A time to be born…
Mary Austin Edwards Adams was born on June 27, 1918 in Caroline County, Virginia to the late Charles Wesley Edwards and Nannie Armstead Edwards.

A time to learn…
Mary was educated in the Caroline County Schools. Mary graduated from Union High School on June 9, 1939 and then matriculated at Virginia State College for Negroes (now Virginia State University). Previously, she had worked with her father in C. W. Edwards Funeral Home and other family businesses. After two years at the college, she was needed at the home and she returned to work in the family businesses. While in college Mary played various sports such as, field hockey, girls basketball, and girls softball.

A time to love…
Mary and her husband, the late Joseph Adams, Jr. of Philadelphia, Pa. were joined in holy matrimony on February 18, 1946. Mary and Joseph were the proud parents of three children, Myrna Ava Adams, Kevin Dennis Adams, and Anthony Stevie Adams.

A time to serve…
Mary's first Christian experience was Second Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Milford. She later joined Shiloh Baptist Church in Bowling Green. Mary was honored on September 15, 1985 at Shiloh Baptist Church for faithful, outstanding service to Christ and the church for organizing youth choral singing groups and organizing and fostering youth recreation. Mary joined the St. John Baptist Church in Woodford in 1989. At St. John, she joined the Spiritualettes Choir, the Missionary Ministry, and the Senior Missionary Society. Mary had a great love for the Lord and she enjoyed singing and praising God's holy name.

A time to Shine…
Mary's life exemplified the following, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." 1 Corinthians 13:13

Mary was known to have "a big heart." She especially loved being around and sharing with the younger generation, many of them calling her "Big Momma."

In addition to working in the family business, her interest was mostly in education, sports and recreation. In March 1984, VSU Alumni Association Region III, awarded her a certificate for demonstrating leadership in education. She worked for the Caroline County School board as a school bus driver for many years and she was a substitute teacher for many years. In September 1985, the Community Outreach Program, through Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA., honored her for continued interest in that program.

In the area of sports and recreation, she managed the Bowling Green Hornets Softball team for close to fifty years, in 1983, she managed the Central Atlantic Regional Women's Class B Open Slow Pitch Team. Then, in September 1985, she proved worthy to receive all rights, responsibilities and privileges to be a member of the Virginia Recreation and Parks Society, Inc.; further, she was one of eight members to be inducted into the Central Virginia Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame.

Mary had a love for music, playing the piano and singing church music at home, Bowling Green Health Care Center and in various choirs. In November 1989, the Heavenly Bound Mass Choir recognized her in Caroline County for her dedication and faithful service to the choir.

Mary's other affiliations are: life member, Chapter #129, Order of Easter Star, faithful member, Caroline Chapter VSU Alumni, dedicated services to the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and other services too numerous to mention.

A time to mourn…
On Friday, May 18, 2012, at 5:51pm, God visited Mary at the Bowling Green Health Care Center and whispered to her, Mary it is time for you to take your heavenly journey home. You have done all that I have assigned for you to do down here, Come on up and let your soul be at rest. Mary was blessed with 93 beautiful years of life.

A time to be remembered…
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph E. Adams, Jr., her son, Kevin Dennis "Pee Wee" Adams, her sisters, the late Nannie Coghill (Andrew), and the late Irene Totten (James), her four brothers, all deceased, Edgar C. "Pete" Edwards, Johnnie Tolliver (Mary), Walter Tolliver, and Lloyd Tolliver and god daughter, the late Beatrice Golden.

Mary, "Big Momma" leaves to cherish her memories, one daughter, Myrna Ava Adams (Johnny) of Bowling Green, one son, Anthony Stevie Adams (Joyce) of Bowling Green, four grandchildren, Mary Jo Adams, India Adams, Johnny Wright, and Anthony Joseph Adams, all of Bowling Green, two great grandchildren, Ariana Adams, and Alana Adams of Bowling Green, five god children, a special god daughter, Yvonne Moffett (Romie) of Bowling Green, Towanda Simmons, Wendy Rock, Wanda Smith, and Walter Rock, one brother in law, Bernard Adams of Philadelphia, Pa., and two sisters in law, Jackie Lewis of Baltimore, Md., and Annie Anderson (James) of Bowling Green, and a devoted niece, Angela Gayle Roberts, a devoted nephew, Michael Coghill, and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous friends.

Visitation:
Thursday, May 24, 2012 from
12 Noon to 4pm at C. W. Edwards Funeral Home and
6 to 7 pm followed by a tribute from 7 to 8 pm. at St. John Baptist Church, 17080 South River Road, Woodford, Virginia 22580.

Celebration of Life Service:
Friday, May 25, 2012
11:00am at St. John Baptist Church, Woodford, VA.

Interment:
Church Cemetery

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Joseph and Mary E. Adams Scholarship Fund at Union First Market Bank, c/o Tanya Sumbry, 211 N. Main Street, Bowling Green, Virginia 22427.