Henry Lee Edmondson

Henry Lee Edmondson was born on March 31,1928 to the late Aaron Edmondson and Lucinda Tyler in Crittenden County, Arkansas. As a young boy, Henry enjoyed socializing with his neighbors and community, occasional hunting and caring for his pet dog, in addition to helping his father care for the family farm and property. In 1949 Henry married the love of his life, the late Rosie Lee Bates (Edmondson). After marriage, Rosie gave birth to five children Henry Jr., Johnny (Animashaun Bakari), Aaron and Frank. Henry enjoyed living on the farm and working the land of his birthplace, but it was a bittersweet experience because he was forever conscious of the fact that he was sharecropping land that was taken from his father. It was also increasingly lacking in profits and thus became unsuitable for his growing family. After learning about better financial opportunities from his brother-in-law James Glenn (Jimmy), he decided to leave the simple country farm life of Arkansas and follow his wife’s family to Baltimore, Maryland. Upon his arrival in Baltimore, Henry initially followed the employment pursuits of his in-laws and secured employment as a seasonal worker at various race tracks of Maryland (Pimlico, Laurel and Timonium). There he enjoyed working as a busboy and porter. However, with a growing family, he needed to seek jobs with a more substantial income. Although he continued to occasionally work the tracks, he soon became a forklift operator at United Clay Materials, Inc. The family had now grown to include 5 more children; Eleanor, Carl, Regina, Rickee, Donnell and much later Chike. The job was challenging as well as rewarding because it allowed him to excel in his work efforts without making demands on his deficient level of education. It also allowed him, as a forklift operator, the opportunity to demonstrate his mechanic and driving skills while pursuing his passion for fixing things. Those things were very important to Henry, as any family member who knew him, knew he cherished and valued the benefits of an education; especially since he was only allowed to achieve that of a third-grade level. His son, Animashaun Bakari, was one of the family members to help him improve his reading level when he was home from work. The one thing Animashaun remembers was how subconsciously, Henry always feared that people or co-workers would find out that he didn’t know how to read. He cherished the skills so much that any item or tool he came across that was related to education, he treated as a great treasure. If he found an ink pen, he would gleefully announce to the family, “look what I found!” He did not let his lack of education hold him back, however, because after a decade or so when work became scarce in the home building business and United Clay shut down, Henry continued to attempt to pursue his passion for fixing things. He did this by enrolling in the Lincoln Technical Institute as a student of electronics under a government self-help program. Still unable to read, he would bring the books home every evening and seek help from his family to get a better understanding of what was covered in class. To this day, the family remains impressed by his courage to endure some shame and frustration to continue to better himself. Although he was never able to obtain a job in electronics, he actually was awarded a certificate of achievement. But even better, he gained a skill to fix electrical appliances. He not only fixed the family TV when it went up, but some neighbors as well. This came in handy at home because it allowed him to never miss an episode of Cheyenne or the Rifleman. And anyone who knew Henry, knew he loved his westerns. They always presented the kind of “take care of business” attitude he most admired. Because even after Henry was no longer able to get up at 5:30am and walk three miles to United Clay, and although he was on public assistance or social security, he still got up early to hunt for tin cans or metal to cash in for pocket money. He and his wife still represent the best example of simple country folks who let no obstacle prevent them from achieving their dreams. Henry Lee Edmondson was preceded in death by his wife (Rosie Lee Edmondson) and two of his sons (Aaron Edmondson and Carl Edmondson). He is survived by his sons Henry Edmondson Jr., Animashaun Bakari (wife Stephanie), Frank Edmondson (wife Tocoa), Rickee Edmondson, Donnell Edmondson (wife Darlene), Chike Edmondson; also, his daughters, Delois Edmondson, Eleanor Pope (husband Charles) and Regina Edmondson; also 11 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

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Henry Lee Edmondson

March 31, 1928 - November 29, 2021