Edna King

(From Fohn Funeral Home)

Edna Faye Thomas King passed away March 4, 2019, two days after celebrating her 105th birthday surrounded by her loved ones.

Mrs. King was the daughter of the late E.H. Thomas and the late Rebecca Bolton Thomas, both children of early Barry County settlers. Edna was born at the family’s Barry County home, the sixth of seven children. She attended Clay Hill School and then attended and graduated from Aurora High School where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She married D.B. King on January 22, 1935. The couple had five children.

During her children’s school years, Mrs. King was active in their school, serving as President of the Purdy PTA and President of the Barry County PTA. She was later employed by the Cassville branch of the Barry/Lawrence County Library, first as bookkeeper, then as Children’s Librarian and finally as Branch Supervisor until her retirement 28 years later.

As a second career, she was hired as a Greeter at Walmart in Cassville where she served as the Official Hugger for 18 years! She retired for the second time at age 90 after experiencing some health problems. Later she would state that the biggest mistake she ever made was quitting Walmart! She truly loved her co-workers and customers. She also worked weekends as a docent at the Queen Anne Mansion in Eureka Springs where she entertained guests dressed in a period costume that she had made. 

Edna was an extremely talented seamstress and needlework artist who created afghans and potholders that she freely shared and quilts that are treasured by her family. An excellent cook, her family always looked forward to “Thanksgiving Dinners at Mother’s”. Edna loved fishing, square dancing and bowling, growing flowers and traveling with her family. She was a Christian from an early age and was baptized in the local creek. She was a member of Emanuel Baptist Church in Cassville for over fifty years.







Edna is survived by her eldest son Charles King and his wife Linda of Springfield, Missouri, daughters, Janice Benson of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Linda McCaskill and husband Don of Cassville, Missouri; elder sister, Wilma Thomas Easley, age 106 of Cassville, Missouri; seven grandchildren; ten great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two brothers; three sisters; an infant daughter Deborah; one son, Stanley; son-in-law Ralph Benson; two granddaughters, Melanie Kouzbari and Kimberly Snook and one grandson, Wesley King.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10, 2019 at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Pastor Danny Heupel will conduct the services. Burial will be at Spring River Cemetery in Verona.