Sisters Hold Fundraiser To Honor Brother Who Died Of A Heart Attack At 29
By Joel Hillan
DENVER (CBS4) - Two sisters are coming together after losing their brother to a heart attack.
Rudy Edenburn died at the age of 29, only two months after being married. His sisters are using their new business, the Deep Roots Winery and Bistro, to help the American Heart Association.
Wednesday, Sept. 19, would have been Rudy's 34th birthday. They say, instead of staying home and feeling sad, they want to do something he would have loved: socialize and have a little fun for a good cause.
They will be holding a fundraiser called "Pour Your Heart Out: A Celebration for Rudy."
"Rudy was that personality that was bigger than life," said Rudy's sister, Teara Walters.
His other sister Carolann Edenburn called Rudy a 29-year-old with an unconquerable spirit.
"You couldn't tell him he couldn't do something. He was like, 'Oh yeah? I'm going to do it anyways!'"
She said he had determination and a big heart.
"He was the most loving person that I know. He truly held our family together for the longest time," Edenburn said.
The trio had a dream to one day open a restaurant.
"It was going to be our place and no one could tell us what to do," said Edenburn.
"That's like the dream of all siblings is you got to do it together and your parents couldn't tell you what to do, no one else could tell you what to do because it was yours," Walter said.
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But in July of 2014, Rudy would suffer a heart attack.
"I was stationed down in Virginia at the time when I got the first phone call from my mom letting me know that my brother had had a heart attack in his sleep," said Edenburn, a reservist in the United States Army.
A genetic anomaly gave the active young man the heart of an 85-year-old man.
"We found out after our brother had passed that we had a significant family history of heart disease on our mother's side that our family never talked about," said Walters.
A year ago the sisters opened the winery and bistro and say although they miss him every day, they still feel his presence.
"He's never really left me. He's always been by my side," said Edenburn.
"He would say he's proud of me," said Walters. "Proud of us."
Tickets to the fundraiser are $100 with proceeds going to the American Heart Association.
The tickets get you two hours of unlimited wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres.
Joel Hillan anchors CBS4 This Morning on weekends as well as reports stories for CBS4 News at 5 and 6 p.m. Follow Joel on Twitter @joelhillan.