon Oil, the co-worker friends she made over the years remain dear friends today, we deeply appreciate the time that they spent with her over the past couple of years as her health started to change. They also joined her at her 83rd birthday party we had for her last year, which we are so grateful for. It was a wonderful time had by all.
Edith was a long-time member of the Armona United Methodist Church. Edith was a firm believer in Christ; the word of God was something her daddy Tex brought with him from his upbringing and began sharing with his new family. Mom had an abundance of faith and would lean on the comfort of the Lord every day. Mom was an absolute kind, loving, gentle, warm, strong woman and a fantastic listener whose calming presence brought peace to anyone who needed it. We miss her deeply but find peace knowing her body is renewed, her soft cheeks are glowing, and her eyes are twinkling as she dances once again with Dad in the Kingdom of Heaven. She had missed him terribly since his passing almost seven years ago. We know that the "16's" are together again.
Edith leaves to cherish in her memory, her children, Scott MacFarlane of Lemoore, Lynne Kampa and husband Tim of Hanford, Lisa Thomas and husband Rick of Laton. Her grandchildren, Marie Koop (Phillip), Taylor MacFarlane and Jakob Kampa. She was so adamant and thrilled last year to be able to attend Jakob's graduation from Fresno Pacific University where he received his degree with honors of outstanding academic performance and then to witness his acceptance and start into a dual graduate program. She also leaves behind her faithful companion Joony and numerous granddogs (which she adored), her sister Sandra Young Frech of Sanger that called her "Sis", many loving nieces and nephews who called her "Aunt Butchie," and a host of lifelong friends.
Edith was preceded in death by her beloved husband, O.R. "Corky" MacFarlane; her birth father Raymond Melville Pierce (1946); her parents Roy "Tex" and Edith "Edie" Young; her brother Richard Pierce; sister Sharon Pierce; brother-in-law Darrell Frech; niece Marlene Storeby Bergland; and nephew Douglas Storeby.
We would especially like to thank all the girls and clients at the Easy Living Senior Home whom mom enjoyed and loved like family.
Edith and Corky will be laid to rest together on what would be their 65th wedding anniversary on July 16th, 2025, in the Armona Grangeville Cemetery just a few short steps away from the home they lived in and the town they loved for over 57 years.
Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with this lovely lady that loved and raised us and never stopped nurturing us. We will see you again, Mom. Until then, we will miss you every day and always love you more!