The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-11-21
Ibe West.
MINNESOTA.
DEATH OF JOHN EDWARDS, OF MIN
NEAPOLIS.

DEh JOHN EDW Ards, OF
NEAPOLIS.
MR.. JOHN EDWARDS, we'll known in our
church and in Minneapolis and Chicago,
died in the former city November 10.
Had he lived to- December l he would
have been 80 years old. and had he lived
to next April he would have celebrated
his golden wedding with the estimable
woman who is now his widow. Mr..
Edwards while maintaining the family
home in Minneapolis was frequently for
months at time a resident of Chicago,
living with his daughter. Mrs. Otis
Jones, who with her husband, is we'll
known in our church circles in this city.
He was good friend of our church in
Minneapolis and devoted to the pastors
of the Church of the Redeemer, DIRE.
futile and Shutter, with the former of
whom he was closely associated for
many years. We give following the let
ter of DIR. Tuttle to Mrs. Edwards and
the remarks of DIR. Shutter at the funer-
al service in Minneapolis. Thus one by
one the old friends pass away! The
wide circle of friends of the Edwards
family, while saddened by the. thought
that he will be with us no more on earth.
will cherish the memory of the depart
ed patriarch and rejoice that he was
spared to wife and children and friends
to such good old age.
Address of Rev. Marion ID. Shutter.
The character and career of Mr..
Edwards were, in some respects, re-
markable. Descended from a sturdy
Welsh ancestry. he was born upon
what was then the frontier of our own
country. December 1st, 1914, at Fredo-
MIA, Crawford Co., Indiana, he first saw
the light. The territory was wild. set
tiers were few, and Indians added to the
anxieties of the forest life.
Educational advantages were neces-
sarily scanty, but as the boy Edwards
grew up, he improved such as were af-
forded. Up to 1881 he had only been
able to attend school about a year in
all; but this year he was sent to Leaven-
worth, where he remained about three
months, when he was compelled to
abandon school on account of sickness.
At eighteen. he started out upon his
business career with only seventy five
cents in his pocket; but by honesty and
pluck. he held on his way, and laid the
foundations of his after success.
He very early took an interest in poll
tics, and served his State in some i'm.
portant capacities. In looking over the
notes and memories he has made of his
legislative period, it is easy to see how
he felt the responsibilities of his posi-
ton. He regarded himself as the ser,
want of the people who had elected him,
and he devoted himself to their interests
with the same conscientiousness and
fidelity that he gave to his private af
fairs. This was characteristic of Mr..
Edwards through life. He never ac-
copied trust of any kind unless he
could give it his personal attention. He
says: | like to see men of talent con-
tend for meas ures which they believe
will benefit the State, but dislike to
see intriguing politicians ready at all
times to sacrifice her interests for their
individual ACKNOWLEDGMENT"
One of the most pro minent character
istics of Mr.. Edwards was his supreme
devotion to his family. AS child he
was peculiarly attached to the home in
which he was born and brought up; and
when the family of brothers and sisters
came to maturity and scattered, it was
the one ambition of his early manhood
to keep the old homestead. "My lot"
he says. "had on it the house and home
where was born and raised. Although
no more valuable than any other lot,
there were associations about the home
place that wer very dear to me. 1t was
there had learned to lisp the names of
father and mother, and had so often re-
ceived their blessings. l had passed my
childhood's happy days there. and in
that house and about it were all my
early associations"
When he formed the union with her