Ronnie Claire Edwards (February 9, 1933 – June 14, 2016) was an American actress, best known for playing Corabeth Walton Godsey on the TV series ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

''.

Early life

Edwards was born and raised in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

, Oklahoma.

Acting career

Edwards acted professionally from 1963 and is best known for the role of the domineering Corabeth Walton Godsey, the wife of storekeeper Ike Godsey played by

Joe Conley Joe Conley (March 3, 1928 – July 7, 2013) was an American actor who played many small roles on television and is most remembered for his role as the storekeeper Ike Godsey in ''The Waltons''. Personal life and career Joe Conley was born in Bu ...

, in the CBS television series ''

'', created by Earl Hamner, Jr. She played Charlene's mother Ione Frazier on two episodes of CBS's '' Designing Women''. In 1983, Edwards played Aunt Dolly in Hamner's series ''Boone'', which was cancelled after 10 episodes had aired. She co-starred in the NBC series '' Sara'' (1985) opposite

Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor

. She briefly appeared on an episode of PBS's ''

Antiques Roadshow ''Antiques Roadshow'' is a British television programme broadcast by the BBC in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom (and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people ( ...

'' (2008) from Dallas, Texas, when she brought in for appraisal a chair formerly owned by P.T. Barnum. She also appeared in the '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode " Thine Own Self" and the remake of '' Inherit the Wind'' (1999). In 2008, HBO decided not to air the television series '' 12 Miles of Bad Road'', in which Edwards had a role. She subsequently retired from acting. Her work in films included ''

The Dead Pool ''The Dead Pool'' is a 1988 American neo-noir vigilante action thriller film directed by Buddy Van Horn, written by Steve Sharon, and starring Clint Eastwood as Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan. It is the fifth and final film in the ''Dirty ...

'' (1988).

Other

Edwards was the author of several books, including memoirs published in 2012. In 2000, ''The Knife Thrower's Assistant: Memoirs of a Human Target'' was published. She previously had created and performed a one-woman show under the same title, which she took to the

Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

in 1993. She also co-wrote a musical play ''Idols of the King'' as a tribute to

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

's career, legacy and most passionate fans.

Personal life and death

Edwards restored a 1911 Catholic church on Swiss Avenue in Dallas and made it her home after selling her mansion in Los Angeles to

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...

bassist

Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...

in 2008. She died of

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

in her sleep on June 14, 2016 at age 83.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Ronnie Claire 1933 births 2016 deaths Actresses from Oklahoma City American film actresses American television actresses Writers from Oklahoma City 21st-century American women The Waltons