In 1972, the Parish of St. Paul and St. Paul’s Anglican Church welcomed an Edwards family of four (4) – Troy, Faye, Rolston and Ann whose Christian faith began at the All Soul Chapel in Urlings, the place of her birth, that took place on Friday at 4:00 a.m. in 1939. Other than her Christian names as Ann Sophia Matilda, she acquired several nick names like, Scrapping – being last of four (4) siblings; Finger Rose – being short, stout and yellow; President for Life as she managed the Nurses Association for fourteen (14) unchallenged years, served twelve
12) years on the Nursing Council. During Ann’s tenure as the President, she assertively and aggressively attained improved working conditions for Nurses such as: telephone, housing, uniform and traveling allowances.
Ann organized Cooking and Spanish Classes for the Nurses and she herself taught the Nurses dress-making. In almost all instances, Ann received what she argued for, thus another nick name Bush Lawyer, before Ann gives up, she bites you with her tentacles; thus, another name – Ants Nest.
Ann is a retired comprehensively trained Nurse who worked laboriously in the curative and preventative Nursing Services for almost forty (40) years. While climbing the ladder of success, Ann acquired these titles R.N. – Registered Nurse; C.M. – Certified Midwife; P.H.N. – Public Health Nurse; F.N.P. – Family Nurse Practitioner (locally called Nurse doctor) and many Certificates in Administration.
Due to Ann’s education, skills and experience, she held several positions such as Staff Nurse, Ward Sister, Night Supervisor, District Nurse, Supervisor of Nursing, and Zone Areas. This is worthy to be noted, Ann, desirous to be comprehensively trained, requested to be demoted from being a Night Supervisor to a District Nurse with a significantly reduced pay. Who else would give up scarce dough?
Ann was the first Female Chairperson for the Medical Benefits Scheme during her tenure in 2010; its Act was amended to include eleven (11) diseases. Ann having worked in different levels of Nursing retired as the Deputy Superintendent of Public Nursing.
On entering Nursing in 1959, after a short stint as a pupil teacher, Ann made a promise that before retirement, the Nurses must have a Headquarters. That was a Promise made and kept; when the Nurses Headquarters was dedicated in May 1999, a month after Ann’s Retirement date. Not only did the Nurses received their Headquarters, Ann revised the Nurses 30-year-old Constitution and wrote a book entitled: “The First 50 Years History of the Nurses Association.”
As a Community Nurse, Ann collected, analyzed and documented statistical data of many areas where she worked, such as Buckleys, Grays Farm, Yorks, Potters, Cobbs Cross and St. John’s.
The Government used her data to access funds from funding Agents to build new Clinics and expand others.
Ann’s involvement in the Community, assisted the Government by erecting a Clinic and Creche in Cobbs Cross. She assisted persons to become beneficiaries of Government Social Programmes. Persons received medical assistant from a group referred to as the St. Paul’s Crisis Intervention Group, which Ann is a member for 18 years from its inception. She chaired that group for many years.
A family in Falmouth lived without water, electricity, cooking and bathing facilities for more than 10 years. Ann single handedly collected more than EC$70,000.00 in cash and kind to help the family. Today the family is enjoying what they never had for years. At nights the house looks like a lighted battle ship.
Although Ann was deeply involved in the Community and the Nurses Association, St. Paul’s Anglican Church was and still is where most of her energies were expended by coordinating the many fund-raising activities, with the highest profits, performing on stage with her mother-punch dolly Annette, while managing three (3) manual ice cream freezers at the many Fetes and on Dockyard Days. All profits went to the St. Paul with St. Barnabas Anglican Churches.
The Ushers at St. Paul’s Anglican Church are well identified by the wearing of stolls; Ann provided the first set of stolls and accessed the others. The reserved signs at the St. Paul and St. Barnabas Anglican Churches that cannot be stolen, were designed and financed by Ann.
Work men were paid by Ann for six (6) weeks while working on the church building, as they refused the cheques from the Treasurer. Her waiting to be refunded was never a problem.
Ann supervised the erection of the two Monuments at the St. Paul and St. Barnabas Anglican Churches, and ensured the Church received waivers of ABST during any constructions, while she was the Peoples Warden.
The Church enjoyed increased Stewardship members during her tenure as the Peoples Warden. No working members escaped Ann. As many were asked, why are you not a stewardship member? At the same time, she gave reasons to become one.
Positions Ann held at the St. Paul with St. Barnabas Anglican Churches were:
- Peoples Warden.
- Vestry Member, several stints.
- Choir Member.
- A Member of the Social Outreach Group.
- Chalice Administrator.
- Coordinator of Fund-Raising Committees for many years.
- A member of the Diocesan Committee to review divorce
application for marriage in the Anglican Churches for over
30 years.
Ann has received more than twenty (20) Awards for her Contribution to the Nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Among such are:
▪ St. John’s Ambulance Brigade – Red Cross Queen for
many years as a young adult.
▪ The Caribbean Nurses Association – Mavis Harvey
Browne Highest Award.
▪ Antigua Nurses Association for the Most
Outstanding President.
▪ Antigua Homes and Garden Festival – The Island overall
Winner and many first places.
▪ The Soroptimist International Dynamic Woman of
the Year Award.
▪ In 1997, National Award – Grand Cross of the Most
Illustrious Order of Merit. G.C.M.
▪ In 2022, National Award – Dame Commander of the
Nation, D.C.N. and others, according to Ann too many
to mention.
▪ On 2nd December 2023, St. Paul’s Anglican Church,
during its 350th year anniversary, awarded ten (10) members
of the church for their outstanding contribution. The name
Ann Edwards along with other awardees are inscribed on a
plate installed in the church. Early on that day,
2nd December 2023, Ann received her third (3rd) Award
from the Antigua and Barbuda Nurses Association as one of
its President for her sterling contribution to the development
of Nurses and Nursing.
Ann has written many Community Profiles, two (3) books: “The First 50 Years of the Nurses Association;” and second “Becoming Me.” “St. Paul’s Parish – Then and Now” is her third (3rd) book written between the ages of 83 and 84 years.
The book was launched on June 30th 2024 at the historic “Dockyard” in English Harbour it had been planned to coincide with an Exhibition to showcase the skills and talents within the Parish, as one of Ann’s aspirational objectives.
Ann is the wife of Rolston Edwards, an Agriculturalist for 57 years, now deceased.
The mother of Faye Edwards, a Pharmacist, Artist, Soloist and Historian.
Troy Edwards PHD, Urologist, Director of Dr. Phillip’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida.
The Step Son of Dr. Alvin Edwards, Ophthalmologist, also Actor and thirteen (13) others here and abroad.
The grandmother of three (3).
Her Motto: “Whenever you pass a place, insure it is better than before you passed it.”
Ann advice to all:
▪ Become Socially involved.▪ Educationally balanced.
▪ Spiritually filled. ▪ Be a defender of your rights and those of others.
