Neal Edwards

Neal Clifton Edwards, 90, died Saturday, April 20, 2013 at his home in Cape Girardeau after a prolonged illness. Neal was born June 13, 1922 in Delta, son of Samuel C. and Menda Edwards. Samuel passed away in 1923. Neal was raised and attended school in Benton, and served in the U.S. Army in World War II. He was a Staff Sergeant with the 1905th Engineer Aviation Battalion from November 1942 through December 1945, leading a platoon of 47 men in the China-Burma-India theater to construct the Ledo Trail of the Burma Road. In 1946 he moved to Cape Girardeau and spent twenty years in the general TV business. In 1965 he moved to radio broadcasting, working for KGMO for five years. In 1970 he joined KFVS as Sales Manager, and in 1979 joined the American Family Group as an Account Executive for KFVS TV. He retired in 1986. Neal was involved in various community and veterans organizations in numerous leadership roles throughout the years. He was a charter member of The Exchange Club, a lifetime member of VFW Post 3838 in Cape Girardeau, a member of the American Legion, Elks Lodge 639, SEMO Booster Club, and was a forty-year member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. In 1997, Neal founded the Annual Flag Day Golf Tournament for the Missouri Veteran�s Home, raising over $300,000 for this cause alone. He was a founding member of St. Andrew Lutheran Church and attended Trinity Lutheran Church. He was a member of Kimbeland Country Club and past Chairman of the United Way Board of Directors. Neal received numerous awards for his community service, including thirteen Go-Getter awards and the Rush H. Limbaugh award from the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the 2006 Spirit of America award. In all, Neal raised over $1 million for local charities and veterans� organizations. Neal married Verline Greer in Kevil, KY on June 28, 2003. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, Carolyn (Albert) Moore of Cape Girardeau, stepdaughter Belinda Parr of Cape and stepson Brad (Patricia) Greer of Dexter, a granddaughter, Kendra Foster Mitchell of Atlanta, Georgia, and a step-granddaughter, Shea Masterson of St. Louis. He was preceded in death by a brother Walter Daniels, his mother and father, daughter Mary Ellen Rutherford and son-in-law Roger Rutherford, wife Betty Masterson and ex-wife Ruth Edwards. Visitation will be held Monday, April 22 from 4-8 p.m. at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel, and the funeral will be at Ford and Sons on Tuesday at 10 a.m., with Pastor Nathan Burgell of Trinity Lutheran Church officiating. Burial will follow at Cape County Memorial Park. Flowers may be sent or donations may be made to the Missouri Veterans Home, 2400 Veterans Memorial Drive, Cape Girardeau, 63701 or Southeast Hospice, 10 Doctor's Park, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703.

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Neal Edwards

April 20, 2013