Ellicottville Resident and Outdoor Legend Dies at 95
Ellicottville Resident and Outdoor Legend Dies at 95
Edna Margaret Northrup | 1925 - 2021
ELLICOTTVILLE - Edna Northrup passed away on September 8, 2021. She died surrounded by family at her home on the Pengilly Hill Farm in Ellicottville, NY.
Edna was born on Mineral Springs Road in South Buffalo, the eldest daughter of Ruth and Henry Zwilling. She is survived by a sister, Ruth LaBelle, who also lives in Ellicottville, and their step-siblings Jack Montondo, Joan Ashlock, Mary Cirbus, Judy Herman, Geri Kittinger, Richard Zwilling, Dan Zwilling, Fred Zwilling, Arthur Zwilling and deceased step-brother Jim Montondo.
An avid sportswoman, Edna enjoyed playing baseball with the local boys starting in childhood and also was a competitive swimmer until her coach died suddenly when she was about 16. Having watched the movie “Sun Valley Serenade,” Edna decided she absolutely must learn to ski. She earned the money to buy her first skis, boots, and poles while working at the Flint and Kent Department store in Buffalo. She then practiced on the railroad embankment near her house. A friend of hers took her to Chestnut Hill ski area in Buffalo and there she met someone who said, “You should go to Ellicottville and Greer Hill.” And so, at the age of 16, she began regular trips to Ellicottville on the train from Buffalo. She managed to get to the top of Greer Hill via the rope tow on her first trip. And then sped straight down the hill. A local by the name of Lillian Russo, having observed this hair-raising run, asked, “Do you want to learn how to turn before you kill one of us?” The two became friends, and Edna stayed with her when she came to Ellicottville on weekends.
During that time Lillian Russo encouraged her to write letters to G. W. (Bill) Northrup, a local dentist who had brought the sport of skiing to Ellicottville and was, at the time, serving as an oral surgeon in Northern Italy with a MASH unit with the 8th Evacuation during World War II. He and Lillian were childhood friends. And this was simply a friendly gesture on her part to encourage those who were serving abroad during the war.
After the war, Bill came back home to Ellicottville to resume his dental practice alongside his father, Dewitt Clinton Northrup, DDS. One of his good friends was Karl Fahrner, who had been on the German Alpine Olympic Team in the 1930’s. Karl had come to the U.S. before the war to teach skiing. After meeting Edna and seeing her skiing ability, Bill and Karl decided to take her out to Sun Valley to get her started in the sport of ski racing. That didn’t work out because Edna got vertigo in the mountains when the fog rolled in.
On the trip back to Ellicottville from the west, Bill and Edna fell in love. They were married in the Lincoln Hotel (now the Ellicottville Inn Condos). Edna joined Bill selling the first shares for Holiday Valley ski resort from a card table at the bottom of the farm road leading to today’s resort in 1956.
Bill and Edna had 6 children, John (Anne) Northrup currently of Ellicottville, Christiane “Christy” Northrup of Yarmouth, Maine, Penelope (Phil) Kirk of New Mexico, and Bill (Lori) Northrup of Ellicottville. Edna also endured the loss of two children - a daughter Bonnie Laurie Northrup who died at the age of 6 months, and Cynthia “Cindy” Jane Northrup who was killed in an auto accident in 1977. Edna’s husband Bill died while playing tennis with Edna at 68 years old, within 9 months of Cindy’s death.
During her years of family life, Edna became a dental hygienist and worked with her husband at his practice. She became one of the very first certified ski instructors in the area and taught regularly at Holiday Valley. She was an avid golfer, tennis player, hiker, and hunter. Her children recount how she often got her deer on Thanksgiving morning and then got home in time to cook the turkey.
Family vacations were often spent back-packing in the Adirondacks. Everyone in the family learned to ski starting at the age of 2. Christy is fond of saying, “If you didn’t ski, you didn’t eat.” The family were regulars at the Ellicottville Ski Club. Edna drove her daughter Penelope to many ski races around New England and New York. Penny, following in Edna’s boots as a gifted athlete, eventually became a member of the U.S. Ski Team and skied on the World Cup Circuit throughout Europe.
After her husband Bill’s death, Edna began a whole new life. She became the Mayor of Ellicottville and served unopposed for 8 years. When she finished up her civic duties, she and her best friend Anne Mausolff of Chester, Vermont set off to fulfill a life-long dream of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, which they completed in 1991. They also enjoyed many other canoeing, hiking, and fishing adventures as well, driving around the country in Edna’s camper. In addition, the two of them worked for Edna’s son Bill, inspecting abandoned railroads for his railroad salvage business.
Edna and Anne climbed the hundred highest peaks in New England, many of them unmarked. They did this with compasses and maps. No GPS. Ever. Edna’s physical prowess and adventurous spirit landed her the New York State Woman of Distinction award presented in Albany, New York in 2007.
At the age of 84, Edna fulfilled another life-long dream of going to Mt Everest. She climbed one-way 50 miles to the Mt Everest Base Camp and back, along with her daughter Penny and Penny’s husband Phil. She remains the oldest woman to ever do this trip.
Edna is survived by her children (mentioned above) and grandchildren Jake, Karl, Rachel (children of John Northrup), Ann and Kate (children of Christiane Northrup) and Jacob, Matt, and Nigel (children of Penny Kirk). In addition, she enjoyed the company of her 10 great-grandchildren.
Though we will miss the stalwart matriarch of the Northrup family, Edna’s life and legacy will remain a beacon of inspiration and strength not only to her family, but also for all those whose lives she touched. We wish to thank and acknowledge the caregiving team who were so loving and devoted to Edna’s care at her home. Nancy Peters, Carey Waters, Diane Nenno, Charlene Nannen, Amanda Witt, Roberta Steffenhagen, Hanni Ruszkowski, Andrea Crowley, Susy Barrera, Linda Wiatrowski, Ivy Shortz, Sarah Keller. Buddy, Edna’s dog, wishes to thank Maria Barrera for taking him on dog walks and showering him with love and treats.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Family Support of Ellicottville www.ellicottvillerotary.com/donate or a charity of your choice.
Visitation will be at the Yodeler Lodge at Holiday Valley Resort Friday, September 10th from 6:00-9:00pm and Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am, followed by a ceremony at noon.