William "Bill" Edwards

William “Bill” Edwards, age 86, of Grants Pass, died Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at Highland House Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, March 14, 2009 at Calvary Lutheran Church with Pastor Janelle Aldrich-Dale officiating. Private interment will be at Eagle Point National Cemetery. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Bill was born January 22, 1923 in Cherryvale, Kansas. At age 17, he left home to join the United States Army. He was a decorated veteran of World War II and the Korean War. On July 2, 1947 in Yuma, Arizona he married Lorraine Carlson, who died in 2002. In 1951 Bill and Lorraine were moving from San Diego to Washington State when they stopped in Grants Pass to visit Bill’s war buddy. They liked the friendship and the area so much, they stayed. He served as a sergeant in the Grants Pass Police Department until he left to become an officer at Southern Oregon State Bank (now Bank of America).

Survivors include a daughter, Billie Jean Te of Grants Pass; a son, Steve Edwards of LaConner, Washington; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a sister, Sam Barker of Grants Pass; and his girlfriend, Nancy Glasscock of Grants Pass.