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GATES – Edith Holmes Freeman Seiling was very much like E.F. Hutton….when she spoke, people listened.

Gates County and all of northeastern North Carolina lost a treasure when Seiling passed away July 30 in her home.

She lived to age 105, the majority of which was dedicated to researching and sharing the rich history of the local area. She was the president of the Gates County Historical Society for 45 years and also held membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America.

“She was always so generous with her time and effort that she gave freely to many organizations,” said Linda Hofler who worked side-by-side with Seiling in the county’s Historical Society.

Hofler said her bond with Seiling goes back to the time she spent teaching at Gates County High School.

“We were able to develop a Gates County history class and she would come and share her stories,” Hofler recalled. “She opened her home to us, showing artifacts she had collected and always encouraged the students to document the genealogy of their families.

“Edith was also encouraging to me personally. She was the one that suggested I should run for county commissioner and now I’m in my third term,” Hofler added.

Hofler said she was amazed how sharp Seiling remained, even after she reached and passed her 100^th birthday.

“We would go to her home and play Scrabble,” Hofler stated. “We would laugh and joke over made-up words. It was uplifting to her. I think playing Scrabble and her being involved in painting kept her mind active.

“She was a historian, a genealogist, and a genuine treasure. I will miss her so much,” Hofler added.

Rita Lane said without the efforts of Seiling and her late husband, Franklin Sylvester Seiling, the effort to save and restore Gates County’s historical courthouse would have never gotten off the ground.

“That courthouse today stands as a testament to her work,” Lane noted.

“She was a friend to everybody she treated everybody the same,” Lane continued. “She loved to entertain visitors to her home and enjoyed visiting other people as well.

“I wish there was some way we could have captured everything in her brain….she had an amazing memory. Her whole life was an amazing journey. She was an amazing lady who touched so many lives,” Lane added.

Seiling lived a full life.

In 2016, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson learned that the then 97-year-old North Carolinian was visiting Little Rock. Hutchinson arranged to have Seiling presented with an official Arkansas Traveler Certificate, authorizing her to serve as an Ambassador of Good Will from Arkansas throughout the United States and beyond.

In July 2013, Seiling donned a helmet and hopped on a Harley Davidson for her first-ever ride on a motorcycle. That came after she gave a tour of the old Gates County Courthouse to a group of Sons of Confederate Veterans.

“I remember that,” said longtime Gates County librarian Pat Familar of the motorcycle ride. “She was always seeking out a new adventure. Age never stood in her way.”

Familar recalled the first time she met Seiling.

“I was teaching at Buckland Elementary School and Edith served as the Truant Officer with Gates County Schools,” Familar said. “There are so many negative connotations about a Truant Officer, but Edith broke that stereotype. She worked with children and their families to help take care of them. She deeply cared for their wellbeing. It didn’t matter who they were or what color skin they had, she took care of people.”

Familar added she remembered the time when Seiling served as chair of the Gates County Library Board.

“She was instrumental in a push for our library to gain additional resources,” Familar recalled. “She was also willing to help people with ancestry research. She could quote books and page numbers nearly exact. She remembered dates and times extremely well.

“She loved life. She loved people and never met a stranger. She made everyone feel at home. If we could all be like Edith Seiling this world would be a better place,” Familar concluded.

Seiling’s impact reached far beyond Gates County.

“Edith Seiling was the matriarch of history in our region,” said Don Pendergraft, Executive Director of the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City. “She worked her entire life preserving local history and when you were around her you wanted to absorb all she said. I was like a sponge when I was around her.”

Pendergraft recalled working with Seiling on an exhibit detailing the life of Thad Eure, a Gates County native who served for over 50 years as the North Carolina Secretary of State.

“I learned very quickly that her mind was like an encyclopedia when it comes to history,” Pendergraft said. “She also had a great sense of humor.

“I appreciated her guidance and her as a mentor. She didn’t mind sharing her vast knowledge. Her fountain of knowledge never ran dry,” he added.

A celebration of Seiling’s life was held Aug. 4 at Reynoldson Baptist Church.