Edith Godfrey

Edith Nilssen Godfrey, loving Mother, doting Bestemor and beloved sister, aunt and friend, passed away on Wednesday, October 27, at the age of 92. Wife of the late James Andrew Godfrey, Jr., Mother of Lynn Godfrey Cunningham and Dr. Kay Godfrey, mother-in-law of Steve Cunningham, grandmother of Ellen Nilssen Cunningham. She is also survived by two sisters, Ann Margrethe Nilsen Moe of Harstad, Norway, and Herdis (Gulle) Nilsen Rachie of Destin, Florida.

A native of Harstad, Norway, Edith was born May 2, 1918, and emigrated to the United States in 1947. She married a Louisiana man and together they raised a family in Harahan, where she formed abiding friendships that lasted until her death.

Edith will be remembered for her calm, graceful demeanor, a disarming sweetness that belied an extraordinary strength of character. Her unfaltering devotion to her family, both here and in Norway, is her legacy. She was a serious homemaker who excelled at sewing, knitting and baking, particularly Norwegian cakes and cookies.

For decades, Edith was an active member and officer of Kvinneforeningen, the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Norwegian Seamen’s Church, and Nordmanns-Forbundet, the local chapter of the Norwegian club. She attended services at the Prytania Street church regularly and worked tirelessly for the church’s annual Christmas bazaar.

In the 1970s, Edith was employed by Commercial Union insurance company.

Besides her husband James, Edith was preceded in death by her parents, Olga Olsen Nilsen and Haakon Kyrre Nilsen, her brother Arnold Andreas Nilsen and sister Martha Nilsen Johannssen, all of Harstad, Norway.

She is also survived by nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews in the United States and Norway, and numerous friends. Finally, Edith is survived by the loving family dog, Bubba, who will miss her visits.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Service from the New Orleans home of Jacob Schoen & Son, 3827 Canal St. at N. Scott St., on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010, at 1 p.m. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. until service time. Interment will be in Metairie Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed online at www.schoencanalstreet.com.

Arrangements under the direction of Schoen Funeral Home, New Orleans, LA.