Edna Oulton’s philosophy was, “Things turn out best for those who turn out.”
And Edna Oulton, who died May 25 at age 74, was a determined, independent person, surviving things that would put anyone to the test.
“She was not a woman of regret,” said her daughter, Stacie Oulton of Lakewood.
Edna Oulton was the mother of four children, two of whom had muscular dystrophy.
Her daughter Jodie died at age 15, and son Steve died at age 38.
Nevertheless, Edna Oulton made sure she did as much as possible for all of her children as well as her husband.
“She was the glue” that held the family together, said her husband, Chuck Oulton.
“She wasn’t a complainer. She took punches as they came,” said her longtime friend and neighbor Dalene Thomas.
Edna Oulton didn’t just survive – she enjoyed life. She loved sunrises and sunsets, Fudgsicles and Eskimo Pies. On camping trips, she would get up before the rest of the family just to see the sunrise.
She read history, biographies, poetry and murder mysteries. A trip to the library with her meant “a staggering load” of books to be taken to the car, her husband said.
She pressed beautiful leaves in huge encyclopedias and loved to try new food. One summer she and her husband tried running a hot dog stand in downtown Denver.
It wasn’t easy or profitable, but Edna Oulton never shrank from trying something new.
“The kids always hoped we wouldn’t sell out so they’d have hot dogs that night,” said Chuck Oulton.
Another time, a daughter wanted the family to live like pioneers, and they did – cooking on the Coleman stove outside and washing their hands in a bucket.
Stacie Oulton calls her mom “brave” for going along with the idea.
Edna Oulton “didn’t like chitchat but loved to debate,” her daughter said. “She had very ardent points of view and was a complete political junkie.”
Edna Josephine Hasenzahl was born Dec. 1, 1930, in Kansas City, Mo., and graduated from Lillis High School.
She met Chuck Oulton at a church dance. They married April 25, 1953, and almost immediately moved to Denver, his hometown.
She worked in the accounting department at various firms until they began raising a family.
They moved to Lakewood in 1967 and enrolled two of their children in Fletcher-Miller School, where Edna worked as an aide for several years.
In addition to her husband and daughter, Edna Oulton is survived by her son Jeff Oulton of Gunnison; four grandchildren; and one sister, Kitty Rauzi of Raytown, Mo.
Staff writer Virginia Culver can be reached at 303-820-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com.
