Betty Jean (Eddlemon) Edwards

Betty Jean (Eddlemon) Edwards died on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, in Tulsa, Okla. She was born Oct. 2, 1923, to Orel and Edna (Bratton) Eddlemon, at Ameraman Hospital, in Nevada. She attended school at Bryan Grade School and Nevada High School, graduating in 1941. Further schooling included graduation from Cottey College in 1943, and the University Of Missouri School of Journalism in 1946. Between semesters during the summer she worked at the Nevada Daily Mail as society editor. Another one of her jobs at the paper was to type the Associated Press News which was read by a man in Kansas City before the local paper had a teletype.

After graduation, she returned to Nevada and began working full-time at the paper. The editor of the paper was Warren Edwards and they were married two years later on June 8, 1948. The year before the marriage she was employed by her parents at Eddlemon's Ready-to-Wear Shop. In 1948, they moved to Baytown, Texas, where Warren was editor of the Baytown Sun and Jean was employed by Humble Oil & Refining Co. (now Exxon-Mobile).

In 1955, their son, Marc, was born and in 1958 the family moved to Trenton, Mich., where Warren was employed as an editor on the Detroit News. In 1959, a second son, Clayton, was born in Wyandotte, Mich.

In 1968, Jean received a master's degree in library science from Wayne State University in Detroit. After her husband's death, Jean and the boys moved back to Nevada where she was employed in the library at Cottey College for 18 years. She was a lifetime member of the Presbyterian Church, having served as secretary-treasurer of the Sunday school and deaconess for many years. Her volunteer work included: Meals-on-Wheels; Vernon County Memorial Chair for the American Cancer Society; Road-to-Recovery driver for the American Cancer Society; Vernon County Historical Society including president of the board for 4 years; and 12 years on the board of Charter Bank. She served on the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Planning Commission, and City Council. She also received the "Woman of Distinction" award from the Soroptimist Club.

Survivors are Marc and his wife, Nikki, and son, Sam, of Oklahoma City, Clayton and his wife, Mary Kay, and their four children, Austin, Gordon, Sydney, and Darcy, of Tulsa, Okla.; and one nephew, Tom Beeson and his wife, Judy, of Jackson, Tenn.

The family would like to thank the staff of Sherwood Manor Nursing Home, and Good Shepherd Hospice, Tulsa, Okla., for taking excellent care of our "Neena."

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22, at the First Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Greg Ferree conducting the service. Burial will be at Newton Burial Park. Family visitation will be from 12:30 to 1:30p.m., prior to the service.

Contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church or the Vernon County Historical Society in care of Ferry Funeral Home.

View obituary and send condolences online at www.ferryfuneralhome.com.