REVEREND DALTON EDWARDS

APRIL 26, 1935-JANUARY 11, 2011

REV. DALTON EDWARDS, 75, WAS CALLED HOME TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2011 WITH HIS LOVING FAMILY BY HIS SIDE.  REV. EDWARDS WAS BORN ON APRIL 26, 1935 TO CLAUDE JAMES AND VESTA (STEPHENS) EDWARDS OF FT. SUMNER, NM.  HE ATTENDED FORT SUMNER SCHOOLS AND GRADUATED IN 1953 AND BEGAN HIS COLLEGE CAREER AT EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY IN PORTALES, NM.  IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS COLLEGE YEARS HE ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND SERVED AS A MEDIC IN A MASH UNIT IN KOREA. AFTER HIS RETURN FROM KOREA HE GRADUATED FROM ENMU IN 1961.  HE MARRIED JUDITH PERRY OF PORTALES, NM IN 1961.   REV. EDWARDS THEN GRADUATED FROM SOUTHWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN 1966.  HE WAS CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY STATUS IN THE ARMY DURING THE VIETNAM WAR WHERE HE SERVED AS A CHAPLAIN.  ON HIS RETURN, HE MOVED HIS FAMILY TO THE NAVAJO NATION IN 1969 AND SERVED AS A MISSIONARY THROUGHOUT WESTERN NEW MEXICO.  HE ALSO SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS FOR THE NEW MEXICO SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION.  REV. EDWARDS RETIRED EARLY SO THAT HIS WIFE, JUDITH, COULD ASSUME THE NATIONAL EDITOR'S POSITION WITH THE WOMAN'S MISSIONARY UNION IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.  THE EDWARDS' WERE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO ZIMBABWE, THAILAND, BRAZIL, ENGLAND AND CANADA WITH JUDITH'S APPOINTMENT WITH THE WMU.  THEY EVENTUALLY MOVED BACK TO NEW MEXICO WHERE JUDITH BECAME THE STATE DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS EDUCATION AND MISSIONS MOBILIZATION TEAM.  JUDITH TOOK EARLY RETIREMENT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF REV. EDWARDS AS HE ENDURED THE ADVANCED STAGES OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE.  THE EDWARDS' WERE ABLE TO TAKE AND ENJOY THREE CRUISES AND A TRIP TO HAWAII.  THEY LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH THEIR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN.  LOCAL SURVIVORS OF REV. EDWARDS INCLUDE LAVELLE WILSON AND HER HUSBAND, J. W., AND ADA MAE DEFOOR OF CLOVIS.  SERVICES WERE HELD ON JANUARY 15TH IN RIO RANCHO WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS.

WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR THANKS TO BETTY JOY WITH AND BILL MARSHALL FOR MAKING US AWARE OF THE PASSING OF REVEREND EDWARDS.  BOTH PAID THEIR RESPECTS BY ATTENDING THE SERVICES.

DALTON EDWARDS, UNITED STATES ARMY