Born: March 1, 1933
Grew up in Gladeville, TN
Sons: Stanley and Stacey Word
Grandchildren: Montana and Bode Word
Edna Word was born to Aubrey and Ruth (Swain) Towns on March 1, 1933 in Gladeville. She grew up on a small farm on Central Pike and helped her parents tend to the grocery and feed store they had in Gladeville. She attended church with her parents going to Gladeville United Methodist Church and part of the time to Gladeville Baptist Church. Currently a member of Gladeville United Methodist Church.
She helped the family raise livestock on the farm while in school and operating the store. She attended Gladeville Elementary School as a youngster and graduated from Lebanon High School in 1950. She was part of the Lebanon High School Band. She attended Martin Methodist College (UT Southern) in Pulaski and graduated with Associate Degree in Business in 1953.
She worked for Internal Revenue Service in North Carolina and Virginia in late 1950’s while married to Donald Word. She moved back to Tennessee in 1960’s and took job with U.S. Army Corp of Engineers at Old Hickory Lock and Dam, Repair Station. She worked for U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for 33 years.
While working for the Corp, she took interest in helping her children get involved in 4-H and assisting them showing cattle for her father Aubrey Towns. She took off the days needed to tease the tail hair of the cattle for the show. She came up with the idea of using a hair net to help hold the hair on the tail in place. She ended up showing everyone showing cattle at that time in Wilson County how to use the hair net. As Stanley and Stacey grew up, she got more involved with assisting in 4-H and Lebanon FFA activities. She made sure that these activities were priority for the 2 boys, be involved.
She helped as an Adult Leader of 4-H at Southside Elementary from 1976 to 1978. She also received Outstanding Leader Award in Wilson County while assisting in this position. She is also a Charter Life Alumni member of 4-H in Tennessee.
She has been on the Wilson County Farm Bureau Board since 2000 and chairperson of Women’s Leadership Committee from 2003 till 2019. They always received the Blue Award which was one of the Farm Bureau state highest awards received yearly. She is still on the board as Emeritus.
She was on the planning committee in the start up of Farm Days at the Wilson County Fairgrounds which was first held in 2001. This was a day that schools in Wilson County brought 2nd grade students out to see how Agriculture impacts their lives and some of the foods they eat are produced. She participated every year in helping set up this special day. She felt that all children should know the importance of Agriculture and how farms are an important need for the community. They would average 300 to 400 students and teachers from all over the county school system each of the 2 days.
She is also a member of the Wilson County Livestock Association and Wilson County Co-op. From Field Days to Farm Days, she has always been involved in activities that promote the importance of Agriculture in Wilson County.
