How would you like to be remembered? What aspects of your life do you consider so important that you want to leave them to future generations? While most Bible versions do not show the word legacy, the concept of legacy is mentioned in Scripture. Legacy focuses on what will endure, passing on ideas of lasting value to future generations.
For Donald and Harriet Edwards, long-time members of St. John’s Lutheran Church in La Grange, Illinois, the legacy they left behind was three-fold. They passed on their faith in the saving work of Jesus, the importance and blessing of family and friends, and their desire to be a blessing through their service to others and their financial gifts.
Donald and Harriet joined St. John’s in 1961 and remained faithful, active members until their deaths. All four of their children were baptized at St. John’s, and all four children attended St. John’s Lutheran School. The Edwards children learned of Jesus’ love, mercy, sacrifice, and forgiveness through their education, and through the way their parents raised them. Their son, Glenn, says, “At times my Mom had to lay down the law … and she could be tough. But it was never about the punishment – it was about setting behavior expectations and building moral character. And I think she did a great job of that.”
Raised during the Great Depression and World War II years, both Donald and Harriet had close family ties. Both were close to their parents. Both suffered family tragedy. Both provided help to their families in whatever way they could. Donald even went back to pharmacy school to help in Harriet’s family’s pharmacy after he had already earned an engineering degree. The legacy of cherishing family was passed down to the couple’s four children by example. Friendships were also significant. Gathering for card club or for food and beverages in someone’s backyard was important.
And in gratefulness for God’s many blessings, they were generous. They were generous with their time, volunteering at St John’s as well as at a big cat wildlife sanctuary. They were generous with their talents. Harriet served in numerous ways at St. John’s where she was a member for almost 60 years. And they were generous with their financial resources. Upon Harriet’s death, portions of the Edwards estate provided gifts to five organizations that held a special place in their hearts. The organizations included St. John’s, La Grange, the LCMS Northern Illinois District, and Bethesda. The legacy of generosity was again passed to the next generation through example.
Perhaps the greatest legacy Donald and Harriet Edwards passed along was their concept of a balanced life as God provided: work hard, laugh hard, love and serve those within your sphere of influence, and practice generosity in many forms. Thank you for the legacy lessons, Donald and Harriet. Thank you for living Peter’s instructions, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
