William "Bill" Wallace Edmondson

William Wallace Edmondson

Thon Book No. 3

W. W. Edmondson, retired building contractor and local business man, succumbed to a heart ailment early Saturday morning December 10th, in the Spencer Hospital. Mr. Edmondson who had been in poor health for the past year, was first stricken with a heart attack Tuesday evening, December 6th at the family home and was immediately removed to the Spencer hospital where he was confined until the time of his death.

With his passing, a well-known and familiar personality of Lusk is gone. It was through his quiet and friendly greetings of young and old alike that he gained a host of friends, all of whom will miss his salutations.

Funeral services were conducted at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon in the chapel of the Peet Mortuary with Rev. Harold Weaver, of Torrington officiating. Rev. Weaver is also pastor of St. George's Episcopal church of this city, of which the deceased was a member.

During the services two selections, "Son of my Soul" and "Now the Day is Over" were sung by Mrs. H. J. Templeton and Mrs. Emerson Bonner, with Mrs. Otto Koberlin presiding at the organ.

Members of the local Elks Lodge attended final rites in a group. The deceased had been a continuous member of the Elks Lodge of Silver City, New Mexico for 40 years.

Interment was made in the Lusk cemetery with E. Floyd Deuel of Cheyenne, Wyo., Hon. Frank A. Barrett, Glen I. Wilson, H. J. Templeton, and Foster Jackson all of Lusk and Claris David of Hat Creek, Wyo. acting as pallbearers.

William Wallace Edmondson was born August 13, 1875, near Brenham, Texas a son of Andrew and Mary Elizabeth Craig Edmondson, and departed from this life on Saturday, December 10, 1949, at the age of 74 years, 2 months and 27 days.

When still a young lad he move with his parents to Big Springs, Tex., where they had ranching interests. At an early age he started out on his own, working in lumber concerns and serving an apprenticeship as a building contractor.

Although doing considerable construction work at El Paso, Texas and Roswell, New Mexico, he headquartered at Silver City, New Mexico and it was here that he was united in marriage to Miss Mabel F. Brown on April 20th, 1918.

In May 1919, the couple came to Lusk, Wyoming where Mr. Edmondson continued in his chosen work. In 1930 he received an arm injury which partially forced him into retirement, and in 1933 he and Mrs. Edmondson became co-owners of the Wyoming Theatre with Sam Feinstein. They retained their interest in the theatre until December 1935 when they sold out to Mr. Feinstein, who continued to operate the showhouse for a number of years thereafter.

Mr. and Mrs. Edmondson made a new venture into business in March, 1936, when they opened the Ben Franklin store, which they still own but is managed by their son Val Edmondson. The Edmondson Flower Shop was a number of years operated in conjunction with the Ben Franklin store but several years ago became a separate concern now being located in the Ranger Hotel building.

The deceased was twice married and is survived by his widow , Mabel F. Edmondson, one son, Val Edmondson, and two grandchildren, Carol Ann and Billy Edmondson all of Lusk. By his first marriage he is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Neta Johnson, and a son Wayne Edmondson and five grandchildren, all of Glendale, Calif. A daughter, Mrs. Frances Massey preceded him in death, passing away in September 1949, at Glendale, Calif.

He is also survived by one brother, Raymond Edmondson of Hatcher, New Mexico, four sisters, Mrs. Fred Grayum of Austin, Texas, Mrs. Ben Barnett of Pamona, Calif., and Mrs. Wm. Collins of Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Among those from out-of-town attending the services were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Stinson of Snyder, Tex., Mrs. Orvil Frances of Bethany, Mo., Mrs. Ted Jessen of Grand Junction, Colo., Mr. and Mrs. George Dixon of Cheyenne, Wyo., Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Deuel of Cheyenne, Wyo., Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hunter of Ardmore, South Dakota and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Shipp of Lander, Wyoming.

The Lusk Herald
December 15, 1949
W.W. "Bill" Edmondson Dies Saturday

William W. Edmondson, 74, a prominent business man of Lusk, and a resident here for the past 30 hears, died at the Spencer Hospital Saturday morning, December 10, following a heart attack at his home Tuesday evening.

Mr. Edmondson had followed the carpenter and contracting business in Lusk until failing health caused him to retire from active work a few years ago, but he still assisted Mrs. Edmondson in the Ben Franklin store and at her floral shop, and always had a cheery word and a smile for everyone, which made him a host of friends.

Born at Bringham, Texas, August 13, 1875, he continued to live in the Southwest until April 20, 1918, when he was married to Miss Mabel Brown of Michigan, who was teaching at Silver City, New Mexico. The following year, 1919, they moved to Lusk, where they have since resided, and many of the town's business houses and residences were erected by Mr. Edmondson.

Funeral services were conducted from the Peet Chapel on Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock, with the Rev. Harold J. Weaver, pastor of St. George's Episcopal Church, officiating.

The songs "Son of My Soul" and "Now the Day is Over" were sung by Mrs. H.J. Templeton and Mrs. Emerson Bonner, with Mrs. Otto Koeberlin as accompanist on the chapel organ.

Interment was made in the Lusk cemetery and the casket bearers were E. Floyd Deuel, Frank A. Barrett, Glen Willson, Claris David, H.J. Templeton and Foster Jackson.

Surviving him is his widow, Mabel, and son, Val, and two grandchildren, Carol Ann and William V., all of Lusk. He is also survived by a son and daughter by a former marriage. They are Wayne Edmondson and Mrs. Nita Johnson, and also four grandchildren, all of Glendale, Calif. A daughter, Mrs. Frances Massey of Glendale, preceded her father in death, having died in September of this year.

Mr. Edmondson was one of six children and the first to pass away. His four sisters are Mrs. Ben Barnett, Pomona, Calif.; Mrs. Fred Grayum, Austin, Texas; Mrs. Joe Stinson, Snyder, Texas; Mrs. Wm. Collins, Carlsbad, New Mex., and one brother, Raymond Edmondson, Hatch, Texas.

Among the relatives and friends here for the services were Mr. and Mrs. Ben Barnett of Pomona, Cal.; Mrs. Val Jessen, Grand Junction, Colo.; Mr. and Mrs. E. Floyd Deuel, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Mrs. Orville Frances, Bethany, Mo.; Mr. and Mrs. George Dixon, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hunter, Ardmore, So. Dak., Mr. and Mrs. William Shipp, Lander, Wyo.

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