Jadwiga "Edie" Irena Pickering, a beloved nursing technician and cherished family member, passed away peacefully on June 18, 2026. Born on January 9, 1936, Poland, Edie's life was a testament to resilience, love, and unwavering devotion to those she held dear.

Edie's journey began in the small town of Radom, Poland, where her early years were marked by hardship and courage. During World War II, she and her family were forcibly taken to Nazi Germany at four years old, enduring five years of hard labor under unimaginable conditions. While transferring from the home, her brother was left alone and tragically died. Despite these harsh trials including losing her elder sister at 16 years of age, Janina, Edie’s spirit remained unbroken. With the Liberation of Poland in 1945, she and her loved ones sought refuge and new beginnings in France in 1949. They spent years there and she met her husband Raymond Lee Stafford and Married on 9-12-1959 and she navigated life as a Military Bride. Eventually on 6-29-1960, Edie embraced a new chapter of her life in the United States, raising her nieces and nephew as if they were her own children alongside Raymond until his passing on June 29,1971. She later met her Marine husband, Gerald Pickering, they married on December 1st 1975, carrying with her the strength and hope forged through years of struggle.

Edie was proud to have lived independently until the age of 90, a testament to her remarkable vitality and determination. Throughout her life, she touched countless hearts as a nursing technician at North Kansas City Hospital, dedicating herself to the care and comfort of others with grace and compassion.

More than her professional contributions, Edie will be remembered for the warmth and love she poured into her family. She was a devoted aunt, raising her nieces and nephews as if they were her own children, enveloping them in a bond of love and guidance that shaped their lives profoundly.

Her home was a sanctuary graced by what many fondly called her "Heavenly Garden," a reflection of her nurturing soul and gift for creating beauty amidst life’s challenges.

Jadwiga "Edie" Irena Pickering leaves behind a legacy of love, strength, and unyielding kindness. Her life, marked by perseverance and an open heart, will forever inspire those privileged to know her. May her memory bloom eternally, much like the garden she so lovingly tended.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Raymond Stafford; her husband that she widowed to, Gerald Pickering; her niece, Gracie Stokes; her niece Bernadette; her nephew Jean Paul; her nephew Fred; her parents, Atanzy (Atanazy) Kozieracki of the Polish Cavalry and Prakseda Bojko; her six siblings, Janina, Eugenia, Bolek, Anna, Janina (2nd), and Maria.

She leaves behind a family who loves her. Those that she raised as her children: Tania (Imtiaz) Samejo, Linda (Alex) Kiel, Eric Ehler, and Gracie (Kitrell) Stokes; grandchildren, Aisha, Shazia, Ali, Jasmine, Tatiana, and Nathaniel; great grandchildren, Aniyah, Yusuf, Ishaq, Manny, Emma, and Elijah; nieces and nephews, Marie, Jean-Marie, Eric, Jean-luc, Patricia, Maryline and Valerie. Joe Jr., Betty, Joey, Dedier, and Stephane,