Wilhelmina Ruysenaars Edwards, 106, of Edmond, Oklahoma, entered into eternal rest on January 1, 2010, at her residence.

Better known as “Billie” or “Bill” by her family and friends, she was born November 13, 1903, in Haarlem, Holland, to Peter John and Theodora Roozen Ruysenaars.  In 1905, the family immigrated to Texas when Mr. Jan Van Tyen of the Dutch Consulate, asked Dutch families to help settle and develop the Dutch community Nederland, Texas.

After receiving her Registered Nursing degree from Hotel Dieu School of Nursing in 1925, Billie met and married Joe A. Edwards, funeral director, in 1930 and they were both employed by the Roberts Undertaking Company.  Joe worked as a funeral director and embalmer and Billie as an ambulance nurse and other roles in the funeral home.  In 1939, their daughter and only child, Phyllis T. Edwards, was born.  They later moved to Woodville, Texas, where Joe was funeral director and manager of the Oakley-Metcalf Funeral Home. In 1943, they purchased the funeral home and renamed it the Edwards Funeral home. At that time, Billie received her funeral director’s license.  They worked together with Mr. James Daniels, Mr. H.B. Ogden and Mr. Jerry Tolar, and others, until Joe’s death in 1983. In 1988, Billie moved to Port Arthur, Texas, to be near her brothers and sisters.  Then in 1996, she moved to Edmond, Oklahoma, to be near her daughter and grandchildren. 

Billie was a founding member of the St. Lawrence Catholic Church of Woodville and received many honors for her dedicated service to the Beaumont Diocese, the Our Lady of the Pines Parish, and its parishioners.  Billie Edwards will best be remembered by her friends, family and residents of Woodville as a caring professional who took pride in her work and strove for excellence with every family the Edwards Funeral Home served. 

She was preceded in death by her loving husband Joe A. Edwards; sisters, Dena Ruysenaars, Marie Fontana, Nellie Adams, and Johanna Kent; and brothers, Connie Ruysenaars, Hank Ruysenaars, and Nick Ruysenaars

Billie is survived by her daughter, Phyllis E. Oppel and her husband Richard; grandchildren, Julie M., Franklin E. and Gregory R. Oppel, all of Edmond, Oklahoma; sister, Dora R. Brammer Smith; and many nieces, nephews and their children.  She was also blessed to have been cared for by several loving women including Lil, Sherry, Raynette, Judy, Shari, and Joyce.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11:00 a.m., Thursday, January 7, 2010, at St. Anne Catholic Church with interment to follow at Magnolia Cemetery under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumont. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 6, 2010, at the mortuary.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Hotel Dieu Hospital Alumni Association, c/o Mabel Briggs, 2140 Basin Street, Beaumont, Texas, 77705; or the Our Lady of the Pines Parish, 1601 Pine Street, Woodville, Texas 75979.