Edith Eleanor Wintermute Jendrasiak died Jan. 15, 2024 at her home at the Reserve at Mills Farm in Apex, NC. She was 88.

Edith was born Dec. 11, 1935 in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, the fourth of eight children born to Edwin and Grace Wintermute. She grew up in Idaho, Ohio, and Michigan, often living in rural areas and dealing with the realities of outhouses and slaughtering your own chickens for dinner. She graduated from Haslett High School in MI and after working as a bank teller for a year, joined the convent and became a Sister of St. Joseph. As Sr. Sienna, she taught in elementary schools in Highland Park and Grosse Pointe, MI, often with upwards of 50 students in her classrooms.

Edith left the convent after seven years. She had found her calling in teaching, but had become disillusioned with some of the policies of the Catholic Church. She later met Gordon Jendrasiak and they married in April of 1963; he predeceased her in December of 2023 after 60 years of marriage.

Edith often joked about how long it took her to complete college - she began when she was in the convent and then continued her education across two decades at schools including the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin; her undergraduate degree was ultimately granted by Nazareth College in Michigan. In her fifties, she returned to school at East Carolina University and earned a master’s degree in English, something she was rightfully proud of having accomplished. She was a strong supporter of Catholic schools and taught in a number of different elementary schools, including for two decades at St. Peter’s in Greenville, NC. She loved her students, and especially loved to encourage them in reading, writing, and art. She believed that each of her students was capable of mastering what she taught, and was an excellent and dedicated teacher. After her retirement, she often came across former students, who always greeted her with tremendous affection and gratitude.

Edith was a passionate reader and instilled a love for books in her children and grandchildren. She loved music and art, and was a talented painter and crafter as well as a wonderful gardener. She was an amazing baker who made the world’s best pies and gingerbread and also produced thousands of beautifully decorated holiday sugar cookies over the years with the help of her children and then her grandchildren.

She is survived by her children, Jennifer Norton (Tom), Grace McLean (Tim), and Gordon Jendrasiak (Laurie) along with her grandchildren Sean (Erin), Owen, Charleston, Laney, Adam, and Brooklyn. She is also survived by her youngest brother Jack (Nancy) of MN, sisters-in-law Shirley Wintermute of IN, Beth Wintermute of MD, and Judy Towne of MI, and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband she was predeceased by her sister Mary Ellen and her brothers Mike, Ed, Jim, Phil, and Rob; her niece Jessica and her nephew Joachim; brother-in-law John Briganti and sister-in-law Marcia Wintermute.

She will be buried beside her husband in Grand Rapids, MI. Private graveside services will be held at a later date.