Natick: Edith E. Rankin, age 96, a longtime resident of Natick, died on Thursday morning, April 10, 2014 at Sunrise of Wayland, her home for the past several years. She was the devoted wife of the Pvt. Robert James Rankin, who was killed in action in St. Lo, France, on July 18, 1944. He is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer.
Born in Brookline, she was a daughter of the late Thomas and Adeline (Nethercott) Slater. She and Robert had been living on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston when he enlisted with the Army during World War II.
Edith was a devoted member of the Church of Christ Scientist and was employed as a bookkeeper at the Mother Church in Boston, and later at the Longyear Museum at its previous location on Fisher Hill in Brookline. Prior to moving to Wayland, Edith spent much of her time at the Christian Science Reading Room in Natick.
Sister of the late Dorothy Maynard, Betty Joyner, and Herbert Slater, she is survived by several nieces and nephews and their familes.
Her funeral will be at the John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park Street at Natick Common, on Thursday, April 17th at 9:00a.m. Interment will follow at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne at 11:30a.m.
Donations may be made in Edith’s Memory to the Longyear Museum, 1125 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-1811.