Aldies O Edwards

Aldies Olafson Edwards passed away June 25, 2012 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens Georgia. She was born April 23, 1931 in Ithaca, New York. She is survived by her son Dr. Hardy Malcolm Edwards, III, his partner Kim Colvin, and her grandson Hardy Malcolm Edwards, IV, of Winterville, Georgia. Other survivors include sisters Sigrid Olafson Farwell, Longmont, Colorado, Dr. Erna Olafson, Cincinnati, Ohio, Freya Olafson, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and her brother-in-law Theodore Farwell, Longmont, Colorado. Her surviving nieces and nephews are Meghan Farwell, Camarillo, California, Peter Farwell, Longmont, Colorado, Eric Farwell, Longmont, Colorado, Dr. Rebecca Hellerstein Rose, New York City, Elizabeth Hellerstein Marshall, Seattle, Washington, Benjamin Hellerstein, Seattle, Washington, Dr. Paul Crawford, Shreveport, Louisiana, and Dr. Lee Crawford, Paris, Texas.

In 1948 Aldies graduated as the reigning Miss Ithaca High School after which she attended Cornell University where she met her husband to be of 54 years Dr. Hardy M. Edwards, Jr. Dr. Edwards, Jr., the former Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Georgia, predeceased her in 2007. They lived for fifty years on a farm in Winterville that they purchased in 1957. Over the years they raised row crops, timber, pigs, and beef cattle, while tending numerous dogs, cats and a peacock that graced their terrace for many seasons. They travelled nearly every year to Europe, where Dr. Edwards continued his research in poultry nutrition and the couple enjoyed the local sights, cultures and cuisines.

Aldies was noted for her beautiful soprano voice and was a soloist in several church choirs in Athens. In 1997, she sang as part of the Bel Canto Chorus at the Spoleto Music Festival in Italy, where the group also performed for Sunday services at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. She was President of the University of Georgia Women’s Club, the Clarke County PTA, and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumni Association of the University of Georgia. She was the chair of the Northeast Georgia Republican Party in the early 1970s. Additionally she was a founding organizer of the Winterville Marigold Festival and the Beaverdam Swimming Pool. Aldies was known for her style, her interest in the fine arts and her gourmet cooking. Her original and family recipes were published in Southern Living, the Scandinavian Society Cookbook, and elsewhere. She was one of the first women ever to model for Sports Illustrated, appearing in the second issue wearing the new Fall fashions in collegiate sportswear.

Services will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, June 30 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 498 Prince Avenue, Athens, GA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the University of Georgia Hodgson School of Music Scholarship Fund, 250 River Road, Athens, Georgia 30602. Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.