Edward E. Wayne

Edward E. Wayne, 93 of Floodwood died Sunday, April 25, 2004 at his home. He was born September 14, 1910 in Floodwood to Fred and Hannah Wain. Ed attended Whiteface and Moore grade schools. In 1938, he was employed as a butter maker at the Floodwood Co-op Cremery and attended night school, taking classes in electricity, bookkeeping and dairy husbandry at the University of Minnesota Farm Campus in St. Paul. In the mid 1940's, Ed worked as an electrician on the west coast in the shipyards. In the 1950's, he was employed as a butter maker at the Floodwood Creamery. During this time, Ed entered various grading contests earning honors and trophies as District and State champion. In 1946, he married Loretta Romanek of Floodwood and they resided there for a few years. In 1955, due to changes in employment, they moved to Center City. At that time, he worked out of the Minneapolis office for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a Federal Butter and Dairy Inspector, traveling to creameries in the five state area inspecting cheese, powdered milk and butter. Ed enjoyed a variety of sports and competition. During his early adult years, he was an avid boxer, enjoyed playing organized baseball, and had a continued lifelong enjoyment of deer hunting with both rifle and bow, shooting his last deer in 1999. Ed attended and participated in numerous archery tournaments across the state with family and friends. Planning retirement, Ed and Loretta moved back to the Floodwood area in 1985 and built their retirement home in rural Floodwood on the St. Louis River. After retirement, Ed and Loretta became a "couple" of Minnesota snowbirds spending 23 years in Mission, Texas. He is preceded in death by two great-grandchildren, Collin Wayne (son of Sean and Amber) and Emelia Wayne (daughter of Travis and Erin); sisters, Ruth Darling and May Blessner; and brothers, Henry and John. Ed is survived by his wife of 57 years, Loretta; daughter, Lenore (Brian) Greene of Shafer; son, Elard (Mary) Wayne of Esko; grandchildren, Joe and Jason Greene of Shafer, Sean (Amber) Wayne of Duluth, Travis (Erin) Wayne of West Allis, WI and Brandon (Kathy) Wayne of Erlanger, KY; great-grandchildren, Nolan, Amaya and Seth Wayne (children of Sean and Amber) and Clara Wayne (daughter of Travis and Erin); sisters, Martha (Steve) Reylek of Shafer and Esther (Clifford) Branson of Cloquet; and brothers, George (Bertha) Wayne of Grand Rapids and William (Bertha) Wain Floodwood. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Thursday, April 29, 2004 at St. Louis Catholic Church in Floodwood with Father Michael Patullo officiating. Burial was in Forest Hill Cemetery in Van Buren Township. Services entrusted to Northland Funeral Home, 801 14th St., Cloquet.