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Gwendolyn McWilliams Edwards, 82, passed away Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at her residence. Visitation is 1:30pm until 2:45pm Sunday, March 27, 2022 at Park Place Baptist Church in Pearl. Services will be held at 3 pm at the church and interment will follow on Monday at 10 am at Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Pearl. Dr. Keith Grubbs will officiate.
Gwen was born on May 28, 1939, in Magee, Mississippi to Albert and Annie Jane Sellers McWilliams. She graduated from Magee High School and was married to James Carl Edwards of Mendenhall, Mississippi for 63 years.
After her marriage she began her journey with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi for over 30 years. Beginning in 1970 her husband was ordained to the Gospel Ministry by First Baptist Church of Pearl. The lives of Gwen and her family took on a different look at this point. Until December 2011 she served along-side of her husband as he served in different churches located in Mississippi. The wife of a minister is as much a calling as that of the minister. She assisted by teaching, organizing sermons notes, planning church functions, and countless other duties. Because of the location of these churches, Gwen was able to continue her work at Blue Cross Blue Shield until she retired. Their dedication not only to the church, but to each other, was a source of encouragement and an example of how true love can be expressed. As they grew older, and their health faded, they still continued to be so strong, never wanting to give up and always trying to help others. It’s hard to talk about her life without including him because their lives were so intertwined. She loved entertaining her family and friends in her home, and she always supported her grandchildren in whatever activities they were involved in.
Gwen was preceded in death by her husband, her father and mother, sisters, Lyndra McWilliams Maddox and Lessie McWilliams Purser, and brother, Charles Ray McWilliams.
She is survived by two daughters, Cindy Edwards McLemore and Denise Edwards McNemar, son-in-law, David McNemar, four grandchildren, Lauren McLemore Copelan (Jamie Copelan), Brandon McLemore, Grayson McLemore (Ella McLemore), and Emily McNemar, two great-grandchildren, Jacob Copelan (Gracie Copelan) and Josslyn Copelan, and one great-great-grandchild, Kovur Copelan. She is also survived by her brothers, J.R. McWilliams (Phyllis McWilliams), and James Henry McWilliams (Ellen McWilliams). She was a loved aunt to many nieces and nephews.
If you knew her very well then you knew what a mean game of Dominoes that she could play! We will miss her homemade birthday cards that she liked to send, her special Christmas breakfast, but most of all the love that she had for all of us!
Pallbearers are David McNemar, Grayson McLemore, Brandon McLemore, Kevin McWilliams, Jamie Copelan and Michael McDaniel.
The family request memorials to Park Place Baptist Church Senior Adult Ministry.
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(Submitted by family)
