Edgemons picked to marshal Battle Days celebrations

After driving many Rosalia celebrities down the Whitman Street route of the annual Battle Days parade, Glenn and Janean Edgemon are left with a problem this year.

Who will drive them - this year’s Battle Days Grand marshals - down through the parade?

“I guess I’ve got to drive my own car,” said Glenn, who has taken previous marshals down Whitman Street in his limo. “One year, we took Bob Goldsworthy through the parade, and he sat out through the roof on top of the car,” he recalled.

The Edgemons are life-long residents of Rosalia and for 31 years ran Rosalia Hardware and Honda. They worked side-by-side in the hardware store, which was one of the town’s central gathering places.

In the back room every morning, the Liar’s Club would meet to top each other’s wild tales over cups and cups of coffee.

“In the wintertime, we would go through two 30-cup pots of coffee by noon,” recalled Janean. Glenn quickly corrected her by saying they were 50-cup pots.

Rosalia Hardware and Honda burned down Sept. 10, 1993. Glenn spits out the date as quickly as he would say hello.

While their business was destroyed, their affinity for their community could not be touched. Both have remained active in the town.

Glenn drove bus part time for both the Rosalia and Liberty school districts, and Janean cooked for both schools. Janean also worked as a substitute postmaster and relief mail carrier for the Rosalia post office.

“We absolutely have a beautiful home,” Glenn told the Gazette from his back porch overlooking Rosalia. “Notice I said home and not house. This whole town - this whole community - is really beautiful.”

Glenn served 17 years as a member of the town council and as mayor, and has been a member of the Rosalia Masons for 52 years. For the past five years, he has put together the circus for the regional Shriner’s group.

Battle Days organizer Karen Rockness said the Edgemons long standing as the hub of Rosalia’s coffee crowd made them a natural choice for this year’s honor.

“They’ve done so much for this community for so long, they just seemed like the perfect choice,” said Rockness.

Glenn graduated from Rosalia High in 1955; Janean one year later. But their romance would not get underway until Glenn returned from the Navy, where he served in the Far East.

When he returned to Rosalia, he was quickly taken by Janean’s singing and returned the favor by serenading her, even singing to her during their 1961 wedding.

“We sing to each other a lot. We always have,” said Glenn. “My wife has the most beautiful voice in the world.”

Even today, they still sing in the Methodist Church choir, but both seemed surprised to have been given the Grand Marshal honor.

“I told Glenn, I says, ‘Why would they think of us?” asked Janean.

“It’s something you never expect,” said Glenn. “I am really honored, and just dumbfounded that they thought of us.”

One thing is for sure.

Whoever drives the Edgemons down the parade route will be at the head of the parade.

“We just love to have fun. Our whole life has been a lot of fun,” said Glenn. “And we’ve had a lot of that fun in this town.”