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Edith Carlton

June 2, 1928 - February 10, 2015
Livonia, MI

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Visitation

Friday, February 13, 2015
3:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST
Turowski Life Story Funeral Homes
Livonia, West of Middlebelt
30200 Five Mile Rd.
Livonia, MI 48154
(734) 525-9020
Driving Directions

Service

Saturday, February 14, 2015
11:00 AM EST
Turowski Life Story Funeral Homes
Livonia, West of Middlebelt
30200 Five Mile Rd.
Livonia, MI 48154
(734) 525-9020
Driving Directions

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Angela Hospice
14100 Newburgh Road
Livonia, MI 48154
(734) 464-7810
Web Site

Salvation Army
Web Site

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
Web Site

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

Cardwell Florists
(734) 421-3567

Life Story / Obituary


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All who knew Edith Carlton would agree that there was no one who met her and left unchanged. She was loving, kind and wise, and with her quick wit she had developed quite a Facebook following. Edith was a devoted wife and nurturing mother; the rock of her family who was there for whatever her five children, seventeen grandchildren, or nine great-grandchildren needed. She was a woman of many passions with an insatiable thirst to learn new things, and she was amazing at keeping up with the way technology could greatly enrich her life. Accompanied by unwavering strength, Edith faced whatever trials came her way while remaining content in wherever her journey took her. Life will never be the same without her here, but her spirit will remain alive in the loved ones she leaves behind for generations to come.

The year 1928 brought great joy to Fred and Annie Watson as they announced the birth of their eighth child on June 2nd of that year. Born and raised in Redford Township, Michigan, Edith was raised alongside her older siblings, Jack, Annie, Elsie, Fred, Ethel, George and Gladys, and her younger sibling Bill. Both of her parents came from England, and her father worked as a builder, joiner, and master cabinet maker while her mother was a homemaker. Edith attended local schools and graduated from Redford Union High School.

New and exciting changes were in store for Edith when she met her knight in shining armor. His name was Joseph Russell Carlton, and they met while they were each out on the town with friends. Sparks flew right from the start, and she always considered meeting Joe to be serendipitous. Deeply in love, Edith and Joe were married on September 17, 1949, at Redford Presbyterian Church, marking the beginning of a new chapter in a love story that would span 57 wonderful years.

The newlyweds initially rented a place in Detroit, but after a year they returned to Redford where Edith lived for the rest of her life. She loved Redford and learned everything she could about its history. Together they welcomed five children including Joe, Martha, Pat, Marianne, and Janice into their hearts and home. From the moment she became a mother Edith fully immersed herself in the role, and encouraging and supporting her children was her primary focus. They loved spending time together, and Edith’s parents’ cottage in Pinckney provided the backdrop for some of their favorite memories filled with summer days spent swimming, fishing, and listening to the sound of the Poplar trees. Saturday and Sunday mornings often found Edith in her slippers and robe with Joe barefoot and shirtless singing and dancing around the house, paying no attention to the toys under their feet while their children looked on, captivated by their love for one another.

Edith was strong determined and yet always calm traits admired by many. She told her daughter Pat, that she comes from a long line of strong women. She shared her passion for flowers and gardening with Janice, and as something they both loved Janice will always think of her mother at the sight of a beautiful rose or lilac. To Marianne, Edith was her mentor, her hero, and her best friend while to Joe she was someone who offered her unconditional love. Edith taught her children that they could accomplish anything they set their mind to by the example that she provided. Martha learned from her mother that she could fix anything in the house. Edith exemplified what it means to be a mother as she gave her children the roots they needed during their younger years and the wings they needed to become the adults who made her so very proud later on.

When their family grew to include grandchildren, Edith and Joe couldn’t have been happier. Their backyard pool was the place to be most days, and the weekends often found them having picnics there, too. Edith treasured the births of each one of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and she just loved holding the babies. In the eighties she took the trip of a lifetime to visit her relatives in England with Joe as well as her sisters, Annie, Elsie, and Ethel. Edith met countless relatives who she remained in touch with through cards and letters for the rest of her life. It was such a gift to be able to visit the places that she had learned of through her genealogy research. After Joe’s death Edith continued to treasure her family, and it became a new tradition to visit her daughter’s home for Sunday dinners. The conversation and company of one another during those visits and so many other times spent with family sustained her.

Throughout her life Edith was a woman of many interests, and many of them were shared with the ones she loved most. She and Joe were known to take long Sunday drives that often ended in another state, and with unending love for one another their favorite song was “Spanish Eyes.” In fact, Edith was planning on going dancing with her beloved Joe upon being reunited after her death. As an avid reader she always had a book or two going, a daily crossword puzzle always in progress, a lover of Jeopardy, and she read anything from Stephen King. Edith was creative and loved beautiful things whether she was flower gardening, decorating cakes, knitting or designing clothes to sew. She never could turn away from Gone With the Wind, and she loved a good Perry Como or Andy Williams song as well as her favorite poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee.” She was forever busy learning new things and was well versed on finding what she was looking for on Google. Edith had the time of her life at the Mad Hatter’s tea party themed birthday celebration for her 85th birthday, and she was so thankful for being able to share her life with the amazing people she was blessed to call family and friends.

On November 23, 2011 Edith wrote: "I am thankful for my family--my kids, grandkids and great-grand grandkids. I'm thankful I'm healthy enough to be able to do anything I want to do. I'm thankful for the 57 years I had with Joe. I'm thankful for a good life and great memories." A gracious, generous and fun loving woman, Edith savored every moment she was given and counted every step in her life’s journey as a gift. A wonderful mother and a reliable friend - an extraordinary woman in every way, she will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

Edith Carlton died on February 10, 2015. Edith’s family includes her children, Joseph (Sharon), Martha, Patricia (John) Dombrowski, Marianne (Les) Herndon, and Janice (James) George; 17 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; and sister, Gladys Steffens. Edith was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph. Visitation Friday 3-9 p.m. at our Neely-Turowski Life Story Funeral Home 30200 Five Mile (Between Middlebelt and Merriman). Funeral Service Saturday 11 a.m. at the funeral home. You may sign the guest book and share memories at www.TurowskiLifeStory.com

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to one of the following:

Angela Hospice

Salvation Army

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation

Please click "CONTRIBUTIONS" in the menu on the right side of this page.

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