Edna Hoyt

Edna Mae (Bourquin) Hoyt loved life. She lived it fully from the time she was born on April 27, 1936 in Auburn, Nebraska to Ted and Odessa Bourquin, to her last fighting breath at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado on October 12, 2022.

Edna grew up on a family farm north of Colby, along with a younger sister Gwen and brother Dan, as a typical farm girl involved in 4-H, farm and household chores. She graduated Colby High School in 1954, attended Kansas State University and graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education.

Edna loved to tell the story of how Leon proposed. He said, “might as well get married” to which she responded, “might as well.” After the three-day engagement, they were married on December 25, 1958 at 12:30 a.m. in Colby after the Christmas Eve program. They resided in Hutchinson, Kansas where she finished her first year of teaching. In the spring of 1959, Leon and Edna moved to the Hoyt farm 15 miles north of Brewster where three sons were born, Craig (1959), Scott (1961), and Keith (1962).

Edna always documented events that were happening, probably because they were always so lively in the Hoyt household. After Craig and Scott witnessed Keith almost born in the car, Edna described the boys’ childhood as “A can of whip cream on the floor, honey in the toaster, and leaking pipes in the basement, courtesy of the boys, and the question “WHY?” over and over.” Leon and Edna endured events of mother nature a short time after, including a twister striking the Hoyt farm in 1962 and the blizzard of 1975.

Edna taught the sixth grade for three years in the Brewster school system, from 1969 to 1972. She was a farm wife, farm hand, mom, grandma and great-grandma. She always said, “we should write a book” due to the constant “organized chaos”. When she wasn’t helping move farm equipment and cattle, you could find her in the kitchen whipping up meals, many times with the help of her grandchildren, that may have sometimes looked interesting but were always surprisingly satisfying, including the “Candy Cane Casserole.”

You could hear her whooping and hollering at sporting events for her children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. Leon and Edna were always on the road, “Go, Grandma, Go!” we’d say.

Edna always went to bat for her family. It came as a shock to her to learn just how ornery her boys might have been once they began telling their stories as adults. She recognized all her grandchildren’s friends as if they were her own, the go-to grandma for the whole team. When something was needed, you could almost always find it in her purse.

Edna was preceded in death by her parents, her mother and father-in-law, and infant sister. She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Leon, sons Craig (Billie) and Keith (Chris) of Brewster, Scott (Shelly) of Eureka; grandchildren, Tabitha (Brenden) Ptacek, Amanda (Jordan) Reid, Audrey (BJ) Stephens, Kasey (Brandon) Rome, Dan Dewey, Jacie (Daniel Heflin) Hoyt, Corinna (Kellen) Adams, Terran (Braden Larcom) Hoyt; and 19 great-grandkids. She is also survived by her sister Gwen Beauchamp and brother Dan (Shirley) Bourquin.

Memorial services will begin with visitation on Sunday, October16, 2022, 4-6:00pm at Baalmann Mortuary, Colby, with funeral services on Monday, 10:00am at the Brewster United Methodist Church, burial following at Brewster Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Brewster United Methodist Church and Brewster Heritage Center and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com