Funeral, Eulogy, and Memorial Talks
EULOGY FOR SALLY EDWARDS
[Talk presented by John E. Enslen at the Wetumpka Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 21, 2014.]
Sally Edwards, a friend for more than 40 years, requested that I give her eulogy. I am much honored and I hope to say that which she desires me to say. She made a difference for good in my life and I am grateful that our paths crossed in mortality.
Margaret Frances Magouyrk, affectionately known as “Sally,” was born in Talledega County, Alabama, on September 6, 1929. She was the one of three children born to David Monroe Magouyrk and Eula Mae Wills. Her mother later had three additional children to provide Sally with a total of five siblings.
On June 13, 1947, at the age of 17, Sally married 19-year-old Ullman Duffie Edwards, who would later serve in the Korean War. Sally and Duffie had first met in the second grade in Talladega, Alabama. Seven years after their marriage, they became the parents of Frances Delores Edwards (date of birth January 27, 1955) and eleven years after that, they became the parents of Ullman Duffie Edwards, Jr., known as “Little Duff.” (date of birth August 18, 1966).
Through these two children Sally has six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and six great-great grandchildren.
Sally has a great-great granddaughter, Amber, who is serving an 18-month mission in Thailand. She sent this in a letter after hearing of Sally’s passing:
“I am not sad to hear about her passing. From an eternal perspective, death is only premature for those who are not prepared to meet God. Even though I will not see her again in this mortal life, I know I will see her again. Where that other worldly sphere is, I do not know. But I don’t have to know to have faith. That’s the point. I don’t have to see it to believe that it is there. We agreed to come here knowing full well what would be required of us. We knew at some point we would be left behind by loved ones, and that at the end we would also leave people behind. But that is not the end. I am sure that if only we knew what kind of joy and rest she was experiencing, we would hope to be there with her too. But remember that we still have a work to accomplish here on earth—a legacy to build and leave behind.”
Next to her family, the most important thing to Sally was her church. Sally and her husband Duffie were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while living on Rotary Street in Montgomery, Alabama, on November 23, 1960. They had been taught by two young elders in white shirts and ties named Elder Souter and Elder Ashley after young Delores had attended primary with a friend. Delores, you were a moving cause in your parents’ conversion to the Church.
Sally visited the Church on Forest Avenue and prayerfully considered the missionaries’ message which plainly outlined the Savior’s divine Sonship, his perfect life in mortality, his atoning sacrifice in Gethsemane and on the cross, his glorious resurrection, his subsequent visit to the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, and his restoration through revelation in our day of his authority and church upon the earth in preparation of his forthcoming return in great power and glory. The message took root in her heart and lifelong personal habits were discarded and modified forever.
Amber mentioned the word “legacy.” There is a hidden legacy that flows from those life-changing events. Sally was 31 years of age when she joined the Church, and she and Duffie remained faithful members thereafter. On July 5, 1962, about one year and eight months after being baptized, Sally and Duffie were married for all eternity in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple. Seven-year-old Delores traveled with them to Idaho.
In May of 1963, they moved to a home on Rifle Range Road near Wetumpka, becoming, so far as I have been able to determine, the first Latter-day Saints to live in Elmore County, Alabama. Sally was probably the best friend of Atlee Evans who became the first Mormon convert in Elmore County. In 1974, Sally became an original member of the Wetumpka congregation of the LDS Church, and her membership has remained here ever since.
Sally’s life was occupied serving as a wife, mother, homemaker, friend, and church worker. She sustained her husband in his many leadership callings, including as an absentee branch president in Sylacauga, a member of the Montgomery Branch Presidency, and as the third branch president of the Wetumpka congregation. He began his service as branch president here in May of 1978 just eight months after experimental open heart surgery. He was the first branch president to occupy an office in this building. Before his death he would serve seven years on the high council.
Sally also worked valiantly in a continuous string of Church responsibilities of her own. Sally was released from her last calling in the Church posthumously this past Sunday, the position of visiting teacher supervisor. As a member of the Church, she held at one time or another the presidency position in every auxiliary customarily occupied by women, including the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary. But she was not a limelight seeker. She served quietly and humbly and effectively.
As a devoted wife, Sally cared for Duffie who in 1973 miraculously survived a 30-foot free fall onto a pile of metal rebar at Sabel Steel. Duffie suffered residual adverse effects to his health, including severe debilitating headaches.
Duffie died 21 years after the fall at age 66 on December 29, 1994, and Sally has remained a widow for the past 19 years. Sally faced adversity with a smile and a good sense of humor. Despite poor health and physical suffering, she never lost her zest for life or the ability to see the lighter side of situations. It would have been easy for her to surrender to pain or affliction, but she did not. She was not a complainer but pressed forward each day with a positive attitude to the full extent of her strength in every circumstance. When I recently visited Sally in the hospital, she was still cheerful despite desperate circumstances. I do not believe she held any fear of death.
Sally and Duffie have always been dear friends of Dianne and me and our family. We labored in many church service projects together, projects designed to raise the money to pay for the land and building in which we meet today. Sally and I were involved over the years in numerous joint ventures relating to the processing of peas and green beans. I grew the food, and she canned it, and we divided the final product. She was an expert at canning all types of foods and always stayed busy as a bee when she was able. Our connections have been many, and Dianne and I will miss her. But we have rejoiced in the knowledge of her long-anticipated reunion with Duffie.
She died on January 18, 2014. With a very minimal of complaint, Sally had endured uncomfortable conditions of poor health for a substantial period of time. I am confident that she is happy and acknowledges with gratitude the wisdom of God in her delivery from earth life after 84 years of probationary testing. I will always remember the good, decent, honest, humble, kind, honorable, generous, friendly, fun-loving, hard-working, righteous mother in Zion we called Sally.
May we all continue to cherish the sweet memories we have of Sally and may our feelings of gratitude for Sally overwhelm our feelings of loss.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.