William "Willy" Edwards

William "Willy" Leroy Edwards, South Beloit, IL, died April 29, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. A hardworking and humble man, Willy was born on June 17, 1952, son of Leroy and Darlene (Wallace) Edwards. Willy grew up working very hard on a dairy farm milking cows, baling hay in the summertime (including unloading hay in the very hot hay mow), planting and harvesting crops, and tending to all the animals including cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens. He figured out how to fix farm equipment, even though he was never trained to do that. He had the ability to figure out how to do things that most people would need instruction on. He graduated from North Boone High School in 1970. Willy married Pam Amborn on February 8, 1973, with whom he had his children: William, Melissa, and Wendy. He later married Kim Schnack on October 31, 2014. He worked on the farm for a number of years and then worked for Taylor Freezer as a welder, another skill he learned on his own. He was a very valuable employee for 30 years, retiring in 2017. Willy will be remembered as a very generous person who would always lend a hand to someone in need, and who wanted to help others. He had a garden full of vegetables and pumpkins every year that he shared with family and friends. He could always find humor in every situation. He's the one you didn't want to sit by at serious functions, because he'd get you in trouble. And, if you ever played cards with him, he had no mercy. He was really good at it, a talent he got from his mom. Willy will be sadly missed by his loving wife, Kim; his children: William R. Edwards (Michelle), Melissa (Matt) Vander Kooi, and Wendy (David) Leonard; stepchildren: Rick (Sheila) Amborn, Mark (Polly) Amborn, Vanessa Somers, Cathy (Rob) Schwiesow, Anthony (Rachel Lucek) Schnack, Will Schnack, Nathan Schnack and Stacy Schnack; grandchildren: Alicia (Trenton) Poff, Emma Edwards, David and Olivia Vander Kooi, Owen, Sadie and Adalind Leonard; step grandchildren: Starr (Nathan Hathcock) Somers, Jazmine Somers, Lydia and Melody Schwiesow, Lucy Schnack and Phoebe Schnack; great-grandchild: Isaac Poff; his siblings and in-laws: Anne Edwards, Susan (Charles) Peterson, Martha (James) Kniffin, Karen Bach, Alan (Michelle) Edwards and Leroy (Joy) Edwards; brothers-in-law: Greg Levan and Wes Levan; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, John Edwards; brother-in-law, Kenneth Bach and sister-in-law, Pam Hansen. A memorial visitation for Willy will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 8, 2025 in the Daley Murphy Wisch & Associates Funeral Home and Crematorium, 2355 Cranston Rd., Beloit, WI. A celebration of Willy's life will be held at a later date.