Edna Mae Greathouse

Edna Mae Greathouse was born on March 15, 1943 to St. James and Synesta Grimmett Greathouse in Cleveland, Ohio.  She was the youngest of three children born to this union that also included sister Gwendolyn and brother St. James, Jr.  The family resided in Cleveland and Edna attended Cleveland Public School’s Patrick Henry Junior High School and John Hay High School.   

Edna loved children and previously worked as a nanny for the manager of The Cleveland Orchestra and a local dentist. In these positions, she traveled with the families across the United States and Europe on vacations, which cultivated in Edna a deep love of travel and diverse cultures. Later in life, Edna audited classes at Cleveland State University and excelled in the subject of English, winning literary prizes for a poem and short story she wrote.  

She loved her family and spent quality time with the kids, encouraging them in their education, travel and intellectual curiosity.  Edna also served as the family historian, researching and compiling a detailed family history to share with the younger members. She was an avid reader and loved a good debate. She read everything–classical literature, history, the latest bestsellers and the United States Constitution! Edna was also a fan of pop culture and well versed on popular movies, actors, musicians, plays and art exhibits.  

She had an infectious laugh, youthful spirit, loved fashion and often said, “follow fashion until it gets outrageous then leave it alone!” Edna always spoke her mind and was clear on her convictions.  

Edna Mae Greathouse transitioned from this world on April 11, 2022 and will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved her. She is survived by her sister Gwendolyn Spates Redmond of Twinsburg, Ohio. Edna leaves behind a host of loving cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.