Luther Edwards Program

R EVEREND D R .

D. E DWARDS , III

Sunday, The Nineteenth day of September Two Thousand Twenty-One at One Thirty in the afternoon W ILMER -H UTCHINS H IGH S CHOOL 5520 Langdon Rd. Dallas, Texas 75241 Pastor Lelious A. Johnson

Reverend Luther D. Edwards III was born on February 16, 1955 in Waxahachie, Texas to the parentage of Pastor Luther D. Edwards Jr. and Alice Rose Reagor. His mom preceded him in death and Luther was raised by Flora Mae Edwards. Luther accepted Christ at an early age, while being a faithful member at Greater Edward Chapel A.M.E. in Palmer, Texas. Luther attended school in the Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District and was a 1973 graduate of Wilmer-Hutchins High School. While attending the high school he attained the accomplishment of All Zone Middle Linebacker. Due to his hard work on the football field, Luther received a scholarship to play football at Prairie View A & M University. After leaving Prairie View Luther enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served as Sergeant until 1986. Luther was also a former long haul mechanic for Sears and Roebuck for 20 years. Luther later worked at President’s Health Club from 1987 until 1993 as a fitness instructor and that is where Lou’s Angels (Aerobics Class) was created. On January 26, 1976 Luther married his high school sweetheart Tonia Antoinette Brewer and to this union three children were born. Tonia preceded him in death in January of 2010. Luther was always very passionate about the Wilmer-Hutchins community, which led him to run and be elected to the Wilmer-Hutchins I.S.D. School Board as a Trustee in 1993. He would later in his tenure serve as Vice President and President of the School Board until the District closed in 2005. Luther would also become a Master School Board Trustee in The State of Texas. Luther decided to continue his education, and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 2005, his Masters of Science in Theological Studies in 2011, and his Doctorate of Theological Studies in 2014 and his Doctorate of Philosophy in 2015. On September 14, 2018, Luther married Anicia Rhynes. Those who preceded Luther in death: Louis Edwards (brother), Barry Lewis (brother in law), Willard Brewer Jr. (father-in-law), Cheryl Edwards-Smith-Silver (sister), Pastor Luther D. Edwards Jr. (father), Mayson Edwards (grandson). Those left to cherish his memories wife: Anicia Rhynes-Edwards; sons: Mario Edwards Sr. (Amber), Damian Edwards; daughter: Aniqua Edwards (Shu’Melya); mother: Flora Mae Edwards; sister: Beverly Edwards-Wright (Bobby); grandchildren: Mariyia, Quinece, Mario, Chloe, Jeffery, Madisyn, Maxsyn, Nashon, Brooklyn, and Cameron; step-children: Floyd Lynn Hawley (Keisha), Marcus Hawley (Quazy), Christopher Rhynes (Michelle), and Shamica Tipps; mother-in-law: Delores Brewer; brother-in-laws: Victor Brewer (Jean), Shawn Brewer, Willard Brewer III, Larry Kiel; sister-in-laws: Vornadette Brewer-Greer (Joe), and Barbara Jackson; uncles: Ely Edwards, Melvin Edwards (Bernice), Rayford Edwards, Don Edwards (Sharon); aunts: Betty Hicks, Mary Edwards; special niece and nephew: Shanaqua Adams (Ashley) and Jerden Woodhouse; nieces and nephews: Te’Fine Edwards, Londee Smith (Cicely), Asha Smith- Owens (Kenneth), Davalon Edwards (Seneca), and Briana Edwards; and a host of Family and Friends, and let’s not forget…….The entire Wilmer-Hutchins Family.

Processional

Ministers and Family

Prayer

Reverend Rayford Terrell

Selection

Shanta Duren

Scripture Reading

Old Testament New Testament

Bishop Lamar Walton Pastor Earnie B. Scroggins

Selection/Solo

Reverend Douglas Turk

Special Recognition: ¨ Congress Woman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Congressional District 30, Washington, D.C. ¨ Senator Royce West, Senatorial District 23, Dallas County, Texas Legislature and Wilmer-Hutchins Alumni ¨ Carl Sherman, House of Representatives House District 109 ¨ Honorable, Judge Remeko T. Edwards, Dallas, County Courts ¨ Mayor Mario Vasquez, City of Hutchins, Texas ¨ Claudia M. Fowler, Former Wilmer-Hutchins ISD, School Board Trustee, Board Secretary and Joppa Representative

Resolutions

Church and Others

Family Tributes/Remarks

Mario, Aniqua, Damian, Mariyia and Quinece

Prayer

Venden Dykes

Eulogy

Pastor Lelious Johnson

Selection

“ I Shall Wear A Crown”

Shanta Duren

Parting Views

Funeral Directors

Recessional

Soft Music

I Carry You in My Heart The day we met I knew my life would never be the same. Your charismatic smile touched my widow's heart and taught me how to love again. I Carry You in My Heart As I came to know you fully, I learned I wasn't the only one who had experienced your loving kindness and appreciated your generous heart. You freely shared your knowledge with everyone you met. You truly made this world a better place to live. I Carry You in My Heart

For you Luther, whose life has meant so much. For you Luther, who is loved by all you knew. You leave behind a trail of sincere tears and a flowing river of happy memories. How can I tell you all that's in my heart my husband, my love, my life? I will think of you with love each day. I'll even whisper your name. While God has called you unto His keeping, I'll forever carry you in my heart . From Your Wife, Anicia Edwards

Gone But Not Forgotten ~ Mama

As kids we lived to- gether, we fought, we laughed, we cried. We did not always show the love, that we both had inside. We shared our dreams and plans, and some secrets too. All the

The story of “The Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:20-24) is the story of a father who never gives up hope and is ready to re- ceive his child back with open arms. We can discipline, we can hold them ac- countable, but we must never give up. There was a time when I was all the way down and as the scripture reads, you

memories we share, is what bonds me now to you. I never did tell you all the things I felt, like how much I really did love you. I wish we could go back and start over again. I do not want to be alone but all my siblings are gone. We grew to find we have a love shared by our families, that will never fade away. You are my brother whom I will miss until my dying day. Love You, Your Sister Beverly

welcomed me back, through all we went through, you never gave up on me and I love you for that. For that I became more focused on being a father and you be- came more focused on being a PAW PAW, something that you enjoyed more than anything. It hurts that the kids won’t get to experience the love you had and was always willing to give to them… Love You Forever… #YOURFIRSTBORN.

Thank you daddy for raising me from a boy to a man. Thanks for teaching me and showing me the ropes. I am going to miss

Daddy, since birth you’ve always been there and never left. You taught me life skills and how to survive on my own but never how to live without you. Somehow I’ll make it. You kept me close to you and protected me from everything; YOU WERE MY SUPER- MAN! Thank you for being the best daddy I could ask for...

everything about you. You always told me to be strong; I’m going to continue to do that and everything else that

you wanted me to do. Love You Always, DJ your baby boy aka Red

Love You FOREVER & ALWAYS, # YourBabygirl

Dude, it’s really hard to believe that you’re actually gone. From the moment we met you instantly welcomed me with open arms. You never treated me like a daughter-in-law but always like a daughter. Thank you for always being there whenever we needed you. You made my husband the man

To my Pawpaw, I’m not going to lie, when you left you took a piece of my heart with you. I’ll forever cherish all the laughs and memories we shared. Oh how I’ll miss you dearly, I’ll make sure to never forget all the stories you’ve told me. From watching old western movies to cooking with you, I’ll miss it all. This is definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Thank you for being my

rock. I love you always. P. S. Who am I going to spend the night with on weekends? Love, Your Big Baby, Your Worm, Quinece

and the father he is today and I will be forever grateful to you for that. Please kiss Mayson and let him know we love him. Take care of my son and I promise to take of yours. Rest well Luther. I Love You, Amber

Papa, thank you so much for all the guidance, love, unconditional support, laughter, and life lessons. I could go on for years talking about it all at this point. Thinking back to seeing you last July, all I can do is smile. Accepting the fact that the pain will be ongoing as well as the healing, the tears and random bursts of hysterical laughter and cries will able be inevitable. So many lessons in these last 4 years with you that helped shape me more into who I was meant to be in ways beyond imaginable. All I can say is thank you, and I love you. Thank you for loving all of us the way you did. Our cups never ran empty from your love and you always made sure your family was goof. Honor, Integrity, Intelligence and Compassion beyond comprehension. It’s not goodbye at all, it’s I’ll see you later. Your journey of ascension has definitely been one to witness papa, I’m so happy to had been your first grandbaby, I love you. Shorty

When I first heard the news I broke down immediately. It still gets me till this day. Life is not going to be the same without you. I just wanna take the time to thank you for all the memories you gave me throughout my life. All the times you checked up

To My Papa, I can’t even believe how much I will miss you. The same day I found out I didn’t know

what to say, I want to thank you for everything that you have done for me. I don’t know what I will do thinking about it for the rest of my life. We’ve shared a lot of memories that I will miss...Mario and I love you so much and we will miss you. Chloe

on me, I wish I could’ve done the same for you. But like I said thank you for memories and being the best Papa I could ask for. Rest in Paradise. Love You MJ

Mr. Luther, thank you for loving and accepting us as your own. Although we aren’t biological you never made a difference and treated us like blood. We hate that we didn’t get more time with you but we will cherish the memories that we have. We will miss you.

From the day I was born, you were there as one of my first visitors, ensuring my parents that God makes no mistakes and that everything was going to e alright. Now we are together and making sure the family is goinna be alright. In my Papa’s arms forever!.

Love Mayson

Love, Jeffery and Madisyn

From the day I was born, you referred to me as Papa’s lil ma. One day daddy will tell me all the stories of how you were the BIG MAN, that, I would have loved to learn under... Love You, PAPA”A LIL MAN

Acknowledgement Perhaps you sang a song or sat quietly in a chair. Perhaps you sent beautiful flowers, if so we saw them there. Perhaps you were not there at all but thought of us today; perhaps you rendered a service unseen, near at hand or far away. Whatever you did to console our hearts, we thank you so very much we thank you so very much whatever the kindly part. May God Bless Each of You! The Family

S OARING

A CTIVE P ALLBEARERS

M ARIO E DWARDS S R . D AVALON E DWARDS

D AMIAN E DWARDS L ONDEE S MITH W ILLARD B REWER III

B RIAN L USK

J OE G REER

H ONORARY P ALLBEARERS

R AYFORD E DWARDS D ON E DWARDS M ICHAEL J OHNSON L ARRY H ARRIS J ERDEN W OODHOUSE

M ELVIN E DWARDS V ICTOR B REWER H ERBERT J OHNSON S HAWN B REWER R AYFORD T ERRELL

L UTHER ’ S F INAL S ENDOFF P RESENTED BY J ERDEN W OODHOUSE AND G ARY J ACKSON ( FORMER MEMBERS OF P RAIRIE V IEW A&M’ S M ARCHING S TORM D RUMLINE “MSD”)

F INAL R ESTING P LACE L AUREL L AND M EMORIAL P ARK D ALLAS , T EXAS