Finding Aid for the Edwards and Ailshire Family Collections

Title: Finding Aid for the Edwards and Ailshire Family Collections
extracted text: Edwards and Ailshire Families Papers

Collection Summary
Title
Edwards and Ailshire Families Papers
Date
1918-1999
Extent
4 folders
Name and Location of Repository
Midwest Genealogy Center, Independence (Mo.)
Reference code: MGC 1010-EAFP
Processed by: Nicole Pye, 2012; Finding aid created by Amy Luther, 2012
Names of Creators
Ailshire, Vesta
Edwards, Ephram
Edwards, Minnie
Biographical History
Vesta Ailshire was born Willa Vesta Nobles in Washington, Ripley County, Missouri on November 14,
1906. Her first marriage to Henry Cato took place in Arkansas on February 23, 1924. Minnie Edwards
deeded the Edwards farm to her niece, Vesta, and Henry Cato in 1946. Vesta’s second husband, Wilbert
Ailshire, helped to convert the farmland into the Independence Memorial Airport during the 1960’s.
Vesta built Mrs. A’s Restaurant in the 1970’s. This restaurant originally catered to the airport users but
quickly became well-known in the area. Vesta died on October 4, 1999 in Independence, Missouri.
The Edwards family included Minnie Spradling Edwards and Ephram Edgar Edwards. Minnie was born
on January 28, 1875 in eastern Missouri. Ephram was born on June 15, 1876 in Indiana. They were
married in Ripley, Missouri on January 27, 1892. The Edwards resided in various areas of Missouri and
Oklahoma during the early 1900s. In 1930, the Edwards rented a farm in Jackson County. They later
bought this farmland, which was located along what is now R.D. Mize Rd. Minnie and Ephram were
members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ephram passed away August 31, 1940 and
Minnie passed away seven years later on April 4, 1947. They are both buried in Independence, Missouri.

Scope and Content
This collection consists of probate, ownership, and funeral information for the Edwards and Ailshire
families, including: deeds, subpoena, tax statements, real estate contracts, receipts, leases, abstract of
title, patriarchal blessings, property sale documents, obituaries, church records, wills, probate record,
letters, zoning order, newspaper articles, proposal, review report, and photographs. Significant gaps
exist from: 1924-1931, 1947-1958, 1966-1981, and 1981-1999.

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Edwards and Ailshire Families Papers

Collection Inventory
System of Arrangement
These records are arranged in three series.
Series 1, Real Estate Documents, 1920-1946
Item 1, Warranty Deed, November 20, 1920
Item 2, Trust Deed, November 27, 1920
Item 3, U.S. District Court Subpoena in Chancery, January 2, 1924
Item 4, Missouri Warranty Deed, December 6, 1924
Item 5, Deed of Trust, December 8, 1924
Item 6, Merchant’s Tax Statement, June, 1931
Item 7, Real Estate Contract, November 16, 1937
Item 8, Receipt of Real Estate Purchase, December 28, 1937
Item 9, Quit-Claim Deed, December 28, 1937
Item 10, Farm Lease, September 10, 1942
Item 11, Farm Lease, October 9, 1944
Item 12, Real Estate Contract, November 25, 1944
Item 13, Missouri Warranty Deed, December 28, 1946
Item 14, Abstract of Title, undated
Series 2, Edwards Funeral and Real Estate, 1918-1947
Item 1, Patriarchal Blessing of Ephraim E. Edwards, June 23, 1918
Item 2, Patriarchal Blessing of Minnie Edwards, June 23, 1918
Item 3, Closing out Sale of Edwards’ property, September 30, 1940
Item 4, Obituary of Ephram Edgar Edwards, October 2, 1940
Item 5, Funeral receipt for Ephram Edwards’ funeral, undated
Item 6, Warranty Deed for church cemetery lot, October 22, 1942
Item 7, Obituary and Service for Minnie Edwards, 1947
Item 8, Church records for Ephram & Minnie Edwards, undated
Item 9, Last Will and Testament of Ephram E. Edwards, January 12, 1920
Item 10, Last Will and Testament of Minnie Edwards, January 12, 1920
Series 3, Probate and property records, 1948-1999
Item 1, Probate Record, 1948
Item 2, Letter from James E. Smith to Vesta Cato, October 4, 1948
Item 3, Board of Zoning Adjustment Order, June 25, 1958
Item 4, Newspaper article on Vesta Ailshire, April 25, 1963
Item 5, Newspaper article on Vesta Ailshire, undated
Item 6, Proposal to Federal Aviation Agency, August 26, 1965
Item 7, Review report on Little Blue River, November 30, 1966
Item 8, Aerial photograph of Independence Memorial Airport, undated
Item 9, Newspaper article on Vesta Ailshire, January 7, 1981
Item 10, Obituary for Vesta Ailshire, October 5, 1999

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Edwards and Ailshire Families Papers

Rights and Access
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use by appointment.
Physical Access
Most records within this collection are housed in file folders. Photographs are wrapped in tissue paper.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the Midwest Genealogy Center.
Languages and Scripts of the Material
Materials in the collection are entirely in English.
Finding Aids
Name index is available from the archivist.
Related Archival Material
Related materials providing further information on the Independence Airport may be found within the
Midwest Genealogy Center’s Vertical Files.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated by Diane Sadler.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected for this collection.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals owned by the Midwest Genealogy Center.
Notes
The following sources were consulted during the preparation of the biographical history:
Ancestry.com. “1900 United States Federal Census.” Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operation Inc., 2004.
Ancestry.com. “1910 United States Federal Census.” Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operation Inc., 2006.
Ancestry.com. “1930 United States Federal Census.” Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operation Inc., 2002.
Ancestry.com. “1940 United States Federal Census.” Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operation Inc., 2012.
Ancestry.com. “Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957.” Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations,
Inc., 2011.
Ancestry.com. “Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002.” Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operation Inc., 2007.

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Part of Finding Aid for the Edwards and Ailshire Families Papers