Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1951-08-14
Bar Association
Pays Tribute To
Judge Edwards

'
B Edwards, of the Madison
County Probate Court were con-
Quoted Wednesday with the Rev.
Sanford Lindsey, of Trinity Epis-
copal Church, officiating. Inter-
nient was in Kirkwood Cemetery.
The Madison County Bar Assoc
iafion,of which Judge Edwards
was member, offered the follow
ing tribute in respect to Judge
Edwards:
Today we pay tribute to a fell
ow member of the Bar of Madi-
son Countrywide has passed on.
The death of member is always
great shock and inevitably
causes one to pause and reflect
and. perhaps for the first time /,
realize the outstanding character
istics of the departed.
At such a time the greatest
tributes are those that spring spon
taneously quietly spoken man to
man, and the deep sense of loss
which words so inadequately
convey. Such tributes have been
heard on every hand since Judge
Edwards death = tributes spoken
by people in every walk in life
So widely were Judg Edwards
virtues known, SO oftenwere his
quick synEpathies stirred and
expressed and SO tirelessly we're
his energies expended in behalf of
I others, that he had the supreme
satisfaction of knowing during
his lifetime that the seal of pub
lie and private approval had been
stamped upon his career.
It now remains for his profess
iolaI associates to formalize
their tribute to the man, lawyer
and judge.
Life is indeed brief, for of all
the attorneys who were practicing
in Madison County when Judge
Edwards ascended the bench, but
four remain: these four have
practiced In his Court for at
least one-half their professional
lives. All other members of the
Madison County Bar Association
have been admitted to the Bar
since then and have known no
other Probate Judge than Harvey
R. Edwards.
So the earliest memories of near
ly all of us go back to the early
days of our practice and we re-
cail with deep gratitude Judge Ed
wards kindly help as we stumbled
through the maze of Probate law,
1T would be impossible to approx
innate the frequency with which
he would quietly suggest the cor
rection of our errors or the better
way TO solve a problem. None
of US can appraise the value or the
advice and counsel, drawn from
his own rich experience, and so
freely given to the inexperienced.
And as we progressed to matur-
ity In our profession, our early de-
pendence upon Judge Edwards
developed into a feeling of deep
respect, admiration and personal
friendship, all cemented by the
certain knowlege that here was a
man, the arbiter OF our problems,
upon whom we could rely with
absolute confidence. That the re-
lance upon Judge Edwards was
well founded is witnessed by the
fact that in his more than 1S
years of service as Probate Judge
no decision of his was ever revers-
ed by higher Court.
But great and pressing as
were Judge Edwards responsib-
flities in his Probate work, his su-
pren1e professional interest was
given to his Juvenile Court. There
came before him the boys and
girls whose futures were under a
cloud for some mis-step and also
the CHILDREN who were neglected,
abandoned, or perhaps left with
out parents at home. Some
came frightened, some sullen and
others came bewildered and des-
pondent. In all of these Judge
Edwards gave the best that was
In him. ever careful that they be
shielded from the harshness OF
the law or of the careless world
and his greatest JOY was found In
the magnificent results accom-
pIished by his work.
Today many grown person OF
our community looks back to the
day In Juvenile Court when this
kindly and understanding Judge
i'm some way managed to reach
down into a chiId's heart, restore
hope and confidence and redirect
q life toward happiness and sue.
cess. Helped by his beloved wife
this became Judge Edwards great
task in life and it is with deer
humility that we lawyers now
say well Done!
True, time marches on, but as
Il does so, the members of ouI
association will still carry with
them the memory of Judge Ed
wards life and work, conscious
that by emulatlng his example
we may hope TO attain that worth
OF character of which he was SC
richly possessed.
tsignedl
MADISON COUNTY BAR ASSN
I'M pfenrn0nd A&f