Ninth Generation

3828. Edgar Hill Bedwell^204,1301 was born on 28 Dec 1885 in Iowa.^{452,1301,2008} He died in Sep 1965 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.²⁰¹⁴

• 1920 Census for District 115, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, taken 5 Jan 1920, shows Edgar H. Bedwell, 32, born in Iowa, the sales manager for a wholesale drug company, as head of household with: wife Pearl E., 28, born in Michigan; daughter Betty A., 5, born in Nebraska; and son Edgar H. Jr., 2 & 1/12, born in Iowa.

• 1930 Census for District 113, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska shows Edgar H. Bedwell, 41, a drug broker, as head of household containing: Elizabeth P., 36, his wife of 14+ years; daughter Betty Ann, 15; and son Edgar H. Jr., 11. They own a home valued at $11,000.

Edgar Hill Bedwell and Elizabeth Pearl Smith were married about 1915 in Nebraska.²⁰⁰⁹ Elizabeth Pearl Smith^204,2010 was born about 1891 in Michigan.²⁰¹⁰ Edgar Hill Bedwell and Elizabeth Pearl Smith had the following children:

5988	i.	Betty Ann Bedwell2010 was born about 1914 in Nebraska.2010
5989	ii.	Edgar Hill Bedwell Jr2010 was born about Dec 1917 in Iowa.2010 He died in Jul 2005. • Published in The Chicago Tribune, 7/19/2005: Edgar H. Bedwell Jr., 87, of Indian Head Park, WWII Veteran. Beloved husband of Virginia, nee Petersen; loving father of Edgar III (Nancy), of Washington, PA, Barbara (John) Buenger of Burr Ridge and Charles (Terry) of New Berlin, WI; devoted grandfather of Elizabeth (Matthew) Gill, John Buenger, Charles, Christopher, Casey and Tina Bedwell; dear uncle of many. Visitation 3 to 9 p.m., Thursday, at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, 1025 W. 55th St., Countryside. Prayers 9:30 a.m. Friday, from the funeral home to St. Cletus Church, LaGrange, for Mass at 10 a.m. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital appreciated. Funeral Info: 708-352-6500. • Eulogy delivered at Edgar Hill Bedwell Jr.'s memorial service: Good Morning. I am Ed's daughter, Barb. Our family would like to thank you for being here with us today to say goodbye to dad. We would also like to say thank you for all of your kindnesses. Whether it was a sympathetic word, a wonderful meal, a thoughtful gesture, a gentle smile or a much needed hug - these were all very much appreciated and will be remembered fondly. Dad was truly a part of “the Greatest Generation”, a man who loved his family, his God and his country. A gentleman's gentleman. We are here to celebrate dad's life; a life that has intersected in some way with everyone here, whether it was only recently or over many years. Dad touched many and will be missed by many, his family, his friends and neighbors, and his wonderful caregivers, who have seen him through one crisis after another. I would like to tell you a little about our dad. In 1941 dad, like many others of his generation, proudly enlisted in the Navy. He was stationed at Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii, serving there until 1944 when he returned home to Chicago. In August of that year he married Virginia, his “sweetheart” as he would still refer to her today, and they began a sixty-one year journey together. In August of 1948 they started their family with the birth of my brother, Rusty. Then 18 months later, in 1950, I joined the family. After only a few years in Chicago the Southern Pacific transferred dad to Kansas City where Chuck was born in 1953. Nine years later and another transfer and we were all back in Chicago where we were blessed to have a multitude of aunts, uncles and cousins close at hand. Each summer we did the annual trek to Hudson Lake where the aunts and cousins spent warm lazy summer days building a lifetime of wonderful memories and waiting for Friday nights when dad and the uncles would arrive on the South Shore from Chicago or various cities in Indiana and Michigan. Dad the trooper that he was would arrive on the Friday evening train and without fail would start having breathing problems. Even back then, his lungs just would not cooperate. He tried valiantly, but he could not enjoy the country. Well, we stayed put in Westchester until 1968, then there was one last transfer to Milwaukee. In every city we lived, dad and mom gave us a warm and happy home with extraordinary memories to treasure for the rest of our lives and to pass on to our children and their children. After dad retired from the Southern Pacific, they moved to Florida to be near his sister, Betty. He despised the icy cold Midwest winters and reveled in the fact that he no longer would freeze from January to March nor would he be shoveling snow up to his ankles. Even more than leaving the weather behind I think he enjoyed sharing with us during each phone call home, how warm and wonderful it was there. How the sun was shining and the temperature was in the 80's. He loved to rub it in! Dad loved Betty, but I often wondered if he loved Florida even more. He enjoyed morning walks on the beach looking for shells, dodging the tide and seeing other beach-walkers. But eventually his lungs wouldn't cooperate and his morning walks became more of an effort than a joy. In 1981 shortly after the birth of their first grandchild mom and dad came back to Chicago. (A new grandchild was the perfect excuse for mom to get him back here closer to the family). Around 1986 in fulfillment of a promise made to God, they became regulars at the 8:00 morning mass here at St. Cletus. This was to remain an integral part of their lives, lasting until 2004. Each day began with mass. They would arrive at church early and dad would go through all his prayer cards, mass would end and then off they went to breakfast with their church group and their day was off and running. Dad was part of a dying generation. He was a true gentleman. He wore a suitcoat and tie to church on Sunday. He held the door for a woman, he took his hat off to a woman, and he never used foul language or told off-color jokes in front of women. He always complimented my mom when she came home from the beauty shop and after every dinner she ever made he told her how delicious it was (even her Petersen spaghetti). Over the past few years dad took many trips to the emergency room at LaGrange Hospital. Each time we joked with the nurses that he was working on hospital frequent flyer miles towards a free stay in a luxury room. Even his doctor teased him that he had more lives than a cat. In December he took his nine lives a step further. He added a new chapter in his book of life. Shortly before Christmas he became a hospice patient. His health had worsened and had only weeks to live. But, as he always did, he beat those odds and added seven more months to his life - amazing us all. Two months ago when he had his first fracture he started to lose ground. When he no longer enjoyed his routine pleasures like gigantic ice cream sundaes every afternoon, or a daily game of Gin Rummy with mom, he just looked forward to visits from his family or his care-giver, or quietly sitting in his easy chair looking out the window. When he was asked if he needed anything he would always respond, “just a kind word”. I would like to tell you a few of dad's favorite sayings: · I'll have a sweet brandy old fashion, hold the garbage (that would be the fruit garnish) · I think I'll have fettuccini alfredo, and make it extra soupy! · Pass the salt · It's clear on the right · What does 0% financing mean · It's Tuesday; shall we go for soup tonight? · How is Marianne, she is such a beautiful girl! · And, Mele kalikemaka The last one dad became familiar with while stationed in Hawaii. It translates to “merry Christmas”. He loved to use that phrase as a toast. So, every time we made a toast at a meal, a party or just cocktail time (and we made a lot of toasts) whether it was December or July, dad would say “mele kalikemaka”. It became a family joke with one of us moaning, “oh, no, not that one again!!!” But it also became the family toast that brought a smile to everyone's face. To dad, it was a toast to wish peace and happiness, to the rest of us it was a “dadism” and will remain a happy memory of our dad. So dad, “mele kalikemaka”. We wish you peace.