Katherine "Edie" was born on August 28, 1938 in Quill Lake, SK and was the daughter of the late Joseph and Hilda (Roberts) Sketchley. Edie spent exactly eight months as a prairie girl before her family sold the farm in Quill Lake, packed up everything, left the dust bowl of Saskatchewan and drove to New Brunswick in search of a better living. The year was 1939. The family had just arrived in NB when the Second World War broke out. It was a rough welcome to their new home. Edie grew up first in Harwood and then in Butternut Ridge, near Havelock. Survival depended on hard work, and she learned how. The 40-acre family farm had plenty of hands with siblings Tom, Bill, Ivan, Charlie, Albert, Evaline, Shirley and Ray. As a teenager, Edie met John McArthur of Sussex, and they were married in 1955. The next year, Burton John was born two months premature. He spent six weeks in hospital. At the time, John earned $36 a week, and the medical bill was $35 a week. Fourteen months later, Edie gave birth to a second son, Murray Eugene. He too was premature, and again, the medical bills piled up. Three months after his birth, Murray died in his crib. At that point, this young couple, married just over two years, were mired in medical and funeral bills. Their daughter Gisele was born three years later, and son, Mike, 11 years after that. Edie realized early on if the family was going to have anything, she was going to have to go to work. But she knew how to work. Over the years, she worked at the Kings County Record, the Save-Easy on Maple Avenue, the Dominion store, Metropolitan Café and finally, Barbour Foods. Her desire to contribute financially to the family allowed them to purchase a house at O'Connell Ave. in 1963 for $1,500. It is from this house that Edie entered the hospital just a few weeks ago. That house was the centre of her family life, and she opened its doors to all who wanted to enter, particularly her extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins and her beloved siblings, most of whom had returned to western Canada as adults. Her gift was hospitality. Edie always had a Christian faith, learned from her mother, and in 1960, she began attending the Salvation Army in Sussex. She held many positions within the church over the years, from Sunday school teacher to board member. She devoted thousands of hours and prayers to her church. She is described today as the mother of this church. Edie had a quiet dignity that kept her from feeling sorry for herself, even in the face of terminal cancer. She knew the illness would take her life, and she used it to inspire and teach others about faith, God's will and the promise of heaven, where she lives today. Her greatest desire would be for you to leave here today with a greater faith in her Saviour, Jesus Christ. Edie is survived by her husband beloved husband John; her daughter, Gisele McKnight and her husband Louis of Lake George, NB; two sons: Burton and his wife Wanda McArthur of Apohaqui, NB and Michael and his wife Alba McArthur of Tashkent, Uzbekistan; her brothers: Bill and his wife Bertha of Powell River, BC, Charlie and his wife Ellen of Nanaimo, BC, and Ray and his wife Heather of Powell River, BC; her sisters: Evaline Blakney of Petitcodiac, NB and Shirley Douthwright of Creston,BC; her grandchildren: Andrew LeBlanc of Sussex, Erica LeBlanc of North Sydney, Eric McArthur of Tashkent, Lorilee McArthur of Tashkent, Amanda McGrath and her husband Jamie McGrath of Riverview, Lindsay McArthur of Mt. Middleton, Marc McArthur and his wife Kathlene of Sussex Corner, Ashley McKnight of Vietnam and Jacqueline of Lake George, NB; great grandchildren: Amelia, Madalin, Abigail, Myelle as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins. Mrs "Edie" Katherine Edith McArthur of Sussex passed away on December 20, 2012 at the age of 74. She was predeceased by her infant son Murray and her brothers: Thomas, Albert and Ivan. Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate care of Wallace Funeral Home, 34 Sunnyside Drive, Sussex, (506-433-1176), where visitation will be held on Friday, December 21, 2012 from 1-3 and 6-8pm. A service celebrating Edie's life will be held from the Salvation Army Community Church on Saturday, December 22, 2012 at 2:00pm. Donations made to the Salvation Army Community Church or the Mgr. Henri Cormier Lodge, which is adjacent to the Georges Dumont Hospital where Edie stayed last spring during radiation treatments, would be appreciated by the family. www.wallacefuneralhome.com