Edith Cairnes Gardin

Edith Marie Cairnes Gardin, 91, of 33 Hillendale Road, Asheville, died Friday, March 3, 2006, at Fleshers Fairview Nursing Center. A native of Horse Shoe, she was the oldest of seven children born to the late Thomas Hooper and Carrie Clayton Cairnes, a pioneer Western North Carolina family. Married to the late Roy B. Gardin, she was also preceded in death by sisters, Carolyn Monahan Fureigh and Elizabeth Burris Freeman and a brother, Alvoid Julius Cairnes. Mrs. Gardin attended Memorial Mission Hospital School of Nursing, worked for the City of Asheville and served as a registrar for many years. An accomplished musician and jazz guitarist, she performed with her late brother’s band, “The Islanders”, and was a featured vocalist with the Holmes Capps Orchestra in the early 1930s. She was a lifelong member of Biltmore United Methodist Church. For several years she hosted college students from foreign countries in her home for holiday dinners and maintained correspondence with many of those students. She was a former member of the Fraternal Order of the Police Auxiliary, VFW Post #891 and the Democratic National Committee in Washington, DC. A former resident of Daytona Beach, FL, she returned to North Carolina in 2002 following retirement. Survivors include daughters, Ann Sparks and Judy Needle of Asheville and Abbygail Thornton and husband Stephen of Daytona Beach; sons, Thomas Gardin of Asheville and Roger Gardin and wife Patsy of Lawrenceville, GA; sisters, Darlene Warren of Grand Blanc, MI, Helen Morgan and Nancy White, both of Asheville; six grandchildren, Mickey Wilson, Angela Taylor, Joey Sparks, Myron Needle, Bradley Gardin and Bart Gardin; 14 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; special nephew, Larry M. Cairnes, US Army, Retired and special great nephew, Staff Sgt. Thomas M. Cairnes, US Army, currently serving in Iraq. Funeral services will be 2:00 pm Tuesday in the Patton Avenue Chapel of Groce Funeral with the Reverend Ashley Stanley Crowder officiating. Burial will follow at Shepherd Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 7:00-8:30 pm Monday at the funeral home and request that memorials be made to Biltmore United Methodist Church, 376 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803. Her family expreses deep appreciation to Dr. Mark Kendrick of Port Orange, FL, Dr. Will Hamilton of Asheville, Dr. Donald Culver and the staff of Fleshers Fairview Health Care for all their care and support.