Brief Life Sketch

Edward is buried next to Pat and is the son of Marshall and Carol Lyman. He was stillborn, at 28 weeks gestation, on November 28th, 1991.

“I have a vivid memory of telling my sister just a few months into my pregnancy that I felt like I wasn't going to get to keep the baby and that worry stayed with me. When I reached 28 weeks I felt a sense of relief knowing that at that point it wouldn't be unusual for him to be born fine, even if prematurely, with Primary Children's Hospital just a short helicopter ride away if necessary.

My husband Marshall decided about then to ensure we wouldn't have any more children and against my wishes scheduled and got a vasectomy. The last time I felt Edward move, I was sitting in the waiting room for that appointment. Edward had been particularly active that day, so it stuck in my memory.

Late in the evening of November 26th as I sat on my bed planning the music for upcoming Relief Society meetings - I 'heard' or felt the words: "Your baby has died". It felt real and I mourned even then. I woke Marshall after a while and I don't know that I slept at all that night.

In the morning I called the doctor's office and they told me to go over to the hospital. They happened to have a portable ultrasound machine in Delta that day and the images showed there was no heartbeat. I was induced and endured an emotionally and physically horrendous labor and delivery, with Marshall not very much support since he was recovering from his procedure. My body wasn't ready to let him go, so they ended up using some pretty strong meds to get labor to finally work - it took all day and into the next morning.

We were able to hold him to say hello and goodbye for a few hours. Then we went to Lisa Nielson's for dinner - it was Thanksgiving Day.

I believe we had the short graveside service on Friday or Saturday. Luckily Scott Nickle was out of town and his dad just bypassed regulations saying a body couldn't be kept over a certain number of hours without being embalmed (Edward was too little to do that) so we didn't have to rush to do it on Thanksgiving itself. He was buried in a little plastic casket. Lisa dug the grave herself. Marshall and I had just purchased 3 plots the previous Memorial Day weekend - before I knew I was pregnant. No idea why we bought 3 rather than just 2....

He was named for his grandfathers. Edward is Marshall's dad's middle name (as well as named partly for Grandma Angie's baby Eddie) His middle name, Arthur, is my dad's first name.”

From Carol Lyman, Edward's Mother - May 01, 2024

Edward Arthur Lyman

Brief Life Sketch