Ernest R. Edmonston

On Friday, August 23, 2019, Ernest R. Edmonston, 76, passed away. At his request, there will be no services. His body will be cremated, and his remains scattered in a private ceremony. Ernest was born on November 12, 1942, in Clovis, New Mexico, to Marvin W. and Mildred Whinery Edmonston, now both deceased. He is survived by wife, Roseanne Edmonston; daughter, Marla Edmonston of Albuquerque; and several cousins. Ernest was schooled in Clovis but spent a lot of his childhood on an old dryland farm near St. Vrain, NM. It was here that he learned the work ethic that he carried all his life. Here also, Ernest became a self-taught marksman by hours of stalking the elusive jackrabbit with a Red Ryder BB gun and later an old Winchester single shot 22, and at times with only one round of ammunition. He won his first shooting match at the age of 10 while competing with over 100 other boys at a Woodman of the World camp. He served over four years in the U. S. Marine Corps during the 1960s which included a 13-month tour of Asia. Ernest was very proud of being a Marine. He served in the 1st Marine Division and the 1st and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wings. His marksmanship abilities continued while in the Marine Corps, and he never fired a qualification score with a rifle under that of Expert. Ernest married Roseanne Iafornaro in Albuquerque, NM, on July 29. They moved what belongings they had to Clovis the next day in the back of an old 1955 Ford convertible. They were together for 52 years. He started with the N. M. State Highway Department in 1965, by dragging a chain on a survey crew making $1.59 an hour. Ernest persevered with the thought of better things to come and retired in 1990 as an Engineering Technician Supervisor. He had supervised multi-million-dollar highway construction projects all over the South-East quarter of New Mexico. His attention to detail and honesty saved the taxpayers of New Mexico an untold amount of money. Just after retirement, Ernest underwent a serious operation to remove cancer from his tongue, jaw, and throat. He battled this and other cancer diseases for over 21 years. Cancer returned in his mouth, but once again Ernest shook it off after more surgery. He never lost the determination to survive. Ernest was a Patron Member of the National Rifle Association, a life member of the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association, and a life member of the Roswell Gun Club. He was or had been a licensed guide, a member of the American Legion, the Single Action Shooting Society, and several other organizations. After joining the Roswell Gun Club, Ernest spent many, many enjoyable days at the range shooting metallic silhouette matches. Even after losing his right eye in an auto accident, he learned to shoot left-handed and continued to move forward. Even into his 70s, Ernest was competing as well as ever and had won over 1,100 silhouette matches. He set records in several of these matches, some remaining to this day. Ernest served as the Treasurer and was on the Board of Directors of the Roswell Gun Club for over 18 years. Had it not been for Ernest’s efforts during some trying times with the State and BLM, there would be no Roswell Gun Club today. Ernest could never remain still and always had to be doing something with his hands. He was an accomplished “whittler” and carved many award-winning objects including figurines, walking canes, wooden chains, “Hitty” dolls, etc. Ernest never sold any of these objects; he just gave them away to people who he thought might appreciate his efforts. He enjoyed researching his ancestry. Ernest had his branch of the family tree traced back to the mid-1600s in America. At one time the Edmonston family was quite wealthy and once owned the property that Washington, D. C. now stands on. It was, apparently, the Civil War that brought an end to the prosperity, as Ernest had relatives who fought on both sides of the war. Ernest was of the Baptist faith. Please take a moment and share a kind thought or memory with Ernest’s family at www.andersonbethany.com. Ernest’s tribute was written in his honor by his loving family.

Ernest R. Edmonston

November 12, 1942 - August 23, 2019