Peter Quitman Edwards
By James A. Strain, Copyright © 2005
My great grandfather, Peter Quitman Edwards, the son of J. J. "Jack" Edwards and Charlotte Mastin, was born April 30, 1858 in Banner, MS, and died May 19, 1927 in the same location. As strange as it might seem, I spent much of my young adult life living less than an hour from the old Edwards homestead outside of Banner, and no one ever told me about its existence. My father recently told me that when he was a child he used to play at the farm there, often spending time in the barn with his brother and cousins. Pete Edwards married Louisa "Louie" Frances Turner (1860-1945), daughter of James Bradley Turner and Nancy Jane Countiss, in about 1887.
They operated a farm on this homestead which is located on Spring Creek, in Calhoun Co., MS, though I know nothing at this time about the crops. I believe someone once told me they had an apple orchard, also. The homestead is still there, in disrepair, and owned by a cousin of mine. No one lives in it at this time.
I believe they attended Concord Baptist Church and perhaps also Banner Baptist Church. Louie Turner's grandfather, Jesse Turner, held the original organizational meeting for Concord Baptist Church in his home in 1850. Many of the Turner and Edwards family are buried in the cemetery there.
The children of Pete and Louie Edwards are:
i. DORA EDWARDS, b. February 01, 1888, Banner, MS; d. Abt. 1915, Calhoun County, MS; m. MID (RHONE) ROANE. Child: Eva Roane.
ii. JOHNIE EARL EDWARDS, b. February 1890, Banner, MS; d. June 08, 1921; m. BEULAH MORGAN. Children: Alon Earl Edwards, Lester Adrian (Adron) Edwards married Mabel Jane Fisher.
iii. DELLON EDWARDS, b. October 11, 1891, Banner, MS; d. November 08, 1975, Water Valley, Yalobusha Co., MS; m. (1) ROBERT SIMPSON; m. (2) RUPERT CHAPMAN. Children: Louise Simpson, Reba Simpson.
iv. EULA EDWARDS, b. June 07, 1894, Banner, MS, online WWI draft registration; d. May 05, 1960, Kennedy Hospital, Memphis, TN; m. NANNIE VERA COLLINS, April 11, 1920, Banner, MS. Four children.
v. IVAN EDWARDS, b. December 01, 1896, Banner, MS (He and Dad b. Banner, MS-WWI draft reg.); d. 1964; m. LOIS WOMBLE. Four children.
vi. Infant son EDWARDS, b. and d. July 28, 1898.
vii. VIRGIE MAE EDWARDS, b. August 11, 1902, Banner, MS; d. December 29, 1991, BIRMINGHAM, AL; m. ALLEN ELMO STRAIN, May 21, 1921, near BANNER, MS. Four children.
viii. Truman EDWARDS, b. February 9, 1906, Banner, MS: d. April 24, 1906, Banner, MS.
[child "vi" is said to be named Thurman in my family notes, and Truman was said to have lived a couple of years, so there is some confusion on names and dates. These dates are from cemetery markers for vi and viii.]
[If you descend from Pete & Louie Edwards, and want more history of their descendants, or can tell me about your direct line, please email me.]
Concord Baptist Church History (list of pastors from 1840)
Concord Baptist Church Cemetery
Obituaries of the P. Q. Edwards family