Alton Carmel Edwards

Funeral services for Alton Carmel Edwards, 94, were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 11, 2001, at Cypress United Methodist Church. Burial was at the Cypress Church Cemetery.

Mrs. Edwards, a retired school teacher, died Friday, March 9, at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital of heart failure. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Edwards, and a son, Don Paul Edwards.

She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Jane and Tony Wilson of Nashville and Jo and Joe Spraggins of Bells; seven grand- children, Julie Taylor of Nashville, Mark and Eric Wilson of Mem- phis, Trudy Jenkins of Mt. Juliet, Greg and Gary Spraggins of Bells, and Robbie Taylor of Alamo; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Edwards graduated from Bells High School in 1923 and at- tended college in Grenada, Miss. She then transferred to Lambuth College when it opened for its first year in 1924. She went back to school years later and graduated from Bethel College in 1964 with six grandchildren in attendance.

Mrs. Edwards was a teacher at Elizabeth Normal School near Friendship for two years and Fruitvale Elementary for two years before her marriage. Ladies could not teach when they were mar- ried. After Paul's death in 1957, she returned to teaching, one year at Friendship and then to Bells Elementary until her retirement. She continued to lead a very active life with her family, her church work, clubs, part-time volunteer work at the Crockett Memorial Library and travel. Only in her last three years did she slow down. She was a member of Cypress Methodist Church from 6 weeks old until her death at 94.