- Date Of Birth: May 22, 1912
- Date Of Death: May 8, 2008
- State: Missouri
Wilma Hunter Edwards left this earth to be with her Maker at sunrise on Wednesday, May 8, 2008 at the age of 95 years, 11 months and 16 days. Born in Howell County, Missouri to Clara Meagher Hunter and James Monroe Hunter, Wilma spent the next 95 years learning, loving, laughing, serving and staying active. Wilma was raised as the only daughter in a hardworking farm and business family. Her three brothers (Bernice, Paul and Willard) were her constant companions. As a child, Wilma rode a pony (and later an old mule) to her school house, with her older brother Willard walking alongside. After she finished school, Wilma attended the former SMS (now Missouri State University) in Springfield, MO. As one of the youngest freshmen in her class, she once again relied on her beloved brother Willard for guidance and support. Upon completion of her education at SMS, where she was active in women’s athletics and academic and social organizations, Wilma got a job teaching in the Richards R-1 school district in Howell County. It was there that she fell in love with fellow-educator and principal, Dwight Everett Edwards. Wilma and Dwight were the first teachers at the Richards R-1 school. During their engagement, they pooled their salaries and saved enough money to buy a Western Auto franchise. The couple married May 11, 1940. They settled in St. James immediately after their marriage and opened their business, but not long afterwards, Dwight was called into service for World War II. Instead of returning home to live with her parents in West Plains, Wilma decided to keep the store running. She thrived in the business environment, loving the people she worked with, served and met each day. She lived in a boarding house with several other women in St. James until Dwight returned to her side after the war.
Wilma was a member of First Baptist Church in St. James where she served for many, many years as a Sunday School teacher, a member of the choir, and in many other capacities. She was a member of the Eastern Star, the St. James Lions Club, and the St. James Chamber of Commerce for decades.
Wilma and Dwight wanted children, but had a hard time becoming parents. On December 12, 1948, their only child, a son, was born in St. Louis. In 1983, their son Dwayne married Martha K. Prine of New Orleans, LA, and a few years later, Wilma and Dwight were blessed with two devoted grandchildren – Amy Catherine and Gregory Everett.
Wilma never knew a stranger. She loved people and was an active participant in life until the very end. When her grandchildren were small, she was determined that they would learn to read before they started school.
