- Date Of Death: December 3, 2017
- State: Indiana
Edsel Artois Thruston, the youngest son of the late Samuel and Georgia (Crump) Thruston was born on May 15, 1927 in Owensboro, Kentucky, where he grew up with his brother, Felix (deceased) and sister, Amanda Evelyn (deceased).
While in college, Edsel met and became friends with several of the Luney brothers from Irvinington, Kentucky.
A long-time Indianapolis businessman, Edsel began his career as an insurance saleman with Mammoth Life and Accident Insurance Company. After demonstrating his successful leadership and sales skills, Edsel was promoted to Indianapolis District Manager. During his nearly 20 year leadership term, he hired many African American men and women, including his nephew Adrian Smiley and trained them to be successful sales persons and to understand the importance of treating all customers with honesty and respect. In 2000, he and Adrian became owners of their own Allstate Agencies and located their offices at 71st and Michigan Road. After a successful 51 year career in the insurance industry, he quietly retired in 2007 at the age of 80 years.
Edsel departed this life on Sunday, December 3, 2017 at the age of ninety years. Edsel was preceded in death by his son, Timothy Maurice and leaves to cherish his memory, his beloved wife, Sallie; daughters, April (Donald) Oldham, Dr. Wanda Thurston, and Gayle (Joseph) Fields; one nephew/son Adrian (Carolyn) Smiley; twelve grandchildren; five great grandchildren; an adopted Kenyan family that affectionately knew him as “Grandpa”, an abundance of nieces and nephews who called him their “favorite uncle,” and a host of extended family and friends who knew him as their mentor and confidant.
