May 31, 1950 - Jul. 1, 2016
Date of Service: Jul. 8, 2016
Gordon Odell Edwards
ELBA – Gordon Odell Edwards, a longtime resident of Elba, died Friday morning, July 1, 2016, while doing what he loved; riding a mule in the mountains, pulling his pack animal with his spray tanks and spraying weeds.
Gordon was born May 31, 1950, the third child of Otis Owen and Barbara Jane Tolman Edwards. He was a busy little boy and even then, loved riding horses - a love that would carry throughout his life, but changed to mules as the years went by. He was active in the 4-H as a young man and won blue ribbons at the Cassia County Fair. He attended school in Malta and, while at Raft River High School, he participated in sports and made lifelong friends. During junior high school, he met the love of his life, Marcile Tracy, and after graduating, they were married on May 29, 1969, in Almo, Idaho. One year later, on May 30, 1970, they were sealed for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. They were blessed with four children, Shawn Edwards of Provo, Utah, Jennifer (Les) Hall of Jerome, Ryan (Katherine) Edwards of Declo, and Kris (Annette) Edwards of Elwood, Utah. They also count two others as their children, Keith Sangster of McAllen, Texas, and Jenifer Ward of Almo. These children have given him 16 beautiful grandchildren.
Gordon was a special, hard-working man who loved his family and took good care of them. He enjoyed many friends and would always stop to talk. He especially loved the young people he worked with at church and his friends and neighbors in Elba. He will be greatly missed by many people.
He was an avid hunter and loved to chase mountain lions and bears with his dogs as well as bringing home an occasional elk. He particularly enjoyed working and was up before dawn and off to work, spraying weeds for Cassia County where he had been the weed supervisor for 31 years. Gordon also owned his own spray business with his wife, Marcile, and their son, Kris; they did noxious weed control for the government.
He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held many positions; his favorite was working with the young men. He taught them many things over the years; the main thing being the value of working hard, playing hard, and most important, of loving their Savior, Jesus Christ. This, in turn, would help them to care for and help their families and community.
In addition to his wife, children and grandchildren, Gordon is survived by a brother, Paul Edwards of Malta; two sisters, Karen Larson of West Jordan, Utah, and Carolyn Allen of Jerome; as well as many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; an older brother, Calvin Edwards; and a younger brother, Clifford Edwards.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 8, at the Elba LDS Church with Bishop Tom Ottley officiating. Burial will follow at the Grand View Cemetery in Elba.
Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Thursday, July 7, at the Rasmussen Funeral Home of Burley, 1350 E. 16th St., and from 10 until 10:45 a.m. Friday, preceding the service.
The family requests memorials be directed to Primary Children’s Hospital or to Ronald McDonald House, c/o Rasmussen Funeral Home, P.O. Box 878 Burley, Idaho 83318-0878.
