CELINA-Funeral services were held here at the Celina Church of Christ on March 28 for longtime community newspaper columnist Edwina Napier, who passed away Wednesday, March 26 at the age of 88.

Napier’s column ran here weekly for the better part of the past 35 years and appeared for the final time in last week’s Dale Hollow Horizon featuring her well-known recipes, bible verses, local birthdays, and announcements of various community events or happenings.

Her work first appeared on September 16, 1979 in the inaugural issue of The Clay Citizen, a weekly newspaper founded here by her son Don Napier and, due to the fact she never missed a deadline, readers have enjoyed it ever since.

In April of 1986, Patsy Judd of Burkesville, KY purchased both The Clay Citizen and The Clay Statesman newspapers combining them into what is known today as the Citizen-Statesman.  The paper changed, but Napier’s column didn’t as Judd welcomed her writings with open arms.

Like Napier’s son Don, Judd also eventually sold her newspaper.  Mitchell Media of Livingston, TN continued the Citizen-Statesman name and Napier’s column until she found her final home with her family at the HORIZON.

Napier’s grandson’s Jonathan and Thomas Weaver, drawing from their uncle’s vast journalism experience, began the new paper in August of 2004.  As a show of continued support for her family, Napier joined her grandsons’ new venture and began directing her submissions to the HORIZON, where they appeared up until her death last week.

Edwina Napier

Though her “Food For Thought” column graced the pages for the last time when the paper hit news stands on March 26, in memory of Napier’s contributions, the HORIZON has begun a new one called “Nanny’s Favorites” featuring the columnist’s favorite recipes and bible verses reprinted from past editions.

Napier’s tradition of announcing local birthdays will also be continued through another new feature called “Birthday Weekly,” which will highlight birthday submissions from readers who visit www.dalehollowhorizon.com to submit a birthday.

Besides her regular column, Napier also offered a weekly history lesson through the HORIZON’s pages called “From Bill Fiske’s Bugle.”  Each week she would scour the pages in search of interesting tidbits which appeared in Celina’s old newspaper called Bill Fiske’s Bugle.  With careful consideration, she would compile them for reader’s giving them a glimpse into the days of old.

The majority of the papers she looked through with care were actually given to Napier’s son Don in the late 1970’s by Alva Fiske–the son of the newspaper’s namesake Bill, while she also searched other volumes given to her by Frances Donaldson.  In her absence, her son plans to continue her tradition with his “From Bill Fiske’s Bugle” column.

Napier, a postal clerk by trade here for many years, was also known for her vast knowledge of genealogy as she took pride in not only knowing her own family history, but also that of others.  She was also very knowledgeable about the lost community of Willow Grove, due to the fact she and her (Hargrove) family were residents of the community before the construction of Dale Hollow Lake.