Joe Louis Edwards Sr.

A man of great character, unwavering faith, and unending love for others, Joe Edwards, Sr. was a blessing in the lives of those around him. He was the sort of man who wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind, and he was also known for having a bit too much fun at times. A more devoted father would be hard to find as Joe worked tirelessly to provide for their needs, and as fathers go his children would say that they had the very best. Although life will never be the same without him here, the brilliantly colored mosaic of memories that he leaves behind will remain a lasting treasure for generations to come.

During the first half of the 1940s the eyes of the nation were focused overseas as countless young men and women were serving overseas in WWII. Those who remained stateside became very familiar with rationing on common goods such as coffee, tin, paper, and sugar while victory gardens were planted to lessen the demand on the nation’s food supply. Amidst this eventful time was the year 1942 that was filled with great joy for Joe N. Edwards and Verlean (Pulliam) Ragland, as they celebrated the birth of the son they names Joe Louis on October 19, 1942. Born and raised in New Albany, Mississippi, he was part of a large family as his mother had ten children and his father had twelve. Through this experience, Joe learned the value of sacrifice while learning to appreciate family with whom to share close relationships that last a lifetime.

Life truly began for Joe when he became a father to four children of his own including Brenda, Denena, Joe, and Tracy. He saw to it that the family ate together and also studied the Bible as a family. Joe’s kids all looked forward to the weekend when their house was filled with family who came to visit at their place on Grand Avenue. There was always plenty of laughter, love, and way too much fun with card games, listening to music, and just hanging out. Even when Joe’s children grew older and had children of their own they still all came over to Paw Paw’s house to share in the same traditions with the younger generations as well. While his children were young he bought a nice swing set for the backyard, which made them the talk of the whole neighborhood as few were lucky to have such a thing at the time.

If there was one thing Joe’s family could count on, it was that life was certainly an adventure with him around. Every summer they loaded up in the car to head to Joe’s hometown of New Albany to visit Big Ma and the rest of the family. It was great to see everyone, but the long ride down filled with just being together was equally something that they all looked forward to every year. Most Friday nights found the family out for dinner at McDonald’s, which was such a special treat. Who could forget the time that Joe decided to take the kids to Skatetown for their usual roller skating party, but taking them was not his only plan as he also wanted to skate. This could have worked out fine, but since he had two stiff drinks before he left Joe was quite a sight to behold sporting his yellow shorts and colored shirt spending the majority of his time on the floor! It was all good, though, since he had fun and the kids certainly enjoyed themselves watching him. Not surprisingly, Joe hung up his skates after that day.

Lazy would not be a word to describe Joe as he was hardworking and a great provider as he saw to it that his family never went without. He began his career as a shear cutter with Silver Steel and spent 33 years there before retiring. Of course even during retirement Joe had several other jobs because he simply enjoyed working.

In his leisure time, Joe was still busy doing things he loved. He liked all aspects of fishing including catching them, cleaning them, and eating them. Joe was a game player with some of his favorite games being spades, dominoes, and various board games. A sports enthusiast, Joe loved baseball, especially the Cubs, and he liked football and boxing, too. A devout Christian, he loved reading and studying his Bible as well as learning all about the wonderful creation through watching both the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel and feeding the birds that frequented his yard. Joe was a big fan of blues music and could often be found playing old records on his record player. Among his favorites were Fats Domino, Jackie Wilson, and Brook Benton, but his favorite song was “Sweet Sensation” by Stephanie Mills. Joe enjoyed watching old westerns including a John Wayne marathon just a couple of weeks ago. Actually, he was drawn to virtually any old black and white television show.

All who knew Joe Edwards, Sr. would agree that he was one of the most passionate, hardworking, and fun-loving men around. His trademark was ending a conversation with, “Who loves ya?” and everyone knew that the correct answer was always “You do!” Known as Lil’ Joe to some friends and Paw Paw to his grandchildren, Joe will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who were blessed to feel his touch.

Joe Louis Edwards, Sr. died on Friday, May 9, 2014, at Wheaton Franciscan - All Saints Medical Center. Joe’s family includes his loving companion of twenty years, Antoinette “Toni” Rodriguez of Racine; mother, Verlean Ragland of New Albany, MS; four children, Brenda (Jeff) Jones, Denena Edwards, Joe Louis Edwards, Jr. (Josette), Tracy Edwards, all of Racine; 12 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; stepmother, Nannie Lou Edwards of New Albany, MS; brothers and sisters, Ishmell (Josephine) Edwards, Shelia (Wayne) Fiddis, all of Holly Spring, MS, Mary (Barry Buggs of Tupelo, MS, Dennis Edwards, Lee (Georgia) Smith, Sandra (Andy) Johnson, Vernita (David) Bynum, Ruby (George) Godwin, Joyce (Thomas) White, Annie Jean Smith, James Dean, Richard (Amy) Smith all of New Albany, MS, Gary Edwards of Jackson, MS, Timothy (Francis) Edwards of Fort Myers, FL, Jerry (Jean) Dean of Huntsville, AL, Naomi (William) Bailey of Okalona, MS; special aunts, Annette Adams of Detroit, MI, Ernestine Ivy and Jewdean Newton, both of New Albany, MS; special uncle, Willie “Sonny” Pulliam of Detroit, MI; and several other relatives and many dear friends. Joe was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Edwards; brothers and sister, Willie Joe Edwards, Paul Lawrence Edwards, Yvone Starks, and Earl G. Dean. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, May 17, 2014, 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Relatives and friends may meet with the family Saturday at the funeral home from 10:00 a.m. until time of service at 11:00 a.m. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a message.

“It’s Hard to Say Goodbye”

It’s hard to say goodbye to yesterday,

Because it’s hard to believe that you are gone today.

To see you no longer suffering and in pain is a relief,

Yet my heart is still filled with sadness and grief.

I was always told that I’m just like you, you see

But that’s okay ‘cause I consider it an honor to be,

just like the man who made it possible for me to be.

It’s hard to say goodbye to yesterday,

because it’s hard to believe you are gone today.

Although you are gone and we are apart,

You will always and forever remain in my heart.

Love U Dad!

Always,

Denena Jo

How do I say Good Bye

By Tracy Edwards

How do I say Good bye to my Dad?

By keeping the memories, happy or sad.

See, It’s not saying good-bye that I have to do

I will never do that because I love you.

It’s been 44 years that I had you around,

not long enough for me but I had be sound,

to understand you were tired , you fought so long,

but even at your last breath we were singing your song.

“Sweet Sensation” that was your favorite tune,

The only thing missing was your son, June.

But he is here now, he wouldn’t miss this for the world.

The only son you have, here with your three girls.

There’s been some sleepless nights, we laugh and we cry

But the question still remains

“How Do We Say GoodBye?”