Obituary of Edna T. Griscom

Edna "Eddie" May Griscom (nee Thompson), 92, of Pennsville, NJ, passed away on Friday, May 15th after bravely battling the COVID19 virus. Eddie was born at home, Cramer Hill, East Camden, NJ on July 5, 1927 to the late John James and Ruthanna B. Thompson (nee Powell). She is predeceased by her husband of 73 years, William T. Griscom. Eddie was a 1945 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, NJ. After graduating from high school Eddie went to work as a receptionist at Dunn and Brad Street located in the PSFS building in Philadelphia. Eddie met her husband, Bill in 1946 at Dancette in Oaklyn, a South Jersey dance club where farm boys would go to on weekends to meet the "city girls". The day after meeting Bill, Eddie told her girlfriends, "I met a really good dancer named Bill Driscoll!" The rest was, as they say, history. They married May 20, 1947. Together they raised a son, a daughter, and managed a successful farm for 43 years. After marrying and moving to the farm, Eddie worked several jobs starting at the DuPont Chambers Works as a lab technician. Eddie also worked in advertising for the Salem Sunbeam, which was a job she enjoyed and came to know many people. When her children came she gladly put her job aside to do what made her happiest. Eddie always managed to balance life as a farm wife with being a mother and, she did it well and, without complaint. Eddie enjoyed entertaining and often cooked holiday meals for family, lunch for the gunners and, New Year's Eve dinner for their crowd. In 1978, Eddie rejoined the workforce and worked for Flowers by Ford in Penns Grove and then at the Salem County Clerk's office until she retired in 1996. In 1988 Eddie and her husband left the farm and moved to their dream home in Pennsville. Their retirement years were filled with a couple of cross-country road trips, summers at the Maddox Campground in Chincoteague, VA, visits from their grandkids and great-grandkids, trips to Cowtown, yard-sales and feeding treats to their Silky Terrier "Kadee". Eddie always loved an adventure and found excitement in the small things. The girl left the city but, the city never left the girl. She was immensely proud of who and where she came from and told many stories of "up home". She was committed to her husband and family and always took the opportunity to tell us how much we were loved and appreciated. Family always came first right up to the end. Eddie and Bill were longtime members of the Lutheran Church of St Ambrose in Pennsville. Eddie never recovered from the loss of her husband, Bill who passed away almost 5 months earlier. She passed away just 5 days before their 73rd wedding anniversary. When thinking about the two of them it is hard to think about one without thinking of the other. They had never spent an anniversary apart and when God took Eddie, there's no doubt Bill was waiting to take her the rest of the way home. We will always love and miss you but they are back together forever, as it was meant to be. Simply put, we will never forget our beautiful memories together and the role models both of you were to our family. Eddie is also predeceased by her older sister, Ruth Anna Melleby (Thompson) and younger brother, John James Thompson, Jr. Eddie is survived by a son, Wayne Griscom; daughter, Kim Griscom Bryant (Harry); grandsons Rick Talerico (Dawn), Ryan Griscom (Alexa), Daniel Bryant, Michael Bryant, Stacia Bryant Cheeseman (Wayne); great - grandchildren Nicki, Kelly, and Brady Talerico; Jacob and Abigail Cheeseman; sister-in-laws Renetta Thompson (Villages, FL) and Ruth Griscom (Woodstown). Eddie is also survived by a cherished cousin, Louise Lassiter (Phil) and many nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends that all held a special place in her life. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date when it is safe for family and friends to gather together. Funeral arrangements provided by the Laughrey Funeral Home, 1 North Broadway, Pennsville, NJ. www.laughreyfuneralhome.com