Huel Early Thomas Edwards -- Bookkeeper

 

Huel Thomas Edwards

Huel Early Thomas was born on August 30, 1923 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  She was the sixth of the eight children of Hugh Early Thomas and Georgia King Boyd Thomas.  Hugh was a farmer and both he and Georgia were natives of Trigg County.  Huel was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.

Huel’s siblings were Edna Earl Thomas, born in 1911 and married Luther Bertram Hughes; Eliza Pearl Thomas, born in 1913 and married Thomas Aaron Dunn; Rosie Delle Thomas, born in 1915 and married Millard Otis Munger and then married Artie Ray Cunningham; Mary Elizabeth Thomas, born in 1917 and married William Forrest Mize; Louise Thomas, born in 1920 and married Douglas Hopson Thomas; Imogene Thomas, born in 1925 and married John Douglas Wetton; and Martha Nell Thomas, born in 1932 and married Charles Owen Bush.

Huel started school in the first grade at the Newstead School in Christian County.  She completed her grade school years at Walnut Grove School where she was the county champion speller in 1935.  She graduated from Hopkinsville High School in 1941.  After high school, Huel worked for four years with the Christian County AAA office.  Her family then moved to Cadiz, where she was employed at the Trigg County Farmers Bank.

On December 8, 1946, Huel married John Thomas “Toppy” Edwards in a ceremony officiated by Rev. Shirley Spahr, pastor of the Cadiz Baptist Church.  Toppy was born September 1, 1917 in Cadiz, Kentucky, the son of John Elbert Edwards and Lillian Long Prescott Edwards.  John Elbert worked in the freight industry and both he and Lillian were natives of Trigg County.

Toppy grew up in Cadiz and attended the Cadiz schools.  In his teenage years he worked in the local drug stores, at the White Eagle Restaurant in Cadiz and as a shoe salesman in Hopkinsville.  He then worked at Cunningham’s Service Station and he later became the owner of the business which was renamed Toppy’s Service Station. On August 26, 1942, he was inducted into the  U.S Army Air Force.  After receiving his basic training, he was stationed in Kimbolton, England. He was later transferred as an auto repairman with the Air Transport Command in North Africa with the rank of corporal.  Toppy was discharged from the military on November 14, 1945.

After his military service, Toppy returned to Cadiz and to the operation of Toppy’s Service Station.  On January 19, 1948 he became the agent for the Standard Oil Company in Trigg County, a position he continued for 29 years.  He then sold the position to the Chevron agent in Princeton, Kentucky.  He continued with Chevron until his retirement in 1989 with 40 years of service.  Huel worked as the bookkeeper for the Standard Oil Company during the years that Toppy was the agent.  She later worked as the bookkeeper for Thomas Fourshee Building Supply in Cadiz.

Huel and Toppy were the parents of two children, John Thomas Edwards, Jr., born in 1948 and married Mary Sue Thomas and Jeffery Steven Edwards, born in 1952 and lived for only one day.

Toppy died on October 9, 2009 at the age of 92 at his home in Cadiz.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.  Huel died on January 10, 2024 at the age of 100 at Barkley Plantation in Cadiz.  She was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

Toppy

 

Huel and Toppy tombstone

LINEAGE”  (Huel Early Thomas was the daughter of Hugh Early and Georgia King Boyd Thomas.  Hugh was the sixth child of Robert Allison and Emma Nora Cunningham Thomas.  Robert was the fifth child of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas.  Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)