SERVICE:  Friday, May 22, 2026

Richton First Assembly of God

11:00 a.m.

INTERMENT:  Newell Cemetery

VISIT:  Thursday, May 21, 2026

Jones & Son Funeral Home

5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Services for Mrs. Mary L. Edwards will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 22, 2026, at Richton First Assembly of God.   Bro. Scott Morris will officiate the service and burial will follow in Newell Cemetery.  Serving as pallbearers will be Dewayne Smith, John Walley, Jason Walley, Cory Smith, Malachi Graham, Kody Hall, and Ethan Brewer.  Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Jacob Ferguson and Samuel Graham.

Mary L. Edwards, age 90, passed away peacefully at home in Richton on May 17, 2026. She was born to Steven DeKalb Patterson and Ollie Mae Patterson of Beaumont on February 4, 1936.  Mrs. Mary lived a life rooted in faith, family, hard work, and love for others.

Mrs. Mary was a devoted and hardworking woman throughout her life. She retired from the Richton School District after faithfully serving as a cafeteria worker for 30 and a half years, where she lovingly fed and cared for generations of children. She also worked 14 years as a factory seamstress and faithfully dedicated over 20 years to Great Southern Farms.

Known for her warm heart and generous spirit, Mrs. Mary was a wonderful cook who loved clipping recipes from the newspaper and sharing meals with those she loved. Truthfully, her love language was good food. If you walked through her door hungry, you were leaving full, not just in stomach, but in heart too. Her greatest joy in life was her family, whom she loved deeply and selflessly. She never missed an opportunity to witness to others about Jesus Christ and lived her life as a faithful Christian.  She attended First Assembly of God faithfully for many years.

Mrs. Mary had a special gift for seeing the good in people, even during the hardest seasons of their lives. She loved shopping, finding a good bargain, Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, and late-night trips to Walmart with family and friends. Her laughter, kindness, unwavering faith, and love will be deeply missed by all who knew her.  Though her family grieves her passing, they rejoice in knowing she is now at peace in the presence of her Savior.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Thomas Edwards; daughter, Janet Walley; son-in-law, Johnny Walley; parents, Steven DeKalb Patterson and Ollie Mae Patterson; brothers, Lewis Patterson and Buddy Patterson; and sisters, Faye Patterson, Erlene Johnson, Vernie "Chee Chee" McMahon, Pat Knight, and Redia Capella.

She leaves behind a loving family who will cherish her memory forever, her children, Debbie (Allen) Smith of Richton MS, Shirley (Gary) Booms of Lake City, MI,  Mike Edwards of Richton, MS, Glen Edwards of Richton, MS, Tara Graham of Richton, MS, and Molly (Sambo) Brewer of Richton, MS; sister, Ollie Patterson; brother, Roy Patterson; 18 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, and one precious great-grandchild on the way.