Edwina Theodora (Corson) Scarbrough

Heavenly Herald:

103 Years of Blessings — Edwina Comes Home

Official Arrival Report: Edwina Theodora Corson Scarbrough

Filed: Midmorning, June 23, 2026

Heaven confirmed today the joyful arrival of Edwina Theodora Corson Scarbrough, who spread her wings and flew away in the midmorning hours of June 23, 2026, departing her earthly home in Van Buren, Arkansas. Born June 16, 1923 in Fort Smith, she graced the world for more than a century, a span so long and generous that even the angels remarked on the fullness of her days. This is the story of her grit, her sweetness, and the great cloud of loved ones, all waiting to welcome her home.

Upon her arrival, a warm radiance moved across Eternity, the kind reserved for souls whose lives were marked by laughter, kindness, thoughtfulness, and love. Heavenly officials noted that Edwina stepped forward with the resilience of spirit and strength of character that defined her entire earthly journey. Her unshakeable Christian faith, paired with a deep and often unintentionally delightful sense of humor, made her instantly recognizable to those eagerly waiting to greet her.

A Century of Witness

Archivists in the Hall of Time reviewed her earthly record with reverence. Edwina lived long enough to survive and bear witness to the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Cold War, the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, the rise of women’s rights, the Space Race, the Digital Revolution, 9/11 and the War on Terror, the COVID-19 pandemic, and more difficult than all of these, the passing of many beloved friends and family members. At one point she remarked that if everyone she knew kept dying there would be nobody left to mourn her own departure. She needn’t have worried on that account. She is and will be sorely missed.

She endured history with grace. She met sorrow with faith. Her memory will be Eternal.

A Joyful Reunion

Greeted with the words we all long to hear from our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ: “Well done… my good and faithful servant,” Edwina was welcomed by the jubilant sound of deafening laughter that marked all family gatherings. She was happily reunited with those who had previously journeyed home: her parents, Mama Johnnie Aston Corson and Edwin Chancelor Corson; her sister Artis Joy Dugan; sister-in-law Yvonne Breedlove; her husband of 64 years, Clarence F. Scarbrough Jr.; her son Randolph Edwin Scarbrough and daughter-in-law Regina Marcel Scarbrough; her daughter Claudia Leftwich; and her granddaughter Rebecca Abigail Pennington.

Witnesses report that the reunion was ‘the kind that makes even angels pause,’ with Clarence stepping forward first — still looking every bit the ‘Greek god’ she once described, roses in hand, just as he appeared outside Southwestern Bell in October 1945 when he returned from the war to meet her in person for the first time.

A Life of Love and Legacy

Edwina leaves behind a family whose lives are shaped by her gentleness and humor.

Children:
Ronald Dean Scarbrough (Teresa), Richard Scarbrough (Janice), and Joellen Moore (Douglas).

Her son Ronnie shares a childhood memory that revealed both her steadiness and her quiet ingenuity. He remembers a dawn Greyhound ride, ‘the sun just a thought in the sky,’ rain sliding down the window as they traveled home from Houston – without Dad. Though she was usually calm, Ronnie recalls that the night before she had been anxious in a way her boys ‘rarely ever saw.’ Even so, she kept them settled with crackers, an apple, and her gentle presence.

Near midnight, during a layover in Texarkana, three sleepy boys grew frightened in the unfamiliar station. But Edwina — ‘nobody’s dummy’ — used the little money she had to buy something they had never seen before: Mounds bars. ‘The four of us shared the little confections with joy and awe,’ Ronnie remembers. ‘Her clever ploy worked perfectly.’

By morning, they arrived in Fort Smith in heavy Arkansas rain, where Grandpa met them and Grandma had breakfast waiting. And in Ronnie’s words, the truth of her presence becomes unmistakable: ‘Everything was always good if Mom was there.’

Her son Richard recalls the freedom she gave him to roam far from home, building bravery and independence. ‘She was the sweetest person I’ve ever met,’ he said. ‘Always there to help. Always funny, even when she didn’t mean to be.’ He noted that her proudest roles in life were as wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Her daughter Joellen treasures the story of her parents’ wartime courtship — a romance sparked by a wise future sister-in-law, carried by letters across oceans, and sealed by a man in a navy blue suit leaning against a lamppost with a dozen red roses.

Edwina and Clarence welcomed five children, ten grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren, each of whom carries forth her torch, a light that continues to radiate in the hearts of all.

Grandchildren:
Matthew Scarbrough (Kim), Tucker Scarbrough, Ami Scarbrough, Rachel Freeman, Robert Scarbrough, Joseph Scarbrough, Jon Pennington, Valerie Groh (Matthew), Brian Kremer (Page), Jacob Douglas Moore (Hailee), and Sarah Elizabeth Scarbrough (Dakota).

Great-grandchildren:
Zach, Dylan, Randi, Kaitlyn, Xander, Chavi, Sophia, Benjamin, Chloe, Jackson, James, John, and Bryson.

Work, Service, and the Joy of Everyday Life

Heaven’s vocational records note her years as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell and Saint Edwards Hospital, a cafeteria worker at Van Buren High School, a custodian at J.J. Izard Elementary, and later a campground host with Clarence at Auxarc Park and in Heber Springs.

She loved to swim — sometimes nearly two miles in the quarry near her home — and she whistled with uncanny skill, able to match any melody or birdsong with perfect precision. She savored her coffee, usually with a sweet (or TWO), crafted ceramics with patient hands, solved puzzles with enthusiasm, quilted with friends, and taught Bible School and VBS. Her generosity greeted every person who crossed her threshold, and her service in the hospitality ministries of Rena Road Church of Christ is recorded in the Book of Good Works with special distinction.

Heaven’s Closing Note

As evening settles over Eternity, a lantern will be placed in the Hall of Remembrance to honor Edwina’s arrival — its flame joining the constellation of joyful souls who made the world gentler, simply by being in it.

Heaven’s final statement reads:
‘Her life was long. Her love was longer. And her light shines bright as ever.’

Memorial Service to be Scheduled at a Later Date

We know there are many who are eager to join us to share remembrances and celebrate this life so very well-lived. We appreciate your patience while the family seeks to recover from this great loss and schedule a service that can adequately honor a woman so great as our Edwina.

A quiet and private interment will take place at the Fort Smith National Cemetery where Edwina will join her husband, Clarence, but a Memorial Service led by Mr. David Banks of Rena Road Church of Christ will follow in months to come, to which ALL will be invited. Thank you for your love, understanding, and continued prayers.