RANDOLPH, VT.- Imagine an entire family, gathering together around Christmastime every year. Now, picture that family knowing ahead of time that the next Christmas would be the last one they’d ever spend with their eldest and most loved member. Think about how magical you’d want to make that holiday, knowing the memories from that day would live in the minds of you and your family forever. That was the pressure facing the Edson family last December. But thanks to an outpouring of community support from an annual fundraiser, there was nothing but relief and love during the holiday season. Last October, doctors found a brain tumor inside the matriarch of the family, 91-year-old Betty Edson. They later discovered the tumor was a result of colon cancer. Edson refused to pursue treatment, meaning her prognosis gave her only between one and four months left to live.
“I certainly respected Mom’s decision not to go through that for sure,” Betty’s only son, Stuart Edson said. “But that was tough for me.”
Anyone living in Randolph or the surrounding areas over the last few decades probably knew of Edson or had a personal connection to her. She became a licensed pastor and served in the Sharon Congregational Church for 13 years before becoming a member of Bethany Church in Randolph. There, she founded and chaired the Peace and Justice Committee and was instrumental in creating the social justice group, Immigration and Refugee Awareness and Action. Edson’s willingness to help others extended beyond the church, whether it was teaching the Life Skills for Women program in Bethel or joining the Vermont Low Income Advocacy Council.
Betty Edson, enjoy a glass of wine at Gifford Health Care’s Strode Independent Living Facility. Betty was Strode’s first resident.
“When Mom knew people needed things that she could help out with, she definitely stepped in,” Lynn Sheldon, one of Edson’s two daughters said.
Her other daughter, Susan Wiszniak, recalled how her mother, “took a whole family under her wing at one point.”
Stuart Edson, Sheldon, and Wiszniak joked about making sure there was at least one extra place setting every Thanksgiving, because their mom would always invite someone over who didn’t have a place to go.
“We didn’t know who it was going to be until that week,” Sheldon remarked while chuckling.
Last Thanksgiving, Betty Edson was in good spirits despite her diagnosis, but as Christmas approached, she entered hospice care and it became clear Edson would not be able to travel. Both Wiszniak and Sheldon live out of state and Stuart’s home in Brookfield would not be able to handle a large gathering. This was an extremely devastating turn of events for the Edson family. All they wanted was to have one final special Christmas with their mom, who loved that holiday like no other.
Stuart Edson is a facilities office representative at Gifford Health Care. Since 2006, Gifford has been raising money for end-of-life care patients and their families through its Last Mile Event.
A few weeks before last Christmas, Stuart Edson ran into Ashley Lincoln, the Last Mile Ride organizer, in one of Gifford’s hallways. Lincoln had asked how Betty was feeling. After he explained his mother was in hospice, Lincoln asked if there was anything she could do to help. Edson initially said no, but as the two parted ways he stopped, turned and asked, “Do you happen to know anybody who has a house available so we can have Christmas together?”
That’s all Lincoln needed to hear. She reached out to Randolph resident, Jack Cowdrey. Cowdrey has been a supporter of Gifford’s Last Mile Event since its inception. Years ago while serving as a Justice of the Peace, Cowdrey married a dying woman and her boyfriend in one of Gifford’s garden rooms, special hospital suites for people to live out their final days with a peaceful atmosphere, garden access and additional space for loved ones.
These days, Cowdrey spends the winter months living in Florida with his partner, Carol Buckley. He’s also known Betty for years.
“I knew she (Edson) was sick, but I didn’t know how sick,” Cowdrey said.
Cowdrey and Buckley told Lincoln that the Edsons could use their home for a family Christmas gathering.
“We were so happy to be able to do that,” Cowdrey said. “It’s very heartwarming for me to know that we had a part in the last few days of her life.”
“There were lots of tears and a lot of crying when we found out about the house,” Sheldon said. “It was overwhelming.”
Lincoln was even able to acquire and decorate a Christmas tree, leaving it as a surprise for when Betty Edson arrived at the house.
“She was stunned and it was great,” Stuart Edson said.
“One of the best parts of my job is having the opportunity to distribute the Last Mile funds to people who are in need at a time in life when they are so vulnerable,” Lincoln said. “I appreciate the heartfelt expressions of gratitude and the impact the gifts have on our neighbors’ and friends’ lives.”
Following the Christmas family gathering, Betty Edson wrote a thank you poem to Cowdrey and Buckley. One part read:
Jack of course said yes, / ‘cause he’s that kind of guy, / He saved the day by saying yes; / A gift straight from the sky. / So believe it or not, thanks in part to you, / This has been our best Christmas ever. / We all are eternally grateful / And will be forever and ever.
“When we read it, it brought both of us to tears, because it was so well-written and so emotional,” Cowdrey said.
Betty Edson died on February 1. Funds from the Last Mile helped pay for the hosting of the announcement and programs for her funeral. It also took care of the family luncheon following the service.
“The Last Mile Event has grown into something unimaginable, and it’s because people continue to be so giving and caring,” Cowdrey said.
“With events like the Last Mile, I always thought it was nice to support people financially,” Wiszniak said. “But I didn’t realize until I was the one in the middle of an overwhelming situation what a huge thing it is to have somebody just take that burden off your plate.”
Wiszniak, Sheldon, and Edson will be participating in the Last Mile walk on August 19. They are hosting a team this year called, Edsons’ Peace Posse. As of the beginning of August, they’d raised $3,009 of their $3,500 goal. The generous gestures from community members over the last several months are their way of thanking their mom for her lifetime of service to them, the siblings said.
This Year’s Details
This year’s Last Mile bicycle ride takes place on Saturday, August 13. Riders can choose either a gravel or road course and can also decide on riding 11 or 24 miles. The 5Krun and walk are on Friday afternoon, August 19. Walkers can choose a 1- or 2-mile loop. Food will be available following the run/walk and local band, Something Reckless will be performing live on the Gifford Green. The 75-mile motorcycle ride and barbecue take place on Saturday, August 20.
The fundraiser has gone through changes over its 17 years, expanding from a one-day motorcycle ride to a three-day, multi-faceted event. In 2021, the Last Mile broke both participation (519 people) and fundraising records ($165,000). Money from the Last Mile has been used for meals, travel accommodations, coordinating special events, transportation to appointments, in-home care, funeral expenses or just fulfilling patients’ one final wish.
“Donations are used in meaningful ways to support Gifford patients and families during difficult times of heartache and loss,” Last Mile Event organizer, Ashley Lincoln said. “That support looks different for everyone. Ultimately, the Last Mile Event provides compassion, relief, hope and love.”
There will be exciting door prizes at all three events and winners for raffle prizes will be drawn following the motorcycle ride. For more information, including route maps and registration, go to lastmileride.com.
