Ethan Edwards (my good friend, Mark) passed away in his own bed, at home, in his sleep, and on his own terms, in Moran, Kansas. His death was discovered on the morning of September 10th by family. He had been suffering the effects of COVID-19 since about the 3rd of September, and was determined to rough it out on his own. His last message to me was on the 6th, wherein he expressed that symptoms were bad, but that he felt confident he'd make it. He didn't respond to further messages from me after that, which caused me and others here great concern.
Years ago, he had given me his phone number, but I had misplaced it, so I researched it, based on what I knew, found it, and called to discover this terrible news from his daughter.
He was a close friend of mine, and we had maintained a fairly constant course of communication and discussion at the Fire for at least ten years via PMs. He was a real America-loving patriot, a solid Christian, a farmer, a family man, and a local school board member, survived by his wife Jenny (a school teacher), his daughter Sarah (a college student with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian), and his son Jeff (a high school student). He was quite proud of his two kids, and spoke glowingly of them to me often. He and his wife and kids were all very close.
He loved firearms as a hobby, with a particular interest in antique firearms of the Old West. He possessed a wealth of knowledge about them, along with other firearms, and was happy to benefit others with his knowledge here at the Fire. He knew a lot, in fact, about a surprisingly wide range of topics. He was also an old movie buff, particularly regarding Westerns. In fact, one of the last conversations we had was about an upcoming Western-themed movie we were both looking forward to, titled Old Henry.
He was 60 when he passed. He will be greatly missed by me, and many members here.
As soon as I get permission from his daughter to relate more specifics about him, I will do so. I have a message in to her regarding this, and am waiting for a response.
