Willie Lee "Pat" Edwards

Willie Lee "Pat" Edwards

The collection features photographs taken by Wille Lee "Pat" Edwards.

Biography of Will Lee Edwards (provided by Lindrell Blackwell, grandson)

My grandfather is known as Willie Lee Edwards. Older family members would call him Cousin Willie. I learned from a man named Mr. Earl Jackson, deceased though his youngest son Loranzo is also deceased that his nickname was “Pat.”

My grandfather’s name is William Edwards, Jr. He was born on 9/29/1897 and died on 7/21/1947 at Massie Memorial Hospital. He was only 50. According to my family, he had a wreck coming back from a basketball game in Cynthiana and did not recover from his injuries.

His parents were William (Susie) Edwards, Sr. His wife was Estella Thomas Edwards. They had six children, Willie Mack, Gloria Edwards Parker, Loranzo Edwards, and Pheary Edwards are deceased. Talmeina Edwards Sharp and Leland and his last living children.

I have no actual date of when he started taking pictures. I know he wrote a letter to my grandmother on 6/20/1924 telling her he had to develop some film. I assume this was not a new process, and he was probably taking pictures for many years.

He was a janitor at Paris Western High School for 30 years. He was also a Master of Boy Scout Troup 180. I believe he was a self-taught photographer and magician.

I have been told he was coaching the basketball team. He did magic shows, according to Gloria, his oldest daughter, who told me this many years before he died. She said he would not do minstrel shows.

His obituary in the newspaper is below:
“Mr. Willie Lee Edwards, son of the late Willie and Susie Edwards of Bourbon County, died this morning at 2:30 a.m. at the Massie Memorial Hospital. A member of the St. Paul United Methodist church. He was employed by the Board of Education and worked for 30 years at the Western high school, Paris. He was a master of Boy Scout Troup 180."

Lindrell Blackwell, grandson of Willie Lee Edwards.

The Paris-Bourbon County Library and Hopewell Museum have been granted a non-exclusive license for the distribution to the public for non-commercial, educational purposes.

All copyright and literary property rights reside with the owner of the images.