2. | John William EDWARDS, Sr was born on 13 May 1893 in Grand Rapids, MI (son of John (JJ) EDWARDS and Mary Jane WARD); died on 23 Oct 1979. Notes:
SOI: Bk "Hist of Edwards Fam."
SOI: RN3741
16 G'children
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From the Edwards Family Yellow Pages 1977:
John was educated in Ann Arbor and attended several colleges, including State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University) in Ypsilanti, the University of Detroit and the Univ of Michigan. He was a fine athelete who held the shot put record at Ann Arbor High School from 1906 - 1936. He also played football and baseball for various schools in the county.
Bill met Esther Rynearson through her brothers Elton, Ernie and Burt, who were also athletes and teammates of Bill's. He and Esther married in 1920. Two years later, he took over the management of Edwards Brothers, his father's mimeograph company, of which he was president until he died in 1950.
"Big Bill" as he was sometimes called for his great distance off the tee -- as well as his temper -- became an avid golfer and was an early president of Barton Hills Country Club. He is fondly remembered for the time he hit two to three balls (maybe more) into the third hold pond, and then threw his golf bag and clubs in after them. He later returned to his Sunday best, wading into the muddy water to retrieve his car keys from the bag pocket and throwing the bag and clubs back into the pond.
Esther's father and mogher Isaiah and Grace McCarten were married in Three Oaks, Michigan in 1885. Esther was 11 when the family moved to Ypsilanti, where she and her five siblings continued their education. She earned a master's degree in education at State Normal College and taught in the Detroit public school system until she married and moved to Ann Arbor.
She was a passionate supporter of anything Irish and loved to recount stories of her grandparents, both the McCartens and Rynearsons. She was a kind and loving mother to her five sons. In spite of the prolonged illness of her third son, Tommy, who later died of leukemia, she maintained a cheerful attitude and a deep and lasting devotion to her "boys" and their families until her death in 1989.
This article was written by Ann Edwards
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John married Esther Grace RYNEARSON on 28 Dec 1920. Esther (daughter of Isaiah RYNEARSON and Grace MCCARTEN) was born on 18 Feb 1896 in Three Oaks MI; died on 13 Apr 1988 in Ann Arbor, MI. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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