Willie Edwards

1957 - 2019

Willie Lee Edwards
"Westside"
May 18, 1957 - Jul 14, 2019
Willie Lee Edwards was born on May 18, 1957, in Oakland, CA, to proud parents: Roosevelt Edwards, Sr. and Delphinia Cline Edwards.
Willie accepted the Lord at an early age and he was taught to always love God first. He was baptized by the late Dr. E.W. Roland, in Oakland, CA, at Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church. In 1969, Dr. Roland was called to pastor the Second Baptist Church in Merced, CA. The Edwards Family helped Pastor Roland pack and Deacon Edwards packed up his family and moved to Merced, CA, Willie gained many friendships in the community, particularly on the Westside. He also gained an extended family, the Winzer family. He attended Sheehy Elementary School, Tenaya Middle School, and Merced High School.
Willie loved his family and was very over-protective of them. As a family, we all have fond memories of Willie, aka Westside. Willie always carried a screwdriver and a pair of wire plyers in his right-side pocket. He worked on vacuum cleaners, TVs, fixed cars, and cut yards for anyone who needed work done. Willie enjoyed his summers and looked forward to the family road trips to Humphrey, AR. He was eager to work on the family farm with his grandfather and cousins. The summers also included family camping trips to Yosemite National Park, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and San Francisco Beach. Willie was also known as "Westside ." Anytime someone would ask, "What's up?", he would hold up his fingers (making a "W" sign) and with a smile, say, "WESTSIDE!" If you asked him to sing a song, he would pull out a comb and use it as a flute. If you were hungry, he kept a bag of outdated snacks.
A year ago, Willie's health began to decline. When you'd visit Willie in the hospital and ask, "How are you doing?", his reply would be, "Only the strong survive!" He would also be sure to ask for some lottery tickets, a pack of cigarrettes, and a couple of dollars. No matter what Willie was doing all week long, right or wrong, he would still make it to church Sunday morning and sit in the back; even when he was in the care home facilities, he would call his family to check him out to go to church.
Willie was preceded in death by his parents: Roosevelt Edwards and Delphinia Cline Edwards.; and nephew, Antonio Edwards. He leaves to cherish his memory: two daughters, Ieshia Edwards of Las Vegas, NV and Wakeeia Tyler-Fitzgerald of Fresno, CA; two sons, Destin Edwards of Merced, CA and Tony Piggy Edwards of Little Rock, AR; seven grandchildren: Jamal Turner, Jeremiah Fitzgerald, Leanna Fitzgerald, Telan Gaines, Lasaria Piggy, Orlandria Piggy, and Jordan Edwards; four sisters: Loretta Spence (Ricky) and Shirley Winzer (Lavelle) of Merced, CA, Anthony (Marie) Johnson of Kansas City, KS, Susan Edwards of Atlanta, GA, and Alice Lopez and Maria Lopez of Merced, CA, and godsister Trina Edwards-Boyles (Ricky) of Inglewood, CA; two brothers: Walter Edwards, Sr. of Atwater, CA and Roosevelt Edwards, Jr. (Shirley K) of Merced, CA; and a host of nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Services and repass will be held at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 559 Broadway Avenue, Atwater, CA on Friday, July 26, 2019 at 1:00 PM. On Tuesday, July 30, 2019, a secondary service will be held in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, at 11:00 AM. Willie will be laid to rest in Humphrey, AR, at the "Cline Family Cemetery" and a repass will follow.
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