McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

Obituaries

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    Billy Earl ‘Bill’ Edwards
January 29, 2013

Billy Earl “Bill” Edwards

Billy Earl “Bill” Edwards, 90, of McAlester

From submitted reports Submitted report

McALESTER — Billy Earl “Bill” Edwards, 90, of McAlester, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in McAlester.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Brumley-Mills Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Main and Oklahoma Church of Christ with Minister Kevin Wright officiating. Burial will be at Massey Cemetery. Military honors will be provided by McAlester Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1098.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Brumley-Mills Funeral Home of McAlester.

Born Dec. 12, 1922, in Indianola, he was the son of William Franklin and Minnie Arizona (Harshaw) Edwards. He grew up in Indianola and joined the 45th Division of the Army National Guard. He was mobilized in February 1942 and assigned to the 129th HHQ of the 2nd Infantry, 44th Division. He landed at Normandy, France on Omaha Beach and took part in the Battle of the Bulge. During the war he was awarded the Purple Heart, the EAME Service Ribbon and one silver service star.

Upon returning from the war, he met, and later married, Imogene Phipps on Nov. 30, 1945, in Oklahoma City. He worked in road and bridge construction so he and his family had to move around a lot following the work. They eventually settled in McAlester where he continued working in construction. He worked during the construction of the United States Naval Ammunition Depot and helped on the construction of the Eufaula Dam. He had his own concrete business for a while and also worked for Krebs Concrete Service. He then went to work for Pittsburg County, District III, retiring in 1984, as county foreman.

He also served as manager and coach of the American Legion Baseball teams for many years.

He was a long time member of the Main and Oklahoma Church of Christ.

Survivors include one daughter, Judy Petty, of Ardmore; one son and daughter-in-law, Lynn and Cinda Edwards, of McAlester; and grandchildren, Christy Morris and her husband, Aaron, of Ardmore, Coby Petty and partner, Torrie Smith, of McAlester, Mark Edwards, of McAlester, J.B. Edwards and his wife, Melanie, of Edmond, and Kenny Edwards and his wife, Ashlee, of McAlester.

Also, great-grandchildren, Chase Edwards, Ashlynn Edwards, Bentley Edwards, Kaitlynn Morris, Mason Morris, Meagan Edwards, Berkly Edwards, Jayedin Smith and Gunner Petty; one sister, Zona Pray, of Enid, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Imogene; two sisters, Katherine Scribner and Betty Rogers; two brothers, Damond and Howard Edwards; a great-grandchild, Kendall Edwards, and a son-in-law, Robert Petty.

Pallbearers will be Mark Edwards, J.B. Edwards, Kenny Edwards, Coby Petty, Aaron Morris, Chase Edwards, Mason Morris and Gunner Petty.

Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Morgan, George Pierce, Mike Dusenberry, Bobby Scott, James Vercelli, Butch LerCrone and staff of Heritage Hills Nursing Home.

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