John Richard Edwards

March 2, 1948 - April 13, 2016

Funeral Services for John Richard Edwards, 68, of Rusk, Texas will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 16, 2016 at Sardis Baptist Church, Sardis, Texas, under the direction of Wallace-Thompson Funeral Home with Pastor Keith Hassell officiating. Burial will follow at Edgefield Cemetery in Sardis. Mr. Edwards was born to the late John Carmon Edwards and Hazel Garrison Payne on March 2, 1948 in Denton, Texas. He worked since 1972 with Berry and Clay Construction. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, vegetable gardening. He spent many hours doing carpentry and was known for his cooking, especially his picante sauce. He is predeceased by his natural parents, step-father, James Valentine Payne, grandparents, Francis and Louie Edwards, and sister, Patricia Alice Edwards Bowden. He is survived by his sons and daughters in law, Clint and Edi Edwards, Round Rock, TX, with the rest of the family residing in Rusk, Travis and Jody Edwards, Jacob and Rachel Jackson, daughters and sons in law, Jessica Carmon and Jimmy Henderson Jr., Jennifer Lynn and Derek Pruitt, Niece, Angela and her husband Kevin Restelle, Queen City, TX, nephew, Donnie and his wife Mayra Shipp, Houston, TX, grandchildren, Rebecca, William and John Edwards, Makayla and Makinley Henderson, Balin, Sam, and Luke Pruitt, Rusk, TX, great-grandchildren, Adalyn and Amilee James, Jacksonville, TX, and Kase Edwards, Rusk, TX, as well as numerous good friends and family. Pallbearers will be Jimmy Henderson Jr., Derek Pruitt, Danny Berry, Larry Langley, Larry Phifer, and Donald Guinn Jr. Visitation will be 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday, April 16, 2016 at the funeral home. The church is located south of Rusk in Sardis Community. FM 23 Southwest away from Rusk, Right on FM 1857 (south), 8 1/2 miles to the church. A historical marker on the left marks the location of the church on the right. The cemetery is further south on FM 1857, turn Right at the historical marker, also known as CR 2218. Cemetery is on the right about a block down.