Edna Tawney

Edna Irene Tawney (née Baldwin) of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away on September 25, 2025. She was 103.

Born November 28, 1921, in Grover Township north of Knob Noster, MO, Edna was the youngest daughter of Otto and Lema Baldwin. She was raised on the family farm alongside her doting, six older siblings.

She left home at age 14 to attend high school in Warrensburg, MO, and later on to Central Missouri State Teachers College (now University of Central Missouri). While in Warrensburg, she met Floyd Louis Tawney who, at that time, was a deliveryman for Continental Baking Company and stationed in the area.

Edna and Floyd married in 1941, in Kansas City. They raised their two daughters in Chanute, KS, and Raytown, MO, before settling in Manhattan, KS, in 1958. They shared 28 years together until his sudden passing in 1969. Clever and motivated, Edna had a professional career as a bookkeeper at the Kansas Farm Bureau for nearly thirty years, retiring in 1987 and returning to the Kansas City area. She lived independently in the Northland for many years and in 2013, was among the first residents to move into McCrite Plaza at Briarcliff.

In retirement, Edna was deeply committed to community service and cherished the friendships she made while volunteering. She served for many years at the Platte County Visitors Bureau and was active in the Missouri unit of Church Women United. CWU named her Valiant Woman during the late-1990s. She whole-heartedly supported the causes she cared about.

Edna is remembered for her sharp mind, self-reliance, practicality and hearty laugh. A thoroughly read newspaper with completed crossword (in ink) was a daily fixture on her coffee table. A library book was always by her chair or bedside. She travelled often, trekking to Mount Desert Island in Maine and Chicago for family celebrations and to visit family overseas in London and Tokyo. In photos, her biggest smiles were seen with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. At home, she stayed close to siblings, nieces and nephews, their in-laws and children and former neighbors. She recalled names, birthdays and other details about their lives with impressive precision.

Her family includes daughters Gail Tawney Hodges (Thomas) of Evanston, IL, and Jane Tawney of Bar Harbor, ME; grandchildren Lydia Hodges Cannady (Clay), Blake Hodges (Megan), Elizabeth Hodges McQuade (Marc), Abigail Hodges Walsh, Hannah Shaw and Lucy Shaw (David Bild); great-grandchildren Oliver, Clare, Charlotte, Helen, Thomas, Louise, Vivian, Theodore, Wolf, Margaret, Ruby, Lily and Charles; and beloved nieces Kara Whisner and Sue Bowers. She was preceded in death by her husband Floyd, granddaughter Hannah, and her six brothers and sisters.

The family sends its heartfelt thanks to Murphy, Cindy and their assisted living plus caregiver team at McCrite Plaza at Briarcliff; Amanda and Maria at Senior Helpers; and ACG Hospice nurses Hannah and Aaron.

Edna will be laid to rest next to her husband in Sunrise Cemetery in Manhattan, KS, during a private ceremony. Arrangements entrusted with Meyers Northland Funeral Chapel.