It is with great love and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dorothy Evelyn Edwards, on July 5, 2023, at the age of 98. Born on April 25, 1925, in Elk City, KS, Dorothy was a beacon of compassion, love, generosity, and thoughtfulness that illuminated the lives of everyone she met. Her life was a living testament to her favorite scripture, Proverbs 31:26: "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."
Dorothy, a proud resident of Joplin, Missouri for the last four years, previously lived in Coffeyville, KS. She was a dedicated homemaker, who put her heart and soul into caring for her family. She was a creative spirit who took great joy in sewing and reading. Dorothy was widowed from her beloved husband, Ralph Edwards, with whom she shared a beautiful marriage since May 20, 1946. Despite the many challenges life threw her way, she remained steadfast in her faith and unwavering in her love for her family, which mattered most to her. She was the proud matriarch of a sprawling family, including twelve living great-grandchildren.
Dorothy is survived by her loving daughter, Patricia "Trish" (Jerry) Anderson, her adoring grandsons; Wade (Meranda) Phillips, Curtis (Alisa) Phillips, Trenton (Melissa) Anderson, Daniel (Sara) Knight, Tyler (Miranda) Hughes, her cherished granddaughter, Mandy Knight, and her caring siblings; Jim (Susan) Barnard, Gloria Zimmerman, and Linda (Roger) Patteson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Edwards, her children; David Edwards, Susan Bishop, Gary Edwards, Linda Claybrook, her siblings; Marjorie Whitebird, George Barnard, Leola, Audry Reeder, and her great-grandchildren; Sarah Phillips, Gavean Phillips.
A Memorial Service celebrating Dorothy's life will be at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 20, 2023, at the David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Coffeyville.
Friends may sign the register book on Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Coffeyville.
We invite you to share your fondest memories of Dorothy, to celebrate her life, her love, and her legacy. Please leave your memories and upload photos to the memorial page at www.dwbfh.com, as we pay tribute to a life well-lived and a woman well-loved. "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.'" (Proverbs 31:28-29).
