Jesse Lloyd Edmondson

Jesse Lloyd Edmondson, 87, of Abilene, passed away Friday, January 17, 2014 at his residence. Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Monday, January 20, 2014 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Rev. Jeff Hatcher will officiate. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 2:00 to 4:00 pm on Sunday at the funeral home. Jesse was born on May 14, 1926 in the Wylie community to Jesse Leslie Edmondson and Mattie Delilah (Shaw) Edmondson. He married Betty Ruth Hancock on June 30, 1948 at Wylie Methodist Church. She preceded him in death on June 2, 2005. Jesse worked part-time in construction and carpentry while farming until the drought of the 1950’s forced him to seek full-time employment to support his family. He worked construction at Dyess Air Force Base from 1954 to 1955; from 1956 to 1957, he went to work for Powell Planing Mill where he learned cabinetry. In 1963, Jack Qualls of Quall’s Construction Company hired him full-time, and he was a master cabinet builder until 1978 when a major illness forced him to return to part-time work. He retired from Quall’s in the late 1980’s. Jesse was also a master artist—painting with wood. He created his own unique inlay artwork which won numerous blue ribbons at the West Texas Fair. He donated select pieces to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center for their annual fundraiser auction. Jesse was a charter member and past President of the Wylie Lions Club and lifelong member of Wylie United Methodist Church. He was also past director of the Farm Bureau. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, one daughter, Beth Richards, son-in-law, Michael Richards and two brothers-in-law, J.R. Hancock and Homer Parris. Jesse is survived by two daughters, Tammie Lynn and husband David of Abilene, Pam Rawlings and husband Fred of Mt. Pleasant; two sisters-in-law, Dorothy Hancock of Plainview and Jeanette Parris of Abilene; six grandchildren, Melody Dagenhart and husband Toby, Marcie Lamb and husband Bradley, Jamie Cummings and husband Chris, Karyn Lynn, Laura Rawlings and Jesse Rawlings; great-grandchildren, Amber, Isaac and Bryant Dagenhart, Katie and Kelsey Richards and Landon Westcott; one niece, Sharon Shipley of Plainview and two nephews, Russell Hancock and wife Brenda of Euless, Randy Hancock and wife Julie of Lubbock. Fred Rawlings, David Lynn, Toby Dagenhart, Jesse Rawlings, Randy Hancock and Russell Hancock will serve as pallbearers. Memorials may be made in Jesse’s honor to the West Texas Rehab Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, TX 79605; the Wylie Lions Club, 6249 Buffalo Gap Rd., Abilene, TX 79606 or to the donor’s favorite charity.