Obit of Edwards, W A (e363) - Pittsburg County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 26 Jul 2004 Return to Pittsburg County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/pittsburg/pittsburg.htm ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== Bakersfield Californian W A Edwards July 11, 1920 May 27, 2003 Services: Monday, June 2, 10 a.m. Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 2, 2003, at 10:00 a.m., Greenlawn Southwest, for W.A. Edwards, who died on Tuesday, May 27, 2003, at Bakersfield Heart Hospital. Reverend L.V. Lawson will officiate at the services. On July 11, 1920, W.A. was born in Crowder, Oklahoma, the second of eight children born to William A. and Laura S. Edwards. In 1932, the Edwards family moved to Indianapolis, Oklahoma. Later, W.A. would graduate with honors from Red Rock School. While at Custer City High School, W.A. excelled, again, in his studies and was the Valedictorian of the class of 1941. Not only was W.A. a brilliant scholar, he was also an outstanding basketball player during his high school years at Custer City High School. Although he was offered two college scholarships, he declined them because it was necessary for him to drive his mother and his siblings to join his father who was already living and working in Santa Barbara, California. In 1941, America knew it was only a matter of months before it would be drawn into war, and Californias war industry was shifting into high gear to meet the challenge. W.A. went to work immediately at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank. He did take time off in June of 1942 to marry his high school sweetheart, Edralee Rowena Teasley, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He continued to work at Lockheed until he entered military service. He was sent to Randolph Field, Texas, for basic training, after which he was stationed at Carlsbad, New Mexico, for the duration of the war. He attained the rank of sergeant. After his discharge from the Air Force, W.A. and Rowena settled in Bakersfield to be near his family. W.A. and Rowena had been blessed with a son, Philip Allen, on September 8, 1943, while W.A. was still in the service. They were once again blessed with another son, Raymond Charles, on March 30, 1946. Upon returning to civilian life, W.A. was a painting contractor. In fact, he was a man of many talents. He could repair, design and build anything. He built his first home in Bakersfield. In later years, he bought and beautifully remodeled houses, which he would live in. As the years passed and their sons grew into adulthood and led their own lives, W.A. and Rowena settled into a comfortable and pleasant retirement routine until it was shattered on November 2, 1995, by the sudden death of his beloved Rowena. W.A. has now gone to be reunited with Rowena, his father and motehr, brother, Robert Lewis, sisters, Margaret Rone and Mary Rose, and his granddaughter, Lonna Edwards. He is survived by his son, Philip Edwards and wife, Joan, of Tucson, Arizona; son, Raymond Edwards; grandson, Warren Edwards; granddaughter, Laura Toy; several great-grandchildren and great- great-grandchildren. Other survivors include his brother, Don Edwards and wife, Gwen; sister, Jonnie Cerro; sister, June May and husband, Gerald; and sister, Sharron Livengood; and numerous nieces and nephews. Our beloved and precious W.A. was a shy and wonderful human being. He liked everyone and everyone liked him. Never did one hear an unkind work spoken by him. Truly, God must have been proud of His handiwork and Heaven is all the brighter by W.A.s presence. Although all of us left behind will miss W.A. so very much, we await in great anticipation for the day when we will see him, again. Pallbearers will be W.A.s nephews: Mark Browder, Mark Cerro, Philip Cerro, Britt Edwards, Don Edwards, Jr., and Robert Hatfield. No visitation is scheduled. Doughty-Calhoun-OMeara Funeral Directors -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Pittsburg County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/pittsburg/pittsburg.htm