Edna Marie (Lawson) Rice (1932 - 2016)

Born 9 Jul 1932 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States

Ancestors

Died 29 Jan 2016 at age 83 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States

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Biography

Edna was born in 1932. She was the daughter of Andrew Lawson and Iva Gossett. She passed away in 2016.

Obituary from Find A Grave

Deceased Jan 29 2016 in Phoenix AZ at the age of 83. Mother of: James Mooney, Brenda Erickson, & Patricia Farkas Mother-in-law of: Jean Mooney & Fred Farkas Survived by siblings: Deloris Holifield & Robert Lawson Grandmother of: James Mooney, William Mooney, Jonathan Martin,Leah Carson, & Rebecca Galaviz 13 Great Grandchildren, 13 Step-Grandchildren, 22 Step-Great Grandchildren Edna was a pastor's wife for 20 years. She also worked at Woolco in accounting,Co-Op as a cashier, Adams Hotel as a hostess, Circle K as an Assistant Manager, & the Marriott "Airport" as a cashier.

Edna's parents Andrew Jackson & Iva Lawson came from Texas to Arizona in a covered wagon while her mother was pregnant with her. They broke down in Casa Grande and worked in the cotton fields until they earned enough money to buy their first care. They then moved to Phoenix where she was born on July 9, 2931. She grew up in Arizona and went to Madison grade school until the eighth grade. She met and married James Mooney at the age of 15. They were married for 28 years. Twenty of those years she was a pastor's wife and also worked occasionally during those years earning some extra money as being a pastor in those days meant you lived by faith on whatever came in each week. She had three children. James was the first child and grandchild in the Mooney family and then Brenda came along five years later with Patricia coming in some six years after that. She retired at the age of 65 from the Marriot at the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. She had some contact with some celebrities over the years in two of her jobs like George Burns & Jerry Lewis. She had some interesting stories to tell. She was very close to her sister Opal and was one of 9 siblings. Eventually she moved in with her sister Opal and her husband Olin. They were good company for her and helped her out with a place to stay and more for several years. She never was quite the same after they both passed away. Thirteen years ago she moved in with her daughter Patricia and spent a lot oftime with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She had a great sense of humor and was feisty at times. During her later years she loved to read, watch game shows, and drink "sweet" tea. She passed on her love of reading to her children and often was reading to the great grandchildren. She loved to sing songs like the itsy-bitsy spider to them. And sometimes they wouldn't let her stop. She always hated talking on the phone but had Patricia call her son and other people she wanted to check on. She was always worrying about her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren but she had Patricia do the checking and report back to her. Edna really didn't like to get out much but occasionally like to go to the casino just to get out of the house. Whenever asked if she wanted to go somewhere she would usually just say no. She didn't go to church in the later years but was always ready to say to her girls that they should pay for so and so because they needed it. She definitely believed in prayer.

Sources

• Year: 1940; Census Place: Maricopa, Arizona; Roll: m-t0627-00106; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 7-82A Source Information Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157747053/edna-marie-rice: accessed 08 February 2023), memorial page for Edna Marie Lawson Rice (9 Jul 1932–29 Jan 2016), Find a Grave Memorial ID 157747053, citing Resthaven Park East Cemetery, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA; Maintained by Avery (contributor 48862322).