Edna Virginia Aschenbrenner

Edna Virginia (Henderson) Aschenbrenner, 89, of Enterprise, died Sept. 7 in Enterprise. A graveside service will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday at Enterprise Cemetery. Family and friends are invited.

Edna was born Aug. 2, 1920, to Wallowa homesteaders Albert Lee and Hattie May (Davis) Henderson at their home near Paradise. Her family moved to Enterprise in 1921 where three of her siblings were born.

Edna graduated from Enterprise in 1938. She married Chet Aschenbrenner on April 1, 1940, in Weiser, Idaho. During their 52 years together, the couple owned properties on the Zumwalt Prairie, up Camp Creek near Imnaha and in rural Wallowa County south of Enterprise.

Edna spent most of her life as a farm wife but also worked in medical records at Wallowa Memorial Hospital and as Enterprise city librarian. She published several poems and a humorous first-person account as a U.S. Forest Service fire lookout at Buckhorn Lookout. She was also selected as a contributor for National Park Service's "Rosy the Riveter" Museum in San Francisco for memoirs of WWII rural patriotism.

Edna was a former member of the Wallowa County Republican Central Committee and served in several elections as a poll watcher. For 33 years, Edna was a National Weather Service volunteer who provided local radio and newspaper weather information. After her "retirement" from the National Weather Service, she was retained as a local weather emergency spotter.

She enjoyed living on the farm, going to the woods, painting, writing and her family, especially her three grandchildren.

Edna is survived by her son, Robert "Bob" Aschenbrenner and his wife, Annette of Enterprise; daughter, Gail (Aschenbrenner) and her husband, Gary West, of Spokane; sister, Naomi Doss of Enterprise; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and Chet's remaining family.

She was preceded in death by husband, Chet Aschenbrenner; parents; sisters, Arla Henderson, Ola Henderson, Clyda Willett and Beatrice Hoit; brothers, Earl Henderson, Theodore R. Henderson and Clifford L. Henderson; and many other family members.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Enterprise Public Library.

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