Elizabeth Smith Edwards (maiden name: Elizabeth Smith Nelson) was born in Missouri on January 9, 1844, to John W. Nelson and Harriet Shore. Her father was a farmer who owned at least $5,000 in real estate and 15 slaves. John died around 1860, and Elizabeth lived with her mother in St. Charles County, Missouri, until Harriet passed away in 1873. She married William Waller Edwards, a circuit court judge, the following year, and they had two children together: William Waller, born on February 20, 1878; and Julius Carter, born on February 15, 1883. She spent the rest of her life in St. Charles County, living with her stepchildren Margaret and Claude and a series of servants and maids. By 1930, the home she owned was valued at $10,000. She was an avid quilt maker, and she sold one of her last quilts for $100 to benefit the refugees fleeing Europe during World War II. In early 1941, she began suffering from influenza and bronchitis, which confined her to her home. She died there on March 21, 1941, at the age of 97. She was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.

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Obituary of Elizabeth S. Edwards