The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1919-06-13
Death of I'M. Edwards.

l
zen of Union City, died at his home
on Church street Saturday evening
June Z, 1919, at s o'clock, after an
illness incident to decline at the age
of 81 years. Mr.. Edwards had been
confined to his home for six years OF
more, but was not seriously ill until
July, nearly year ago. Since that
time he has been very feeble. On
last Saturday it was apparent that
the end was approaching and friends
drew near, and it was in the presence
of his good wife and these noble
| friends that life underwent that
change, in which the spirit is sepa-
rated from the body, and all that is
mortal is no more.
Josephus Monroe Edwards was
born in Stewart County, afterwards
changed to Houston, within a few
miles of Erin. At the age of IT he
began the study of law in south
west Kentucky, somewhere in Hick-
man County. In 1857 he went to
Texas and began to teach school,
thinking that a change of climate
was necessary for his health. At In
dependence, Texas, he graduated in
law, and was about to begin practice
when the Civil War broke out, and
he enlisted in Ross brigade, South
ern Confederacy, from Dallas. He
served in the same command during
the fouryear period of the war, and
it is understood made a gallant sol
der. He was discharged near Can
ton, Miss, and on May 81, 1865, he
was married near Kosciusko, Miss,
to Miss Mary Elizabeth Fox, who sur
wives and who has been his constant
and devoted companion in sunshine
and shadow, in sickness and in health
lovingly, patiently, tenderly, present
and ready in the last hours to re-
lieve suffering and administer to
every need.
sissippi for number of years. Then
the family in 1879 moved to Union
City, 40 years ago, where for a short
time he continued the practice of
law, but abandoned the practice for
private reasons and returned to the
profession of teaching. For a while
he and Mrs. Edwards were both in
the same school as teachers. Mrs.
Edwards taught the first term of
public school in Union City. Some
years afterwards Mr.. Edwards enter
ed the office of his son, w. j. Ed
wards, agent for the N C. & st. l..
Ry., as assistant at the ticket window
and in other branches of the work.
OF the family there were six children,
two of whom survive: w. ]. Ed
wards, now president of one of the
leading grain commission houses of
St. Louis, and Mrs. Myrtle Crockett,
wife of Chas. j, Crockett, of Cleve-
land, Ohio. Mr.. Edwards is also
survived by two brothers Mr.. Jesse
of Water Valley, KY, and
Mr.. Wilson Edwards, of Wingo, KY.
Mr.. Edwards was the son of a |
Presbyterian minister,
and he himself professed religion and |
became a member of the church in |
his youth. In Mississippi he was
made ruling elder of the church,
and his life has been consistent and |
he a man of the strictest religious |
and restraints. Many years
later merged into prohibition, was
in its infancy Mr.. Edwards became |
d strong advocate of the cause, untir-
ing and unceasing in his efforts for
the success of the work. He refused |
to be shaken by criticism and pushed
On and upward until the critic him
self was engulfed in an overwhelm
ing sentiment in favor of prohibition.
He was made an honorary member of
JIG LoCdI w. ". u dIiu " Ills
Dry very beautiful tribute was paid
by the white ribboners.
In the death chamber the good
friends gathered, and a service was
held by the w. C. T. u, which en-
braces the beautiful rites of tieing
1 band of white ribbon around the
basket After this service the re-
mains were removed to the Cumber-
and Presbyterian Church, and there
he pastor, Rev. w. B. Cunningham,
paid glowing tribute to the dead.
rhe remains were viewed and taken
% East View for burial, the body
aid to rest under canopy of beauti
nj flowers |