Ronald Dale Edwards, 81

Ronald Dale Edwards, 81, of Winner, SD passed away peacefully Dec. 14, 2020 at the Avera Sacred Heart Majestic Bluffs nursing home in Yankton, SD. 

A private family service was held Dec. 18. Burial followed in the Winner city cemetery.

Ronnie, or Big R as some knew him, was born April 10, 1939 in Burwell NE to Rudolph and Fern Edwards.  Growing up the family moved around NE, WY, and SD eventually settling in the Winner area.  Ronnie spent his adult life in the Winner and Wood areas running the Edwards Oil Company, ran a fleet of trucks with Edwards Trucking, order buying cattle, and working the ranch north of Wood.  Ronnie employed many truck drivers from the area and kept his sons busy pumping gas and cleaning windows at the oil station.  He was a keen business man that was always crunching numbers to better his businesses.

Ronnie was a pilot in his younger years and flew several times with friends to Mexico for fishing trips.  He was an excellent pool player.  He also enjoyed a good card game, and on occasion a good argument.

Of the many hats Ronnie wore, his favorite was working as an order buyer.  He enjoyed his time spent in the sale barn.  He could look at a steer from 30 yards away and tell you what it weighted and tell you what it was worth.  He was never off by much, if at all.

It has been said there are 3 ways to do things; the right way, the wrong way, and Ronnie’s way.  Which of course is right, still.

He was a good man most of the time, a hard man a lot of the time, but a man all of the time.  He was my father and I’ll miss him.

Ronnie was preceded in death by his parents Rudolph and Fern Edwards, an infant daughter Julie, and brother Wayne Edwards.   

Ronnie is survived by his wife Judy Edwards of 47 years, Daughter Allison (Doug) Moeller, sons; Ryan (Aryan), Justin (Rachelle), Richard (Beth) and daughter Amy, sisters; Melba (JD) Olson, Carolyn (William) Hinks, Marilyn (Mick) Wooden, and brother Marcus (Delores), grandchildren; Lacey, Amanda and Dale, their mother Cindi, Rudy and Gus, their mother Tennille, Ruby and Rose, Samantha, Morgan, Teagan and Kaine,  great –grandchildren Faith, Alexandrea, Gregary and Remmie.