Dwight Lee “Butch” Edwards

Dwight Lee “Butch” Edwards, 66, Republic, passed away Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020. He was born Feb. 14, 1954 in Wichita, Kan., to Paul and Nedra (Kirby) Edwards. Edwards played football in high school and graduated from Lockwood High School in 1972. He served in the Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in Texasand Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma for four years. He was an aircraft maintenance specialist/ technician. He had earned the rank of seargent, he retired from the Air Force in August of 1976 and later worked for SRC (Springfield Remanufacturing Company) before retiring. He was united in marriage to Donna Eileen (Caroles) on Jan. 31, 1976 after they met in Baltimore, Md., when he was there for a friend’s wedding. They were blessed to have spent 44 years of marriage together this past January and to this union two children were born, Deidra Marie and Daniel Lee.He was a faithful member of Onward Methodist Church in Miller, MO. He served as the Sunday School Superintendent, cooked Easter breakfast, played Santa Claus in the Christmas program, mowed the church yard, and helped with care of the church building.He was preceded in death by his parents, his stepfathers Orville Harlow and Skinny Cornell, his stepbrother Wayne Cornell, his uncle Raymond Kirby, as well as his dogs Lassie, Cocoa, Remington and Hershey.He is survived by his loving wife Donna, two children; Deidra Edwards and Daniel Edwards; sister, Lola Jean Dyson; half-sister Darlene Tucker; half-brothers Maurice Harlow and Brian Edwards; step brothers Norris Cornell and Mike Cornell; step sisters Pam Jones, Patti Stanton, Judy Russell; uncle Arnold Kirby; his dog Coco Chanel, as well as extended family and friends.