![]() ![]() The Southern University Marching Band will lead a funeral procession along a roughly 1 mile (1.6 kilometer) route to the Old State Capitol, built in the 1800s, for a private funeral for family and invited guests. On Sunday, a state police honor guard is to carry Edwards’ casket down the Capitol steps to a horse-drawn carriage. He was convicted in 2000 for a bribery and extortion scheme to rig Louisiana’s riverboat casino licensing process during his fourth term. He was tried and acquitted on corruption charges in the 1980s during his third term. But he also was frequently touched by accusations of wrongdoing.īy his own count, Edwards was the subject of two dozen investigations. I love Louisiana, and I always will.”Įdwards drew praise for leading a push for a new state constitution and bringing Black people into state government in the 1970s. Visitors received a commemorative card with Edwards’ photo and bearing one of his quotes: “I tried to help as many people as I could and I hope I did that, and I hope, if I did, that they will help others too. Large bouquets of flowers, a row of Louisiana and American flags and photos documenting Edwards with prominent politicians, on the campaign trail and with his family, lined the path around the casket. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who is not related to Edwin Edwards, was among the first to pay his respects to the former governor’s family - before the public and media were allowed inside the vast, ornate hall where the casket rested on the Louisiana state seal.Įdwin Edwards’ wife, Trina, more than 50 years his junior, and their 7-year-old son Eli - the ex-governor’s fifth child - returned to the visitation area once it was opened to the public, and Edwards’ other children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren mingled with mourners as well. Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, who lived in the same Gonzales neighborhood as Edwards, personally managed the memorial events, arranged the display and stood in Memorial Hall between the Louisiana House and Senate chambers as visitors arrived. Troy Carter, a Democrat who served in the Louisiana Legislature during one of Edwards’ terms, described the former governor as “just someone that you could never question his love of the people of Louisiana.” The mourners were diverse, including people who never met Edwards personally, lawmakers, former elected officials and his closest political allies. But after an initial crowd of a few hundred cycled past the casket, visitors thinned to a steady trickle. He arrived four hours before the visitation event was open to the public, expecting long lines and a packed mass of people waiting to get in. A registered Republican, Naquin wore an Edwards campaign T-shirt and a Trump 2020 ballcap. Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana.Naquin visually demonstrated the unusual coalitions of support Edwards built during his lifetime. Eli told him every night, ‘I love you.’ And he told Eli, ‘I love you, too.’ Those were his last words,” Trina Edwards said. Funeral arrangements are incomplete for at this time. Edwards was just shy of his 94th birthday in August, he was 93. Edwin Edwards that the late governor left his mark on every part of the state during four terms. Former Governor Edwin Washington Edwards died peacefully Monday morning at his home in Gonzales with family and friends by his bedside. The couple moved to Gonzales where they have been raising their young son Eli, who is 7. John Bel Edwards told mourners at the funeral of former Gov. Our state has lost a giant, and we will miss him dearly."Īfter he was released from prison in 2012 Edwards married his third wife Trina, who was a half-century younger than him. "Edwin was a larger than life figure known for his wit and charm, but he will be equally remembered for being a compassionate leader who cared for the plight of all Louisianans. Edwards was a fervent supporter of civil rights and ensured that his administration was as diverse as Louisiana, a commitment I have also made as governor," Edwards said. John Bel Edwards called Edwards "a giant." Details of death: Died at his home in Gonzales, Louisiana of respiratory problems at the age of 93. Edwin Edwards was the Democratic governor of Louisiana for four terms in the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. “I've been around the world six times and in every state and there's not a better place in America and the world than Louisiana.”ĭemocratic Gov. Edwin Edwards (19272021), four-term Louisiana governor. “I’ve had a great life,” Edwards said in an interview with USA Today Network on his 90th birthday in 2017. ![]() Public viewing will be available during the hours of 10 a.m. He was also state senator from Crowley and represented Acadiana in Congress from 1965 to 1972. Former Governor Edwin Edwards is to lie in Memorial Hall in the State Capitol on Saturday, July 17. ![]()
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