Kenneth E. Edwards

Kenneth E. "Ken" Edwards, 99, of Titusville, went to be with his Lord on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at Country Acres Personal Care Home.

Ken was born in Titusville on July 10, 1925, to the late Eddie O. and Ruby Sutton Edwards.
Ken grew up a farm boy, doing chores before walking two miles each way to attend White Oak School. During WWII, he received a letter requesting he remain on the Home Front. Products being produced on their farm were needed to supply necessary products for the war effort, and for local markets. The farm shipped oil and gas along with vegetables, wheat, dairy products, and meat. The work was hard and, in the winter, cold.

The Sutton relatives were musically talented, and many square dances took place in the family barns. Ken became good at square dancing and loved to do it. It was at a dance in the Odd Fellows Hall at Grand Valley that he met his future wife, Naomi Grace Dean. They were married on June 27, 1946, on Ken's family farm on Spring Creek Road.

Ken continued to work on the family farm for a short period after marriage. Then, the couple purchased a house on Route 27, two miles west of Grand Valley, where they lived for over 73 years.

Following the move, Ken worked various jobs. He was employed for two years at Struthers Wells and then for a company that contracted road work. Grand Valley Manufacturing Company hired him as a machinist and, eventually, a tool grinder, and he remained with that company for over forty-one years.

In the early years of marriage, Ken played on a local baseball team. He had raised pigeons since age 8, so Ken became a member when a racing pigeon club was formed. Later, the Titusville club merged with Oil City, and Meadville Racing Clubs soon became The Tri-City Combined. Their owners trained the birds and shipped them via rail to out-of-state destinations as much as 500 miles. Ken's pigeons won many trophies for him. He was a greeter/usher at Grand Valley UMC, which he had attended for many years. He credits the Lord for all the blessings of his life.

True to his marriage vows, in sickness and in health, Ken gave up his hobbies and interests to care for Naomi during her final years. They were married 74 years before Naomi's death on June 16, 2020.

He is survived by a son Kenneth Edwards Jr. and wife Susie of Grand Valley; two daughters, Barbara Anthony and Judith Hogue and husband Rolland "Bub" of Titusville; plus, numerous grandchildren, and great grandchildren; a brother, Gerald Edwards of Bear Lake; two sisters, Leona Burrows and husband Raymond of Pleasantville and Linda Tillotson and husband Perry of Titusville; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by three grandchildren; a brother, Eldon Edwards, sister Lucille Brown, brother in law Elmer Brown; and sisters-in-law, Nancy and Pauline Edwards.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Interment will be at Newton Cemetery.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff at Southwoods Assisted Living, Country Acres Personal Care Home, and AseraCare Hospice for taking such good care of Ken.

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