Edna Ruth Whalen King

Chelsea

Edna Ruth Whalen King, age 86, a resident of Chelsea, passed away on Friday, March 16, 2012. She was born in Birmingham on Feb. 25, 1926. Funeral services will be 3 p.m., Sunday, March 18, 2012 at Liberty Baptist Church with Rev. Allen Kuykendall and Rev. Wayne Honeycutt officiating. Burial will follow at Liberty Cemetery. Visitation will be 1-3 p.m. prior to the service at the church. Bolton Funeral Home is directing.

Pallbearers are Jim Bragan, Linwood Bragan, Coach Richard Conkle, Ronnie Gallant, Danny Isbell and Russell Roberts. The honorary pallbearers are Frank Chesser, Mayor Earl Niven, John Polk and Billy Weldon. Edna was the first child of Alma Ruth Taylor Whalen and William Edward Whalen. She was a member of Powderly Baptist Church in Birmingham, where she worked in the nursery for 10 years. She became a member of Liberty Baptist Church in Chelsea in 1958 and was the clerk for many years. She found great joy in inviting pastors, guest revival pastors, and their families into her home for meals. During one revival, she asked the visiting pastor and his family to stay in her home during that revival. That week, Edna’s husband, Carl, and her daddy were saved. She enjoyed volunteering at the Shelby Baptist Association in Columbiana and being with her friends.

Edna worked at Sears Roebuck and Co. for many years. She was also a sales person for Tupperware Company. In addition, she worked at Southern Life and Health Insurance Co. in Birmingham and Employers Insurance where she was Workman’s Comp Claims supervisor and at Risk Management as a Workman’s Comp Claims supervisor in Hoover. She and her husband owned and operated King’s Poultry Farm in Chelsea. She drove a school bus for more than 10 years and retired from the Shelby County Board of Education. While raising her six children and being involved in church, she was past president of Chelsea PTA, Shelby County Council PTA, past president of Shelby County Council PTA.

She was a charter member of the Shelby County Art Association and Charter member of the Chelsea Volunteer Fire and Rescue and a member of Hixie Anna Eastern Star in Chelsea. Edna married Carl Wilson King Sr. on Oct. 3, 1942. They were married 55-and-a-half years when he passed away. She was also preceded in death by her sons, Richard Leon King Sr. (Rusty) and Carl Wilson King Jr. (Bud); sisters, Dolores Hinds and Juanita Townsend; and three grandchildren, Kimberly Elizabeth King, Gregory Scott King and Jacklyn Suzanne Stewart.

She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Lynette King Shirley (Donald); sons, John Terry King Sr. (Faye), Robert F. King Sr. (Donna) and Donald E. King (Lori); daughters-in-law, Sandra S. King and Linda S. King; 14 grandchildren, Wayne (Kathy), Deborah (Greg), Randy, Johnny (Delilah), Kim (Brian), Kerri (Chad), Ricky (Becky), Steven, Jeff (Jennifer), Robby, Tammy, Tommy (Liz), Cindy (Kevin) and Kristen; 22 great-grandchildren, Andrew, Connor, Gregory, Taylor, Valerie, Ian, Aiden, Morgan, Colin, Karley, Robin, Jacob, Mandy, Sarah, Rusty, Gus, Kiara, Kenny, Jayven, Patrick, Lacey and Knox; brother, John Ed Whalen (Sandra); sister-in-law, Sarah K. Bragan; brother-in-law, Gerald Townsend; and many more nieces, nephews and family whom she loved so much. Please sign on line condolences at Boltonfuneralhome.com.