Born May 3, 1921 to John Homer Edmiston and Hester M (Davidson) Edmiston in Yates Center, KS.
His early working life was spent helping his father in a family machine shop, repairing engines, machining parts and seating valves. He graduated from Burwell High School in Burwell, Nebraska. When war was declared after Pearl Harbor he was drafted into the Army in 1942. Guard duty in Washington DC was followed by 13 months of infantry training in Georgia. He was then shipped to England and eventually arrived at Omaha Beach in France. As a private he was resigned to simply carry out his duties and hopefully return home. His battalion was involved in the Battle of the Bulge but Homer had been wounded in a mine field and was hospitalized while his unit was pressing across the Rhine into Germany. He received a Purple Heart. He returned to his unit and received a field promotion to Sargeant because of the high rate of attrition in various battles. In his battalion of over two hundred men only nine survived unwounded.
Upon returning to the states he married Joyce Arlene Netz. Homer intially tried his hand at used car sales but soon found there was actually a steadier market for the used parts. His salvage parts business was sometimes a struggle. He often relayed that many cars we might consider collectables now were cut up and sent to the crusher when times were tough.
Homer and Joyce had a daughter, Christine, two grand daughters and five great grandchildren.
Homer was also a member of the National Guard, retiring as a Major in 1981.
Homer was always interested in early brass era cars and their components. He said his first early car was a Brush. His dedication and photographic memory proved invaluable and made him a veritable warehouse of information. At swap meets it was common to see him draw a crowd of friends with questions about their restoration projects or just to converse about life. He would always quote Walter Payton, "Tomorrow is promised to no one". He was a great listener and an even greater talker, but he possessed such knowledge it was always interesting.
In the last nine years he was accompanied by Rosemary Horner. They traveled extensively on numerous ocean cruises and holiday adventures, always trying to touch base with friends and old car hobbyists.
He will be forever missed.
Remembrances
If you would like to leave a remembrance or pictures, e-mail them to connersrustyrow@aol.com.