[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 336]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 ON THE OCCASION OF MS. JOSEPHINE F. EDWARDS' RETIREMENT FROM ELECTED 
                                 OFFICE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 12, 2011

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary American who has devoted her life to building the 
community in which she lives--Wilson County, North Carolina. As a 
caring, thoughtful and passionate leader in the community, Josephine 
Farmer Edwards has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those 
around her.
  Mrs. Edwards is a native of Nash County, North Carolina. She 
graduated from Nash County Training School, earned a bachelor's degree 
from Fayetteville State College (now Fayetteville State University), 
and a master's degree from Pennsylvania State University. She put that 
education to work as a classroom teacher for 38 years in Nash and 
Wilson counties, and later taught adult education.
  In 1986, Mrs. Edwards was elected to the Wilson County Board of 
Commissioners and has distinguished herself as an elected official for 
the past 24 years. Mrs. Edwards has now retired from elective office 
but leaves a great legacy that will continue to enrich and strengthen 
the community for many years to come.
  Mrs. Edwards' remarkable tenure included the development and 
construction of numerous County facilities as well as the expansion and 
development of critical emergency services including emergency disaster 
response, centralized communications, rescue services, and full 
countywide paramedic services.
  Mrs. Edwards was a key leader in expanding recreation opportunities, 
improving services for seniors, enhancing cable television services, 
improving health care facilities and the County's road system. She has 
also been a strong and consistent supporter of economic development 
throughout the region, and a tireless advocate for improving education.
  With her background in public education, Mrs. Edwards was a tireless 
supporter of funding for the Wilson County Public Schools and Wilson 
Community College. She also supported state and local bond issues for 
school and community college construction, which included the 
renovation of multiple schools and the construction of the Darden 
Middle School and the John W. Jones Elementary School.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition to her countless gifts to our community, I 
have been blessed with her lifelong friendship, by which I have been 
enormously honored. Mrs. Edwards was married to the late James Edwards 
and continues to own and operate the family business, Edwards Funeral 
Home of Wilson. Mrs. Edwards has two adult daughters, Angela Edwards 
Jones (Tyrone) and Carla Edwards Williams (Daryl). She is also a proud 
grandmother and great grandmother.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the hard work, 
dedication and success of the Honorable Josephine Farmer Edwards on the 
occasion of her retirement from elective office.

                          ____________________